Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts have formed a new loyalty partnership that would allow Air India Maharaja Club members to earn rewards for IHG stays and IHG One Rewards members to exchange points for Maharaja Points, the companies announced on Friday (4 September).
Maharaja Club members will earn two points for every $1 spent at traditional IHG properties around the globe, except for stays at IHG extended-stay properties and IHG Army Hotels, which earn only one point per $1 spent. IHG One Rewards members can exchange 1,000 points for 200 Maharaja Points.
The partnership connects IHG’s global portfolio of more than 7,100 hotels in more than 100 countries with Air India’s network spanning India and destinations across five continents.
Though Air India has added more than 100 brands to Maharaja Club’s partnership network between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, IHG is the first major global hotel partner to join the ranks.
Air India head of marketing, loyalty and e-commerce Sunil Suresh said in a statement that the partnership with IHG extends the programme’s reach into another part of the travel journey, "making it easier for members to benefit from their loyalty across a broader range of travel experiences”.
IHG managing director for South West Asia Sudeep Jain said in a statement that India continues to be one of IHG’s most important growth markets. IHG currently has 53 hotels operating across seven brands in India.
Nearly all of the major global hotel chains have launched campaigns to grow in India, with Accor chairman and CEO Sébastien Bazin stating on a panel at the NYU International Hospitality Investment Forum in June that he expects India to be the largest global market in 20 years, "way bigger than China”.
Accor earlier this year launched its own loyalty partnership with Air India's low-cost-carrier rival IndiGo.
IHG in recent years has partnered with other airlines on loyalty benefits, including Delta Air Lines, Singapore Airlines and All Nippon Airways.