Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts linked Maharaja Club and IHG One Rewards on 4 Sept 2026: earn 2 Maharaja Points per US$1 at most IHG hotels and swap 1,000 IHG points for 200 Maharaja Points, plus 3x launch bonus.
Cover image: InterContinental hotel lobby representing new Air India IHG loyalty partnership — photo by Basile Morin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Air India and IHG Hotels & Resorts have linked their loyalty programmes, letting flyers and hotel guests earn and exchange points across both ecosystems from 4 September 2026. Maharaja Club members earn 2 Maharaja Points for every US$1 spent at most IHG hotels worldwide — 1 point per US$1 at Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels — and can convert points both ways, with 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points exchangeable for 200 Maharaja Points and a 3x Maharaja Points bonus on qualifying stays between 15 September and 31 December 2026.
The deal was announced by IHG PLC on 4 September as a landmark partnership for the Indian market, pairing one of India's fastest-transforming airlines with one of the world's largest hotel loyalty programmes at over 160 million IHG One Rewards members. For India outbound travellers and Southeast Asia hotel stays, it creates a new earn-burn loop where a Bangkok, Singapore or Bali hotel night can directly top up Maharaja Points for the next flight.
How does the Air India IHG points earn and swap work?
The core earn is simple and automatic once accounts are linked: stay at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts and the hotel spend posts as Maharaja Points. At most brands — InterContinental, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, voco, Kimpton and others in IHG's 6,400-plus open hotels — the rate is 2 Maharaja Points per US$1 before tax. At extended-stay and residences brands , Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels , it is 1 point per US$1, reflecting lower daily rates and longer stays.
Members who already hold IHG One Rewards Points can move value to flights without staying: 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points = 200 Maharaja Points, with a minimum exchange of 1,000 points. There are no blackout dates on the launch promotion, but members must register to earn the triple-points bonus from 15 September to 31 December 2026, which IHG said applies to qualifying stays with no blackout. That launch window coincides with India's winter holiday and Southeast Asia high-season travel, when IHG's India pipeline , including the signed Garner in Ahmedabad Motera for 2029 , is also in focus.
Why does this partnership matter for Indian travellers now?
Air India's Maharaja Club is central to the airline's transformation under Tata and Singapore Airlines ownership, which recently injected close to US$1.1 billion in fresh funding as losses widened. Adding a hotel partner expands the programme beyond air spend at a moment when Indian outbound to Southeast Asia is surging , Thailand recorded 19.76 million foreign arrivals to mid-August with India third at 1.45 million, and Bali and Vietnam are setting new records , so hotel nights in the region now earn flight rewards directly.
For IHG, the move deepens relevance in India, where it operates 50-plus hotels and has 110-plus in the pipeline and recently signed large conversion deals such as 14 hotels in Kyoto with GCP Hospitality. IHG said linking Maharaja Club extends earn opportunities for members “beyond their airline spend” and gives IHG One Rewards members in India more choice in how they use points. The partnership mirrors other recent cross-loyalty moves in the region, like the Klook-Mastercard Asia-Pacific pact that bundles deals and early bookings across lesser-known cities.
What should members do to maximise value?
First, link accounts on either the Air India or IHG One Rewards site and register for the 3x promotion (15 Sept–31 Dec 2026) before the first qualifying stay , bookings made before registration may not count. Second, choose where to earn: paying cash at IHG and converting the stay to Maharaja Points usually beats a direct point purchase, especially during the triple-earn period. Third, compare the swap math: at 1,000:200, 5,000 IHG points becomes 1,000 Maharaja Points, useful for topping up an award, but check the flight redemption chart as dynamic pricing can swing the per-point value.
| Scenario | Earn / Swap Rate | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Standard IHG stay | 2 Maharaja Points / US$1 | US$200 stay = 400 Maharaja Points |
| Extended-stay brands | 1 Maharaja Point / US$1 | US$200 at Candlewood = 200 points |
| Points exchange | 1,000 IHG = 200 Maharaja | 20,000 IHG points → 4,000 Maharaja Points |
| Launch bonus (15 Sept–31 Dec) | 3x Maharaja Points | US$200 standard stay = 1,200 points when registered |
How does this compare to other hotel-airline links?
India already has airline-hotel links such as Vistara with Marriott Bonvoy and IndiGo with Accor, but a pan-IHG tie that covers InterContinental through Holiday Inn Express at a flat earn rate is broader than many single-brand deals. Globally, the IHG-Air India earn rate of 2 per US$1 is in line with Qantas-IHG and United-IHG earn propositions, while the exchange ratio (1,000:200) is modest , best used for topping up rather than bulk transfers. With Southeast Asia hotel capacity expanding into winter , Singapore Airlines adding Bali 737 MAX rotations and similar schedule growth, members are likely to find ample IHG inventory to combine flight and hotel earn in one trip.
Frequently asked questions
How many Maharaja Points do I earn at IHG hotels?
Most IHG Hotels & Resorts earn 2 Maharaja Points per US$1 spent. Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences and IHG Army Hotels earn 1 point per US$1. You must link your Maharaja Club and IHG One Rewards accounts before the stay.
Can I transfer IHG One Rewards points to Air India?
Yes. You can exchange 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points for 200 Maharaja Points. The minimum exchange is 1,000 points and transfers are typically not reversible, so check your flight award cost first.
What is the 3x bonus?
Registered members earn triple Maharaja Points on qualifying IHG stays between 15 September and 31 December 2026, with no blackout dates. Promotion registration is required.
Do all IHG hotels participate?
Almost all worldwide IHG Hotels & Resorts participate, with the rate difference noted for extended-stay and residences brands. Always check the IHG offer page at booking for any excluded rate types or folio charges.
Is this useful for Southeast Asia trips?
Yes. IHG's large footprint in Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia means many India outbound itineraries can earn Maharaja Points on hotel nights, then redeem them for Air India flights, creating a tighter loyalty loop across the region.
