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Best Credit Cards to Earn Indigo 6E Rewards

Indigo Airlines, headquartered in Gurgaon, India, is the largest airline in the country based on fleet size and passengers carried annually. Indigo Airlines has partnered with card issuers in India to provide their co-branded Indigo Kaching travel credit cards. Currently, Indigo Airlines offers co-branded credit cards with Kotak Mahindra Bank and HDFC Bank . These cards offer cardholders an exclusive rewards program called 6E Rewards. Unlike other airline frequent flyer programs, the 6E Rewards program is not available to all Indigo Airlines passengers; it is only available to co-branded cardholders.

Cardholders get rewarded in the form of 6E reward points on making spends with their credit card, and these points can be redeemed for a host of different options, including Indigo Airlines flight tickets. People who regularly travel on domestic flights should consider getting the Indigo co-branded cards and reap the benefits of the 6E Rewards program.

6E Rewards – IndiGo HDFC Bank Credit Card

• 6E Rewards XL – IndiGo HDFC Bank Credit Card

6E Rewards – Indigo Kotak Bank Credit Card

• 6E Rewards XL – Indigo Kotak Bank Credit Card

Indigo Airlines Co-Branded Kaching Credit Cards

Currently, Indigo Airlines offers co-branded credit cards with HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. With these cards, you earn 6E rewards on almost all your spending. You earn extra 6E reward points for spending on Indigo partner brands, Indigo spends, dining, grocery, entertainment, etc., and more. Learn more about these co-branded travel cards and their exclusive features and benefits, especially on Indigo Airlines flights.

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The 6E Rewards Indigo HDFC Bank credit card is the basic variant of the two co-branded cards offered by HDFC Bank and Indigo. The card has a nominal joining fee of Rs. 500 and has exclusive perks, especially on Indigo flight tickets. You can earn 6E rewards on your Indigo ticket spends, dining groceries, etc., and elsewhere. As a welcome benefit, you get a 6E Prime add-on with exclusive flight perks, gift vouchers, and more. Also, you get a discount on Indigo ticket booking convenience fees, and complimentary flight tickets upon reaching the required number of transactions.

• 6E Prime Add-On is a welcome benefit offering priority check-in, a choice of seat, meals, an extra baggage allowance, and more.
• 10% 6E rewards on Indigo partner brands
• 2.5% 6E reward points on your Indigo flight booking spends
• 2% 6E rewards on entertainment, grocery, and dining spends
• 1% 6E rewards on spends made elsewhere with the card
• Complimentary Indigo flight ticket worth Rs. 1500 on making at least three transactions in each of the first three months after card issuance
• Exclusive dining benefits with the Good Food Trail dining program

6E Rewards XL – IndiGo HDFC Bank Credit Card

Out of the two co-branded cards issued by Indigo and HDFC Bank, the 6E Rewards XL Indigo HDFC Bank card is the premium variant and comes at an annual fee of Rs. 1500 plus taxes. Earlier, there used to be a free variant of this card, but it has now been discontinued, and this card has many amazing offers for regular Indigo Airlines travelers. Apart from the 6E Prime Add-On as a welcome benefit, you also get an Accor hotel stay and dining voucher with the card. Moreover, the card has a decent reward rate that offers 6E reward points on your spends at partner brands, Indigo ticket booking, groceries, dining, etc. Other key privileges include domestic lounge access and milestone benefits.

• 6E Prime Add-On as a welcome benefit along with Accor Hotels stay and dining vouchers
• Complimentary Indigo flight ticket worth Rs. 3000 when you make at least three transactions with the card in each of the first 3 months after card issuance
• 20% 6E Rewards on Indigo partner brands and 5% rewards on Indigo spends
• 3% 6E rewards on grocery, dining, entertainment, etc., and 2% rewards elsewhere
• Up to Rs. 150 discount on convenience fee when booking Indigo Airlines flight tickets online
• 8 complimentary domestic lounge access per year, maximum twice per quarter
• Low forex markup fee of 2.5% of the transaction amount

Like HDFC Bank, Indigo Airlines also offers two co-branded cards with Kotak Mahindra Bank. The 6E Rewards Indigo Kotak Bank credit card is the basic variant out of the two and it charges a joining and annual fee of Rs. 700 from the cardholder. As a welcome benefit, you get a 6E Prime Add-On, Accor hotels dining and stay voucher, and Budweiser gift vouchers. Regarding 6E Rewards, you can earn up to 15% rewards on partner brand spends, and on Indigo flight bookings, dining, groceries, and other spends. You don’t get lounge access with this card, but you do get a discount on convenience fees on booking Indigo flight tickets.

• 6E Prime Add-On, Accot hotels stay and dining voucher, and Budweiser gift vouchers as welcome benefit
• Complimentary flight ticket worth Rs. 1500 on meeting the required condition
• 15% 6E Rewards on partner brand spends and 3% on Indigo spends
• 2% 6E Rewards on dining, groceries, etc., and 1% on spends elsewhere
• Discount up to Rs. 150 on convenience fees when booking Indigo flights

6E Rewards XL – Indigo Kotak Bank Credit Card

The 6E Rewards XL Indigo Kotak Bank Credit Card is the superior variant out of the two co-branded cards and charges an annual joining fee of Rs. 2500 plus taxes from the cardholder. As a welcome benefit, you get a complimentary 6E Prime Add-On, an Accor hotel stay voucher offering a 30% discount up to Rs. 5000, and a dining voucher worth Rs. 1000. You can also get a complimentary flight ticket and a discount on convenience fee when booking Indigo flight tickets online. With the card, you also get 6E rewards on spends at partner brands, Indigo ticket bookings, dining, entertainment, etc.

• Complimentary 6E Prime Add-On as a welcome benefit along with Accor hotel stay and dining vouchers
• Complimentary flight ticket on making 3 transactions in each of the first 3 months of card issuance
• Up to 20% 6E rewards on partner brand spends and 6% rewards on the Indigo website
• 3% 6E rewards on dining, grocery, spends, and 2% rewards elsewhere
• Up to Rs. 150 discount on Indigo flight ticket booking
• 8 complimentary lounge access, maximum 2 per quarter

How to Earn 6E Reward Points?

You can earn 6E reward points on making eligible spends with the Indigo co-branded credit cards by HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank. The 6E Rewards program is not a frequent flyer program like other airlines, and you won’t accrue 6E reward points when flying on Indigo Airlines flights. However, you can redeem your earned 6E reward points for Indigo flight tickets and other privileges like 6E Prime.

You will earn a 6E reward on Indigo flight bookings made directly on the website using your Indigo co-branded credit card, and the rewards are credited to your account after your flight has been completed. You will not earn any 6E reward points for the following –

• Group bookings
• Corporate login bookings
• Agent login bookings
• Small and medium enterprise login bookings
• Advance payments sent to Indigo Airlines

How to Redeem 6E Rewards?

Redeeming 6E rewards for Indigo flights for yourself and your family members is possible, but you will be charged a service fee. You will also have to add others as nominees to your account to redeem miles for them. You can pay for the full ticket amount through just 6E reward points or 6E rewards plus cash.

If you want to purchase any other service, like meals, early boarding, etc., you can either pay through cash or points, not with a combination. When you redeem 6E reward points, 1 RP = Rs. 1. To make the redemption, you must also pay airport departure tax, airport charges, immigration fees, carrier charges, and other surcharges. Upon canceling a ticket, you will receive the flight ticket amount back, not other taxes or charges.

6E Rewards Validity and Expiry

The 6E reward points earned by you for your spends on the credit card are valid for 24 months from the date you earned them. They are valid on a first-in-first-out basis, meaning the 6E rewards earned first will be used when you make a redemption. Also, the points are valid only till your Indigo co-branded card is valid, if your card is discontinued, then the points will lapse as well.

If a member renews his membership account within the Grace Period of 90 days of the expiry, the 6E Rewards he earned will be eligible for redemption. If the membership is not renewed within 90 days, the account will be terminated, and the points will not be available.

Redeeming Points for Others

You can redeem 6E reward points for your family members and add up to 3 nominees at once in your account who can use your reward points to redeem flights. The nominees must be related to the account holder and Indigo Airlines will ask for necessary documents to verify the relationship. Also, you can only change your added nominees once per year.

Follow these steps to add a nominee to your account –

• Visit the Indigo Airlines website and log in to your 6E Rewards account.
• Click on the 6E Rewards menu and then click on Travellers.
• Under the Favorite Travellers part, click on Add Travellers.
• Enter the person’s details and then tick the Add to Nominee option.
• The person will be added as the Nominee to your account.

Bottom Line

Indigo Airlines is the largest airline in India, operating various international and domestic flights daily. Unlike other major airlines, it does not have a frequent flyer program. However, it does offer the 6E Rewards program for individuals through its co-branded credit cards. If you want exclusive benefits on Indigo flights and 6E reward points, you can get the Indigo co-branded credit cards from HDFC Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank .

HDFC and Kotak Mahindra Bank offer two variants of Indigo co-branded cards, and you can choose one based on your needs. The cards offer various benefits, such as complimentary 6E Prime Add-On, Accor hotel vouchers, complimentary flight tickets, and much more. You can redeem flights for yourself or your family members using the 6E rewards you earn. Use the 6E reward points you earn within their 24-month validity period, or they will expire.

• Visit the Indigo Airlines website and login to your 6E Rewards account.
• Enter the details of the person and then tick the Add to Nominee option.

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The award traveler's guide to IHG One Rewards

Editor's Note

IHG One Rewards is the loyalty program for IHG Hotels & Resorts, which includes brands like Holiday Inn, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Kimpton and Crowne Plaza. It's become one of my go-to hotel loyalty programs , especially after it improved in 2022 alongside its rebrand to IHG One Rewards .

The IHG hotels and resorts portfolio includes a mix of luxury and mainstream brands. I absolutely love the Six Senses brand, but even the least-prestigious brands like Candlewood Suites, Avid and Holiday Inn Express usually provide acceptable quality. Here's what you need to know about the IHG One Rewards program.

IHG One Rewards elite status

There are five membership tiers within the IHG One Rewards loyalty program. Plus, IHG offers two additional membership programs: InterContinental Ambassador and Kimpton Inner Circle . Here's an overview of each of these membership options.

IHG One Rewards Club member

You'll become a Club member simply by signing up for the IHG One Rewards program. Club members get the following benefits:

• Access to member rates and promotions
• Reward nights count toward elite status
• Free internet access
• 2 p.m. late checkout, upon request and subject to availability

Club members earn base points as follows when paying a qualifying rate at participating IHG Hotels & Resorts:

• 2.5 points per dollar spent at IHG-branded Residence properties, excluding Voco Residences (a 1.25% return based on TPG's valuations )
• 3 points per dollar spent at IHG Army Hotels (a 1.5% return)
• 5 points per dollar spent at Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites (a 2.5% return)
• 2,000 points per stay at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas (worth $10)
• 10 points per dollar spent at other IHG properties (a 5% return)

However, only select Six Senses properties and Iberostar Beachfront Resorts participate in IHG One Rewards. So, you'll only earn IHG points and get IHG One Rewards benefits at participating Six Senses and Iberostar properties.

Related: The 19 best IHG hotels in the world

IHG One Rewards Silver Elite member

Silver Elite membership typically requires 10 qualifying nights per calendar year. However, those who have the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card get automatic Silver Elite status.

On top of the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Club members, Silver Elite members also get the following perks:

• 20% bonus earnings on top of base points
• Points don't expire while you have elite status

Based on TPG's valuation of IHG One Rewards elite status , requalifying for Silver Elite status is worth about $35 per year.

Related: IHG revamped its loyalty program, and travelers noticed

IHG One Rewards Gold Elite member

Gold Elite membership typically requires 20 qualifying nights or 40,000 qualifying points per calendar year. However, cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card can earn Gold Elite status through the end of the next calendar year if they spend $20,000 or more on their card within the current calendar year.

On top of the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Silver Elite members, Gold Elite members also get the following perks:

• 40% bonus earnings on top of base points
• Qualifying nights that surpass what you need for status during a particular year roll over to the next year (although rollover nights are only valid for one calendar year)

TPG values requalifying for IHG One Rewards Gold Elite status at about $155 per year.

IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite member

Platinum Elite membership typically requires 40 qualifying nights or 60,000 qualifying points per calendar year, but cardholders of the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card get automatic Platinum Elite status. You'll also get complimentary Platinum Elite status if you buy an InterContinental Ambassador membership. Select United credit card holders can register for complimentary IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status .

On top of the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Gold Elite members, Platinum Elite members also get the following perks:

• 60% bonus earnings on top of base points
• Occasional reward night discounts
• Complimentary upgrades, subject to availability
• Welcome amenity at check-in of points or a drink and a snack
• Early check-in, upon request and subject to availability

TPG values requalifying for IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status at about $1,290 per year.

IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite member

Diamond Elite membership typically requires 70 qualifying nights or 120,000 qualifying points per calendar year. However, those with the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card can earn Diamond Elite status through the end of the next calendar year if they spend $40,000 or more on their card within the current calendar year.

On top of the benefits available to IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite members, Diamond Elite members also get the following perks:

• 100% bonus earnings on top of base points
• Dedicated support phone line for Diamond Elite members
• Welcome amenity at check-in of free breakfast (per night for up to two people), points (per stay) or a drink and snack (per stay)

TPG values requalifying for IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite status at about $3,840 per year.

Related: How to earn and redeem IHG food and beverage rewards

InterContinental Ambassador

You can purchase a 12-month InterContinental Ambassador membership for $200 or 40,000 IHG points. InterContinental Ambassador members get extra perks at InterContinental hotels and resorts, including a guaranteed one-category room upgrade and 4 p.m. late checkout. Plus, membership comes with IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status and a complimentary weekend night at an InterContinental hotel or resort (valid on the second night of a minimum two-night paid weekend stay booked using a special rate).

Even if you already have Platinum Elite or higher status, it can be worth purchasing InterContinental Ambassador status if you frequently stay at InterContinental properties. It can also make sense if you get more than $200 of value from your complimentary weekend night. Occasionally, InterContinental offers enrollment or renewal offers that can provide extra points or award night certificates as incentives.

IHG invites select InterContinental Ambassadors to become Royal Ambassadors based on their qualifying activity at InterContinental hotels and resorts. Royal Ambassadors get even more perks, including Club InterContinental lounge access .

Related: I paid $200 to renew Ambassador even though I rarely stay with InterContinental: Here's why

Kimpton Inner Circle

If you're an IHG One Rewards Diamond Elite member and frequently stay at Kimpton hotels, you might be invited to the Kimpton Inner Circle.

Kimpton Inner Circle members get various extra perks when staying at Kimpton hotels, including an ultra-personalized treat upon arrival, guaranteed one-category room upgrades, waived amenity fees, guaranteed 10 a.m. early check-in and guaranteed 4 p.m. late checkout.

Which bookings are eligible for IHG elite benefits and earnings?

You normally have to book directly with IHG to get elite benefits and earnings on stays. Specifically, IHG's terms and conditions state you can book qualifying stays through:

IHG Customer Care, IHG websites, the IHG One Rewards app, IHG WeChat mini program, Iberostar website, Iberostar Contact Center, IberostarPro, authorized travel agents (excluding online travel agents such as Expedia.com and booking.com, and unauthorized agents on online vertical travel portals), or directly at the hotel.

Related: What credit card should you use for IHG stays?

How to earn IHG points

There are many ways to earn IHG points . Here's a quick overview of some of the most popular ways.

Hotel stays

One of the primary ways to earn IHG points is through hotel stays. All IHG One Rewards members earn base points as follows when paying a qualifying rate at a participating property:

• 2.5 points per dollar spent at IHG-branded Residence properties, excluding Voco Residences (a 1.25% return based on TPG's valuations)

Elite members get bonus earnings on top of these base points. Specifically, Silver Elite members get a 20% bonus, Gold Elite members get a 40% bonus, Platinum Elite members get a 60% bonus and Diamond Elite members get a 100% bonus. IHG often offers bonus promotions that let members earn even more points on stays.

Related: Booking directly: How much value does IHG status provide?

Credit cards

There are three IHG One Rewards credit cards currently accepting applications that you can use to earn IHG points:

• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card : 5 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts; 3 points per dollar spent at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery), at gas stations and on utilities, internet, cable and phone services, and select streaming services; 2 points per dollar spent on other purchases (no annual fee)
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card : 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts; 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery), at gas stations and on travel and hotels; 3 points per dollar spent on other purchases ($99 annual fee)
• IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card : 10 points per dollar spent at IHG hotels and resorts; 5 points per dollar spent at restaurants (including takeout and eligible delivery), at gas stations and on travel, hotels, social media, search engine advertising and office supply stores; 3 points per dollar spent on other purchases ($99 annual fee)

You can also transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Bilt Rewards points to IHG One Rewards at a 1:1 ratio.

Related: Why you should get (and keep) the IHG One Rewards Premier card

• Meetings and events

The IHG Business Rewards program allows you to earn IHG points when you book rooms, meetings and events for others at select IHG properties .

First, you must register for IHG Business Rewards on IHG's website . Then, you can earn 3 points per dollar spent on the following:

• Guest rooms
• Conference rooms
• Food and beverage service linked to meetings and conferences
• All-inclusive meeting packages

However, you generally can't earn over 60,000 points on a meeting or event.

Related: Best IHG beach hotels, ranging from family-friendly resorts to luxury stays

IHG Trip Extras

IHG Trip Extras is a booking platform that allows you to earn IHG points on select bookings. Specifically, you'll earn as follows when you book through the IHG Trip Extras portal :

• Hertz car rentals : Earn 1,500 points per rental plus 500 points per day for Elite members and 125 points per day for Club members.
• Dollar and Thrifty car rentals : Earn 125 points per day.
• Viator tours and activities : Earn 1,000 points per activity booking.
• OpenTable reservations : Earn up to 500 points when you make an OpenTable restaurant reservation.
• Grubhub food delivery to select U.S. IHG hotels : Earn 500 points for your first Grubhub order placed through IHG's food delivery page and 250 points for every subsequent order.
• Viator transport services : Earn up to 1,000 points per transportation booking.

Most of these bounties are relatively small. So, you'll generally only want to book through the IHG Trip Extras portal when it matches or beats the lowest competitor.

IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn

The IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn program lets you earn IHG points on dining. To earn points at participating restaurants, join the program and enroll at least one credit or debit card. You'll then earn IHG points when you use an enrolled card to pay at participating restaurants, bars and clubs.

Specifically, your earning rate will depend on your elite status level within the IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn program:

• VIP members earn 8 points per dollar spent (a 4% return based on TPG's valuations)
• Select members earn 5 points per dollar spent (a 2.5% return)
• Basic members earn 1 point per dollar spent (a 0.5% return)

To earn Select status, opt in to receive emails. You'll earn VIP status when you opt in to receive emails and complete 11 qualified transactions in a calendar year. Once you've earned VIP status, you'll keep it for the rest of the current year and the following calendar year.

However, you can only enroll each card in one dining rewards program at a time. So, if you use another program, such as AAdvantage Dining or Hilton Honors Dining , you'll need to decide whether IHG One Rewards Dine & Earn will provide more value.

Buying points

You can also boost your account balance by buying IHG points . You can periodically buy points during promotions for as little as 0.5 cents apiece.

You generally can't purchase more than 150,000 IHG points per calendar year, but IHG sometimes increases this limit during promotions.

Related: The best credit cards for buying points and miles

Which points qualify for elite status?

Some activities above produce elite qualifying IHG points, while others provide non-elite qualifying points. Both types of points are redeemable, but only elite qualifying points count toward earning elite status.

Based on IHG's terms and conditions , the following activities produce points that are redeemable and qualify for elite status:

• Qualifying rates for hotel stays
• Spending on select partner activity
• IHG One Rewards bonus points packages
• Qualified spending through IHG Business Rewards

On the other hand, the following activities produce points that are redeemable but do not qualify for elite status:

• Spending on U.S.-issued IHG One Rewards credit cards
• Transfers of Chase Ultimate Rewards points to IHG
• New cardmember bonuses and bonus points promotions through IHG One Rewards credit cards (unless otherwise indicated)
• Points earned from IHG and select partner promotions
• Elite tier bonus points
• Point vouchers, purchases, deposits and transfers (unless otherwise indicated)

If you aren't looking to earn IHG elite status through elite qualifying points, you don't need to worry about which points qualify.

Related: The best IHG all-inclusive resorts, from Jamaica to Mexico

How to redeem IHG points

You'll generally get the most value when you redeem IHG points for hotel stays, but other options exist. Here's what you need to know.

Reward nights

In 2020, IHG gradually switched to dynamic award pricing . The number of points required to book a reward night at a particular property may vary from night to night and may change at any point.

You can use points to book reward nights at most IHG properties. However, you may be unable to redeem points at InterContinental Residences, IHG Army Hotels, Iberostar Beachfront Resorts and Six Senses resorts. The least I've found any IHG property bookable for recently is 5,000 points per night.

Based on TPG's valuation of IHG points at 0.5 cents each, you'll generally want to get at least this value when redeeming IHG points. For example, consider the InterContinental Presidente Cancun Resort. For a two-night stay in March, you could pay 44,500 points per night or $359.85 per night for a rate with free cancellation until three days before your stay. In this case, you'd be getting a value of 0.81 cents per point.

Getting this type of value when redeeming IHG points isn't uncommon. If you have an eligible IHG One Rewards credit card, you can use the fourth-night reward benefit when redeeming IHG points. This fourth-night reward allows you to effectively pay zero points for every fourth night when you redeem points for a stay of four nights or longer.

Related: How to maximize redemptions with the IHG One Rewards program

Points + Cash

If you're looking to conserve points, you may want to book using Points + Cash. As the name implies, you'll pay partially with points and partially with cash on a Points + Cash booking. The cost to pay partially with cash through Points + Cash bookings varies, so consider whether the rate at which you'd be purchasing points provides good value.

One additional caveat about Points + Cash bookings: You don't get the cash portion back if you cancel the stay. Instead, IHG refunds the cash copay as points deposited to your IHG One Rewards account.

Related: Top IHG pet-friendly hotels for animal lovers

IHG One Rewards Access

IHG One Rewards Access is an auction platform where you can redeem IHG points for experiences. There are some experiences that you can bid on, but there are also some experiences that you can obtain by redeeming a set number of points. IHG members with a Mastercard can also redeem IHG points for Mastercard Priceless Experiences.

Digital Rewards

You can redeem IHG points for a wide selection of e-magazines, movies, e-books, games and software through IHG's Digital Rewards program . If you only have a few points to redeem, digital rewards could be a worthwhile option.

IHG One Rewards Catalog

You can use your points to shop in the IHG One Rewards Catalog . The catalog offers many items, including electronics, gift cards, event tickets and the ability to donate your points . However, you'll often get a low redemption rate when redeeming points for items in this catalog.

Redeem for airline miles

Finally, you can redeem IHG points for airline miles with select partners by calling the IHG One Rewards Service Center. You can only redeem in increments of 10,000 IHG points, and it will usually take 14 to 21 days for the miles to post to your airline loyalty account.

How to book an IHG award

Booking award nights through the IHG website is easy. From the homepage, type in your destination, dates, number of guests and number of rooms. Before clicking "Search," click the "Rate Preference" drop-down and select "Reward Nights."

Once you click "Search," you'll see options bookable within a set radius of your destination. You can filter these options by brand and amenities. You can sort your results by distance, price or rating.

You can also choose to see your results on a map.

Click "Select Hotel" to see award rates for each room type. You can see paid rates and Points + Cash rates by selecting the applicable tiles. This will let you decide if redeeming points is worthwhile.

In this case, you could pay 36,000 IHG points per night or $278 per night for a reservation you could cancel without charge until one day before your stay. So, you'd be getting 0.77 cents per point if you redeem points for this stay.

Unfortunately, IHG doesn't make it easy to see a calendar view of award prices for an individual property. But, if you can find a date without any award availability, click the "View available dates" link to view a calendar of award rates.

Frequently asked questions

How much are IHG points worth?

Based on TPG's valuations, IHG points are worth about 0.5 cents each. So, it would be best if you generally tried to get at least 0.5 cents of value per point when redeeming IHG points.

How many IHG points do you need for a free night?

Before IHG switched to dynamic pricing, you'd generally need 10,000 to 70,000 IHG points for a free night. Now, award night costs vary more widely, but I've found hotels bookable for as little as 5,000 points.

Do IHG points expire?

Points don't expire for Elite members, but points expire for Club members after 12 months without any earning or redeeming activity.

Related: How to keep your points and miles from expiring

Can I transfer my IHG points to someone else?

You can transfer your IHG points to another member in 1,000-point increments for a fee of $5 per 1,000 points. This means you'll pay a fee of 0.5 cents per point transferred.

However, a member's points may be transferred to the member's beneficiary (or beneficiaries) without transfer fees if a member passes away. The executor or administrator of the estate should contact IHG Customer Care and provide the requested documents within one year of the member's death.

Related: What happens to your points and miles after you die?

Bottom line

IHG improved its loyalty program by adding breakfast for Diamond Elite members and milestone rewards during its 2022 program overhaul. I also appreciate that getting a good value when redeeming IHG points is usually easy. Plus, IHG occasionally offers sales that let you buy IHG points for just 0.5 cents per point.

It's worth having the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card or IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card , even if you only stay with IHG hotels and resorts a few times per year. Both cards provide automatic Platinum Elite status and access to the valuable fourth-night reward benefit when you redeem IHG points for stays of four nights or longer.

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• AAdvantage program
• Partner airlines

Our partnership with IndiGo

We’ve partnered with India’s largest airline IndiGo for service to 14 destinations in India. When you fly with American on IndiGo, you can earn miles and enjoy more benefits.

You can earn AAdvantage® miles when you fly on American Airlines marketed flights operated by IndiGo. You’ll also earn Loyalty Points toward AAdvantage® status.

You can’t earn AAdvantage ® miles or earn Loyalty Points on IndiGo flights purchased directly from IndiGo (flight numbers beginning with ‘6E’).

If you’re flying on an American flight operated by IndiGo, you’ll receive:

• Seat assignment (Please contact your booking agent or call Reservations to receive your seat assignment)
• Vegetarian meal with non-alcoholic drink*

Contact Reservations

Premium benefits

When you fly on an American marketed IndiGo flight, plus travel in First or Business on your American connecting flight to / from India, you’ll get:

• IndiGo’s ‘Fast Forward’ service: Check in with IndiGo at the ‘Fast Forward’ check-in counter.
• Priority bag delivery: Your checked bags will be delivered to Baggage Claim in the first group.
• Complimentary IndiGo lounge access: Access will be issued when you check in at the ‘Fast Forward’ counter.**

*On flights with meals

**Where lounges are available

Connections in Delhi

American airlines connections to indigo.

Your bag tags should show your final destination in India. However, once you arrive in Delhi:

• You must retrieve your bags after clearing Immigrations and then clear Customs.
• Take your bags to the IndiGo check-in counter in the departure terminal for your next flight.
• If you don’t have your boarding pass for your IndiGo flight, go to the check-in line for your boarding pass before dropping off your bags.

IndiGo connections to American Airlines

If your trip starts in India, your bag will be transferred through to your final destination as normal.

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A complete guide to frequent flyer miles and credit card points in India

“Miles to go before I sleep.” Yes, you can take that quote literally. In the world of air travel, there is a category of people that is all about the miles it earns. In 1999, an engineer in the US bought over 12,000 cups of pudding at 0.25 cents each, to amass over a million miles under a promotion. Since then, there have been many attempts to score as many miles as possible by the people who believe in their power. Why go crazy after them, you ask? Airmiles have been known to make possible trips at a fraction of the cost it takes to buy a ticket after all.

I have travelled back from the US, along with my wife, on Etihad Airways A380 in its First Apartments class for 90,000 airmiles and just $5 per head. Those who know the potential of these airmiles would never want to pay the $15,000 it would have cost for this trip, which involves a full bed, a deep sinking chair with adjustable levels of firmness, a 32-inch flat TV (with live television), a shower at 40,000 feet, and customised meals by a chef on board. Rinse, repeat. I took the same Etihad Apartments to Australia and back for just 60,000 miles per head the following year to bring in the New Year in Sydney.

Miles have also taken me on board Singapore Airlines’ first class, Jet Airways’ first and business class, Etihad’s business class, British Airways’ first Class and business class, and Cathay Pacific’s first class, amongst others. Most recently, I was on board the Lufthansa first class for a fraction of the cost it takes to buy the tickets on retail prices.

Loyalty is rewarding

Airmiles, or frequent flyer miles as they are more commonly known, are part of the marketing machinery called loyalty programmes that US-based airlines first established in 1980. Airlines wanted to ensure that the customer would keep coming back to them for repeat business, rather than fly a different airline every time. American Airlines launched AAdvantage, and other airlines quickly followed suit.

The basic premise of the loyalty programmes at that time was simple. You were awarded the number of miles that you flew. So, a Los Angeles to New York JFK direct flight got you 2,464 miles. But flying Los Angeles-Seattle-Chicago-Florida-New York got you 4,925 award miles in your account for flying to the same place. So, for those who understood the system, it quickly became a thing to find the most convoluted route to fly so that they could amass the greatest number of award miles for the same destination.

The hunt for frequent flyer status also made sure people flew more. Airline status traditionally is counted on the number of flights you flew with the airline in a year, or the number of miles you flew with them. As you fly more, you would progress to milestones such as silver, gold, platinum, diamond, or other precious materials.

The higher you go, the greater number of miles you get for the same trip (for instance, an airline may offer you a 100% award miles bonus as a platinum member flying with them). Also, you would get privileges such as expedited check-in, boarding, lounge access, upgrades, and other similar perks. The airline would count the number of status miles you flew, a phantom counter that would reset every year, to decide which status to grant you.

You could use the award miles amassed by you to get free seats on the plane. Airlines would keep seats aside for their frequent flyer members to redeem tickets. These seats would usually be the unsold seats on a flight, and typically be dead inventory when the it flew empty. So airlines used them to offer members an opportunity to use miles from their mileage balance and then travel on these instead. Not surprisingly, loyalty programmes have been one of the biggest hits in the past decades for all sorts of travel companies to gain repeat customers.

Why collect airmiles?

It is my personal advice to everyone that every time they fly, they should earn airmiles if the airline given them that opportunity. Airmiles are a sort of pass back that airlines give you for flying them. But the ability to earn airmiles has now moved beyond just flying. Credit cards are a way to earn airmiles on daily spends. Banks tie-up with mileage programmes to buy airmiles and reward their customers for spends. Other ways include, but are not limited to, magazine subscriptions, shopping, renting a car, and countless other such things. For instance, signing up for The Economist magazine’s subscription could earn you a boatload of miles.

First and foremost, the more airmiles you have, the more ability for you to travel for a fraction of the cost. For instance, you could defray the cost of your vacation or work tickets. So, you get more money in your hands to spend on your stay and experiences rather than spend that money on air tickets.

You can also choose to travel more comfortably, for less. For instance, you might want to travel from India to the United States. A 16-hour flight would be crazy in economy, so how about a flat bed in business class with better food and drinks as well?

When you want to buy a business class ticket in cash, the prices tend to move four to five times higher than economy class. But when flying on a redemption ticket, you would usually just pay double the number of miles of economy for a business class flight. Hence, you would be able to get a more comfortable experience for a fraction of the price.

Sometimes, you need to fly last minute and ticket prices may have gone through the roof. How about redeeming some miles? Take, for instance, a last-minute Mumbai-Goa flight on a long weekend. While the cash price may go up to over Rs10,000 one way per person on Vistara, they are available for 4,000 miles.

What airmiles to collect in India and why?

There are many options when it comes to collecting air miles in India, but not all are born equal. A question I receive a lot is which one to go for. It largely is a lot about how easy they make it to earn and redeem miles, and if they offer a good value. For instance, for an economy class ticket between New York and Washington DC, for the same flight, British Airways offers it to you for 7,500 miles and American Airlines offers it to you for 12,500 miles. So, you need to study the programmes and check out which one works for you.

If you are largely a domestic flyer around India, the most sensible options are be the home carriers. The biggest airline loyalty programme in India was JetPrivilege, but with the closure of Jet Airways, it is seeking to reinvent itself. Currently Air India has the Flying Returns frequent flyer programme, and Vistara offers the Club Vistara frequent flyer programme.

Air India’s Flying Returns: So much potential

Air India’s Flying Returns programme is a mixed bag, so join at your own risk. Air India joined the Star Alliance in 2014, which means you can now fly Air India or any other of the 27 airlines of Star Alliance across the world, deposit your miles on Flying Returns, and then redeem them for Star Alliance or Air India flights. Star Alliance has some of the biggest and best airlines in the world as members, such as United, Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa, Thai, ANA, Air Canada, and others.

But Air India has structural flaws in their loyalty programme, which do not allow you to benefit from it if you do not fly a lot of international business class. Air India offers as low as 25% of the flown miles on their cheapest tickets.

To become an Air India Golden Edge Club member, which would allow you to get benefits such as lounge access and business class check-in on Air India and other Star Alliance airlines, you need to accumulate at least 50,000 Air India status miles. If you are a frequent Delhi-Mumbai flyer then, you need to do 300+ flights on the cheapest tickets to be able to make it to that status. Air India is also not very generous when it comes to redemptions. It has progressively become harder to find any redemption seats on their international flights.

Let’s say you want to fly from India to the United States on United, or Singapore Airlines. You can still use your Air India miles, but be ready to pay 100,000 Air India miles for an economy class ticket (one way). This is 25% more expensive than Air India’s own flights, which cost just 80,000 miles one-way. This trend reflects across the board when you want to make a Star Alliance redemption with Air India.

To earn more Air India miles, you can sign up for the Air India SBI Signature Credit Card, which earns you 4 miles per Rs100 spent on the card. You even get 30 miles per Rs100 spent if you book Air India tickets for yourself on their website. Not just that, you get up to 90,000 miles bonus for your spending on the card.

Club Vistara: Young and restless

Club Vistara took a different approach to loyalty than the others. They don’t award you miles for the number of miles you fly, but rather they award you Club Vistara points for the fare you pay them for the ticket. You can earn 8 Club Vistara miles per Rs100 spent on the ticket (apart from the taxes and airport fees). You need at least 2,000 Club Vistara points to get a redemption ticket in Economy class.

In terms of status, Vistara’s is far easier to get than Air India. Vistara requires you to only fly 30 flights or earn 25,000 tier points to get Club Vistara Gold status, which earns you lounge access, business class check-in, and boarding and baggage handling priority, among other facilities. And since Vistara has Singapore Airlines as one of their parents, you also get to access Singapore Airline’s lounges with your Vistara Gold/Platinum status when travelling abroad on Singapore Airlines.

You can also become Vistara Gold just by signing up for their top-end co-branded card with Axis Bank, which costs Rs10,000 per annum. You get a free business class ticket on paying the fee, and three more tickets through the year, as you spend up to Rs7.5 lakh during the year on the card. HDFC Bank Diners Club and IndusInd Bank cards can also be used to convert to Vistara points.

What international programmes are good for Indians?

But, being in India does not limit you to just earning miles on Indian airlines. Some of the best loyalty programmes are abroad, and you could sign up for them as well. Here are some that you should definitely look at from the perspective of each airline alliance.

Star Alliance : Avianca LifeMiles and Asiana Diamond Club. LifeMiles is a South American Star Alliance programme, which requires a low number of miles to get redemption flights. For instance, India-Europe business class flights just cost 35,000 miles across Star Alliance airlines when using LifeMiles instead of Air India’s Flying Returns. However, if you are a frequent international traveller in economy and want to quickly unlock the Star Alliance privileges, look at Asiana’s Diamond Club. You need to accumulate 40,000 status miles over a 24-month period, and once you get your Star Alliance Gold status, it lasts for 24 months.

Oneworld: Oneworld is a small but important alliance for Indians because half the alliance member airlines fly to India, such as British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Sri Lankan. Out of all of these, British Airways makes the most sense for Indians, given you can generate miles by flying, but also by transferring them from various credit cards. But if you are flying to the US even a few times a year, then the best choice is American Airlines AAdvantage to accrue miles. That is because you can use those miles to redeem on Oneworld airlines as well as Etihad, among other carriers.

However, if you like flying Emirates, you should look at crediting your Emirates flights to Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan. Just 82,500 Alaska Miles get you a business class ticket between India and the USA on Emirates, while on Emirates’ own programme, it takes at least 1,10,000 miles to redeem the same ticket.

There also exists a short cut to becoming Star Alliance Gold in just three flights. Shangri-La Hotels have a tie-up with Singapore Airlines called Infinite Journeys. When you become a Jade Member with Shangri-La Hotels, for just three flights on Singapore Airlines in any class, you would become a Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer Gold. This would usually require 50,000 miles of flying. The best part is, Shangri-La Jade status comes free for members of American Express Platinum Card in India.

Credit card points make your choices more widespread

Co-branded credit cards make you captive to an airline, which is both good and bad. For instance, the Vistara co-branded cards give you benefits when you are flying Vistara only. In such a case, it also helps to get some credit cards, which are, in flying parlance, airline-agnostic. These credit cards have points that can be used for good value on many airlines.

Here are some of the popular credit card programmes.

Citi PremierMiles : Citi’s entry-level travel credit card gets you 10,000 PremierMiles when you pay the fee of Rs3,000 in the first year. You earn four PremierMiles per Rs100 spent. But when you spend on airfare using the airline website or PremierMiles.co.in, a portal owned by Citibank, you get 10 PremierMiles per 100 spent. Each PremierMile is worth Rs0.45 and can be redeemed for air tickets or hotel bookings. Alternatively, you can transfer to 12 airline loyalty programmes in the ratio of 2 PremierMiles = 1 airmile. These include major airlines such as Qantas, Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, and others.

HDFC Bank Diners ClubMiles: HDFC Bank offers this as a middle-tier card. You can earn four points per Rs150 spent on this card. A long-running promotion of HDFC Bank called Smartbuy allows you to earn 10 times the usual points when you buy air tickets from a captive website, each point being equal to one mile of Vistara, British Airways or Singapore Airlines. Otherwise you can spend it for Rs0.50 in cash value for buying tickets on any airline using the same Smartbuy portal.

Citi Prestige: One of the top-end cards from Citibank, it costs Rs20,000 per annum in fees. But you get Rs10,000 worth of hotel vouchers at Taj/ITC Hotels and 10,000 airmiles in return for your fee every year. Plus, you earn one point per Rs100 for domestic spends and two points per Rs100 on international spends, golf benefits, airport transfers in Asia Pacific twice a year, and unlimited lounge access for you and the family. One point equals four airmiles on 12 major loyalty programmes.

American Express Platinum Charge card: The top-end card from American Express, Amex Platinum is a metal card, that earns you two and a half membership rewards points per Rs100 spent domestically, and three times that equation if you spend in foreign currency. Two membership rewards points convert to one air mile in nine airline loyalty programmes, such as Emirates, British Airways, and Singapore Airlines. You can also transfer to some hotel programmes such as Hilton and Marriott. Besides, you get unlimited access to lounges across the world, including American Express’ proprietary lounges in Mumbai and Delhi.

HDFC Bank Infinia/Diners Club Black: The top-end cards from HDFC Bank offer you a frequent 10X promotion, where you can shop via the Smartbuy website to get 10 times the usual number of points for your purchases on Flipkart, Amazon, and air tickets. Each point is worth Re1 when spending on airfare using the same portal, or you can also transfer them to some airlines. They come with unlimited airport lounge access.

Getting one or many of the above credit cards will essentially cover you a lot of ground in terms of getting access to miles that can be used across many airlines. Additionally, when you redeem the miles from portals such as that of Citi and HDFC, you also earn miles on the airline itself, so that is a sweet double dipping right there. Some of them are expensive, but all the cards make it a point to give you welcome gifts that make good for most of the fee you pay.

So, the next time you hear “miles are useless,” do not believe the naysayers. Once you start using them, they save you money like nothing else does. So, where will your next redemption flight take you?

The author is the founder of livefromalounge.com, India’s leading loyalty programme and credit card analyst website. You can follow him on @Livefromalounge on various social media for all the updates from his life at 40,000 feet.

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How to Get Started With Frequent Flyer Programs

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Frequent flyer programs can seem enticing for the thrill of earning free flights to exotic destinations. But they can also be bewildering, given the intricate airline rules for collecting and redeeming miles.

Is learning about frequent flyer programs worth your time and effort? The answer, of course, depends on you. If you’re just starting to learn about these programs, here’s what you need to know.

Should you bother with airline rewards?

What's in it for you?

How to get started

Get an airline credit card?

Optimize your miles

All major U.S. airlines operate loyalty programs. The basic premise is that if you spend your money with one airline, it will give you miles or points to redeem for free flights, better seats and preferential treatment. The term "miles" doesn’t refer to a distance you’ve flown or can fly for free; it’s just what some airlines call the rewards currency.

Answer two primary questions when deciding whether to bother with airline programs:

Should I sign up?

In short, yes. These programs are free and easy to sign up for. And despite the general term "frequent flyer," you don't need to be one. You can sign up online while booking your first flight. Then, enter your frequent flyer number when you buy tickets so that you'll earn reward miles or points. Maybe you’ll earn enough rewards to redeem; maybe not. You won’t get any better upfront ticket prices just because you’re a member, though.

Should I put effort into the program?

This question depends on whether you’ll be loyal to an airline, or maybe two or three airlines, if you fly often. Your answer may come down to two factors:

Where do you live? Do you have a choice of multiple airlines at your nearest airports? If you do, some experts would argue that you should mostly disregard frequent flyer programs. You might get more value by playing the field and simply booking the airline that offers the best flights and prices. In other words, the frequent flyer program — regardless of whether you belong to it — wouldn’t be a consideration when buying airfare.

But if one airline dominates your only nearby airport, then racking up loyalty rewards with a single airline — and spending them — will be easier because you have little choice.

How often do you fly? If you fly mostly one airline and fly often, you’re a prime candidate to get value from a frequent flyer program.

If you don't, the decision is murkier.

Ticket prices will vary considerably, but a typical decent deal on domestic airfare costs 12,500 miles or points each way, or 25,000 round trip. You can earn frequent flyer miles in several ways, including through an airline credit card. But if you don’t fly at least a few times a year, it may be difficult to earn enough miles to redeem for free flights, especially because your miles may expire after a period of inactivity.

Also be aware that award seats might not be available for the flight you want. With many of the largest airlines, you can’t just choose any available seat on any flight like you can when paying cash. There has to be a seat available that the airline has designated as one that can be paid for with miles. (Southwest Airlines is an exception, basically allowing you to book any available seat.)

» Learn more: 6 things to consider before joining airline loyalty programs

What’s in it for you?

The primary reasons to join a frequent flyer program are to earn:

Free flights

Seat upgrades

Elite status

As you think about what you’re looking to get out of the program, consider your goals. A typical decision for frequent flyer members is whether to use miles on luxury rides or more trips. For example, flying business class may cost as many points as two trips in economy class.

» MORE: Why you should fly first class and how you can afford it

Here are names and reviews of frequent flyer programs for a few of the major airlines:

American Airlines: AAdvantage

Delta Air Lines: SkyMiles

United Airlines: MileagePlus

Southwest Airlines: Rapid Rewards

If you’re not sure which airlines have a big presence near you, check market share for any U.S. airport at the Bureau of Transportation Statistics .

After signing up online for your airline’s program, be sure your frequent flyer number is included on your online reservation so you earn rewards.

Optional: Get an airline credit card?

If you want to fly first class to a far-off destination using reward miles alone, getting an airline credit card is among the best ways to do it. Here’s what to consider with co-branded airline credit cards .

Earning a card’s sign-up bonus, usually after spending a few thousand dollars on the card, might provide you enough miles for a free domestic flight quickly after getting the card. That’s in addition to miles you earn from ongoing spending with the card. And airlines often give card members free checked bags, which can be a value of $35 each way for you and others on your reservation, depending on the card . As a cardholder on many airlines, you’ll get to board earlier, meaning overhead bins will likely have room left for your carry-on. In some cases, your accumulated frequent flyer miles don’t expire if you have the airline card, meaning you can take more time to earn enough miles for freebies.

Airline cards often require you to have good or excellent credit for approval. They usually come with annual fees, many near $100. The question is whether the card offers enough value to justify the fee. And airline cards typically carry high interest rates, so you'll want to pay your credit card bill in full every month. Another disadvantage is an airline card will have its own features and rules, aside from the airline's frequent flyer program, adding a layer of complexity.

on Chase's website

on American Express' website

$0 intro for the first year, then $95 .

$0 intro for the first year, then $150 .

• 2 miles per $1 on United purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 at restaurants and hotels (when booked directly with hotel).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Southwest purchases.

• 2 points per $1 on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partner purchases, local transit and commuting (including rideshare), and on internet, cable, phone services and select streaming.

• 1 point per $1 on all other purchases.

• 2 miles per $1 on purchases made directly with Delta and at U.S. supermarkets and restaurants (including takeout and delivery in the U.S.).

• 1 mile per $1 on all other eligible purchases.

Terms apply.

» MORE: How to choose an airline credit card

If you aren’t loyal to a single airline but still want free flights, you might consider a general travel credit card instead, which provides travel rewards without tying you to a single airline. Some of these cards allow you to use points to essentially erase travel expenditures you already made, making a flight free, for example. Others issue rewards points for use at their own travel-booking websites or to transfer into airline or hotel loyalty programs.

The key to using frequent flyer programs well is accumulating miles efficiently and redeeming them to your best advantage, sometimes called "earn and burn."

The basic way to rack up miles is by flying the airline. Although rewards are sometimes called miles, nowadays you typically earn rewards based on how much money you spend, not how far you fly. In a simplified example, you might earn 5 miles per dollar spent on airfare. A $500 round-trip flight earns you 2,500 miles. You would have to pay for that type of flight 10 times to earn enough for a free round-trip flight costing 25,000 miles. At that rate, it's like a retailer deal: "Buy 10, get one free."

Other ways to earn:

Applying for a new card and earning a sign-up bonus is a way to quickly accumulate miles. If you already have an airline credit card, maximize spending on it. You might use it for recurring bills, for example. But don’t use airline miles as an excuse to overspend or not pay your credit card bill in full.

Book with the airline’s hotel and rental car partners

Shop your credit card or airline bonus malls

Join your airline’s dining rewards program

Fly partner airlines

Gain elite status. If you get to an elite frequent flyer level, you’ll often earn miles at an accelerated rate when you fly. (More on that later.)

If you don't have enough rewards to cover a flight, you can buy points or miles from the airline, but this is almost always a bad deal because they cost more than they’re worth, on average.

Spending your miles wisely means getting good value. Airline miles or points are typically worth around a penny each, according to NerdWallet values . At that rate, you would be getting fair value using 40,000 miles to buy a flight that had a base fare of $400. If you can book that $400 flight for 25,000 miles, that’s a good use of miles (1.6 cents per mile). For simplicity at the penny-per-mile valuation, chop off two zeros from the number of miles required. That’s at least how much the flight should cost in cash.

For your airline’s program, know how miles and points are valued. Airlines can change the value of your points by requiring more or fewer for a free flight or changing the number of award seats available.

POPULAR WAYS to burn

1. Free flights: Use your airline’s booking website to see what a particular flight will cost if you pay with reward miles or points vs. cash. Some airlines publish an awards chart detailing the maximum number of points or miles you’ll need for a given flight.

Your airline program may offer several levels of award seats, requiring more miles for more desirable flight times, seats and cabins. They are often awarded as one-way flights, so if you’re spending miles, you’ll have to apply miles to both the outbound and return flights separately.

Note that if you pay for a flight with airline miles, you typically don’t earn rewards for that flight.

You can also redeem miles on partner airlines. For example, if you have United Airlines miles, you can use them to book a ticket on German carrier Lufthansa, a partner in the Star Alliance.

You can’t use miles through online travel agencies, such as Expedia or Priceline.

Redeeming airline miles for a "free" flight might not be completely free. For example, on a domestic flight you might have to pay a typical nominal amount of $5.60 each way, usually labeled as taxes and fees. Those same costs (and sometimes fuel surcharges, too) on international flights could cost hundreds of dollars out of pocket. You might also pay a "close-in" fee for booking award flights within a few weeks of departure.

2. Upgrades: Upgrading your seat to a premium class can be another good use of miles. Some upgrades to business or first class require payment in the form of a cash co-pay as well as miles. As with award seats, upgrades are based on one-way flights. Upgrade prices may also be available in the airline’s award chart.

3. Other travel expenses: Redemption options might include airport lounge membership fees, hotel stays, car rentals, cruises and gift cards. These options tend to offer a lower value than points or miles are worth, so we recommend avoiding them.

To earn and burn effectively, you’ll have to become familiar with details of your airline’s program. Each airline has extensive information on its website. You can also refer to NerdWallet's reviews of major airline frequent flyer programs.

Expert level: Earn elite status

Achieving airline elite status — which may be called silver, gold, platinum or similar — requires a lot of effort and money. It’s typically based on how far and often you fly with the airline and how much you spend.

Think of it as a program within the general frequent flyer program that occasional flyers can just ignore. Even if you fly often, consider whether it’s worth trying to achieve elite status. Some of the best traditional perks of being an elite flyer — free checked bags, earlier boarding and better access to award seats — may be available to airline credit card holders for the relatively minor cost of their card’s annual fee, depending on the card and carrier.

What you get

With elite statuses, you might qualify for earning more award miles when you fly, seat upgrades, priority check-in, complimentary checked baggage, better award-seat availability, discounted and waived fees, and other benefits.

How you earn it

The math to earn elite statuses can be confusing, but basically, you need to do things the airline cares about as a business: fly often, fly far and spend money.

With United Airlines, for example, to achieve its lowest-tier status called Premier Silver, you would need to spend at least $3,000 in a year and fly 25,000 miles or 30 segments. (A segment is a trip between a city pair under the same flight number and with the same plane. It could include a stop and still be a single segment.) You get a boost to your miles and segments if you buy pricier fares, like a full-fare economy instead of discount economy.

The airline will track all that math and display it in your frequent flyer online account. If you earn elite status, it typically lasts at least a year.

Ultimately, airline programs differ so much in earning and redeeming miles — and achieving elite status — that you’ll have to learn the rules of the particular programs you choose to join.

Overall, whether a frequent flyer program is worth your time and effort depends on whether you can be loyal enough to an airline to get more value out of it than you put in.

Additional resources

Should I get an airline credit card?

Cash back vs. travel: How to choose credit card rewards

Different frequent flyer programs will have different ways to find your frequent flyer number. Whether you are a member of United MileagePlus, SkyMiles, AAdvantage, Rapid Rewards or another program, you can typically find directions for locating your frequent flyer number in their FAQs section. If you don't have any luck there, refer to your individual account or a recent reservation confirmation email.

You can become a frequent flyer by signing up for an individual airline’s frequent flyer program. Simply navigate your web browser to the specific airline and locate a link to direct you towards their sign-up page. These programs are often advertised on the airline homepage. Submit the necessary information and await confirmation of your program admission.

A frequent flyer number is a number used to identify a customer who travels by plane regularly with a specific airline. Individuals can have multiple frequent flyer numbers depending on the number of airlines they typically fly.

Many frequent flyer programs are free to join. Create an account with your preferred airline and fill out the forms necessary to join individual frequent flyer programs. All the major airlines have these programs, and you can find sign-up links on their websites.

The value of 40,000 miles is about $400 on average, but could be more or less depending on individual mileage programs. Check out NerdWallet’s full valuation to learn more about different mileage programs and their individual values.

The value of 40,000 miles is about $400 on average, but could be more or less depending on individual mileage programs. Check out

NerdWallet’s full valuation

to learn more about different mileage programs and their individual values.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

75,000 Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's over $900 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

• Fly with Virgin Atlantic
• Flying Club
• Airline partners

IndiGo is amongst the fastest growing low-cost carriers in the world.

IndiGo has a simple philosophy: offer fares that are affordable, flights that are on time, offering a courteous, hygienic, and hassle-free travel experience.

Boost your Virgin Points with IndiGo

As a Flying Club member, you will earn a whopping 700 Virgin Points, plus 10 tier points on connecting IndiGo-operated services to16 cities across India.

To earn points with IndiGo, book a direct Virgin Atlantic flight to Delhi or Mumbai, and a connecting IndiGo flight to either Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Goa, Kochi, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune, Coimbatore, Nagpur, Vadodara, Indore, Vishakhapatnam, Delhi or Mumbai.

From April 2023 our partnership will expand to cover a total of 34 destinations throughout India. The additional 18 destinations include Bhubaneshwar, Bhopal, Guwahati, Gwalior, Bagdogra, Allahabad, Jammu, Leh, Ranchi, Jodhpur, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Raipur, Surat, Srinagar and Varanasi. Flights will be available to book from 1 st April 2023 for travel 26 th April 2023 onwards.

New generation aircraft

With its fleet of 281 aircraft (including 146 new generation A320 NEOs, 37 A320 CEOs, 35 ATRs and 63 A321 NEO), the airline is operating over 1600 daily flights and connecting 74 domestic destinations and 25 international destinations.

Ready to book?

To earn points on IndiGo, book your flights directly onlinem Make sure your connecting Indigo flight has a VS flight number and remember to add your Flying Club membership number. 

The small print

Earning points:

Points may only be earned on flights sold and marketed as Virgin Atlantic and operated by IndiGo Airlines. The flight number must be a VS prefix. 

If you're a member of one of our partner airlines' frequent flyer programmes, please note that you can only earn points in one scheme for any particular flight.

Please check our Terms and Conditions on earning points on codeshare flights with our partner airlines. Additional points will not be earned for bookings that are subsequently upgraded to a higher class whereby an additional fare difference is paid.

Missing points

When claiming points please keep all copies of your original tickets/e-tickets and boarding passes until the correct amount of points appear on your account. If the points do not show on your account within six weeks, please contact us to claim them back

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IndiGo launches 6E Pass to cushion regular flyers from price fluctuations

While the national permit costs Rs 42,000, the regional permit costs Rs 21,000 for all flights, the airlines said in a release.

Low cost carrier IndiGo Airlines today launched 6E Pass for frequent flyers that will allow them to purchase pre-paid virtual flight coupons and travel without having to worry about price fluctuations.

The 6E Pass comes in two variants - national and regional. While the national permit costs Rs 42,000, the regional permit costs Rs 21,000 for all flights, the airlines said in a release.

The 6E Pass scheme is valid for travel till 30 September 2015 and can be redeemed two days prior to travel date. The prices are inclusive of the fare and service tax. However, government and airport taxes will be charged at the time of booking.

Commenting on the 6E Pass launch, IndiGo Airlines, president, Aditya Ghosh said, “The objective behind 6E Pass is to make the journey of passengers more hassle free by setting a fixed fare for passengers that travel frequently but are uncertain about the dates and sector of travel. While we have started with variants for the SME and MSME segment, we will launch variants for other segments like students and inbound tourists in the future.”

IndiGo has a fleet of 96 Airbus A320s and operates 633 flights everyday, connecting 38 destinations.

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IndiGo now considering the Airbus A350 for its widebody orders

March 22, 2024 by Ajay 3 Comments

While their A320family model is a low-risk model (premium pops on buying the aircraft and putting it on a sale and leaseback), lower entry costs, driven even lower by bulk purchases (IndiGo has a shade less than 1,000 A320neo family aircraft on order backlog), and the wild bankability of these aircraft (even the secondary market is hot right now for old A320 aircraft on lease) make it an easy choice for IndiGo to order as many as they can. However, the widebody addition will be a whole new learning curve for IndiGo, and that is a step they don’t want to rush into.

IndiGo’s widebody ambitions

The first step into IndiGo’s widebody ambitions is the damp-leased aircraft from Turkish Airlines . The second step is getting their own wide bodies registered on the Indian Register of Aircraft. Back in 2023, IndiGo was assessing the Airbus A330neo and the Boeing 787, with the media suggesting that they leaned towards the 787. However, no order was signed at Paris Airshow 2023, Dubai Airshow 2023, or Wings India.

IndiGo A350-900 Render by Aeroconcepts (x.com/@aeroconcepts1)

Now, Bloomberg reported this morning , that IndiGo could buy the A350 to launch low-cost, long-haul flights. Per Bloomberg, IndiGo is considering up to 30 A350 aircraft, and a deal could be on its way in a few weeks. The report does not have insights on which variant; it most likely would be the -900 variant (since the -1000 would be too big to fill).

The A350 is an excellent aircraft, but so is the 787, and the exit of the A330neo from this race means that it does not match the ambitions of the airline. For the A350, this past year has been a great run, breaking into India with Air India (been a Boeing widebody customer for decades), and winning other sales campaigns, such as those with Korean and Japan Airlines (announced earlier this week). And with the rock-solid partnership between IndiGo and Airbus, finding some early slots for IndiGo should not be a problem for Airbus.

After assessing the Boeing 787 and the Airbus A330neo, IndiGo seems to have also assessed the A350 and is now leaning towards ordering up to 30 A350 aircraft. IndiGo will likely launch low-cost long-haul operations with these A350 aircraft.

What do you think of IndiGo’s tilt towards the A350 for their long-haul launch?

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More from Live from a Lounge

Ajay Awtaney is the Founder and Editor of Live From A Lounge (LFAL), a pioneering digital platform renowned for publishing news and views about aviation, hotels, passenger experience, loyalty programs, travel trends and frequent travel tips for the Global Indian. He is considered the Indian authority on business travel, luxury travel, frequent flyer miles, loyalty credit cards and travel for Indians around the globe. Ajay is a frequent contributor and commentator on the media as well, including ET Now, BBC, CNBC TV18, NDTV, Conde Nast Traveller and many other outlets.

More articles by Ajay »

A350 would be ideal for service to Australia. India is now the destination Australians want to travel to. Huge Indian population in Melbourne particularly, as well as Sydney and Perth. Even Brisbane, Canberra, and Adelaide have good numbers. Daily flights to all these cities combined with a good service would be a success for Indigo

Is there enough India origin demand for wide body aircraft for IndiGo?

Put it another way, most Indian NRIs or the diaspora, outside the GCC, would most likely never travel long haul ultra low cost and thus IndiGo will never be in their thoughts.

Airbus is actually trying to give a better deal on the A350 over the A330 to IndiGo. And this has been happening for a few years. Had it been pure IndiGo decision, they would have gone for the A330 Neo.

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Mechanic Insider

Fly Smarter with These Six Essential Travel Hacks for Frequent Flyers

Posted: June 6, 2024 | Last updated: June 6, 2024

As a frequent flyer, you know that air travel can be both exhilarating and exhausting. But with the right hacks, you can transform your travel experience into a seamless journey. From booking flights to navigating airports and maximizing comfort, these tips are designed to make your air travel smarter and more enjoyable.

Booking Flights – Timing and Tools

Image Credit: Shutterstock / REDPIXEL.PL

When booking flights, timing is everything. Prices often fluctuate based on demand, time of week, and proximity to the travel date. Utilize tools like Google Flights or Skyscanner to compare prices and set alerts for fare drops. Booking on a Tuesday afternoon can often yield the best deals.

Insider’s Tip

Clear your browser cookies or use incognito mode to prevent price hikes based on your search history.

Packing Smart – Efficient and Light

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Sorapop Udomsri

Packing efficiently can save you time and stress. Roll your clothes instead of folding them to maximize space and minimize wrinkles. Invest in a high-quality carry-on to avoid checked baggage fees and lost luggage. Packing cubes can be a game-changer for organization.

Always pack a change of clothes and essential items in your carry-on in case of unexpected delays or lost luggage.

Airport Navigation – Skip the Lines

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ekaterina Pokrovsky

Enroll in TSA PreCheck or Global Entry to breeze through the airport for expedited security checks. Download your airline’s app for real-time updates and digital boarding passes. Familiarize yourself with the airport layout to quickly locate lounges, gates, and amenities.

Use apps like LoungeBuddy to access airport lounges for a more relaxed wait, even if you’re not flying first class.

In-Flight Comfort – Making the Journey Pleasant

Image Credit: Shutterstock / New Africa

Long flights can take a toll on your body. Wear comfortable clothing and bring a neck pillow, eye mask, and noise-canceling headphones for better rest. Stay hydrated and avoid alcohol or caffeine. Walk around the cabin periodically to keep your circulation flowing.

Choose an aisle seat for easier access to move around, especially on long-haul flights.

Maximizing Loyalty Programs – Earn and Redeem Wisely

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Pressmaster

Join airline loyalty programs to earn miles for every flight. Use a travel rewards credit card to accumulate points on everyday purchases. Be strategic about redeeming your points for upgrades, free flights, or partner services.

Stay informed about promotions and partnerships that can help you earn extra points or miles.

Staying Connected – Wi-Fi and Roaming

Image Credit: Shutterstock / Chatchai.wa

Consider a portable Wi-Fi device or an international SIM card to stay connected during your travels. Many airlines offer in-flight Wi-Fi, but purchasing a day pass can be more economical than per-hour rates.

Check if your mobile plan offers international roaming or partner with local networks to avoid high charges.

The Bottom Line

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Prostock-studio

Frequent flying doesn’t have to be a hassle. With these travel hacks, you can easily navigate airports, enjoy your flights, and make the most of your travel experiences. Remember, the key to savvy air travel is planning, staying informed, and making smart choices that enhance your comfort and convenience. Happy travels!

The post Fly Smarter with These Six Essential Travel Hacks for Frequent Flyers   first appeared on Mechanic Insider .

Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Olena Yakobchuk .

For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.

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18 Travel Hacks You Probably Haven't Heard Before, Straight From People Who Swear By Them

"I once racked up over 20,000 Capital One travel points in a very, very unconventional way..."

BuzzFeed Staff

If you love to travel or travel often, you've probably picked up some tips and tricks to make jet setting more seamless, enjoyable, and cheaper. So redditor u/tomsawyertravels asked, "What's your best obscure travel hack ?" Here's what people said (and I can't wait to try some of these out on my next adventure).

1. "southwest airlines starts drink service at rows 1, 8, 15, and 22. if you have a choice of row 9 or 15, go to 15. you get your drink first and have a better chance at getting more than one.".

— u/enfranci

2. "Always carry a sarong with you when traveling. It’s basically an all-in-one lightweight tool. You can use it as clothes, a raincoat, a rope, a bandage, a beach towel/picnic rug, a bag, or a blanket."

— u/PurplePiglett

3. "Use the bathrooms by the baggage claim. They’re always clean and empty."

— u/holy_cal

4. "I always try to have an extended layover (like 10 hours or more) to visit the layover city. This way, I've visited Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, and Singapore without going on a specific trip to those destinations. It takes some fiddling to book those flights (airlines present you with the 'most convenient' flight), but it's worth it."

— u/frugalacademic

5. "A lot of flights are not allowing carry-ons these days with a basic ticket purchase (JetBlue 🤨), so I've been using my fishing vest I got from Japan to carry all of my clothes I can't fit into my personal items. Styled right, it looks super cool with my outfit, AND I can fit eight shirts, five pairs of socks, and an entire laptop (storage on the back) in it—and snacks and water. When traveling to places where it's inconvenient to bring my fishing vest, I'll bring my jacket with deep pockets and my Costco dad cargo pants. I can fit 2-3 shirts per pocket. And before anyone complains about the extra weight I'm bringing into the plane, I can promise you my extra clothes and snacks weigh less than 5 pounds."

— u/tomsawyertravels

6. "Most flights won't give you a refund on basic tickets. Upgrade them to a higher class ticket then cancel for a full refund. I've done this with United and JetBlue, but I can't speak for other airlines."

— u/Ace-O-Matic

7. If you must cancel a hotel less than 24 hours in advance, call and tell them you need to bump the reservation back a week. Then call the next day and cancel it penalty-free."

— u/Blu3fin

8. "We once racked up over 20,000 Capital One points in a very unconventional way. We were in Paris and rented Velib bikes to get around the city. The catch was that every time we'd rent a bike, a hold was put on our credit card in case of damage to the bike. I believe the hold was close to $400 for each bike, and it took a couple of days for the hold to be lifted. For some reason, the hold would go through as a purchase on our card, and with the travel multiplier, we were getting about 1,600 points every time we rented a bike. The best part was that the bike rental was free if you rented it for less than 30 minutes. So we'd just rent two bikes, ride to the next station in less than 30 minutes, drop them off, and rent two more bikes. We did this an absurd amount of times and got rewarded handsomely."

— u/robcampos4

9. "Consider using an eSim card. You can shop online for the best deal on a temporary sim before starting your trip. I paid 30 CAD for a 1-month, 12 gig, unlimited, and everything else plan; it's good for all of Europe. I installed the eSim before heading to the airport. As soon as the plane landed, I could fire up my eSim without the hassle of finding a physical SIM card. Was in my Uber 10 minutes after leaving customs, it was great. Not all phones support it, but for those that do, they are extremely convenient and cheap."

— u/pentox70

10. "If flying between the US and Canada, ALWAYS look at buying separate one-way tickets in each direction. More often than not, you'll save $100+ due to their strange exchange rate and tax calculations. It doesn't work on every single route but is always worth a check, and I've been amazed how often it's been much cheaper."

— u/Dorkus_Mallorkus

11. "I get rid of old clothes on my travels, which helps me empty my carry-on for more souvenirs. I bring old shirts, pants, sweaters, underwear, and socks for travel to get rid of them as I go. I hate checking in luggage and I will have plenty of extra room to bring things back."

— u/fitDEEZbruh

12. "I use hotel room hangers to clip the curtains together to black out the room."

— u/rand0m_g1rl

13. "If you’re flying internationally into the US and are a US citizen, do the mobile passport option if the airport has it. It’s an app and takes 30 seconds to do. It’s just as fast as global entry. I’ve passed 100s of people waiting at passport control."

— u/Inpleinsite

14. "If you're not sure of the neighborhood you're booking your hotel or rental stay in, go to Google Street View and 'walk around' in the neighborhood. You can see if it looks pleasant, has nearby cafes or local grocery stores, etc"

— u/ThaneOfCawdorrr

15. "I always create a Google map list and save items to populate my map. It makes it easy to plan out your days and see what sites/restaurants/attractions you are near in a new city."

— u/macedaace

16. "Requesting a special meal (for example, vegetarian) on an international flight will ensure you get served first."

— u/soniclaura

17. "I always bring baby shampoo and an entire unopened box of ziploc bags. The baby shampoo is great for washing yourself (obviously) but is also perfect for washing things like lightweight shirts, underwear, and socks in the sink."

18. "One of my favorite obscure travel hacks is to use Google Maps offline. Before my trip, I download the maps of the areas I'll visit. This way, I can navigate, find attractions, and even search for restaurants without an internet connection. It's beneficial in places with spotty Wi-Fi or when I want to save on data usage. Plus, it relieves stress and helps me feel more confident exploring new places."

— u/Known-Astronomer8660

What's your favorite travel hack that most people haven't heard before? Tell us in the comments or submit it in this anonymous form.

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IndiGo eyes lesser-known international destinations for next growth phase

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World stocks hit an all-time high and the euro rose on Thursday after the European Central Bank cut interest rates for the first time in nearly five years, while signaling that further moves could take a while.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers on New Business Class, Loyalty and Becoming a ‘Global Aviation Player’

Peden Doma Bhutia , Skift

June 2nd, 2024 at 11:00 PM EDT

IndiGo, a low-cost carrier known for its no-frills approach, is ambitiously venturing into what seems like long-haul flights and introducing business-class seats. The move aims to target a new generation of travelers while adapting to India's evolving aviation market.

Peden Doma Bhutia

Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series

What are the top trends impacting hotels, airlines, and online bookings? We speak to the executives shaping the future of travel.

IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers told Skift that the airline’s new business class product would stay faithful to the IndiGo brand and that it’s the right time for an “IndiGo-like product” to serve the next wave of Indian air travelers.

“We now have a whole generation coming up that has never flown business class. Similarly, years ago there was a whole generation in India, that’d never taken a plane, who then became our first-time fliers,” Elbers said.

India’s largest airline has announced a radical shake-up of its operating model. IndiGo says it will debut a business class product by the end of this year. https://t.co/fq5DQiVhqo — Skift (@skift) May 26, 2024

Elbers noted that as India, its economy and the consumers are changing rapidly, IndiGo is building an approach to address those changing customer needs.

In the latest of our Leaders of Travel: Skift C-Suite Series , we sit down with Elbers to find out his plans of turning IndiGo from what he calls a “domestic giant” into a “global aviation player.”

Growth and Indian Economy

Skift: How dependent is IndiGo’s expansion on the India story? If the economy disappoints contrary to the current expectations, can your expansion plan still succeed?

India is largely underserved in terms of number of planes and seats per capita. If the economic growth slows down, aviation will still grow, perhaps at a different percentage, as long as infrastructure and airports continue to be built. With our leases we have very good flexibility and almost continuous evaluation of what our capacity should be.

We have a continuous influx of planes, more than one per week for the next decade. However, our net fleet depends on how many planes we flush out. When supply chain challenges began a year and a half ago, which grounded some planes, we managed to maintain our capacity as promised. Through a whole range of mitigating measures, we’ve been able to deal with external circumstances to keep our growth in place, it can also be the other way around if circumstances so dictate.

Middle Eastern Carrier Alliance?

You have a domestic market share of over 60%. However, international operation is a totally different beast. Would you ever consider an alliance with a Middle Eastern carrier?

Internationally, the accumulative share of Indian carriers is significantly lower than the share of foreign carriers and clearly given the fact that the market is in India itself, that’s a bit odd. We are starting to build on getting our share in those markets and a lot of the recent initiatives are helping us regain that.

When it comes to alliances and partnerships, we work with 7 foreign airlines. This gives them access to the market in India and it gives us an opportunity to create brand awareness and get additional passengers. For partnerships and collaborations, we have a pragmatic approach. I’m not ruling out anything, depending on how the business proposition would look like for both parties.

Open Skies vs. Protectionism

What is your take on open skies vs protectionism?

The open skies agreement between the U.S. and Europe took years to establish. The Europe-U.S. example is a good one because these markets were mature and well developed. Both these markets had grown to a certain stage and airlines on both sides were ready to take the next step in development.

So, when open skies was announced, it was helpful to start creating stronger alliances and joint ventures. In general, one would try to create a regulatory framework serving the needs of the customers and the airlines. For India, it will evolve over time, depending on the time and markets. When an open-skies offers opportunities for both sides, why not? But when that’s not so, you’d probably need a more tailor made and fine-tuned approach.

Multiple-Hub Risk?

At KLM, you had one hub to work with (Amsterdam). IndiGo has multiple hubs. Is there a risk that IndiGo won’t be able to build one good hub, because it has to spread its planes across multiple hubs?

A country of the size of India and its population would justify multiple hubs. IndiGo serves different markets from different hubs: when we started Nairobi flights, we did it out of Mumbai and when we started flying to Central Asia, we did it out of Delhi. The geographical size of India is a fantastic opportunity for us.

But yes, we need a lot of planes for that. And that’s precisely why we ordered so many aircraft. We are building a future network – more complex and much more exciting than what we had. We start to add the XLRs from next year, which means we can reach the shores of Europe, we can reach further into Asia and when the A350s come in, we can reach many corners of the world from any city in India.

An IndiGo Loyalty Program

You’d earlier mentioned about a loyalty program . When you do develop it, will it be optimized for short-haul travelers, or will you make it more appealing to long-haul passengers?

Last year we announced that we will enhance our loyalty program The existing Ka Ching Card is more like a co-branded credit card than really a loyalty program. Clearly the loyalty program is something that should be part of our building blocks, we’ll reveal more when we have something tangible to announce.

Our network today is domestic heavy, this won’t change in the short term. I think we have a wonderful opportunity in the international regional routes and longer regional flying where we have many customers. This combined with that heavy domestic network are interesting for our customers and potentially also for that loyalty program.

Configuration for Widebodies

The current configuration on the B777 that you’ve wet leased from Turkish has 500 economy seats and about 7 business class seats. Will you be using a similar cabin configuration for the brand new A350s?

We have not yet decided on the exact configuration. We expect delivery in 2027, so we have time to decide that.

The New Delhi Airport

What are your thoughts on the new Jewar airport near Delhi? A welcome addition?

Definitely! We live in the most populous nation on planet Earth, what’s soon to be the third largest economy in the world and then among the top 20 airports of the world we have just one — Delhi.

Paris, London, Shanghai, New York, Sao Paulo, Tokyo all have two or more airports as a result of the demand in these cities. In India, we got a second airport in Goa last year, which of course is much smaller than Delhi and Mumbai. This second Goa airport hardly took away any traffic from the existing airport. Jewar is surely a welcome addition. It will help develop the system even better.

The interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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Tags: a321xlr , a350 , airlines , aviation industry , aviation news , business travel , ceo interviews , codeshares , domestic tourism , hubs , india , indian airlines , indigo airlines , loyalty , open skies

Photo credit: IndiGo CEO Pieter Elbers talks to Skift about steering the airline into a global aviation player. Indigo

The best and worst airports to have a layover, according to a travel expert who flies 200,000 miles a year

• Connecting flights add travel time and a higher risk of delays or cancellations.
• Flight expert Gilbert Ott says some airports are better for layovers than others.
• The best have nice lounges, a variety of food, and are easy to navigate.

Nonstop flights are better than connecting ones — obviously. A trip with a layover adds travel time that would be better spent at a destination and opportunities for things to go wrong, from delays to cancellations.

Flight expert Gilbert Ott agrees, but sometimes, a layover is the only option.

"I try to avoid them, but a lot of the best places worth going to these days do not have direct flights from faraway places," Ott, who flies about 200,000 miles a year and shares his insights on his blog, God Save the Points , told Business Insider.

In Ott's experience, some layovers are more bearable than others based on where you connect.

In general, Ott says it's best to have a layover in an airline's hub airport in case of delays and cancellations.

"In any case, you want to be in a place where the airline has a strong presence because you're going to have layers of support," he said. "And if I miss a connecting flight , there's probably another flight because it's a hub."

But when it comes to killing time, navigating terminals, and minimizing chances of delays, some airports offer a better layover experience than others.

These are the best and worst airlines to have a layover in, according to Ott.

A variety of upscale lounges and an on-site hotel make Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport one of the best for layovers.

Ott said Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is one of the best for layovers because there are many premium lounges .

"It's one of those places where if you do have a layover and you really need to kill time, there are both top-notch lounges and an airport hotel directly in the terminal," Ott said.

Ott said one of his favorite lounges in the US is DFW's Capital One lounge . Amex Centurion and Delta Sky Club also have lounges in Dallas, and a Chase Sapphire Lounge is set to open there in the future.

Meanwhile, Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky, is small, and there's not much to do there.

According to Ott, smaller airports are generally the worst for layovers.

"I think there's a just inherent advantage to being a big airport because big airports can attract retail," he said.

For example, Ott told BI he often has layovers at Blue Grass Airport in Lexington, Kentucky .

"I've been there a lot. It's not a fun place to wait for flights," he said. "You have nothing to do."

In 2019, BI's Katie Warren reported that the Kentucky airport was the smallest she'd ever been to, with just two runways.

However, travelers with a tight layover may appreciate that Blue Grass Airport has the shortest walk to the gate in the US at just 0.11 miles.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is ideal for shopping between flights.

"I like Seattle-Tacoma Airport because they've done a really good job of cultivating more local stores and Seattle-centric things," Ott said. "If you've got an hour and 45 minutes, it's easy to kill time there."

Ott added that he's enjoyed sifting through records at a music store during layovers and sampling Washington state wines at a bar.

Business Insider previously reported that the airport's shops reflect the Pacific Northwest experience, with stores like Show Pony, Made in Washington, and Discover Puget Sound.

"It doesn't feel as sterile and generic as some airports. You actually get a sense of Seattle. It's not just an airport somewhere," Ott said.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport has many amenities, but it can be brutal for layovers due to frequent weather-related delays and cancellations.

No one wants to put their trip on pause over delays and cancellations — especially in a connecting airport.

According to Ott, this may be more likely to happen when flying out of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia due to frequent storms. And the fact that it's the busiest airport in the world probably doesn't help. BI previously reported that the airport has had mass cancellations in summers and winters due to storms.

"I've had hellacious experiences in Atlanta because of the weather," Ott said. "It's a good airport in the sense that there are lots of flights and places to kill time. It's a bad airport in the sense that it's caught up in more storms than most airports."

Ott added that the airport has plenty of amenities but can be overwhelming to navigate.

"There are so many terminals, and you're taking a tram everywhere. They have some nice stuff in them, but it's a hike," he said.

Los Angeles International Airport is among the best for connecting flights because it offers easy access to upgraded terminals.

According to Ott, some airports don't allow passengers to travel between terminals they're not departing from.

Since many travelers don't leave the airport between connecting flights, waiting to board can be a drag for those flying out of terminals with few shops, restaurants, and amenities. Ott told BI that international terminals typically have better amenities than domestic ones.

But the terminals are connected at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), which is why it's one of Ott's favorite airports for layovers.

"If you're domestic itinerary, you can still go to the international terminal, which has better food, shops, and lounges," he said. "You can kill time at LAX for hours."

LAX's Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B) was updated in 2023. BI previously reported that the terminal has comfy seating — each with its own power ports — a range of food and bar options, and an exceptional Sky Club.

The upgrade included adding a walkway connecting Terminal 3, which also received an upgrade, to Terminal B. The walk takes five to 20 minutes, so there's no need to catch a bus. This is an especially useful perk for those catching an international connecting flight.

But London Heathrow Airport may be the worst place in the world to have a layover because it's challenging to travel between terminals.

" London Heathrow Airport is an atrocious airport for connections — one of the worst in the world, by far," Ott said. Why? Getting from one terminal to another is a journey in itself.

"Some terminals are miles apart, and there is no tram that runs between all of them," he said.

For example, Ott said if you land in Terminal 3 with British Airways, you may connect in Terminal 5.

"You have to go through Terminal 3 and take a bus, which can take up to 30 minutes to arrive. Then, you'll take a long bus ride all around the airport to the other side," he said. "And then you may still end up with another tram or bus ride because Terminal 5 has three terminals within it — A, B, and C. It's an impossible airport for short connections."

According to the airline's website , traveling from one terminal to another can take up to 40 minutes or longer, depending on where you're headed.

Singapore Changi Airport is the best place to spend a layover. It offers local food, on-site hotels, and a ton of activities.

"For best, Singapore Changi Airport is just untouchable," Ott said.

Ott added that the airport has multiple hotels, local art shops, and no shortage of things to do, see, and eat.

"Some of the best local food is at the airport because the famous places in Singapore set up locations there," he said.

There's a movie theater, a pool, a butterfly garden, and a wide range of shops.

But the real spectacle is probably the Jewel . The retail and entertainment complex, connected to Terminal 1, is home to activities like a ropes course, hedge maze, and topiary walk. The centerpiece is the Rain Vortex — the world's largest indoor waterfall spanning seven stories.

"You can spend an hour just looking at that," Ott said of the Rain Vortex. "I would have a layover there any day."

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Stricter travel policy proposed after Washtenaw County equity officer’s frequent trips

• Updated: Jun. 06, 2024, 2:27 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 06, 2024, 2:19 p.m.

Gregory Dill, Washtenaw County Administrator, listens during a meeting of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners at 220 N. Main St. on Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2023. Sydney Verlinde | MLive.com

• Lucas Smolcic Larson | [email protected]

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Washtenaw County leaders may add further oversight and restrictions on government employees’ travel after public revelations about frequent conference trips and overseas flights a top official charged to a county credit card.

A new travel policy , proposed but tabled for future consideration during the county board’s Wednesday, June 5 meeting, would end the practice of certain top-level employees approving their own trips, add new layers of oversight for pricey travel and institute a system of public reporting for overnight excursions on official business.

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Coordinates of elektrostal in degrees and decimal minutes, utm coordinates of elektrostal, geographic coordinate systems.

WGS 84 coordinate reference system is the latest revision of the World Geodetic System, which is used in mapping and navigation, including GPS satellite navigation system (the Global Positioning System).

Geographic coordinates (latitude and longitude) define a position on the Earth’s surface. Coordinates are angular units. The canonical form of latitude and longitude representation uses degrees (°), minutes (′), and seconds (″). GPS systems widely use coordinates in degrees and decimal minutes, or in decimal degrees.

Latitude varies from −90° to 90°. The latitude of the Equator is 0°; the latitude of the South Pole is −90°; the latitude of the North Pole is 90°. Positive latitude values correspond to the geographic locations north of the Equator (abbrev. N). Negative latitude values correspond to the geographic locations south of the Equator (abbrev. S).

Longitude is counted from the prime meridian ( IERS Reference Meridian for WGS 84) and varies from −180° to 180°. Positive longitude values correspond to the geographic locations east of the prime meridian (abbrev. E). Negative longitude values correspond to the geographic locations west of the prime meridian (abbrev. W).

UTM or Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system divides the Earth’s surface into 60 longitudinal zones. The coordinates of a location within each zone are defined as a planar coordinate pair related to the intersection of the equator and the zone’s central meridian, and measured in meters.

Elevation above sea level is a measure of a geographic location’s height. We are using the global digital elevation model GTOPO30 .

Elektrostal , Moscow Oblast, Russia

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Elektrostal

Elektrostal Localisation : Country Russia , Oblast Moscow Oblast . Available Information : Geographical coordinates , Population, Area, Altitude, Weather and Hotel . Nearby cities and villages : Noginsk , Pavlovsky Posad and Staraya Kupavna .

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