We have beforehand lined how Air India is refreshing its identity. It began by making a massive aircraft order. Then it rolled out a brand new plane livery for its fleet and began putting in refreshed seats on its wide-body plane. Extra just lately, Air India continued its makeover with a brand new web site and crew uniforms.

Now, Air India is modernizing its loyalty program. On April 3, the revamped Air India Flying Returns launched with new incomes and redeeming buildings, in addition to modifications to its elite standing qualification necessities and a solution to stop factors from expiring. Plus, no extra paper improve certificates or calling in to e-book Star Alliance award flights.

TPG senior factors and miles editor Gabrielle Bernardini and I sat down for a chat with a number of Air India staff, together with head of loyalty, advertising and e-commerce, Sunil Suresh, to debate the loyalty program’s first overhaul in over a decade. Here is what we discovered in regards to the Air India Flying Returns program modifications.

As you learn this put up, the brand new Air India Flying Returns program is reside. So, though this put up gives some extra info we obtained throughout our interview, you might also wish to verify the Air India website for specifics that weren’t out there to us earlier than this system launched.

However for now, listed here are the important thing takeaways you need to know in regards to the Air India Flying Returns program modifications:

• Rewards factors and tier factors: You may earn two kinds of factors within the new Flying Returns program. Rewards factors are redeemable rewards, whereas tier factors are a metric you need to use to earn elite status.
• Adjustments to incomes elite standing: Now you may want 15,000 tier factors or 30 flights (with not less than 4 on Air India) for Silver standing, 30,000 tier factors or 60 flights (with not less than eight on Air India) for Gold standing and 45,000 tier factors or 90 flights (with not less than 12 on Air India) for Platinum standing.
• Spend-based earnings on Air India flights: Within the revamped Flying Returns program, you may earn 6 tier factors per 100 Indian Rupees (about $1.20) no matter your elite standing. Plus you may earn rewards factors based mostly in your elite standing as follows: Crimson members will earn 6 rewards factors per 100 Rupees, Silver members will earn 8 rewards factors per 100 Rupees, Gold members will earn 9 rewards factors per 100 Rupees and Platinum members will earn 10 rewards factors per 100 Rupees. You may nonetheless earn based mostly on distance, fare class and elite standing tier for accomplice flights you credit score to Flying Returns.
• Rewards for reserving immediately with Air India: Whenever you e-book a paid flight on the Air India web site or cellular app, you may earn 2 bonus reward factors per 100 Rupees.
• Extra non-flight methods to earn factors: Air India is introducing extra methods to earn factors by way of non-airline companions. Examples Air India gave in its press launch embrace automotive leases, lodge stays, purchasing and life-style experiences.
• Three redemption tiers for Air India flights: Now, there are three redemption tiers for Air India flights: worth fares which might be semi-dynamic and based mostly on whenever you e-book and cargo elements (an instance may be a Mumbai to Delhi flight that prices 5,000 to eight,000 factors should you e-book a month or two upfront), prime fares which might be fastened however nonetheless extremely discounted and money plus factors fares which might be out there as much as two hours earlier than departure if seats are nonetheless on the market. For money plus factors fares, you need to use a slider to pick out what number of factors versus money you wish to pay.
• Guide Star Alliance awards on-line: Now you may e-book award flights operated by all Star Alliance partners on-line. Flying Returns additionally launched new award charts for accomplice redemptions, however we weren’t capable of get a preview of those charts. Nevertheless, we did be taught that flying Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) on United in economic system class would value 12,500 factors. Flying Returns would not levy extra charges on accomplice awards, as an alternative solely passing on the obligatory charges it should pay.
• Fly on Air India to stop factors expiration: Your factors will not expire so long as you are taking not less than one flight operated by Air India each 24 months.
• Simpler household factors pooling: Air India already supplied family points pooling. However, now the pooling course of is easier. Household factors swimming pools can embrace as much as 9 members who’re kinfolk. The chief of the pool should fill out a type to create the pool, after which Air India reaches out to every member within the proposed pool to get their consent. The pool chief is the one member who can redeem factors.

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The Air India staff we spoke to in our interview famous their subsequent step is to combine Air India Specific and Vistara into the Flying Returns program, such that each one three airways use one widespread loyalty program. In addition they hinted the airline could ultimately supply a number of cobranded Air India bank cards for U.S. residents, noting they acknowledge the position cobranded playing cards play in loyalty rewards packages. The airline might also attempt to accomplice with a number of U.S. transferable currencies, which might be a part of its assortment of Indian banks which might be already switch companions.

Associated: The best ways to fly to India with points and miles

Nevertheless, and not using a cobranded card within the U.S. or transferable factors earned by U.S.-issued rewards cards which you could switch to Air India, this program could stay of restricted curiosity to most U.S. residents.