HDFC Bank has just expanded its rewards program by adding two significant airline transfer partners to its roster: Air India’s Maharaja Club and Qatar Airways Avios. This development brings HDFC’s total transfer partners to 20 for premium credit cards, positioning it ahead of Axis Bank (19 partners) but still trailing behind SBI’s impressive 26 partners.
Key Highlights
Air India Maharaja Club joins as a new transfer partner with a 2:1 transfer ratio for premium cards like Diners Black and Infinia
Qatar Airways Avios becomes available with similar transfer rates to the existing British Airways Avios partnership
Late last year, they added ITC & Spicejet as transfer partners & now HDFC Bank offers 20 total transfer partners for its premium credit card holders which is good but with poor transfer ratio.
The Air India Maharaja Club Transfer Ratio
The new Air India Maharaja Club partnership comes with a notable drawback for premium cardholders. Unlike the previous Vistara partnership which offered a favorable 1:1 transfer ratio, the new Air India partnership implements a less competitive 2:1 ratio even for premium cards like Diners Black and Infinia.
This means cardholders will need to transfer twice as many reward points to receive the same number of Air India Maharaja Club points compared to the former Vistara program. For frequent travelers and points maximizers, this reduction in value is significant.
HDFC did different transfer bonuses like this with Etihad & other with Air France, Etihad & few others last year. Hope they cover up this ratio with that.
Well, Air India did come up with transfer ratio but it’s not lucrative enough
Qatar Airways Avios: A Consistent Addition
The Qatar Airways Avios partnership maintains consistency with HDFC’s existing British Airways Avios transfer rates. This addition provides cardholders with more flexibility within the Avios ecosystem, opening up new routing possibilities through Qatar Airways’ extensive network centered around its Doha hub.
HDFC Card Transfer Ratios
Here are the transfer ratios for newly added airline loyalty programs.
| HDFC Card | Air India Maharaja Club | Qatar Airways Avios |
|---|---|---|
| Diners Black | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Infinia | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| Regalia Gold | 3:1 | 3:1 |
You don’t have to calculate anything, just download the Magnify app & see it for yourself.
Final Thoughts
HDFC Bank’s addition of Air India Maharaja Club and Qatar Airways Avios represents a notable expansion of its rewards ecosystem. Despite the less favorable transfer ratio with Air India compared to the previous Vistara partnership, the increased number of transfer partners strengthens HDFC’s position in India’s competitive credit card market.