Air India's Flying Returns Program Gets A Major Upgrade, Here's What's New

Air India has launched its revamped Flying Returns loyalty program today, bringing in a fresh new structure and exciting features for its customers.

The new version comes with a simplified structure, user-friendly features, updated tiers, and a fresh identity. Aimed at providing more convenience, rewards, and recognition to its members, the enhanced Flying Returns program promises instant global status and privileges worldwide.

Breaking away from its traditional miles-based system, this overhaul marks the program’s first major transformation in over a decade. Now, members will earn points based on their spending rather than the distance flown, ensuring a fairer and more equitable approach As per the Press Release.

According to Nipun Aggarwal, Air India’s Chief Commercial & Transformation Officer, “The revamp of Flying Returns is an important step forward in the way the ‘new’ Air India intends to serve and delight customers. We spent the past year listening, gathering insights from over 50,000 customers, and benchmarking our program against the best loyalty offerings out there. This deep dive, coupled with a complete digital overhaul, has resulted in a much stronger and value-delivering programme that we are proud to present today.”

Reimagined Flying Returns Program: Key Highlights

• Spend-based Rewards: Members will earn points based on their ticket spending, offering better value for money.
• Evergreen Points: Points will never expire as long as members fly with Air India at least once every 24 months.
• No Black-out Dates & No Restrictions: Members can redeem points for any available Air India seat without blackout dates or restrictions.
• Cash+Points: Flexibility to pay for award flights using a combination of points and cash.
• Global Reach: Members can earn and redeem points on 25 Star Alliance partner airlines, covering over 700 destinations worldwide.
• Renamed Tiers: Membership tiers have been renamed for clarity.
• Priority Service: Exclusive member services for Silver, Gold, and Platinum tier members.
• Family Pooling: Free pooling of points within families for quicker redemptions.
• Direct Booking Bonus: Extra points for bookings made directly on Air India’s website or app.

In addition to these updates, Air India plans to introduce co-branded credit cards and partnerships with other brands for more travel benefits.

Updated Status Tiers

To streamline operations, the airline has decided to rename its status tiers. The previous long-form titles such as “Silver Edge,” “Golden Edge,” and “Maharaja Club” have been replaced with simpler terms: red (base tier), silver, gold, and platinum. This change aligns the tiers more closely with global status standards.

Additionally, members will now enjoy enhanced benefits across these tiers, earning bonuses on top of the standard 6 FR points/Rs 100 spent on Air India:

Silver Tier: 8 FR Points/Rs 100 spent (+2 / +33 percent)

Gold Tier: 9 FR Points/Rs 100 spent (+3 / +50 percent)

Platinum Tier: 10 FR Points/Rs 100 spent (+4 / +66 percent)

Earning Structure

The reward points and tier points mentioned above are earned per Rs 100 spent. Furthermore, members will receive an additional 2 bonus Reward Points per Rs 100 for direct bookings made through the Air India website and mobile app, applicable across all tiers.

Air India’s Flying Returns program, launched in 1994, is India’s oldest frequent flyer program. This update follows the airline’s recent initiatives, including a new brand identity, website, mobile app, crew uniforms by Manish Malhotra, and the induction of Airbus A350 aircraft into its fleet.