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On September 4, 2026, IHG Hotels & Resorts and Air India jointly announced a new loyalty partnership linking IHG One Rewards with Air India’s Maharaja Club. The core mechanic: Maharaja Club members earn Maharaja Points on IHG stays, and IHG One Rewards members can convert their points into Maharaja Points. The partnership spans IHG’s full portfolio of more than 7,100 hotels in over 100 countries.
How Maharaja Club Members Earn at IHG
Linking an Air India Maharaja Club account to an IHG One Rewards profile unlocks a Maharaja Points earning rate on IHG stays:
- 2 Maharaja Points per US$1 spent at most IHG hotels and resorts.
- 1 Maharaja Point per US$1 spent at Candlewood Suites, Staybridge Suites, IHG Residences, and IHG Army Hotels.
One important trade-off: members cannot earn both IHG One Rewards points and Maharaja Points on the same stay. It is one loyalty currency or the other, per booking – set through your IHG earning preference.
How IHG One Rewards Members Convert to Maharaja Points
The conversion runs one way – from IHG points into Maharaja Points, not the reverse. The rate: 1,000 IHG One Rewards Points for 200 Maharaja Points, with a minimum exchange of 1,000 IHG points. Conversions are processed through the IHG contact centre and can take up to 60 business days to post.
Launch Bonus: 3X Maharaja Points Through Year-End
To mark the launch, Maharaja Club members earn 3X Maharaja Points on qualifying IHG stays between September 15 and December 31, 2026, with no blackout dates during that window. Since the partnership was announced September 4 but the earning bonus starts September 15, that gap is worth noting if you have a stay booked in between.
How to Link Your Accounts
- Join or sign in to your IHG One Rewards account.
- Set Air India | Maharaja Club as your earning preference.
- Add your 9-digit Maharaja Club ID to your IHG profile.
- Book through the dedicated Air India/IHG partnership channel – bookings made outside it will not qualify for Maharaja Points earning.
What’s Not Included
The official announcements are specific about what this partnership covers, and notably silent on a few things frequent travelers usually ask about:
- No elite tier status matching or reciprocity between Maharaja Club and IHG elite status levels has been announced.
- There is no reverse redemption path – you cannot convert Maharaja Points into IHG One Rewards Points, only the other direction.
- No SkyClub-style lounge crossover or reciprocal airport benefits have been mentioned.
How This Compares to IHG’s Other Airline Partners
IHG already runs similar points-for-miles arrangements with other airlines, including Emirates Skywards and American Airlines AAdvantage. The Air India deal follows the same basic shape as those: an earning-preference swap rather than genuine dual earning, plus a launch-period bonus multiplier to draw attention. If you already use IHG points transfers to other partners, this adds Maharaja Points to that list at a fixed 1,000:200 rate.
The Bottom Line
This is an earning-preference partnership, not a dual-earn or status-reciprocity deal: pick Maharaja Points or IHG points per stay, not both, and use the 1,000:200 conversion if you would rather bank IHG points as Maharaja Points down the line. The 3X launch bonus through December 31, 2026 is the best reason to link accounts now rather than later, especially since it applies with no blackout dates. Just remember to book through the dedicated partner channel – a stay booked the normal way will not earn Maharaja Points, no matter which earning preference is set.
