Every now and then, I fall down a miles-and-points rabbit hole and come out the other side staring at something so odd I have to double-check it’s real.
That’s what happened when I stumbled on this little-known Air India–United booking angle. I read about it on DailyDrop, did a quick Google search… and found maybe only a few half-buried posts mentioning it. While it’s not life-changing, it’s definitely one of those niche tricks worth keeping in your back pocket, especially for short-haul or overpriced domestic flights.
Step 1: The Forgotten Partner
United and Air India are both Star Alliance members, which means, in theory, you can use Air India Maharaja Miles to book United flights, even inside the U.S.
Most people never mess with Air India’s program because:
- You can’t transfer from Chase, Amex, or Capital One.
- The site in the past has been clunky.
- And, well, it’s Air India.
But beneath the chaos is a surprisingly cheap sweet spot.
Step 2: The Chart That Makes It Interesting
Air India doesn’t publish an award chart on their website. However, they do offer a points calculator that calculates the price of a ticket, given your routing.
(Award Wallet tracks all your miles and points. I use it and love it.)
Flights under 600 miles are just 3,500 miles one-way. That’s where things start to get fun.
Example short-haul routes under 600 miles:
- Denver ↔ Salt Lake City (391 mi)
- Chicago ↔ Minneapolis (334 mi)
- LAX ↔ San Francisco (337 mi)
Use GCMap to find some other routes.
Step 3: The Catch (and the Workaround)
But here’s where it gets interesting. While plenty of programs let you buy points, Air India’s award pricing is so low that buying the miles outright can actually make sense, especially for short hops.
That 3,500-mile redemption tier for flights under 500 miles? It’s a steal.
Step 4: Buying Maharaja Miles
Air India sells miles for 1.5 INR each. So:
- 3,500 miles × 1.5 INR = 5,250 INR
- 5250 INR = $59.22 (At time of writing, Nov ’25)
Even with $5.60 in taxes, you’re flying a United segment for about $63 total. This can be a killer deal when these flights usually cost well over $100 and are far higher during busy seasons.
Step 5: How to Actually Book It
A few notes:
- You’ll only see Saver-level United availability. This means you may not always see a flight even if it’s available on United.
- Make sure you “pay by points,” or your destinations likely won’t populate.
- Your access is limited to flight details and taxes unless you have enough miles to continue.
- The Air India site doesn’t always show everything; sometimes you’ll need to call their support to book it.
- You’ll pay ~$5.60 in taxes.
It’s clunky, especially on the app, but if you’re patient, it works. Or try on a browser.
Step 6: When It’s Worth It (and When It’s Not)
Below 600 miles? Great deal.
Beyond that? Not so much.
The chart jumps pretty quickly —
- 601–1,000 miles = 5,500 miles (5500*1.5=8,250 INR or $94)
- 1,001–1,500 miles = 7,000 miles (7,700*1.5=10,500 INR or $119)
Still has potential, but once you start creeping up, the cost starts passing regular cash tickets, so it loses its edge.
Still, for short routes or expensive last-minute flights, it can absolutely be a steal.
Step 7: Final Thoughts
I didn’t “discover” this. Credit where it’s due to the few bloggers who mentioned it before, but I’m honestly surprised how few people talk about it.
It’s not going to replace your usual redemptions or turn you into a mileage millionaire. But as far as weird, working tricks go? This one’s solid.
Next time you see a short United flight priced into the $100s, remember: a few thousand rupees’ worth of Air India miles might just do the job for less than half that.