Air India and SBI Card plan a Maharaja Club credit card, with the perks still to come

Air India is getting a new co-branded credit card. The airline and SBI Card, one of India's largest card issuers, announced on October 28 that they are building a Visa card for members of Air India's Maharaja Club loyalty program, according to Air India's announcement.

The headline says the card will launch "soon." That is about as specific as it gets. Air India has not given a launch date, a card name, an annual fee, earn rates or a list of perks.

What we know#

The announcement is a partnership deal, not a product launch. Here is what the three companies have said:

• The partners: Air India brings the airline and the loyalty program. SBI Card issues the card. Visa runs the payment network.
• Who it is for: Maharaja Club members, with what Air India calls travel and lifestyle benefits.
• Where you earn and spend points: Maharaja Points can be earned and redeemed on Air India and Air India Express, which together fly to 104 destinations, and on the 25 other Star Alliance airlines. Air India says members can also earn with more than 100 brand partners.

Air India says Maharaja Club has added more than five million members since it was redesigned in 2024. A card is the usual next step for a program that size. It lets members earn points on everyday spending, not just on flights.

Air India's CEO and managing director, Tewolde Gebremariam, and its chief commercial officer, Nipun Aggarwal, took part in the announcement. So did SBI Card's managing director and CEO, Salila Pande, and Visa's group country manager for India and South Asia, Suresh Sethi. Aggarwal said Air India wants the card to stand out for how well it rewards customers.

What we don't know yet#

For lounge travelers, the open questions are the important ones:

• Lounge access. The release does not mention lounges at all. Many premium Indian travel cards include domestic and international lounge visits. Whether this one will, and how many, is not known.
• Status. There is no word on whether spending on the card will count toward Silver, Gold or Platinum status.
• Fees and tiers. Air India has not said whether there will be one card or several, or what they will cost.
• Who can apply. No eligibility rules have been published. SBI Card issues cards in India, so expect the launch to start there.

Until those details are out, there is no way to compare this card with the travel cards Indian flyers already carry.

Why it matters#

Maharaja Club Gold is where lounge value starts to add up. It carries Star Alliance Gold, which opens partner lounges around the world when you fly the alliance. If the new card offers a path to status, even a partial one, that would be worth far more than a handful of lounge passes.

Air India has been adding ways to reach status lately. Earlier this month, it said some Standard Chartered clients in Singapore and the UAE can get Gold or Silver status through the bank, as we reported in our story on that deal.

Where Maharaja Club members wait#

Air India's best lounge in our directory is The Maharaja Lounge in Delhi, with four showers and a cocktail bar. It rates 4.6 with our users. The airline also runs Maharaja Lounges in Bengaluru, New York JFK and San Francisco. All four admit Star Alliance Gold members.

Our take#

This is an early look, not a deal you can apply for. If you fly Air India often, wait for the full terms before you pick up the card, and look hard at two things: lounge visits and any credit toward status. We'll update this story when Air India and SBI Card publish the details. Follow the airline's news on our Air India page.

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