HDFC Bank Adds Air India & Qatar Airways as Transfer Partners – But Is It Really a Win?

HDFC Bank adds transfer partners, including Air India Maharaja Club and Qatar Airways Avios to its rewards ecosystem. This brings their total partners to 20, surpassing Axis Bank’s 19, though still trailing SBI’s 26.

At first glance, this looks like a major win for HDFC credit cardholders—more options mean more flexibility, right? Well… not so fast. Let’s break it down.

Air India’s Disappointing Transfer Ratio:

📉 Bad News for Premium HDFC Cardholders

HDFC’s partnership with Air India Maharaja Club comes with a less-than-ideal transfer ratio:

• Diners Black & Infinia → 2:1

• Regalia Gold → 3:1

That means if you want 10,000 Air India miles, you’ll need to burn 20,000 Infinia or Diners Black points—a huge downgrade compared to the past Vistara 1:1 transfer ratio. Remember when you could transfer 10,000 points and get 10,000 Vistara CV points? Well, those days are gone. Now, you’ll need double the points for the same redemptions. Not a great deal.

Qatar Airways Avios – No Surprises Here

On the bright side, Qatar Airways Avios follows the same transfer ratio as British Airways Avios:

• Diners Black & Infinia → 2:1

While Qatar Airways has excellent premium cabin redemptions, the Avios program is already well-covered through British Airways, so this addition doesn’t bring much new value.

Verdict – More Options, But At a Cost

While adding transfer partners is always a good thing, the Air India conversion rates are a big downgrade compared to the previous Vistara partnership. Unless HDFC introduces transfer bonuses, these redemptions will burn through your points quickly.