SBI Card and Air India Team Up Again for a Maharaja Club Credit Card — What Frequent Flyers Should Do Before It Launches
Credit cards · Airline loyalty · India 2026
SBI Card and Air India Team Up Again for a Maharaja Club Credit Card — What Frequent Flyers Should Do Before It Launches
Air India, SBI Card and Visa announced a new co-branded card for Maharaja Club members on 28 October 2026. Fees, rewards and the launch date are not yet public.
For two years, Air India’s loyal flyers have had an odd gap in their wallets. The airline relaunched its Maharaja Club programme, absorbed Vistara and its Club Vistara members, and kept adding destinations, yet there was no credit card you could apply for that earned its points directly. SBI Card stopped issuing its old Air India cards in October 2024. On 28 October 2026, the two companies said they would fill that gap together, with Visa as the network. What the new card offers is still unknown. What it needs to offer to be worth having is already fairly clear.
Three companies, one announcement and no price tag yet
Air India’s press release, dated 28 October 2026, describes a plan to develop a co-branded, Visa-powered credit card programme for Maharaja Club members. It calls SBI Card India’s largest pure-play credit card issuer and promises a “rewarding suite of travel and lifestyle benefits” with points on everyday spending. It names no variants, fees or reward rates.
Air India’s chief commercial officer, Nipun Aggarwal, said the aim is to make Maharaja Club “the loyalty currency of choice for millions of Indians”. SBI Card’s managing director and CEO, Salila Pande, spoke of a “compelling travel-focussed credit card”, while Visa’s India head, Suresh Sethi, said it would elevate travel for customers of both brands.
- 5 million+New Maharaja Club members since the 2024 redesign
- 104Destinations where Maharaja Points can be earned and redeemed
- 25Other Star Alliance airlines for redemptions
- 100+Non-airline partner brands in the programme
- 18.5% to 19%SBI Card’s market share range, Q2 FY27, per Investywise
- ₹778 crSBI Card net profit, July to September 2026
SBI Card’s figures come from its results for the quarter ended 30 September 2026, as summarised by Investywise. They matter here only to show that the issuer has the scale to push a co-branded card hard once it launches.
A partnership that ended quietly and is now restarting
SBI Card and Air India first launched the Air India SBI Platinum and Signature cards in 2013, when the airline’s programme was called Flying Returns. According to Live From A Lounge, the Platinum card then earned 10 points per ₹100 on Air India bookings and 2 points per ₹100 elsewhere.
The cards survived Air India’s privatisation and the Tata group’s takeover, but SBI Card stopped issuing new ones on 10 October 2024. In March 2025, the bank cut the accelerated rate on Air India tickets bought on the airline’s website or app, effective 31 March 2025.
Air India SBI co-branded cards, primary cardholder’s own tickets on Air India’s website or app. Source: Live From A Lounge, 1 March 2025.
A two-thirds cut on the airline’s own tickets was a signal that the old arrangement was winding down. Live From A Lounge reports that Air India later ran a complete new request for proposals before picking SBI Card again, which means the bank won the new programme on fresh terms rather than inheriting it.
Where the Vistara cards fit in
When Vistara merged into Air India in November 2024, Club Vistara was folded into Maharaja Club, and its co-branded cards from SBI Card and IDFC First Bank had to be wound down.
Live From A Lounge reported in March 2025 that SBI Card’s Club Vistara cards would lose their ticket-voucher renewal and milestone benefits for cards renewing after 1 April 2025, with the renewal fee waived in exchange. Those milestones had been one of the most valuable features of the cards.
Discontinued for renewals from April 2025. Base card earned Economy tickets; PRIME earned Premium Economy. Source: Live From A Lounge.
IDFC First Bank’s Club Vistara cards ran longer. Card Insider reported in January 2026 that they would remain active until 30 September 2026, earning Maharaja Points but without milestone ticket vouchers, and would then close. With those cards now gone, Maharaja Club has had no actively issued co-branded card at all, which explains the urgency of this announcement.
The card status board for Air India flyers
If you hold, or used to hold, one of these cards, here is where each stands as of early November 2026, based on the reports cited in this article.
| Card | Issuer | Annual fee | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air India SBI Platinum | SBI Card | ₹1,499 + GST | Existing holders only | 5 pts per ₹100 on Air India tickets, 2 elsewhere |
| Air India SBI Signature | SBI Card | ₹4,999 + GST | Existing holders only | 10 pts per ₹100 on Air India tickets, 4 elsewhere |
| Club Vistara SBI | SBI Card | ₹1,499, renewal waived | Benefits cut April 2025 | Ticket milestones discontinued |
| Club Vistara SBI PRIME | SBI Card | ₹2,999, renewal waived | Benefits cut April 2025 | Premium Economy milestones discontinued |
| Club Vistara IDFC FIRST | IDFC First Bank | Not applicable | Closed after 30 Sep 2026 | Earned Maharaja Points until closure |
| New Maharaja Club card | SBI Card | Not disclosed | Announced 28 Oct 2026 | Visa network; launch “soon” |
Fees and earn rates for the Platinum and Signature cards are from Card Advisor’s 2026 reviews; Club Vistara fees are from Live From A Lounge. Both older SBI cards convert points one-to-one into Maharaja Points, in blocks of 5,000, according to Card Advisor.
The bar the new card has to clear
The best way to judge the new card when its terms arrive is against the card it replaces. Card Advisor lists the Air India SBI Signature at ₹4,999 a year plus GST, with a 20,000-point welcome bonus, 5,000 points on each anniversary, and annual spend bonuses of 20,000 points at ₹5 lakh, 30,000 at ₹10 lakh and 50,000 at ₹20 lakh.
Our calculation: 4 points per ₹100 plus cumulative spend bonuses and 5,000 anniversary points, as listed by Card Advisor. Points convert 1:1 to Maharaja Points.
A worked benchmark. Someone on the old Signature card who spends ₹6 lakh a year on everyday purchases and ₹30,000 on Air India tickets earns 24,000 points from everyday spending, 3,000 from tickets, a 20,000-point milestone at ₹5 lakh and 5,000 anniversary points. That is 52,000 Maharaja Points a year for a ₹5,899 fee including GST, our calculation.
That works out to roughly 8 points per ₹100 spent once bonuses are included. If the new card’s mid-tier variant earns clearly less than that at a similar fee, existing Signature holders have little reason to switch.
What people get wrong: they compare co-branded cards on points per ₹100 as if every point were worth the same. A Maharaja Point’s value depends on how you redeem it. Card Advisor notes it is realistically worth well under ₹1 on many award flights. Compare reward rates only after deciding how you will actually use the points.
What to do now, depending on which card you hold
- Old SBI Air India cardKeep it for nowCard Advisor says existing benefits continue. Do not cancel until the new card’s terms and any migration offer are public.
- Former Vistara cardholderCheck your pointsConfirm earlier points moved to your Maharaja Club account and note their expiry, which Card Advisor puts at 24 months from earning.
- No airline card yetWait and compareDo not rush into another airline card for a few months’ points. Wait for the fee, earn rate and welcome bonus.
Keep your Maharaja Club account active
Points on the old SBI cards expire 24 months after they are earned, but a paid Air India flight extends all of them by another 24 months, according to Card Advisor. If you are sitting on a large balance from a closed Vistara card or an old SBI card, a single paid flight may protect it until the new card arrives.
Questions to ask on launch day
When SBI Card publishes the terms, look past the welcome bonus. The useful numbers are the earn rate on everyday spending, whether Air India tickets earn extra, spend milestones and their thresholds, the annual fee and its waiver condition, lounge visits, the forex markup, and whether points credit directly to Maharaja Club or need manual conversion.
From Flying Returns to a fresh Maharaja Club card
- SBI Card and Air India launch the Air India SBI Platinum and Signature cards under Flying Returns.
- Air India redesigns its loyalty programme as Maharaja Club; over 5 million new members join after the relaunch.
- SBI Card stops issuing new Air India co-branded cards.
- Vistara merges into Air India; Club Vistara is folded into Maharaja Club.
- Air India ticket earn rates on SBI cards cut by two-thirds.
- SBI’s Club Vistara cards lose renewal and milestone ticket vouchers.
- IDFC First Bank’s Club Vistara cards reach the end of their extended run.
- Air India, SBI Card and Visa announce the new Maharaja Club co-branded card.
Why airline cards are crowding Indian wallets
The announcement lands in a busy market. Card Insider noted that several airline co-branded cards launched in 2025, with IndiGo partnering IDFC First Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank and SBI Card, and Etihad partnering BOBCARD. An airline without its own card risks losing everyday spending, and the loyalty it builds, to rivals.
For SBI Card, a premium travel card brings higher-spending customers. For Air India, every point earned on groceries or fuel ties a customer more closely to its network of 104 destinations and its Star Alliance partners. That shared interest is why the new card is likely to arrive with a strong welcome offer. Whether the everyday rewards hold up beyond year one is the question to watch.
Live From A Lounge’s founder, Ajay Awtaney, also suggested other banks could partner with Air India later, which would give flyers a choice of issuers rather than one card.
A launch-day checklist
- Compare the earn rate with 4 points per ₹100 on the old Signature
- Check spend milestones at ₹5 lakh, ₹10 lakh and above
- Look for a fee waiver tied to annual spending
- Count domestic and international lounge visits
- Note the forex markup for foreign spending
- Confirm whether points credit to Maharaja Club automatically
- Check the minimum conversion block, 5,000 on old cards
- Read the welcome bonus conditions and deadlines
- Keep your old card until any migration offer is clear
- Protect points with a paid flight within 24 months
Questions flyers are asking about the new card
When will the SBI Card Air India co-branded credit card launch?
No date has been given. Air India’s 28 October 2026 press release says the card will launch soon, and Live From A Lounge reports it is expected in the coming months.
What benefits will the new Air India SBI card offer?
Details are not yet public. The press release mentions travel and lifestyle benefits and points on everyday spending for Maharaja Club members, but no reward rates or fees.
Can I still apply for the Air India SBI Signature or Platinum card?
No. SBI Card stopped issuing new Air India co-branded cards on 10 October 2024. Existing cardholders keep their cards and benefits.
Will my old Air India SBI card be replaced?
Neither company has said. Keep your current card until SBI Card publishes the new terms and any migration or upgrade offer.
What happened to SBI’s Club Vistara credit cards?
After Vistara merged into Air India, SBI’s Club Vistara cards lost their ticket-voucher renewal and milestone benefits for renewals after 1 April 2025, with the renewal fee waived instead.
How do SBI reward points convert to Maharaja Points?
On the existing Air India SBI cards, points convert one-to-one into Maharaja Points in blocks of 5,000, according to Card Advisor. Terms for the new card are not yet known.
Which network will the new card use?
Visa. The card has been announced as a Visa-powered programme by Air India, SBI Card and Visa.
Do Maharaja Points expire?
On the existing SBI cards’ converted points, Card Advisor says points expire 24 months after earning, and a paid Air India flight extends them by another 24 months.
The short version for a busy reader
Air India, SBI Card and Visa will launch a new Maharaja Club credit card, announced on 28 October 2026, after SBI stopped issuing its old Air India cards in October 2024 and the Vistara cards wound down. No fees or rewards are public yet. Keep any existing card, protect your points with a paid flight, and judge the new card against the old Signature’s roughly 8 points per ₹100 once milestones are counted.
