Air India–Vistara Merger: What Happened to Your Club Vistara Points?

Few events shook India’s frequent flyer community as hard as the Vistara–Air India merger. For years, Vistara was the country’s premium full-service airline — clean product, good service, and a loyalty program, Club Vistara, that enthusiasts genuinely loved for its transparency and earn rates. When the consolidation was announced and subsequently executed, hundreds of thousands of Club Vistara members woke up to a fundamentally different loyalty landscape.

Here is a clear account of what happened, what the conversion terms were, and what your best moves are now.

The Merger Timeline

The Air India–Vistara consolidation was a consequence of Tata Group’s acquisition of Air India from the government in early 2022. Once Tata held both airlines — Air India and Vistara (a joint venture with Singapore Airlines) — running two full-service carriers in the same market made little commercial sense.

Key dates:

• 2022: Tata Sons completes Air India acquisition; merger intent announced
• 2023: Regulatory approvals sought; Club Vistara members begin receiving communications about the transition
• November 2024: Vistara officially ceased operations as a separate airline. All Vistara flights were rebranded under the Air India banner. Club Vistara as a standalone program effectively concluded

The transition did not happen overnight, and Air India extended several communication windows for members to understand the conversion terms and take action on their balances.

Club Vistara Points to Flying Returns: The Conversion

The core conversion rate was set at 1 Club Vistara (CV) point = 1 Air India Flying Returns (FR) mile.

This is a 1:1 conversion, which is straightforward on paper. Whether it represents fair value depends on how you valued Club Vistara points versus Flying Returns miles before the merger.

Club Vistara points were typically valued at around ₹0.50–₹0.75 each for economy redemptions and somewhat more for premium cabin awards. Flying Returns miles have a notoriously variable value — the program’s award chart and availability have improved post-Tata acquisition but remain more complex than CV’s simpler structure. A direct comparison of value is difficult, but the 1:1 rate was broadly accepted as reasonable given the alternatives.

What Happened to Your Point Balance

If you had CV points in your account at the time of migration, those points were automatically converted and added to a Flying Returns account linked to the same contact details. Air India sent email notifications confirming the transfer.

If you did not receive confirmation or believe your points were not transferred, Air India’s Flying Returns customer support was the primary contact for reconciliation queries. These cases required verification of identity and original Club Vistara membership details.

Tier Status Transfer

Club Vistara operated three elite tiers: Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Air India Flying Returns has its own tier structure: Silver, Gold, and Maharajah (with Maharajah being the highest).

The tier mapping at migration was broadly:

Club Vistara Tier	Flying Returns Equivalent
Silver	Silver
Gold	Gold
Platinum	Maharajah Club

Status was typically transferred for a defined period, giving members time to re-qualify under Flying Returns’ own earning requirements. The exact validity window for transferred status was communicated directly by Air India, and members were advised to check their account for specific dates.

For frequent flyers who had earned Vistara Platinum on the strength of Vistara routes (many of which no longer exist as such under Air India rebranding), re-qualification under Flying Returns’ criteria required attention to which Air India routes and fare classes now counted.

Impact on Axis Bank Vistara Co-Brand Cards

This is where things got genuinely complicated for many cardholders. Axis Bank had co-branded credit cards with Vistara — the Axis Bank Vistara Infinite, Vistara Signature, and Vistara Platinum cards — which earned Club Vistara points on spending.

Once Vistara ceased as a separate entity, these cards transitioned. Axis Bank and Air India worked out a migration path where:

• Existing Vistara co-brand cards were converted to equivalent Air India co-brand cards issued by Axis Bank
• Club Vistara points earned on these cards were converted to Flying Returns miles at 1:1
• Complimentary ticket benefits — a key feature of the Vistara Infinite card — were restructured for Air India

The new Axis Bank Air India credit cards retain a broadly similar fee structure to the old Vistara cards but benefits are now pegged to Air India’s product. If you held a Vistara Infinite, you should now hold an Air India Axis Bank Miles & More card or equivalent — check your physical card and terms.

One practical note: if you were mid-year on a complimentary ticket benefit (e.g., you had earned a Business Class Upgrade Voucher on the Vistara Infinite), Air India honoured those vouchers for a defined transition period. If you missed that window, those benefits lapsed.

The New Air India Loyalty Structure

Flying Returns has existed for decades but underwent significant reform post-Tata acquisition. The program now offers:

• Earning on Air India flights — with earn rates varying by fare class (the cheapest fares earn the fewest miles, a standard industry practice)
• Partner earning — Star Alliance partners, hotel partners, and selected credit card transfer programs
• Credit card transfers — HDFC Bank, Amex MR, and others transfer to Flying Returns
• Award redemptions — economy and business class awards on Air India and select Star Alliance partners

The redemption chart has improved but still has complexity around fuel surcharges and carrier-imposed fees on partner redemptions. For pure Air India domestic redemptions, the program works reasonably well.

What to Do With Your Flying Returns Miles Now

If you migrated CV points and now hold a Flying Returns balance, here are the practical steps:

1. Check your balance. Log into your Flying Returns account at airindia.com. Confirm the balance matches what you expected from the conversion.

2. Understand expiry. Flying Returns miles expire if there is no earning or redemption activity for a defined period (typically 36 months for active accounts). Check your specific account terms.

3. Plan a redemption. Air India now flies domestically and internationally. Business class domestic redemptions are available and can represent good value for Tier miles. International business class to Europe or the US through Air India’s own metal (not partner) often gives reasonable cents-per-mile value.

4. Consider topping up. If you have Amex MR points or HDFC Reward Points, these transfer to Flying Returns. Building your balance now — while Air India’s redemption chart still has some sweet spots — makes sense.

5. Re-evaluate your card. If you were holding a Vistara co-brand card purely for Vistara benefits that no longer exist in the same form, assess whether the current Air India version’s benefits justify its annual fee.

Bottom Line

The merger was disruptive, particularly for Vistara loyalists who valued that airline’s distinct product. The 1:1 conversion was fair in mechanical terms, though Flying Returns as a program is more complex and the redemption value is less predictable than Club Vistara was. The Axis Bank co-brand transition was handled without members losing their card relationships, which is the right outcome.

As of 2026, Flying Returns is worth taking seriously — Air India is actively expanding routes, investing in fleet (new A350s and B777Xs are on order), and the Tata ownership has brought professional management. The program is not perfect, but it is the primary vehicle for domestic full-service airline loyalty in India, and learning it is time well spent for frequent flyers.