Air India on Wednesday widened its loyalty playbook beyond flying, pushing its frequent flyer programme into daily consumer spending as it crosses a network of over 100 partner brands, signalling a shift in how the airline is seeking to retain and monetise its customer base.The airline’s Maharaja Club has added more than 100 brands between FY23 and FY26, clocking over 4.2 million member transactions across its partner ecosystem in the last financial year alone. The scale-up reflects a deliberate pivot: turning a traditional airline loyalty programme into a lifestyle-linked rewards engine, where points are earned as much on shopping and services as on flights.The move comes amid intensifying competition in India’s aviation market, where carriers are increasingly relying on ancillary revenues and customer stickiness rather than just ticket sales. By embedding itself into everyday spending habits, Air India is trying to ensure repeat engagement even when customers are not flying.The airline said member engagement and partner activity rates have both doubled over the past three years, indicating a sharper shift towards non-flight transactions. This widening of the ecosystem is being positioned as a way to accelerate reward accumulation, allowing members to unlock upgrades and free tickets faster.To capitalise on this momentum, Air India has rolled out a limited-period ‘Points Fest’ until May 31, offering up to 50 per cent bonus Maharaja Points on transactions and conversions across partner platforms. The campaign allows members to earn additional points through purchases spanning fashion, travel services, and lifestyle brands, as well as through conversion of reward points from banks and other programmes.The bonus structure has been tiered to incentivise higher conversions, with customers receiving incremental benefits as they move up the points ladder. The airline is capping the bonus at 200,000 points per partner, effectively nudging high-value users to consolidate their reward ecosystems within the Maharaja Club.The economics behind the push is clear. Loyalty programmes globally have evolved into high-margin revenue streams, often rivalling core airline operations. By increasing transaction frequency and deepening partner integrations, Air India is positioning Maharaja Points as a standalone currency within a broader consumer ecosystem.The airline is also using aspirational redemption benchmarks to drive participation. It said that 200,000 points could translate into up to five one-way economy tickets between Mumbai and London Heathrow or multiple domestic round trips, reinforcing the perceived value of point accumulation.Jattvibeil Suresh, Head of Loyalty, E-Commerce and Marketing at Air India, said the programme is being designed to integrate seamlessly into customers’ daily lives, with a focus on flexibility and accessibility of rewards.