AWARD ALERT: A Chennai-Delhi Return Flight for 13,500 Air India Points!
The Deal at a Glance:
Airline: Air India Route: Chennai (MAA) ↔ Delhi (DEL) (Round Trip) Travel Dates: September 18th – September 21st, 2025 Points Used: 13,500 Air India Flying Returns Points Taxes Paid: ₹2,259 Card Used: American Express Platinum Charge Card (earning 10x points!)
The “Savvy Mentor” Take: Why This Was a Smart Booking
It’s easy to forget about a small balance of points sitting dormant in an airline account. This booking is the perfect example of how a quick audit of your loyalty accounts can turn those “forgotten” points into real, tangible value for a trip you were already planning.
The strategy here was twofold. First, we used a modest amount of points to erase the majority of the flight cost. Second, by paying the mandatory taxes with the American Express Platinum Charge Card, we maximized our return by earning 10x bonus Membership Rewards points on tax amount. This is a classic “earn while you burn” strategy that ensures you’re getting value on every single rupee spent.
The Numbers: The Value Breakdown
A standard return ticket for this route, booked about a month in advance, was priced at roughly ₹14,000. Let’s see how we did.
| Item | Cost in Cash | What We Paid |
| Flight Ticket | ₹14,000 | 13,500 Points + ₹2,259 |
| Total Cash Savings | ₹11,741( Cost in Cash – Tax Paid) | |
| Value Per Point | ₹0.87 (Savings/Points used) |
Analysis: Getting nearly ₹0.90 of value per point on a domestic Air India economy flight is a fantastic, practical redemption. It’s a smart and efficient use of points that would otherwise be collecting dust.
The Takeaway
The Lesson: Always keep track of your points balances and use the right credit card when paying for taxes and fees. Those “forgotten” points are a valuable currency waiting to be spent!
The Savvy Mentor’s Golden Rule: A Note on Responsible Spending
The world of points and miles is exciting, but it comes with one non-negotiable rule that we take very seriously at Dealuni.com:
Never spend money you don’t have just to earn points.
The strategies on this website are designed to help you maximize rewards on your existing, everyday spending—the money you would be spending anyway on groceries, fuel, bills, and planned purchases. The goal is to channel your normal cash flow through the right cards to unlock value, not to create new, unnecessary expenses.
Credit card points are only valuable if you pay your bill in full and on time, every single month. The interest payments and late fees from carrying a balance will instantly wipe out any rewards you could possibly earn.
Please, travel hack responsibly.
