In the past few years, tourism and tourism have developed rapidly. Given the travel boom, some banks have partnered with airlines and hotel programs to offer reward points redemption options for their credit card holders. HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, American Express and other banks have credit cards from multiple airline and hotel transfer partners.
HSBC India is the latest bank, adding 20 airline and hotel transfer partners to its credit card rewards program. In this article, we will learn about the various reward point transfer partners added by HSBC and how their credit card holders can benefit from it.
Add transfer partners
Starting April 1, 2025, HSBC India has added 20 transfer partners to its credit card rewards program. This includes 15 airlines and 5 hotel transfer partners. Bank credit cardholders have these additional redemption options as well as earlier bonus points redemption options. The more reward points redemption plans a credit card holder has, the better.
Reward points can be transferred to the transfer partner in a specified proportion based on the credit card variant held. For example, for HSBC Premier credit cards and TravelOne credit cards, the common Flyer Plan (FFP) transfer partner and transfer ratios for airlines are as follows.
| airline | Frequent Flyer Plan (FFP) | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Air India | Air India Grand Galaha Club | 1:1 |
| Air Asia | AirAsia Rewards | 1:3 |
| Air France – KLM | Flying blue | 1:1 |
| British Airways | British Airways Club | 1:1 |
| Etihad Airways | Etihad’s Guests | 1:1 |
| Eva Air | Unlimited mileage land | 1:1 |
| Hainan Airlines | Hainan Airlines Fortune Wing Club | 2:1 |
| Japan Airlines | JAL Mileage Bank | 1:1 |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore Airlines Kleisley | 1:1 |
| Qantas Airways | Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1:1 |
| Qatar Airways | Qatar Airways Privileges Club | 1:1 |
| Thai Airways | Royal orchid plus | 1:1 |
| Turkish Airlines | Turkish Airlines’ Mileage and Smile | 2:1 |
| United Airlines | Joint action | 2:1 |
| Vietnam Airlines | Vietnam Airlines’ Lotus | 1:1 |
For HSBC Premier Credit Cards and TraverOne Credit Cards, the hotel transfer partner and transfer ratios are as follows.
| Hotel Group | Program Name | Transfer ratio |
|---|---|---|
| join in | ACCOR LIVE Infinite (all) | 1:1 |
| IHG Hotels and Resorts | ihg a reward | 1:1 |
| Marriott International | Marriott Bonvoy | 1:1 |
| Shangri-La | Shangri-La Circle | 5:1 |
| Wyndham Hotels and Resorts | Wyndham Rewards | 1:1 |
Similarly, to know the reward point transfer rate of HSBC Visa Platinum Credit Card, please refer to the HSBC India website.
The table above shows the conversion of the reward points to an airline FFP or hotel loyalty program. For example, the conversion ratio of HSBC Premier credit card reward points is 2:1. This means that 2 credit card reward points will be converted to 1 aircraft.
Please note that HSBC India may update the above transfer partner list from time to time. New partners can be added, existing partners can be deleted, transfer ratios can be changed, and so on.
How to transfer reward points?
HSBC has moved to a new rewards platform to make it easier for credit cardholders to claim reward points. Starting from April 1, 2025, credit cardholders can only redeem reward points through the HSBC India Mobile Banking App. Cardholders can log in to the app, select a credit card, go to the “Rewards Market” and then order redemption points to redeem.
Credit card holders must first register with the airline FFP or hotel loyalty program to transfer reward points to it. When reward points are transferred, they need to enter the plan member number along with other details.
For Hainan Airlines Fortune Wings Club and Air India Maharaja Club, the reward points transfer will be completed within five business days of placing the request in the HSBC India Mobile Banking application. For JAL Mileage Bank, points transfer requests will be completed within ten business days. For all other airlines, the reward points will be transferred immediately or within one business day of redemption request.
For most hotel loyalty programs, credit card reward points will be transferred immediately or within one working day when redemption requests are placed in the HSBC India Mobile Banking app.
Credit card reward points can be converted to airplane and hotel loyalty points for HSBC Prime Minister, Visa Platinum and Traverone credit cards.
How to use transfer points?
Once you transfer credit card reward points from HSBC Credit Card, these points will be reflected in the Partner Program based on the transfer ratio. From the partner program, it can be further used to make travel reservations. For example, suppose a credit card holder transfers credit card reward points to the Maharaja club. Then you can use the Big Mahaha Club points to book Air India flights. Air India’s domestic flight network is second only to Indigo.
Likewise, assume that the credit cardholder has transferred the reward points to the on-site unlimited (all) hotel loyalty program. All the points can then be used to book hotel accommodation in various altitudes. ACCOR has more than 60 hotels in India, distributed among brands such as Novetre, ibis, Raffles, Big Mel, Pullman, Fairmont. All points can also be used to make international hotel reservations in any participating ACCOR property worldwide.
Vacation with Credit Card Rewards Points Program
Typically, flight tickets and hotel accommodation are the two largest fees during a vacation. These can be taken care of with credit card reward points. You can transfer your HSBC credit card reward points to your preferred airline FFP and hotel loyalty programs. You can then use the loyalty point to book flight tickets and hotel accommodation for your holiday.
Some hotel plans, such as ACCOR LIVE Unlimited (all), allow you to charge a hotel room for meals. Payment can then be made with points of loyalty at checkout. Meals usually constitute the third largest fee after flight tickets and hotel accommodation during the holidays. So with some thoughtful plans you can even pay for these with points, making most of your vacation free credit card bonus points free.
Gopal Gidwani is a freelance personal financial content writer with over 15 years of experience. He can contact LinkedIn.
