🥇 Best
SmartBuy flights/hotels
Best value. Pre-pay flights/hotels via the SmartBuy portal — points cap at 1.0 INR.
₹50,000
@ ₹1.00/pt
What are your points actually worth?
Issuer redemption pages compare paths the wrong way. Statement credit looks easy but is usually the worst option — sometimes by 3×. Pick your card, enter the balance, see the rupee gap.
Best move
50,000 points → SmartBuy flights/hotels for ₹50,000. Don't take statement credit (₹15,000) — you'd lose ₹35,000.
#2
Airline transfer (KrisFlyer/Avios)
1 reward point = ~0.65 mile after transfer ratio. Useful for premium-cabin redemptions.
₹32,500
@ ₹0.65/pt
#3
Statement credit
Worst option. Avoid unless points are about to expire.
₹15,000
@ ₹0.30/pt
Why this matters
On HDFC Infinia, 50,000 points are ₹50,000 on SmartBuy flights — but only ₹15,000 as statement credit. That's a ₹35,000 gap on the same balance. Aggregators don't show this gap because they link to the bank's default redemption flow, which is usually the lowest-value path.
Expiry trap
HDFC reward points expire 24 months after earning. Axis EDGE Miles expire 12 months after the statement date. AmEx Membership Rewards expire when you close the card. Run the calculator before any balance hits its first-year mark.