How about earning a 32% value back when you book your next IndiGo flight with a credit card? Yes, that is possible. The IndiGo BluChip loyalty program gives you 12 IndiGo Bluchips (1 BluChip = Rs. 1) for every Rs. 100 spent to book an IndiGo flight on the IndiGo website/App. When you use the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card to book the ticket, you get 5 EdgeMiles for every Rs. 100 spent. You can transfer these to the Accor Live Limitless (ALL) loyalty program in a 1:2 ratio to get 10 ALL points. These 10 ALL points can give you stays worth around Rs. 20 at various Accor properties.

 

Thus, the 12 IndiGo Bluchips (worth Rs. 12) and 5 EdgeMiles (worth around Rs. 20 with the ALL program) can give you a total of 32% value back for every Rs. 100 spent for booking IndiGo flights on the IndiGo website/App using the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card. What if you don’t have the Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card or any other credit card? With the BluChip program, for every Rs. 100 spent on booking IndiGo flights, you can still earn a decent 12% value back with other payment modes. So, what is the IndiGo BluChip program, its features and benefits, how to earn and redeem BluChips, etc.? Let us discuss everything in detail.

 

 

What is the IndiGo BluChip loyalty program?

The IndiGo BluChip, launched in October 2024, is the loyalty program of IndiGo Airlines. In the airline industry, these programs are generally referred to as Frequent Flyer Programs (FFPs). The program has been designed to reward and recognise IndiGo’s valued customers for their loyalty and enhance their travel experience.

 

The program allows members to earn and redeem BluChips on IndiGo flights and enjoy exclusive discounts on select 6E Add-ons. The 6E Add-ons include Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward services on IndiGo flights. The program has three membership tiers with exclusive tier-linked travel benefits.

 

The value of each Bluchip is Rs. 1. Bluchips can be redeemed for booking IndiGo flights. As the value of a BluChip is fixed, it gives the member a clear idea of the value of their BluChips. It is unlike many other loyalty programs, where the redemption value of a point is not fixed.

 

Suggested Multimedia: Eye-catching banner image featuring an IndiGo plane or the BluChip logo.

 

IndiGo Airlines offers lifetime free membership to the BluChip program, i.e. there are no joining or annual fees. On registration, the member receives a 9-digit membership number. A member can add nominees to make flight bookings for them. One of the USPs of the program is that there are no blackout dates for redemption bookings.

 

• Suggested Multimedia: Small icons representing free, lifetime validity, no blackout dates.

 

IndiGo BluChip Tiers: Unlocking Higher Benefits

The IndiGo Bluchip program has 3 tiers, starting with IndiGo Bluchip Blu 3 as the base tier. The higher the tier, the more the tier benefits. Let us start with the eligibility and retention criteria for the tiers.

 

Tier	Eligibility criteria
IndiGo BluChip Blu 3	Base tier
IndiGo BluChip Blu 2	Rs. 1,00,000 spends on IndiGo flights and a minimum of 4 IndiGo flights in 12 months.
IndiGo BluChip Blu 1	Rs. 2,00,000 spends on IndiGo flights and a minimum of 8 IndiGo flights in 12 months.

 

Once the member meets the next tier eligibility criteria, they are upgraded. The spends are reviewed daily for tier upgrade. On completion of a year, there is a review. To retain the existing tier, the member must meet the same eligibility criteria as mentioned in the above table. The spends considered include the base fare on 6E marketed and operated flights and 6E marketed and Codeshare operated flights.

 

Now that we understand the tier qualification and retention criteria, let us understand the benefits of the Bluchip tiers.

 

• IndiGo BluChip Blu 3

A new member starts as an IndiGo BluChip Blu 3 member, which is the base tier. The benefits of the IndiGo BluChip Blu 3 tier include the following.

 

1. 8 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on IndiGo flights (on base fare and fuel surcharge).
2. 4 additional IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent as a channel bonus when the IndiGo flight is booked on the IndiGo website or App.
3. 8 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.
4. 10% discount on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.

 

• IndiGo BluChip Blu 2

The Blu 2 tier is the next tier after the base tier (Blu 3). The benefits of this tier include the following.

 

1. 8 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on IndiGo flights (on base fare and fuel surcharge).
2. 4 additional IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent as a channel bonus when the IndiGo flight is booked on the IndiGo website or App.
3. Tier bonus of 2 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on Indigo flights
4. 10 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.
5. 20% discount on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.
6. 6E Prime: 20 passes

 

The tier validity is for 1 year. After 1 year, there is a loyalty status review. The tier retention is based on the eligibility criteria – total spends on IndiGo flights and the number of IndiGo flights taken during the year.

 

• IndiGo BluChip Blu 1

The Blu 1 tier is the highest tier in the IndiGo Bluchip program. The benefits of this tier include the following.

 

1. 8 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on IndiGo flights (on base fare and fuel surcharge).
2. 4 additional IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent as a channel bonus when the IndiGo flight is booked on the IndiGo website or App.
3. Tier bonus of 4 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on Indigo flights
4. 12 IndiGo BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.
5. 30% discount on pre-booking select 6E Add-on services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward.
6. 6E Prime: 40 passes

 

When a Blu 1 member books an IndiGo flight directly from the IndiGo website/App, they earn 16 Bluchips for every Rs. 100 spent as follows:

 

8 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on IndiGo flights

+

4 IndiGo Bluchips as channel bonus for booking the flight directly on the IndiGo website/App

+

4 BluChips as Blu 1 tier bonus

 

With 1 Bluchip valued at Rs. 1, Blu 1 tier members get a 16% reward rate for booking a flight directly on the IndiGo website/App. Thus, the IndiGo Blu loyalty program rewards its Blu 1 tier members handsomely. When you pay for the flight booking through a credit card, the total reward rate (IndiGo BluChip + credit card rewards from the bank) will go up further depending on the credit card used.

 

The BluChip tier validity is for 1 year. After 1 year, there is a loyalty status review. The tier retention is based on the eligibility criteria – total spends on IndiGo flights and the number of IndiGo flights taken during the year.

 

Comparison of all 3 tiers

 

Feature	Blu 3	Blu 2	Blu 1
Based reward rate	8 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	8 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	8 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent
Tier bonus	NA	2 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	4 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent
Channel bonus	4 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	4 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	4 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent
Rewards on select 6E Add-ons	8 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	10 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent	12 BluChips/Rs. 100 spent
6E Prime	NA	20 passes	40 passes
Discount on pre-booked seat selection	10%	20%	30%
Discount on pre-booked excess baggage	10%	20%	30%
Discount on pre-booked Fast Forward service (priority check-in and anytime boarding)	10%	20%	30%

 

What is 6E Prime?

The 6E Prime is an add-on service offered by IndiGo Airlines to enhance the overall experience of its flyers. It offers flyers the following benefits:

 

1. Selecting a standard seat of choice
2. A snack combo
3. Fast forward service that includes priority check-in and anytime boarding

 

6E Prime is a paid service starting at Rs. 999. The fee applies on a per passenger per sector basis. As discussed earlier, the Blu 2 members get 20 complimentary 6E Prime passes. Similarly, Blu 1 members get 40 complimentary 6E Prime passes.

 

Suggested Multimedia: Table summarising tier requirements, earn rates, service discounts, and Prime Passes per tier.

 

Earning BluChips

Members are eligible to earn BluChips on every IndiGo flight flown. These include:

1. IndiGo Marketed and Operated flight (6E Flight)
2. IndiGo Marketed and Codeshare Partner Operated flight (6E Codeshare Flight)

 

There are various ways in which the BluChip program members can earn BluChips. These include the following.

 

• Booking flights and ancillary services

We have already discussed how every member gets 8 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on booking Indigo flights. Spends on base fare and fuel surcharge are eligible for earning BluChips. Spends towards taxes, airport fees, etc., don’t earn Bluchips.

 

Flights booked through all channels earn the base 8 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent. Some of these channels include the following.

 

1. IndiGo website and App
2. Online Travel Aggregators (OTAs) like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, Cleartrip, etc.
3. Marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, etc.
4. Bank portals like HDFC Bank’s SmartBuy, American Express’s Reward Multiplier, ICICI Bank’s iShop, etc.
5. Offline agents, corporate agents, etc.

 

The BluChips will be credited to the member’s account after the completion of the flight.

 

There is a channel bonus of 4 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent for direct booking of flights through the IndiGo website/App. There is a tier bonus of 2 BluChips for Blu 2 members and 4 BluChips for Blu 1 members for every Rs. 100 spent on IndiGo flights.

 

Have you already taken an IndiGo flight but forgot to mention the BluChip membership number? You need not worry. You can still claim the BluChip points through the ‘Claim Retro’ feature. You can claim BluChips retrospectively for all your past IndiGo Flights (6E Flights/6E Codeshare Flights) within 90 days of the travel. To claim BluChips retrospectively, a member must log in, and click on the ‘Dashboard’ link. Click on the ‘Retro claim your IndiGo BluChips’ button. Enter the flight PNR number and click on ‘Claim IndiGo BluChips’.

 

Members earn BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on select 6E Add-on services. These include pre-booking of services like Seat Select, Excess Baggage, and Fast Forward. The points earning rate for every Rs. 100 spent is 8 BluChips for Blu 3 members, 10 BluChips for Blu 2 members, and 12 BluChips for Blu 1 members.

 

• Transacting with partners

IndiGo Airlines has partnered with various merchants. When a BluChip member transacts with these merchants, they earn BluChips. Some of the partner offers include the following.

 

Partner	BluChip rewards rate
Swiggy	1 BluChip for every Rs. 100 spent across the Swiggy platform
AirportZo	5 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on premium airport services by AirportZo
EazyDiner	1 BluChip for every Rs. 100 spent on table bookings and payments on EazyDiner
The Postcard Hotel	10 BluChips for every Rs. 100 spent on luxurious stays
Hotels on IndiGo	Up to 8 BluChips on every hotel booking through www.GoIndiGo.in

 

Suggested Multimedia: Infographic or table showing the earn rates (base vs. direct booking, potentially ancillaries).

 

Redemption of BluChips

In the earlier section, we learned about the different ways of earning BluChips. Now that you have earned them, let us understand how to redeem these hard-earned BluChips. The value of 1 BluChip is equal to Rs. 1. A minimum of 500 BluChips are required to start redemptions.

 

The BluChips can be redeemed against flights that are marketed and operated by IndiGo. IndiGo operated; Codeshare partner-operated flights are not eligible for BluChip redemptions. IndiGo has a vast network of over 2,000 flights daily, giving members enough redemption opportunities. The BluChips cannot be used to pay for additional fees/levies and taxes. The additional fees/levies and taxes must be paid separately using any payment modes like credit/debit card, net banking, UPI, etc. The BluChips cannot be redeemed for 6E Add-ons.

 

To redeem your BluChips, take the following steps:

 

1. Log in to your IndiGo BluChip account on the IndiGo website or App.
2. On the homepage, fill in the details like ‘From’ and ‘To’ location, travel date, number of passengers, etc. and search for flights to your preferred destination. In the ‘Pay with’ field, select the ‘IndiGo BluChips’ option.
3. From the search results, select the flight and cabin class. BluChips can be used for Economy and Stretch cabin class.
4. Redeem the BluChips applicable for the selected flight by validating with a mobile OTP.

 

A BluChip member can redeem BluChips for booking flights for self and nominees only. There are no blackout dates for flight booking against BluChips. With the IndiGo BluChip program, there is no concept of Award seats. The BluChips can be redeemed against revenue flight tickets. So, in an eligible flight, BluChips redemption can be applied to all seats, right up to the last seat available. Hence, the availability of seats against BluChip redemptions will not be an issue. With no blackout dates, a member can do a BluChip redemption booking anytime throughout the year, or any sector until the last available seat.

 

If you don’t have enough BluChips to pay the entire amount, you can pay partially with Bluchips and the remaining amount with other payment modes. BluChips have a validity of 24 months from the date of credit. The BluChips points validity will be extended for another calendar month if the member does an eligible BluChip earning or redemption activity on IndiGo or any Program Partner.

 

Use our Reward Maximizer tool to understand the value of your loyalty points.

 

Suggested Multimedia: Screenshot showing the redemption process on the IndiGo website/App.

Nominees

You can redeem BluChips to book flights for yourself and your nominees. A member can add up to 5 nominees to their account. Once a nominee is added, it cannot be changed for 365 days. A nominee can be a family member or friend. To add a nominee, log in to your BlueChip account. From the profile section, select the ‘My Nominees’ button. On the next page, include the nominee details like name, gender, and date of birth, and click the ‘Save’ button.

 

In the IndiGo BluChip program, there is no concept of family pooling like in Air India’s Maharaja Club and some other programs.

 

Suggested Multimedia: Simple diagram illustrating the nominee concept.

 

Maximising value back with IndiGo BluChips and credit card rewards

We have already seen how a BluChip member can earn up to 16% value back on IndiGo flight bookings. The up to 16% value back includes an 8% base reward rate + 4% channel bonus + up to 4% tier bonus. A BluChip member can use credit cards for IndiGo flight booking to further enhance their value back. Some of the ways in which credit cards can help enhance value back include the following.

 

• Instant discount

Online travel aggregators (OTAs) like MakeMyTrip, Yatra, ClearTrip, etc., offer instant discounts of up to 15% on flight bookings from time to time. During such limited-time offers, you can earn the credit card instant discount along with BluChips (8% base reward rate and up to 4% tier bonus). When you book through OTAs, you will not get the 4% channel bonus.

 

• Credit cards with milestones

Some credit cards have monthly, quarterly, or yearly milestones. When you book Indigo flight tickets using these credit cards, the transaction amount will contribute towards achieving milestones. For example, the American Express Membership Rewards Credit Card (MRCC) and Gold Charge Card have monthly milestones.

 

Similarly, the HDFC Bank Diner Black Credit Card (Metal Edition) has quarterly milestones. The American Express Platinum Travel Credit Card and Axis Bank Atlas Credit Card have annual milestones.

 

When you use these credit cards for IndiGo flight bookings on the IndiGo website/App, you can get up to 16% Bluchips from IndiGo and milestones reward points on the credit card from the bank.

 

• Accelerated reward rate through bank platforms

Some banks provide accelerated credit card reward points for booking flight tickets through their platform. For example, HDFC Bank has the SmartBuy platform (up to 5X reward points), and ICICI Bank has the iShop platform (up to 6X reward points). IDFC FIRST Bank provides credit cardholders with a 30X reward points on flight bookings through their mobile App.

 

When you book IndiGo flights through these platforms, you earn accelerated reward points on the credit card and up to 12% BluChips.

 

• Accelerated reward rate on travel category

Some credit cards provide an accelerated reward rate for spends on travel category like flight bookings, hotel accommodation, etc. Some of these credit cards include the HSBC Travel One Credit Card, Axis Atlas Credit Card, etc. When you use these credit cards to book flights on the IndiGo website, you earn accelerated reward points on the credit card and up to 16% BluChips.

 

• Discounts/cashback from marketplaces

Marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart offer discounts/cashback on flight bookings. When you book IndiGo flights from these marketplaces, you get a discount/cashback from the marketplace and up to 12% BluChips.

 

A lot of credit cards offer travel-related benefits like complimentary airport lounge access. So, you can use various credit cards and club their benefits with the BluChip program rewards and enhance your overall value back.

 

Our Reward Calculator tool can help you calculate rewards. Use the tool to maximise the value back.

 

Suggested Multimedia: Images of co-branded IndiGo credit cards.

 

Getting started: Joining the BluChip program

The BluChip program membership is lifetime free. You just need to fill out a simple registration form on the IndiGo website/App to join. After joining, you can claim Bluchips retrospectively for any IndiGo flights taken in the last 90 days. For any queries, you can check the FAQ section on the IndiGo website/App or call customer support.

 

BluChip program vs. Other loyalty programs

In the case of most airmiles programs, the value of 1 loyalty point is not fixed. A flight from one location to another requires a specified number of loyalty points. The points requirement depends on the distance, the traffic on the route, and a host of other factors. As the revenue fare for flight tickets is dynamic, the value per point is known only after the booking is done with loyalty points.

 

However, the IndiGo BluChip program is simple as it has fixed the value of 1 BluChip at Rs. 1. So, the number of points required for a flight depends on the revenue fare at the time of booking.

 

In the case of most airmiles programs, the number of Award flight seats available against loyalty points redemption are limited. Some members may not be able to book a flight on a particular route on a specific date inspite of having the required number of points due to Award seat unavailability.

 

However, the IndiGo BluChip program doesn’t follow the Award seats concept. All the flight seats are available to revenue customers and BluChip members for booking. A BluChip member can pay the revenue fare equivalent of BluChips and book the flight ticket. Hence, seat availability is not a challenge in the BluChip program till the last seat on the flight is available for booking.

 

IndiGo Airlines is the largest domestic player in India, with a more than 60% market share. Hence, for BluChip members, there is an abundant choice of routes across India, and abundant seats on every route for booking flight tickets against BluChip points.

 

Another notable feature of the BluChip program is that there are no blackout dates for BluChip redemptions. Most airmiles programs have blackout dates.

 

So, in program comparison, the IndiGo BluChip program does offer certain benefits over other airmiles programs.

 

Feature	Other airmiles programs	IndiGo BluChip
1 loyalty point value	The number of points required for redemption on a specified sector is fixed. Revenue price is dynamic. Value per point is known after making the flight booking with loyalty points.	The value of 1 BluChip is fixed at Rs. 1. Flights can be booked by redeeming equivalent BluChips at revenue price.
Award seats availability	Usually, Award seat availability is limited.	No concept of Award seats. Any available seat can be booked with BluChips.
Domestic network	Other domestic players, like Air India, Akasa, Spicejet, etc., have a limited network.	IndiGo Airlines is the biggest domestic player with a more than 60% market share.
Blackout date	Usually, there are blackout dates for the use of loyalty airmiles.	There are no blackout dates for the use of BluChip points.

 

What to expect next?

The IndiGo BluChip program has been well received by frequent flyers. In future, flyers expect the following from IndiGo Airlines to make the BluChip program more appealing.

 

1. Introduce more non-airline partners to increase more opportunities for earning BluChips.
2. Introduce co-branded credit cards in partnerships with banks. The cards will help cardholders earn BluChips on their regular spends.
3. Tie-up with banks to allow credit cardholders to transfer reward points to the BluChip loyalty program.
4. Allow transfer of BluChips to other airmiles and hotel loyalty programs. It will increase the scope of usage of BluChips for members.

 

Some or all of the above BluChip program enhancement with new partnerships will go a long way in increasing the adoption of the program by a wider audience.

 

Is the IndiGo BluChip program right for you?

If you are a domestic frequent flyer, chances are you must have flown IndiGo Airlines due to its vast network. With a more than 60% domestic market share, IndiGo Airlines is the market leader. With such a vast domestic network and a growing international network, it is a no-brainer for frequent flyers to join the IndiGo BluChip loyalty program.

 

The BluChip program is lifetime free and provides a good reward rate for booking IndiGo flights. The value of each BluChip is fixed at Rs. 1, and redeeming them against IndiGo flights is easy. There are neither blackout dates nor any seat availability issues for booking flights against BluChips.

 

Some limitations of the BluChip program include a limited international network compared to competitors like Air India and foreign airlines operating in India. However, IndiGo is working on expanding its international network. The BluChips have a validity of 24 months. Also, family pooling is not allowed in the BluChip program, whereas some other loyalty programs allow it.

The IndiGo BluChip is a simple, rewarding and flexible program for frequent IndiGo flyers. Credit card rewards can further enhance the overall value back from the BluChip program. If you are a frequent flyer, the IndiGo BluChip program is ideal for you.

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