Axis Bank Drops Qatar, Marriott, Accor. Adds British Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Finnair.
Axis Bank updated its TravelEdge transfer partner list on April 2, 2026. Three partners removed, three new ones added. Here's what changed and what it means for your points.
Axis Bank updated its TravelEdge transfer partner list effective April 2, 2026. Three programs are gone, three new ones are in. If you hold a Magnus, Reserve, Atlas, or any other Axis card that transfers points, this affects you.
At a glance. Three partners are out (Qatar, Marriott, Accor), three are in (British Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Finnair). British Airways Avios can still get you to Qatar (same currency, worse ratio), but there's no equivalent workaround for Marriott or Accor. Atlas holders lose the most: the new partners come at 2:1 instead of Atlas's standard 1:2, so you'd need 4x the Edge Miles for the same number of partner miles.
What's Gone
Three partners have been removed from the transfer list:
- Qatar Airways Privilege Club (Avios)
- Marriott Bonvoy
- Accor Live Limitless
All three were Group A partners, which means they had stricter annual transfer caps. Losing all three from the same group is significant.
What's New
Three new partners have been added:
- British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
- Vietnam Airlines LotusSmiles
- Finnair Plus
All three are airline programs. The hotel side of the portfolio just got thinner.
The Ratio Quirk
These three new partners don't get the same transfer ratios as existing partners on the same card. They're consistently worse on premium cards.
| Card Tier | Standard Ratio (e.g. KrisFlyer) | BA / Vietnam / Finnair |
|---|---|---|
| Burgundy Private | 5:4 | 5:4 (same) |
| Magnus for Burgundy | 5:4 | 5:2 |
| Reserve / Magnus | 5:2 | 5:1 |
| Olympus | 1:4 | 1:2 |
| Atlas | 1:2 | 2:1 |
| Horizon | 1:1 | 2:1 |
Atlas holders, take note. The standard Atlas ratio is 1:2 (1 Edge Mile = 2 partner miles). For BA, Vietnam Airlines, and Finnair, it's inverted to 2:1. That's a massive difference. You'd need 20,000 Edge Miles for 10,000 Avios, compared to 5,000 Edge Miles for 10,000 KrisFlyer miles.
For Select, Privilege, and Rewards cards (10:1 ratio), the new partners are the same as existing ones. The worse ratios only hit the premium tiers.
Is This Permanent?
Nobody knows yet. Banks renegotiate partner terms regularly. Transfer partnerships involve commercial agreements between the bank and each loyalty program, and those terms can change at renewal.
From what we understand, the terms are being renegotiated. We believe these partners will come back, but it's possible they return at lower ratios than before. Hoping for the best.
What we do know: the TravelEdge terms and conditions page says participating travel loyalty programs are subject to change without notice, and Axis may suspend or terminate the transfer feature at any time.
What This Means for You
If you were saving points for Qatar: British Airways Avios and Qatar Airways Avios are now the same currency. So while Axis no longer transfers directly to Qatar, the new British Airways transfer effectively gets you Qatar Avios too (you can move Avios between BA and Qatar for free). The ratio is worse (5:1 for Magnus vs 5:2 before), but the access is still there.
If you were saving points for Marriott or Accor: This is the painful part. Accor especially was how most people in the Indian points community measured their credit card returns. We've covered the full impact of the Accor removal in a separate post, because there's a lot to unpack.
But your points still have plenty of good homes. JAL Mileage Bank gives you some of the best Qatar Airways sweet spots from India. KrisFlyer is great for Singapore Airlines premium cabins. Air India's revamped award chart just dropped prices significantly, with Delhi to Singapore for 12,000 points. Flying Blue, Etihad Guest, United MileagePlus, Turkish Miles&Smiles are all still there with the standard ratios.
It's sad news, no question. But don't panic-transfer. As we wrote earlier, speculative transfers create more problems than they solve. Keep your points in Axis until you have a specific booking in mind.
The Updated Partner List
With these changes, Axis Bank now has 22 transfer partners. For the full Group A vs Group B breakdown with annual caps by card, we'll update that guide shortly.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Axis transfer partner changes take effect?
April 2, 2026. The new partner list was rolled out overnight with no advance notice to cardholders.
Which partners were removed and which were added?
Axis Bank removed Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Marriott Bonvoy, and Accor Live Limitless. It added British Airways Executive Club, Vietnam Airlines LotusSmiles, and Finnair Plus.
Can I still earn Qatar Avios through Axis?
Yes, indirectly. British Airways Avios and Qatar Airways Avios are the same currency, and you can move points between them for free on the Avios site. So the new British Airways transfer still gets you to Qatar, though at a worse ratio than the previous direct transfer.
Are the new partner ratios worse than the removed ones?
On premium cards, yes. British Airways, Vietnam Airlines, and Finnair get 5:1 on Reserve and Magnus (versus the standard 5:2 for partners like KrisFlyer), and 2:1 on Atlas (versus the standard 1:2). On Select, Privilege, and Rewards cards, the new partners use the same 10:1 ratio as everyone else, so those tiers are unaffected.
Which Axis card is hit hardest by these changes?
Atlas holders. The standard Atlas ratio of 1:2 flipped to 2:1 for the three new partners, so you'd need 4x the Edge Miles to get the same number of partner miles. Olympus and Magnus are also meaningfully worse.
Is there a workaround for Marriott Bonvoy or Accor?
Not through Axis. For Accor, the closest alternative in India is the HSBC TravelOne, which transfers 1:1 instantly to Accor ALL from the HSBC app. There's no equivalent workaround for Marriott Bonvoy at the moment.
You can track all your transfer options and current ratios on the Magnify app.
