Marriott is popular among travellers for transferring points to airlines as it has a long list of partners and an additional 5000 miles on every 60K points transfer. But Accor already has a good transfer ratio in most cases. The number of Accor Airline Partners isn’t too large, but it has good transfer partners and, in most cases, a good transfer ratio of Accor points. Here’s a complete guide on Accor Airline Partners.
Why should you know about Accor Airline Partners?
It didn’t make sense to know about Accor Airline partners until recently. Now, Accor is a transfer partner of HDFC, and Axis added it as a new transfer partner. Also, new offers are coming at Accor to earn more points.
So, you’ll be able to earn a lot of Accor points. Although 1 Accor Point has an INR 1.8 value, you can also use it to transfer to thirty airlines. We will cover each Airline here. In some cases, you can transfer in a 1:1 ratio and, in most cases, 2:1.
Also, there are airlines to which you can’t transfer your credit card points, but you can use Accor as an intermediary to transfer to these airlines. So, you transfer your points to Accor and then from Accor to your favourite airlines.
So, due to the decent conversion ratio, Accor, as an intermediary, can help book an airline reward seat.
Accor Star Alliance Airline Partners
Accor has nine Star Alliance Airline Partners. So, around 1/3rd of total Accor airline partners are Star Alliance airlines. The good thing here is the diversity of airlines. Six of these nine Star Alliance Airlines are already partners of Axis, HDFC or both. So, you also get access to three additional airlines.
Here is the list of Accor Star Alliance Airline Partners with conversion ratio and the country from which they usually operate:
| Airline | Frequent Flyer Program | Conversion Ratio | Country |
| Agean | Miles+Bonus | 2000:1000 | Greece |
| Air Canada | Aeroplan | 4000:2000 | Canada |
| Air China | Phoenix Miles | 4000:3200 | China |
| Avianca | Lifemiles | 4000:2000 | Colombia |
| Singapore Airlines | KrisFlyer | 2000:1000 | Singapore |
| TAP Portugal | Miles & Go | 4000:2000 | Portugal |
| Thai Airways | Royal Orchid Plus | 4000:2000 | Thailand |
| Turkish Airlines | Miles&Smiles | 4000:2000 | Turkey |
| United Airlines | MileagePlus | 2000:1000 | USA |
Accor OneWorld Alliance Airline Partners
Accor has seven OneWorld Alliance Airline Partners. It is also the only alliance wherein three airlines have a 1:1 conversion ratio with Accor. Of these seven airlines, Iberia is the only Airline not to have a credit card transfer partner in India. But since its currency is Avios, you can transfer Avios from British Airways to Iberia.
Here are the Accor OneWorld Alliance Airline Partners:
| Airline | Frequent Flyer Program | Conversion Ratio | Country |
| British Airways | Executive Club | 4000:2000 | UK |
| Cathay Pacific | Asia Miles | 4000:2000 | Hong Kong |
| Finnair | Finnair Plus | 2000:2000 | Finland |
| Iberia | Iberia Plus | 3000:3000 | Spain |
| Japan Airlines | JAL Mileage Club | 4000:2000 | Japan |
| Qatar Airways | Privelage Club | 2000:1000 | Qatar |
| Qantas Airways | Qantas Frequent Flyer | 2000:2000 | Australia |
Accor SkyTeam Alliance Airline Partners
Accor also has five SkyTeam Alliance Airline Partners. Except for Air France-KLM, none of the other four airlines has credit transfer partners in India. So, you get access to four additional airlines for transferring points via Accor. These are:
| Airline | Frequent Flyer Program | Conversion Ratio | Country |
| Aeromexico | Club Premier | 4000:2000 | Mexico |
| Air France-KLM | Flying Blue | 2000:2000 | France & Netherlands |
| Deta | Skymiles | 4000:2000 | USA |
| Korean Air | Skypass | 4000:2000 | South Korea |
| ITA Airways | Volare | 4000:5000 | Italy |
Accor Other Airline Partners
Besides Big Alliances, Accor has eight other airline partners, including Etihad & Emirates. Of these eight airline partners, only Virgin Australia has a 1:1 conversion ratio. Virgin Australia is also a partner of other airlines like Singapore Airlines. Following are the other Airline Partners:
| Airline | Frequent Flyer Program | Conversion Ratio | Country |
| Azul | Tudo Azul | 2000:1000 | Brazil |
| Emirates | Skywards | 4000:2000 | UAE |
| Etihad | Etihad Guest | 4000:2000 | UAE |
| Hainan Airlines | Fortune Wings Club | 2000:1000 | China |
| LATAM Airlines | LATAM Pass | 4000:2000 | Chile |
| LATAM Airlines Brasil | LATAM Pass Brasil | 4000:2000 | Brazil |
| Oman Air | Sindbad | 4000:1500 | Oman |
| GOL Airlines | Smiles | 4000:2000 | Brazil |
| Virgin Australia | Velocity | 4000:4000 | Australia |
How do you make the most of Accor Airline Partners?
There are many ways to make the most of Accor Airline Partners.
Credit Points Transfer to Non-Transfer Partners
Earlier, we had access to multiple airline partners via Marriott. That is still true if you use a three-step transfer. That is from Axis to Club ITC to Marriott to Airline. Since you would get more Marriott Points in this case. But once the 60000 Club ITC points transfer limit is exhausted, Accor can be used as a transfer partner.
Since for Axis HNI Credit Card like Magnus, you will be able to get 20% Airmiles as against Marriott transfer where Accor to Airline Transfer ratio is 2:1. And 140% more airmiles as against Marriott transfer where Accor to Airline Transfer ratio is 1:1.
You will get Airmiles equal to your Edge Miles on a 2:1 ratio for Axis Atlas due to its 1:2 transfer ratio to Accor. And, it will double where there is a 1:1 transfer ratio from Accor to Airline.
In the case of HDFC, the ultimate ratio will be either 4:1 or 2:1 . Accor, although it has a few more airlines as partners compared to Marriott, can’t be ignored.
Here is a simplified table where you have 10000 points or edge miles:
| Card | To Accor | 2:1 Accor To Airline Partner | 1:1 Accor To Airline Partner |
| HDFC | 10000:5000 | 5000:2500 | 5000:5000 |
| Axis HNI | 10000:4000 | 4000:2000 | 4000:4000 |
| Axis Atlas | 10000:20000 | 20000:10000 | 20000:20000 |
Combine HDFC & Axis Reward Points
Accor is a common transfer partner of HDFC & Axis Bank. With HDFC Infinia, Diners Black & Regalia Gold, you can transfer your points 2:1. For Axis HNI Credit Cards, it’s 5:2, and 1:2 for Axis Atlas. So, you will have many Accor Points that you can transfer to other airlines using a 2:1 conversion ratio, which doesn’t have a transfer partner in India.
HDFC to Iberia for 1:1 Avios [Not Valid AnyMore]
Avios is the miles currency of four airlines. Three of these four airlines are British Airways, Qatar Airways & Iberia. You can transfer your Avios between these airlines quickly.
Earlier, you were able to get 1:1 Avios from HDFC points, but after the change of transfer ratio to 2:1 thus, arbitrage is gone.
HDFC to Qantas for 2:1 Transfer Ratio
Qantas is a transfer partner of Axis Bank. So, you can directly transfer your Axis Reward Points to Qantas. However, to add more Qantas from HDFC, you can use Accor, as Accor has a 2000:2000 transfer ratio for Accor. So, you will get 1000 Qantas miles with your HDFC Points. You can use Qantas points for travel to Australia and Fiji.
Axis to Finnair Transfer
Finnair is transfer partner of HDFC. You can transfer your HDFC Bank Points to Finnair at a 100:100 ratio. If you want to travel to Finnair or OneWorld Airlines, transfer your Axis eDGE rewards to Accor at a 5:2 ratio and then 2000:2000 to Finnair. Finnair has Premium Economy Cabin class and also has direct flights from India. On some routes, the miles requirement is decent.
Transfer to Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia is not a transfer partner of any bank in India. But via Accor, you can get Virgin Australia Points since Virgin Australia has a 4000:4000 transfer ratio with Accor. Domestic travel in Australia or nearby countries has good connectivity and decent miles requirements.
Also, Virgin Australia has a fixed award chart and some good Airline partners like Virgin Atlantic, Etihad Airways, Singapore Airways, Qatar Airways etc. But, with most of these partners, redemption for Business Class Tickets looks promising.
P.S: Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer program Velocity is only available for people residing in Australia, New Zealand or the Pacific Islands.
Transfer to Emirates
If travelling Emirates with Skywards Miles is on your list, you can do so even if you have HDFC or Axis Bank Credit Cards. In India, Amex has credit cards, the points of which can be transferred to Emirates at a 2:1 ratio. Now, you can use Accor as a transfer partner for transferring your credit card points to Emirates at a 4000:2000 ratio. For HDFC, the final transfer ratio will be 4:1, but for Axis HNI Credit Cards, it will be 1:0.2 and 1:1 for Axis Atlas.
Transfer to Delta
Delta is one of the major airlines that are transfer partners of Accor. Earlier travellers used to transfer miles to Delta by using Marriott. Now, Accor is also an option to get Delta Miles.
Use Axis Atlas Credit Card
The biggest beneficiary of Accor transfer is Axis Atlas Credit Card. You will be able to get a 1:1 transfer ratio in most cases and, in some cases, 1:2. However, it is helpful once you have exhausted your Club ITC transfer limit.
Accor and Qatar Airways
Although Accor to Qatar Airways transfer ratio is 2:1, they have some added benefits for travellers. If you link your Accor & Qatar Airways account, then you will earn 1 Avios per EUR 1 (INR 89) Spent over your Accor Points. And, if you fly to Qatar, you will earn 1 Accor Point for every $2 ( INR 82) Spent.
Also, you can transfer Avios to other Airline members such as British Airways or Iberia. Or, you can use them for OneWorld Airlines.
Also, if you have Accor Elite status, you can status match and become an Elite Privilege member. This gives you two benefits with one Elite Status.
Accor and Air France/KLM Flying Blue
You can link your Air France & KLM Flying Blue Accounts if Qatar Airways is not for you. Although you don’t get an option to become an Elite, you can earn both Accor Points & Flying Blue miles for stays at Accor.
You will get 1 Flying Blue Mile for every 1 euro (INR 89) at the hotel. These miles can be used for SkyTeam Airlines. Also, you can always transfer at a 2000:2000 ratio to Flying Blue miles, which isn’t needed mostly.
Accor and Qantas
Qantas and Accor have a unique partnership. You will earn 3 Qantas Points for every A$1(INR 54) spent. If you are not interested in Qatar Elite Status or Flying Blue Miles, linking your Accor & Qantas accounts can be an excellent way to earn many Qantas Points.
However, you will only earn Qantas at Participating properties in Australia, Cambodia, China (incl. Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR), Fiji, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.
That means you won’t earn Qantas Points for stays in India. Also, once an Airline Account is linked, it can’t be unlinked for 12 months. So you must choose your Airline connecting partner carefully. Overall, Qatar is better due to the option to earn Qatar Elite Status and the option to earn transferable Avios.
Accor Points Transfer Timeline and Limits
Getting your Accor Points credited to the Airline Partner usually takes six weeks. Also, there is no limit on transferring Accor Points except for Delta Airlines. Only 250000 Accor Points can be transferred to Delta Airlines in a year.
Also, Accor has an Automatic Conversion Program where you can activate an automatic transfer of Accor Points to your favourite airline partner. However, Automatic Conversion is triggered only after the minimum number of Accor Points has been earned.
However, in the case of Automatic Transfer to Finnair, it is at 1 Accor Point—and 5 Accor Points for Air China Phoenix Miles. Also, Flying Blue Automatic transfer is the only trigger where you have to link your Accor Account with Flying Blue. You can always transfer manually.
In no way can automatic transfer be done for Qantas Frequent Flyer. I’ll not advise Automatic transfer since Accor Points are valuable, and regular transfer to an Airline Frequent Flyer Program may not provide that value. Instead, use Accor to transfer your Credit Card points to Airlines.
Bottomline
Accor has a limited number of Airline Partners. However, it has a good points transfer ratio as compared to Marriott. Also, there is a unique partnership with Qatar, Air France/KLM & Qantas. So, if transferring points to Airlines is what you want to do, Accor is a good choice as you can combine points from HDFC & Axis. They also transfer them to some fantastic airlines like Delta & Emirates.
