Aditya Kumar

MBA, FMS Delhi
Economics Honours, Kirori Mal College, DU

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Now I know why it’s called the Great Barrier Reef 🌊🐠

Early 2025, I spent 3 days living on a boat off Cairns, doing nothing but diving, eating, sleeping, and then diving again😄

My first dive on the reef is one I still remember vividly.

Until then, I thought I’d seen some impressive reefs around the world.

Then I descended into the Great Barrier Reef.

It was on a completely different scale.

Everywhere I looked, there was reef. Not a small coral patch, but what felt like an endless underwater mountain range stretching as far as visibility would allow. Massive, colourful, and absolutely mesmerising.

It was also impossible to ignore the sections that were clearly struggling. Seeing parts of the reef bleach and die was a sobering reminder of how fragile these ecosystems are.

But despite that, the reef was still bursting with life.

Turtles, reef sharks, giant clams, countless fish, and more colours than I could possibly count🐢🦈🐠

The night dives were a whole different experience.

Once the sun disappeared, the reef transformed.

Nocturnal creatures emerged, reef sharks became noticeably more active, and suddenly you realise just how alive the ocean is after dark.

Equal parts surreal and slightly terrifying. 😅

To this day, the Great Barrier Reef remains one of my favourite diving trips ever.

And one I’d happily do again tomorrow.

#GreatBarrierReef #ScubaDiving #Australia #Liveaboard #Travel #AdventureTravel

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

A few years ago, I thought airline miles were just a nice bonus.

Today, some of my most memorable trips have been possible because of miles, points, and a little bit of strategy.

I’ve decided to start documenting that journey here.

Partly to share what I’ve learned, partly to keep track of the journey, and hopefully to help someone get more value from their points along the way.

Let’s see where this goes. ✈️

#MilesAndPoints #awardtravel

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Guilty of hoarding airline amenity kits as souvenirs ✈️😄

Most of these are barely opened. I usually carry my own eye mask, socks and basic toiletries, so the kits rarely get used.

But somehow, I can never leave one behind.

Over the years, airlines have quietly downgraded amenity kits, and some have removed them altogether. Which makes me appreciate the good ones even more.

At this point, I’m not even collecting what’s inside them. I’m collecting the memories of the trips they came from.

Fun fact: the one in the top right is almost two decades old 😅

Anyone else collect these, or am I the only one running an unofficial airline amenity kit museum?

#Aviation #AvGeek #Travel #FrequentFlyer #BusinessClass #AviationGeek #TravelMemories

Part of the collection that managed to make it into one photo 👝👇

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

One of my favourite hotel redemptions so far, and ironically, I’m not even a big hotel person😄

During a trip to Zanzibar, Tanzania last year, I decided to spoil ourselves a little and dip into the Bonvoy points stash.

I initially booked 5 nights at Le Mersenne Zanzibar, Autograph Collection for ~130k Bonvoy points + USD 50 in taxes/fees (5th night free on points).

Over the following months, I kept checking the redemption rate for the same dates. Eventually, I rebooked the exact same stay for just 99k points + the same USD 50.

A saving of over 30,000 Bonvoy points for a few minutes of effort 🪙

Then came the pleasant surprise at check-in.

Marriott Platinum status got us upgraded from our base room to a villa with a private pool overlooking the ocean, along with complimentary breakfast.

What a stay. Beautiful property, incredible service, and easily one of my favourite redemptions so far.

Still not a luxury hotel guy though. I’m usually quite happy with Airbnbs, hostels and boutique hotels. But every now and then, it’s nice to spoil yourself a little😃

Which hotel redemption made you feel like you got exceptional value for your points? 🏨

#MarriottBonvoy #AwardTravel #PointsTravel #HotelRedemption #Zanzibar #Tanzania

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Sweet! 😄

First time I’m not late to the party.

Every time these deals showed up in the past, the vouchers were out of stock by the time I got around to buying them.

With Amazon Pay GCs no longer available via HDFC SmartBuy, this is a pretty good alternative. Even better if its a Magnus AEP month 💳👀

A small discount + points on the purchase = always welcome.

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

This is exciting✈️

EVA Air has been on my airline bucket list for a while now. I’ve heard almost nothing but good things about their hard product, service, and overall experience.

The Delhi-Taipei route definitely makes that a lot easier.

Now the real question: which Star Alliance program will offer the best availability, and at what mileage cost? 👀

Time to start keeping an eye on Aeroplan, KrisFlyer and other partner programs✨

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Some airports have planes.
Haneda has Pokémon planes. 😄

Spotted ANA’s Pokémon livery during my recent trip to Tokyo. Pretty cool on its own, but then the flight gate was Pokémon-themed too.

One thing I’ll never get tired of is airlines rolling out special liveries.

Now I just need to get myself on ANA’s Flying Honu A380 to Hawaii. That’s been sitting on the avgeek bucket list for a while✈️🐢

What’s your favourite airline livery, or one that’s still on your bucket list?

#AvGeek #ANA #FlyingHonu #Hanedairport #Aviation #Airplane

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Axis Overseas Spend Campaign is back 💳

I register for this every single time it comes around.

Simple registration, no extra effort, and additional rewards on top of the regular rewards earned on international spends.

If you have upcoming travel planned, this is one of those offers that’s worth activating before your first overseas swipe.

Easy wins are the best wins ✨

#AxisBank #EdgeRewards #CreditCards

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

🧵Part 5: Booking the flight home ✈️

If the Delhi → New York flight was the start of the trip, the San Francisco → Delhi flight was always going to be the grand finale.

We wanted to fly Singapore Airlines’ A350-900ULR on the ultra-long-haul San Francisco → Singapore route.

It’s one of the longest flights in the world, and as avgeeks, it was high on our wishlist.

The plan was simple:

✅ Fly Business Class
✅ Book Saver awards
✅ Transfer only the needed points balance

We knew roughly when Singapore Airlines released award inventory, so we were ready when the flights opened.

Unfortunately, by the time we checked, all the Saver Business awards had either been booked or weren’t available.

The only option left was Advantage Business at 149,000 KrisFlyer miles per person, more than we had planned for.

So we pivoted.

Rather than overpaying in miles, we booked Premium Economy and kept monitoring Business Class availability.

Two days after our original travel date, Saver Business seats appeared.

Immediately transferred the points, called Singapore Airlines and requested that the seats be held while the transfer completed.

Thankfully they agreed.

As soon as the miles landed in the KrisFlyer account, we paid the difference, a small change fee, and reissued the tickets.

Mission accomplished. 🎉

And was it worth the effort?

Absolutely.

The A350 ULR was fantastic, the crew was excellent, and it was the perfect way to end a six-week trip across North and South America.

My only disappointment?
The Maharaja Club Lounge in San Francisco.

After all the anticipation, it felt a little small and underwhelming compared to the flight that followed.

Lesson: Sometimes the best award bookings aren’t available on Day 1. A little patience and flexibility can turn a good redemption into the redemption you actually wanted.

#AwardTravel #SingaporeAirlines #KrisFlyer #MilesAndPoints #A350ULR #BusinessClass #AvGeek #FrequentFlyer

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Outside of planes and points, scuba diving is probably my biggest travel obsession 🤿

I’ve planned trips around dives, from whale sharks and thresher sharks to reefs across different corners of the world.

One of the most unique dives recently was in the cenotes of Mexico. Ancient freshwater sinkholes connected by vast underground cave systems.

Diving through crystal-clear water, with sunlight piercing through the openings above, felt like flying underwater.

Dos Ojos was every bit as surreal as people say it is.

#ScubaDiving #DiveTravel #DosOjos #Cenotes #Mexico #AdventureTravel #ScubaLife #Travel

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Part 4: Activities, tours & everything in between 🎟️

Flights were booked on points.

The experiences mostly weren’t.

For this trip, most activities were booked through GetYourGuide, with a few directly through vendors and official websites.

Highlights included:

✅ Machu Picchu
✅ Cenote Diving
✅ Huacachina & Paracas
✅ Guatapé
✅ Comuna 13
✅ Rosario Islands
✅ Vegas Sphere
✅ Chichén Itzá
✅ San Francisco Bike Tour

There wasn’t much opportunity to redeem points here, so the focus shifted to earning them.

Most activity bookings went on my Magnus for Burgundy, turning tour bookings and entry tickets into future airline miles.

The flights got us there.

The experiences made the trip. ✈️

More tomorrow: the flight home — one of the redemptions I was most excited about. 🧵

Lesson: Not every travel expense can be paid with points. Make sure you’re earning them on the ones that can’t.

#PointsAndMiles #TravelPlanning #MachuPicchu #ScubaDiving

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Axis Edge Rewards → Air India Maharaja Club transfer datapoint.

Initiated: 29 July
Credited: 29 July (within a few hours)

Pretty much real-time.

Always reassuring when points land quickly, especially when you’ve already found the award availability you want. ✈️

In this case, the miles were transferred for a specific booking and ticketed almost immediately.

My favourite kind of transfer:

Find availability → Move points → Book ticket. ✅

#AirIndia #MaharajaClub #AxisBank #EdgeRewards #AwardTravel #FrequentFlyer

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

One of my favourite travel souvenirs costs absolutely nothing✈️😍

Picked up this Delta trading card from the crew on a Boeing 737 flight from New York to Fort Lauderdale.

Such a simple idea, but incredibly cool for aviation enthusiasts.

I really wish more airlines did this. It’s the kind of collectible that ends up meaning more than most airport souvenirs.

Any fellow avgeeks here collecting airline trading cards? 👀

#AvGeek #DeltaAirLines #Boeing737 #Aviation #Flying #Travel

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

🧵Part 3: Hotels 🏨

Once the flights were sorted, it was time to figure out the hotels.

I’m not a big hotel points person, so for this trip the focus was simple: comfortable stays at sensible prices.

Most bookings were made through https://t.co/ko5iBNSd3Q and Airbnb, with many of them locked in nearly 10 months in advance, which helped secure some great rates.

Interestingly, there was only one hotel redemption on the entire trip:

🏨 Aloft Cancun (Marriott)

Just 4 days before arrival, I spotted a great last-minute redemption rate. The numbers made sense, so we cancelled our original booking and switched.

The best part? The points used for this stay came from previous paid Marriott stays, making it a nice little reward along the way.

Lesson: Book early, but keep checking. Sometimes the best deal appears just days before your stay. ✈️

#AwardTravel #TravelOnPoints #MarriottBonvoy #TravelPlanning

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Axis EdgeRewards → Flying Blue transfer datapoint.

Initiated: 31 July, ~5 PM
Credited: 1 August, ~6 PM

Roughly a 24-hour transfer time.

Always useful to know when planning award bookings, especially on programs with dynamic pricing.

Now sitting on a healthy Flying Blue stash… and already looking at ways to spend it. 😅

#FlyingBlue #AwardTravel #AxisBank #FrequentFlyer #MilesRedemption

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

One of the most exclusive airline products in the sky.

Air France La Première.

Spotted it on my leg from CDG to JFK and spent a few minutes admiring what I definitely wasn’t flying. 😂

For now, Business Class will do just fine.

Aviation bucket list item added. ✈️

#AvGeek #AirFrance #LaPremiere #FlyingBlue

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

🧵Part 2: Building the itinerary 🗺️✈️

With the Delhi → New York flight booked, we finally had the entry date fixed.

We already knew the cities we wanted to visit across North and South America.

What wasn’t fixed was the order.

That flexibility became one of the biggest advantages of the trip.

Before booking anything else, I mapped out routes between the shortlisted cities, comparing:

✈️ Airlines

🎟️ Loyalty programs

📊 Miles required

💰 Taxes & fees

What started as a holiday plan quickly became a spreadsheet of route options and redemption opportunities.

The same flight could often be booked through multiple programs, sometimes with a huge difference in miles required.

Being flexible with the sequence of cities allowed us to optimise around the best award availability and sweet spots.

A lot of work went into this sheet.

A lot of points were saved because of it. 😅

More tomorrow, where I’ll cover one of my favourite redemptions from the trip. 🧵

#AwardTravel #MilesAndPoints #TravelPlanning #FrequentFlyer #CCgeek #FlightRedemptions

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

🧵Part 1: Booking the first flight ✈️

For this trip, I knew I wanted to fly Air France Business Class from Delhi to New York.

I’d heard great things about the product and service, the timings worked well, and Flying Blue is a transfer partner of both HDFC and Axis.

The challenge?
Flying Blue uses dynamic pricing, so award rates can vary significantly by date.

Instead of transferring points immediately, I tracked availability across multiple dates and noticed a pattern:

📅 Tuesdays and Thursdays often priced lower.

Keeping 2-3 departure dates open gave me flexibility.

Around 340 days before travel, I found:

✅ 2 Business Class seats
✅ DEL → JFK
✅ 115,000 Flying Blue miles + ~₹36,500 in taxes per person

Good enough. Time to move.

I transferred the points and started the booking.

And then the tax payment wouldn’t go through. 😅

Not ideal when you’re sitting on a beach in Zanzibar with patchy network coverage, trying to lock in seats before they disappear.

Thankfully, Air France support came through and the tickets were issued.

With the first flight booked, the trip suddenly became real.

And for anyone wondering: the flight absolutely lived up to expectations. The product was excellent, and the CDG → JFK sector ended up being the highlight. 🇫🇷✈️🇺🇸

More on that later.

Next up: building the rest of the Americas itinerary around these dates. 🧵

Lesson: Award availability isn’t always random. Keeping multiple dates in play can save a surprising number of points.

#AwardTravel #MilesAndPoints #FlyingBlue #AirFrance #HDFCInfinia #AxisBank #AirFrance #Airbus

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

🌎 6 weeks.
✈️ 11 flights.
🇺🇸 🇲🇽 🇨🇴 🇵🇪 Across North & South America.

Every single flight was booked using points.

Total cost for 2 people:
• ~723,000 airline miles/points
• ~₹1.50 lakh in taxes & fees

The itinerary included multiple international long-haul flights, with business class on some of the longest sectors.

Most of these points came from everyday spending on:
💳 Axis Magnus for Burgundy
💳 Axis Atlas
💳 HDFC Infinia

No manufactured spend. No hacks. No tricks.

Just followed the process of earning points, doing the research, tracking availability, and planning redemptions strategically.

Over the next few days, I'll break down:
• Every flight booked
• Which programs I used
• Transfer strategies
• Taxes paid
• The best and worst redemptions
• What I'd do differently

Starting tomorrow🧵

#AwardTravel #MilesAndPoints #FrequentFlyer #CreditCards #Aviation #BusinessClass #Flighty #AvGeek #CCgeek

[Parth Kochhar @parthkochhar]

Over the last few years, Axis cards have played a huge role in how I’ve travelled.

MagnusB and Atlas have helped me build a healthy points balance, book some incredible flights, and tick off a few bucket-list experiences along the way. ✈️

With all the recent chatter around possible devaluations, I’ve started moving some points around and making a few transfers for planned trips, while still maintaining a healthy stash for future travel. Hopefully the transfer ratios stay exactly where they are. 🤞

For all the criticism Axis gets, these cards have delivered a lot of value when used with a clear strategy.

#axisbank #axismagnus #edgemiles #edgerewards