Etihad Guest’s sweeping overhaul is now in effect

Etihad Airways is no stranger to Australian frequent flyers, with its Abu Dhabi hub a regular port of call for jetsetters hopping to Europe or across Asia and the Middle East. Its house loyalty program is ‘Etihad Guest’.

Though not yet a household name down under, the scheme delivers some pretty solid perks, starting with the customary ability to earn and redeem miles, and ramping up to include priority check-in, seat selection and more.

Following an overhaul of Etihad Guest in June 2024 – adding a new tier, changing how you earn status and introducing new benefits (plus making others such as lounge access optional) – now’s the time to familiarise yourself with how it works.

What is Etihad Guest?

As the frequent flyer program of Etihad Airways, Etihad Guest allows members to earn and spend miles on a range of activities, from flights and hotel stays to car hire and more.

Miles can also be earned via credit card spend in a number of countries, including Australia. Typically, credit card holders would first accrue points in their card issuer’s own loyalty program, and then convert those points into miles with Etihad. 

What are the recent Etihad Guest changes?

Etihad Guest frequent flyer program has undergone a significant revamp, one the Gulf carrier describes as “simpler, more rewarding and more personalised” – but as always, there’s a little devil in the detail.

The biggest changes are a fresh set of benefits across all tiers, the introduction of a Guest Diamond tier which slots in above Guest Platinum, and a wave of reduced Guest Miles seat redemption rates.

However, those will be matched by the removal of Tier Segments as a path to status and a shift to tie Tier Miles to fare types – the more you pay, the more Tier Miles you earn.

Additionally, you will need to take a flight with Etihad or a partner airline every 18 months to keep your Guest Miles alive.

Lounge access for Guest Gold and Platinum members is also no longer included in what Etihad now describes as a ‘Core Benefit’ of those tiers: instead, it’s an optional ‘Custom Benefit’ which frequent flyers can choose (or not). More on this soon.

How to join Etihad Guest

Free to join, anybody can sign up for Etihad Guest membership via the Etihad Guest website.

After joining you’ll receive your Etihad Guest membership number, which can be linked to flight reservations, credit card points transfer schemes and more to start earning Etihad Guest miles.

What are Etihad Guest Tier Miles?

Etihad Guest members can earn two types of miles. Standard ‘miles’ are those that are earned to be spent on rewards – for example, earning miles via your credit card, to spend on a reward flight.

Tier Miles, on the other hand, are Etihad’s equivalent of status credits. These exist solely to measure your progress through the program's elite tiers.

While Tier Miles were previously set by distance flown and the cabin you fly in (i.e. 1 Tier Mile in economy, 1.5 Tier Miles in business and 2 Tier Miles in first class), Etihad now awards more Tier Miles for higher priced flights. 

The number of Tier Miles allocated isn’t tied directly to the dollar price of the fare though, but rather the fare type purchased: for example, you’ll earn the least Tier Miles on a Value fare, with more on Choice and Choice Plus fares.

Of course, flying isn’t the only way to earn Tier Miles – they can also be accrued through Etihad co-branded credit cards at a rate of one Tier Mile per AED 3 spent.

To avoid a situation where people are simply buying their way to status through cards, Etihad Guest has a minimum Tier Miles threshold that can only be met through flying on Etihad Airways or its partners, as below.

What are the Etihad Guest membership tiers?

Above Etihad’s entry-level Bronze tier, the program’s public status levels span Silver, Gold, Platinum and now Diamond.

Beyond these, Etihad also maintains an unpublished VIP level: Etihad Guest Exclusive, which is only provided by invitation, and cannot be directly unlocked, regardless of how many Tier Miles you may collect.

For the public levels, status can be reached by earning a specified number of Tier Miles within a 12-month period. 

Here are the Etihad Guest elite tiers, and what it takes to earn and maintain them:

• Silver: 25,000 Tier Miles to earn, 20,000 Tier Miles to maintain
• Gold: 50,000 Tier Miles to earn, 40,000 Tier Miles to maintain
• Platinum: 125,000 Tier Miles to earn, 100,000 Tier Miles to maintain
• Diamond: spend USD$150,000 (AUD$225,577) to earn and maintain

At least 10,000 Tier Miles must be earned through flying to unlock and keep Silver, while Gold and Platinum tiers require a minimum of 20,000 Tier Miles via flights. 

Once achieved, your Etihad Guest elite status (Silver and above) is valid for one year: during which time you’ll need to meet the retention requirements above in order to hold onto that status.

Where and how can I earn Etihad Guest miles?

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or frequent spender, there are plenty of opportunities available to earn Etihad Guest miles.

Earn Etihad Guest miles in the air

As you’d expect, miles can be earned on most Etihad Airways flights. Even though Etihad isn’t a member of a global airline alliance, the Etihad Guest program boasts a number of other airlines too, on which you can earn miles.

In Asia Pacific, these include Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, China Eastern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, and SriLankan Airlines.

Air Canada and American Airlines are also on board – both of which fly to Australia – with Air Serbia, Air Europa, Brussels Airlines, El Al, Gulf Air, Hainan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc, Saudia and SAS Scandinavian Airlines completing the roster.

Just a quick note, if you’re flying with codeshare partners, you’ll only earn Etihad Guest miles when booked on an Etihad (EY) marketed flight.

If your flight number starts with EY, you can earn miles on the flight.

Earn Etihad Guest miles on the ground 

On the ground, Etihad Guest miles can be earned across many hotel bookings and hotel loyalty program points transfer programs.

These include direct hotel bookings via the likes of Agoda, Booking.com, and Rocketmiles, as well as points conversion options from Accor Live Limitless, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Radisson Rewards, Shangri-La Circle and World of Hyatt, among other hotel partners.

Need to hire a car? Etihad Guest miles can also be collected via both Avis and Budget car rentals.

Earn Etihad Guest miles using credit cards

Though Etihad Airways is based in the United Arab Emirates, it’s still possible to earn Guest miles via credit card spend with participating banks and card issuers across the globe.

In Australia, select credit and charge cards issued by American Express, Citibank, CommBank and Diners Club allow spenders to indirectly earn Etihad Guest miles by converting points earned via the card issuer’s own loyalty program.

Some programs have better conversion rates than others. American Express Membership Rewards, for example, offers a 1:1 conversion whereby 1,000 Rewards Points equals 1,000 Guest Miles. Diners Club, on the other hand, delivers a rate of 2:1.

Similar opportunities exist in other countries, so be sure to check with your bank to see whether Etihad Guest miles conversion is available to you. It’s usually the ‘big name’ brands that allow this, rather than smaller banks and credit unions.

How many Etihad Guest miles can I earn?

The number of Etihad Guest miles available to you depends on how you’re amassing them.

In the air, you’ll generally earn miles based on the distance of your flight, cabin class booked and the type of fare purchased. Ergo, expect to rake in more miles on longer routes in fully flexible business class than shorter ones or by flying in a cut-price seat.

For example, a one-way flight between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi pulls in 17,500 Guest miles on a business class Deluxe fare, versus just 7,000 on a Value fare in the same cabin.

Travellers with status earn bonus Guest Miles, in line with their tier: that is, 25% at Silver, 50% at Gold or 100% at Platinum. 

With Gold status under your belt, you would earn 21,000 Guest Miles on a Deluxe business class fare between Melbourne and Abu Dhabi, compared to 10,500 on Value.  

The same applies when flying on partner airlines, though it’s worth nothing that each partner has a different mileage earning rate. It’s usually not as rewarding as flying Etihad directly.

You can check the earning rate for each partner on Etihad’s Miles Calculator.

Want to book an Etihad award ticket but find yourself short on points? You can also purchase Etihad Guest miles online at a cost of $0.02 per mile – up to 100,000 miles per year, or 150,000 miles per year if you’re a Platinum member. 

What are the benefits of Etihad Guest status?

A raft of Etihad Guest benefits can be unlocked simply by joining the program, with these perks escalating as you progress up the loyalty ladder as follows: 

• Etihad Guest Bronze: free inflight Chat WiFi (limited to messenger apps such as WhatsApp, We Chat etc), ability to purchase lounge access (and flights) with miles, and both seating and meal preferences kept on file and offered where possible.
• Etihad Guest Silver: free inflight Chat WiFi, plus earn 25% bonus miles on Etihad and eligible partner airline flights, and upgrade for 25% fewer miles at the airport. Plus, get priority check-in with Etihad, extra checked baggage, and access to the Etihad business lounge at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
• Etihad Guest Gold: Benefits of Silver, plus 25% discount on Surf WiFi (unlimited access for browsing), 50% bonus miles on Etihad flights, and seat selection for yourself and one other person. There's also priority boarding, baggage, and check-in.
• Etihad Guest Platinum: Perks of Gold with a higher 100% mileage bonus on flights, completely free inflight WiFi, a one-time partner Gold tier nomination, and a custom Etihad Guest number.

Several previous status benefits, such as lounge access and additional baggage, have now moved into the ‘Custom Benefit’ category. 

For the full list of benefits, head to the Etihad Guest website.

Custom Benefits and Beyond Benefits explained 

Custom Benefits are a new addition to Etihad Guest. These sit on top of the traditional ‘Core Benefits’ such as earning bonus Guest Miles and priority check-in and boarding.

The number of benefits available depends on your status tier:

• Guests Silver members can select two Custom Benefits from a set of four
• Guest Gold members can choose four Custom Benefits from a set of six
• Guest Platinum members can select five Custom Benefits from a set of eight
• Guest Diamond members can choose four Custom Benefits from a set of seven

On the list are a total of 12 benefits such as standard seat selection, lounge access and additional baggage allowance, as well as chauffeur service for a business or first class award seat (this one is normally off the table on reward bookings).

For frequent flyers who have clocked up another year at Gold or Platinum but have yet to reach the next rung on the loyalty ladder, Etihad also rolls out a set of six mid-tier benefits under the banner of ‘Beyond Benefits’.

These kick in at 75,000 Tier Miles (halfway from Gold to Platinum) and 175,000 Tier Miles (well above the Platinum threshold) and include the likes of bonus Guest Miles, lounge passes and complimentary status to gift to a family member or friend.

Do Etihad Guest miles expire?

In most cases, Etihad Guest miles have an 18-month expiry period from the last time you earned or spent miles.

With this in mind, someone who travels once a year wouldn’t see any miles expire under current policies, but those travelling less frequently, say every two years, could lose points if they’re not careful.

For Etihad Guest Bronze, Silver and Gold members, it’s possible to pay to have the expiry date extended – but of course, simply converting a few points across from an eligible credit card or hotel loyalty program would also reset that expiry counter.

The miles of Platinum members technically do not expire, so long as their status is retained. Once the member drops to Gold or below, the 18 month validity period kicks in.

Of course, to maintain Etihad Guest Platinum status, you need to be actively travelling, making the non-expiry of miles less of a ‘benefit’ than a simple by-product of the traveller’s habits.

How do I spend and redeem Etihad Guest miles?

The many ways in which to redeem Etihad Guest miles are mostly the same as how you acquire them, including  hotel stays, car hire and, naturally, flights. 

When jetting off on Etihad, an award GuestSeat from Melbourne to Abu Dhabi can be yours for 60,000 miles one-way in economy or 120,000 miles in business class.

If travelling onwards to London on the same booking, you’ll part with just 90,000 miles in economy and 190,000 miles in business class overall.

Redemptions is possible on experiences such as hotel stays, car hire and more, in addition to eligible Etihad partner airline flights, including on the likes of Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand. 

As well as outright experience bookings, it’s also possible to redeem miles on an upgrade to business class or even first class, subject to availability.

Depending on your flight, upgrade options may include:

• Economy (Saver, Classic and Flex) to business class
• Business (Classic and Flex) to first class

Upgrades from Economy Sale to business class are not available, nor are any upgrades from economy class to first class.

What’s the best way to spend Etihad Guest miles?

Given the number of ways to spend Etihad Guest miles, a mile used is always better than a mile expired: but some redemption methods prove more rewarding than others.

As Etihad Airways is known for excellent inflight experiences in business class and first class, these are often highly sought after by Etihad Guest members (and therefore harder to get). If you’re happy in economy though, you’ll have a much easier time finding a seat.

Most partner reward flights must be booked over the phone. However, a select few can be made online, including Virgin Australia and American Airlines, with more to be rolled out in future.

Do I need an Etihad Guest membership card?

Etihad Guest members have access to a digital membership card via the Etihad website or mobile app, which can be presented if required: but usually, simply quoting your Etihad Guest membership number is all that’s needed to earn miles around the world.

Membership cards may be of better use for higher-tiered Gold and Platinum members seeking to access benefits with partner airlines, which may not have their reservation system integrated with Etihad, meaning your Etihad Guest status may not be reflected on the boarding pass.

Frequently asked questions

Can you join two Etihad Guest accounts?

Etihad Guest allows related members to create an Etihad Guest Family Membership profile, to which their individual Etihad Guest frequent flyer accounts can be linked.

Up to nine family members can join each Family Membership profile – then when it's time to book a holiday, the designated ‘head of the family’ can pool everybody’s miles together and spend them all on a single booking.

Each member of the family can also spend their own miles as desired, without going through the family system: but be aware, when linked with a Family Membership, the head of the family can access and spend your miles at any time.

On the earning front, each member continues to accrue miles (as well as Tier Miles and Tier Segments) on an individual basis.

Can you use Etihad Guest miles to upgrade on other airlines?

It’s generally not possible to upgrade on flights operated by partner airlines using your Etihad Guest miles.

However, depending on the airline, you may instead be able to purchase an upgrade using money or by spending miles from another frequent flyer program, such as Virgin Australia Velocity, to upgrade on Virgin Australia flights.

Can you convert credit card points into Etihad Guest miles?

As above, yes you can, provided your bank or credit card issuer is partnered with the Etihad Guest frequent flyer program to allow this.

In Australia, credit card points transfers to Etihad Guest are possible from American Express Membership Rewards, Citibank Rewards (for Prestige cardholders only), CommBank Awards, and Diners Club Rewards.

For cards in other countries, check with Etihad Guest, or with your card’s issuing bank.

Depending on the circumstances, it may be possible to migrate an existing credit card account to one with the same issuer that can earn Etihad Guest miles, or an application for a new credit card elsewhere may also be an option to consider.

How do I claim missing Etihad Guest miles? 

To claim missing miles on Etihad Airways flights, log into your Etihad Guest account and click on the "Claim missing miles" option. Once there, you'll be prompted to enter the ticket number and booking reference corresponding to the flight for which you did not earn miles.

After clicking ‘submit’, your miles will be credited once the airline confirms that the information you entered matches their records.