Etihad Guest Programme is Etihad Airways’s loyalty programme. If you plan to travel with Etihad Airways, it’s worth considering joining. I did, as I do with all the airlines I fly with because it provides various advantages such as free flights, lounge access, upgrades, and more. In this blog post, I’ll explain the Etihad Guest Programme and its benefits in more detail.
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About Etihad Airways: Why Flying With Them
Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It offers medium and long-haul flights to/from Europe and Asia, making it ideal for travellers visiting the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, or Australia.
Etihad Airways operates a modern fleet of Airbus A320, Airbus A330, Airbus A380, Boeing 787, and Boeing 777 aircraft, which are well known for their performance and operational efficiency. It is also making significant strides towards becoming a greener airline by reducing plastic on all flights and cutting fuel emissions.
On board, you will experience exceptional comfort, choice, and hospitality with cleverly designed seats, the latest entertainment, and mouth-watering food. Even in Economy Class, you will have enough space and full-size blankets on medium or long-haul flights, with a good choice of on-demand entertainment.
On every flight, you can enjoy complimentary food and drinks, which are generally good. These include a vegetarian option, freshly baked rolls, and indulgent desserts, all served on a sustainably sourced meal tray.
Etihad Guest: What You Need to Know
Etihad Guest is the loyalty programme Etihad Airways offers that rewards its frequent flyers. To join the Etihad Guest programme, you can sign up for free on the Etihad Airways website or mobile app. Once you become a member, you will earn miles for every flight with Etihad Airways and its partner airlines.
You can redeem your miles for various benefits, including free flights, upgrades, hotel stays, car rentals, and more. The number of miles you earn depends on the distance you fly, the fare class you book, and your membership tier.
The Etihad Guest programme has four membership tiers: Etihad Guest Bronze, Etihad Guest Silver, Etihad Guest Gold, and Etihad Guest Platinum. As you advance through the membership tiers, you will earn more miles per flight and enjoy more benefits, such as lounge access, priority boarding, and free checked bags.
Benefits of the Etihad Guest Programme
The Etihad Guest programme provides a variety of benefits to its members, which include:
- Complimentary flights: you can redeem your miles for free flights to any destination offered by Etihad Airways and its partner airlines.
- Upgrades: you can utilise your miles to upgrade your seat to a higher class of service.
- Lounge access: that’s my favourite. Depending on your tier status, you can access Etihad Airways lounges and partner lounges worldwide.
- Priority services: depending on your status, you can benefit from priority check-in, boarding, and complimentary baggage allowance.
- Hotel stays and car rentals: you can redeem your miles for hotel stays and car rentals with Etihad Airways partners.
How to Join the Etihad Guest Programme
Joining Etihad Guest is really simple: you just need to visit the Etihad Airlines website and select the Etihad Guest option from the menu. This will redirect you to an external loyalty programme site where you can sign up and become an on-board guest.
Once you have registered your details, you will receive 500 bonus miles as a welcome gift on your first flight. You can start collecting miles immediately and claim the miles you missed on your flights three months before joining.
Etihad Guest Statuses
The Etihad Guest program is a rewarding loyalty scheme that allows you to earn miles on flights and redeem them for discounted flights or additional baggage allowance. As soon as you become a member, you start earning miles and rewards tailored to your preferences.
Depending on your membership status, you can enjoy various benefits such as lounge access, free or discounted Wi-Fi on board, and extra baggage allowance at no cost. Here are the different levels of the loyalty program, along with their respective features.
Etihad Guest Bronze
If you, like me, frequently travel with different airlines that aren’t part of the same loyalty program, you may not have the required status to access free lounges.
Even with the lowest membership level, you can still enjoy certain benefits and redeem your accumulated miles for valuable services. Being an Etihad Guest member, you can earn miles with your flights and then use them to purchase class upgrades or discounted flights.
Etihad Guest Silver
The Etihad Guest Silver tier offers priority check-in, a guaranteed Economy Class seat, and an extra 10kg baggage allowance. This tier also allows you to earn 25% more miles on every flight and access to lounges.
Etihad Guest Gold
The higher you go in the Etihad Guest programme, the more benefits you get. As a Gold member, you can book your flights using any combination of miles plus cash and always have access to priority check-in. You can also book a guaranteed seat in Economy Class just 24 hours in advance, and every flight you book is worth 50% more miles.
Best of all, you get free access to Business Class lounges with a guest or upgrade to First Class lounges. With Gold status, you also have priority boarding, immigration, and baggage claim, as well as a 15kg excess baggage allowance.
Etihad Guest Platinum
The Platinum level is the highest level of the Etihad Guest programme. In addition to the benefits of the previous levels, it offers free Wi-Fi on board and the ability to access and invite a guest to the dedicated First Class lounge. Once you’ve reached the Platinum level, staying there is easy because you’ll earn 75% more miles for any flights, and miles do not expire.
Family Membership: How to Collect Miles if You Travel With Your Family
If you travel often with your family, Family Membership is a practical option for accumulating miles. You can link each family member to your Etihad Guest profile.
Etihad’s Family Membership is one of the best among airlines. It includes up to nine members who don’t have to reside in the same household. It is especially useful for extended families or when flying with parents, grandparents, or other family members.
How to Redeem Your Etihad Guest Miles
Spending miles has always been my favourite part of airline loyalty programmes. There are lounges, and you can exchange your accumulated miles for a free flight. I got a lot of free flights with British Airways Avios in the past when I often travelled between Italy and the UK. If you’ve accumulated miles and you’ll have a medium or long-haul flight to do, I recommend you get the class upgrade because it is worth it.
At the time of writing, Etihad Airways has 20+ airline partners, including Air France, Air New Zealand, Air Europe, Brussels Airlines, El Al, Gulf Air, Malaysian Airlines, Oman Air, Royal Air Maroc, SAS, Saudia, and more, which you could choose for your next trips. Although they are both from Emirates, Etihad and Emirates do not share the same loyalty programme. Emirates, in fact, has its own Emirates Skywards programme in partnership with Fly Dubai.
You can also spend your miles on selected Etihad holiday packages, hotels or car rentals. If you’re not interested in these services because you usually buy everything on your favourite booking sites or travel agency, you also have the option of spending your miles like cash with the Reward Card and buying whatever you want.
How to Claim Missing Miles
If you flew with Etihad Airways but didn’t provide your Guest Member number during booking, you can claim your missing miles within the next three months. It’s important to note that this applies whether you booked directly or through a travel agent or even if you flew as part of a group.
You can claim miles from previous flights with Etihad Airways or one of its partner airlines, even if you flew before joining the Etihad Guest programme. To redeem your missing miles, log in and go to the “Claim Missing Miles” link at the bottom of Etihad Airways’s website main page.
The Etihad Guest Programme is a great way to earn rewards for your loyalty to Etihad Airways. Whether you are a frequent flyer or an occasional traveller, the programme offers a range of benefits that make your travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable. So, if you are not already a member, sign up today and start earning miles towards your next trip and let me know what you think about it in the comment section.
