Etihad Visitor was as soon as dwelling to many accomplice candy spots, like American Airways Flagship First to Australia for 62,500 miles and Brussels Airways enterprise class to Europe for 44,000 miles.
However on March 10, the loyalty program launched a brand new, consolidated award chart for accomplice flights. With all companions following a single award chart, the candy spots we cherished immediately disappeared.
In idea, Etihad Visitor accomplice redemptions ought to observe this new award chart. In actuality, each Etihad and accomplice airline redemptions typically require many extra miles.
Let us take a look at what you could learn about Etihad Visitor to determine if it is a program worthy of your hard-earned transferable factors.
Incomes Etihad Visitor miles
There are numerous methods to earn Etihad Visitor miles. Listed here are some widespread choices.
Earn with a bank card
Etihad would not have a U.S.-based cobranded bank card. For a fast inflow of Etihad Visitor miles, you’ll be able to switch rewards from the next packages at a 1:1 ratio:
In our exams, transfers from these packages to Etihad Visitor are typically instantaneous.
Bear in mind, for absolutely transferable Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards factors, you may have to have choose bank cards, just like the Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card, Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card, Citi Premier® Card and Citi Status® Card.
Join our each day e-newsletter
Take a look at our information to the very best journey bank cards for extra choices.
The knowledge for the Citi Status has been collected independently by The Factors Man. The cardboard particulars on this web page haven’t been reviewed or offered by the cardboard issuer.
Earn by flying
You’ll be able to earn Etihad Visitor miles by flying Etihad or any of its 22 accomplice airways. Its North American companions embody Air Canada and American Airways. For those who elect to earn Etihad Visitor miles on a accomplice flight, you will not be capable to earn different frequent flyer miles for that ticket.
Earn by staying in accommodations or renting automobiles
Etihad Visitor has its personal lodge and automobile rental portals.
You will earn no less than 1,000 miles per night time at over 300,000 accommodations. A 3-night weekend keep in July on the Kimpton George Lodge earns 8,900 miles.
For those who ebook this manner, be ready to not obtain IHG elite standing advantages or earn factors/elite nights. We typically do not suggest reserving this manner.
On the automobile rental aspect, you may earn no less than 250 miles per rental day, however do not anticipate to earn rental automobile rewards or elite advantages when you ebook this manner. Evaluate rental automobile costs to make sure you’re getting a aggressive price.
For instance, the least costly rental automobile for a given week at San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) comes to only underneath $500. In the meantime, reserving instantly with Avis saves you round 15%.
You can too convert Marriott Bonvoy factors to Etihad Visitor miles at a 3:1 ratio. Marriott offers you 5,000 bonus miles for each 60,000 Marriott factors transferred.
Earn by shopping for miles
You should purchase as much as 100,000 Etihad Visitor miles per calendar 12 months at 2 cents apiece. Platinum members can purchase as much as 150,000 miles per 12 months. Final 12 months, Etihad supplied a limited-time promotion on miles purchases, dropping the price to only 1.38 cents apiece.
Associated: You’ll be able to at present purchase factors and miles with as much as a 155% bonus — however must you?
Redeeming Etihad Visitor miles
Now that we have mentioned methods to earn Etihad Visitor miles, let’s discover methods to redeem your miles.
The loyalty program has an award calculator for Eithad, American Airways and Virgin Australia flights. Usually, the award charges proven on the calculator are far lower than what you may truly have to spend for an award flight.
Redeeming on Etihad
Here is a take a look at Etihad’s printed award chart with introductory charges:
Distance (in miles) | Miles wanted in financial system | Miles wanted in enterprise class | Miles wanted in firstclass |
---|---|---|---|
0-500. | 7,000. | 20,000. | 40,000. |
501-1,000. | 11,000. | 25,000. | 50,000. |
1,001-1,500. | 13,000. | 30,000. | 60,000. |
1,501-2,000. | 17,000. | 45,000. | 90,000. |
2,001-2,500. | 22,000. | 50,000. | 100,000. |
2,501-3,000. | 27,000. | 60,000. | 120,000. |
3,001-4,000. | 32,000. | 70,000. | 140,000. |
4,001-5,000. | 37,000. | 75,000. | 150,000. |
5,001-6,000. | 45,000. | 100,000. | 200,000. |
6,001-plus. | 60,000. | 110,000. | 220,000. |
One-way flights from the US to Abu Dhabi Worldwide Airport (AUH) routinely value round 70,000 miles in financial system, practically 500,000 miles in enterprise and over 1 million miles in firstclass.
On Etihad’s much less widespread routes, you’ll be able to generally discover extra affordable award charges, like this flight from Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) to Abu Dhabi for 27,002 miles in financial system class and 60,003 miles in enterprise class.
That stated, you may additionally ebook this flight for 20,000 AAdvantage miles and round $50 in taxes and costs in financial system, or 42,500 miles in enterprise class. You would wish to name American’s AAdvantage customer support line to ebook it.
Redeeming on accomplice airways
Etihad now makes use of a single accomplice chart for all accomplice flight redemptions. Here is a take a look at the beginning award charges for accomplice redemptions:
Distance (in miles) | Miles wanted in financial system | Miles wanted in premium financial system | Miles wanted in enterprise class | Miles wanted in firstclass |
---|---|---|---|---|
0-500. | 6,000. | 7,500. | 10,000. | 14,000. |
501-1,000. | 12,000. | 13,000. | 20,000. | 27,000. |
1,001-1,500. | 15,000. | 19,000. | 30,000. | 40,000. |
1,501-2,000. | 23,000. | 25,000. | 40,000. | 54,000. |
2,001-2,500. | 28,000. | 31,000. | 50,000. | 67,000. |
2,501-3,000. | 34,000. | 37,000. | 60,000. | 80,000. |
3,001-4,000. | 45,000. | 49,000. | 80,000. | 107,000. |
4,001-5,000. | 60,000. | 62,000. | 100,000. | 134,000. |
5,001-6,000. | 67,000. | 74,000. | 120,000. | 160,000. |
6,001-plus. | 75,000. | 90,000. | 140,000 | 200,000. |
You’ll be able to ebook American Airways and Virgin Australia redemptions on Etihad’s web site. For all different accomplice award bookings, you may have to name Etihad at 877-690-0767.
Once more, the charges above are simply beginning charges. A 2,586-mile American Airways first-class ticket from San Francisco to New York requires 90,001 miles on a given day in Might.
You will need to affirm award house and pricing earlier than transferring factors to Etihad Visitor.
Different redemption actions
You’ll be able to redeem Etihad miles for accommodations and automobile leases. Whereas your redemption price might fluctuate, anticipate round 0.7 cents per mile when you use this feature. That is considerably beneath TPG’s valuation of Etihad miles at 1.4 cents apiece.
As an illustration, The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Sq. goes for 32,800 miles on the Etihad lodge portal. For those who pay with money, it will value round $227. On this state of affairs, you’d get simply 0.69 cents per mile.
Different makes use of of Etihad Visitor miles embody on-line raffles and Pointspay. Pointspay helps you to redeem miles for on-line buying. Lots of the taking part retailers are positioned in Abu Dhabi.
Relying on the day of journey, you’ll be able to redeem your miles for entry to the Etihad business-class or first-class lounge at Abu Dhabi Worldwide Airport, although you may have to talk with the lounge employees for pricing and availability.
Lastly, you might be able to pool as much as 50,000 miles annually for free of charge. This may be useful when you may have a number of relations with Etihad Visitor miles and need to consolidate miles into one account for an award ticket.
Associated: Final information to looking award availability for the key airways
Backside line
With the adjustments Etihad made to its program earlier this month, many accomplice flights value considerably extra miles than they used to. Sadly, this makes it tougher to maximise Etihad miles.
Nonetheless, Etihad’s dynamic pricing mannequin could also be helpful for vacationers with giant sums of bank card factors throughout peak journey. Put in another way: Be able to spend plenty of Etihad Visitor miles for its world-famous product and hospitality.
Further reporting by Richard Kerr and Sarah Hostetler.