Etihad Visitor is the loyalty program for Etihad Airways. Whereas it could not get as a lot press as different packages comparable to Aeroplan, British Airways Avios, or Air France/KLM Flying Blue, it’s one of many extra accessible packages because it’s a switch associate of American Categorical Membership Rewards.

Just lately, the airline introduced that there shall be upcoming adjustments to this system, and we now know the small print. As of March 9, 2023, Etihad Visitor will shift to having two distance-based award charts, as an alternative of particular person charts for every airline.

Whereas it’s not a shift in the direction of dynamic pricing, lots of the program’s distinctive candy spots are quickly to vanish.

Etihad Visitor Strikes to Two Distance-Primarily based Award Charts

Till now, Etihad Visitor has used separate charts for every airline, with pricing primarily based on a hybrid of each distance and routes. 

The Abu Dhabi-based airline will quickly have two charts: one for redemptions on Etihad Airways, and one for journey on associate airways.

The brand new award chart for Etihad Airways redemptions is as follows:

As you’ll be able to see, you’ll be able to redeem factors for Etihad Airways flights in financial system, enterprise class, and First Class, with costs that adjust relying on how far you fly. 

The very best distance band is for flights of over 6,001 miles, which additionally occurs to lower than any direct flight between Abu Dhabi and North America, as all measure round 7,000 miles in distance.

Etihad Visitor additionally has 20 associate airways for which you’ll be able to redeem factors. There are some huge names on the listing, together with Air Canada, American Airways, ANA, and Royal Air Maroc, in addition to some smaller airways, comparable to Air Seychelles, Bangkok Airways, and Czech Airways.

The brand new associate award chart is as follows:

The brand new chart does away with having separate redemption charts for every of the associate airways, although as we’ll discover under, the extra priceless makes use of of Etihad Visitor are primarily evaporating.

It’s essential to notice that you simply’ll should issue within the switch ratio of 1:0.75 from Amex MR in Canada, which skews the above prices even larger. Within the US, you’ll be able to switch factors from Amex US MR, Citi ThankYou, and Capital One at a ratio of 1:1, which is rather more beneficial than in Canada.

Some Accomplice Airways Will Be Bookable On-line

One of many ache factors of redeeming Etihad Visitor miles on associate airways is that till now, you’ve needed to name the contact centre to e book them. Many stories counsel that this can be a very cumbersome course of, and maybe not well worth the quantity of effort and time.

As of March 9, 2023, you’ll be capable of e book associate flights with Virgin Australia and American Airways on-line, which does away with the necessity to name in, no less than for these two airways. Sadly, all different airways nonetheless should be booked over the cellphone.

Having to name in to redeem factors appears a bit pointless these days, and hopefully Etihad Airways is working in the direction of having a completely useful award platform, on which you’ll be able to e book flights with all associate airways within the very close to future.

Are There Any Candy Spots with Etihad Visitor?

For a recap, let’s take a look at a number of the candy spots that may disappear when these adjustments quickly take impact.

Maybe the perfect use of Etihad Visitor miles was on flights with Royal Air Maroc. For flights of over 2,001 miles, you’d spend simply 44,000 miles in enterprise class.

Whereas that meant that you may fly from North America to Morocco for 44,000 miles, because it was capped at that value, you may additionally proceed onwards with Royal Air Maroc and never be charged any extra miles. This represented a pleasant alternative to fly from Montreal to Europe through Morocco at a really affordable value, in addition to to any of Royal Air Maroc’s different locations.

With the brand new associate award chart, you’ll now should pay 80,000 miles for simply the flight from Montreal to Morocco, after which much more when you cross into the following distance band.

One other nice use of Etihad Visitor miles has been on premium cabin home flights inside North America. For instance, you may fly with American Airways from Los Angeles to New York for 25,000–32,500 miles, to Hawaii for 37,500–40,000 miles, or from Toronto to Vancouver on Air Canada for 25,000 miles.

Those self same flights will now value 50,000–67,000 miles or 60,000–80,000 miles, relying on the category of service and the space flown. 

A one-way flight in enterprise class from Vancouver or Seattle to Tokyo on ANA used to value simply 54,000 Etihad Visitor miles, however that may now rise to 100,000 miles. Fortunately, the candy spot with Aeroplan stays intact, so you’ll be able to nonetheless rating a flight to Japan for 55,000 Aeroplan factors from both of these two cities.

By way of redeeming Etihad Visitor miles for flights with Etihad Airways, recall that the airline flies to Toronto, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC in North America. A direct flight in enterprise class from any of these cities will now value 110,000 miles in enterprise class or 220,000 miles in First Class.

If you happen to’re reserving an Etihad Airways premium cabin flight with one other program, comparable to Aeroplan, you’d pay solely 90,000 Aeroplan factors in enterprise class from any of the cities, or 130,000 factors in First Class from Washington DC, which is at present the one North American route with the cabin.

Because the new chart caps out at 6,001 miles, it might be worthwhile for ultra-long-haul flights on Etihad Airways, maybe from North America to Australia through Abu Dhabi. If yow will discover seats, it ought to work out to value 110,000 miles, which is a really engaging possibility in the event you don’t thoughts taking the great distance round.

As for different airways, the candy spots are disappearing, however you’ll be able to nonetheless contemplate reserving with a associate airline within the absence of choices from different packages.

Conclusion

Etihad Airways will transfer to having simply two award charts in its Etihad Visitor loyalty program as of March 9, 2023. One chart shall be for Etihad Airways redemptions, and the opposite will cowl all 20 associate airways.

The candy spots from the earlier charts are about to vanish, which is unlucky. Going ahead, you’ll should pay extra miles for a similar flights that you may beforehand e book.

Whereas this system will not be as engaging because it as soon as was, because it’s a switch associate of American Categorical Membership Rewards in Canada, in addition to Amex US MR, Citi ThankYou, and Capital One in the USA, it’s one of many extra accessible packages for factors collectors.