A lot of people in the United States wouldn’t even consider joining a frequent flyer program like Etihad Guest because ti is an international carrier. However, this program has a large variety of partner airlines and earning opportunities that can be beneficial with a little bit of knowledge.
See our best credit card bonuses here.
Joining Etihad Guest will allow you to earn and redeem miles and work your way toward elite status. Continue reading our Etihad Guest guide to learn more!
Etihad Guest Quick Facts
| Etihad Hubs | Abu Dhabi |
| Alliance | None |
| U.S. Destinations | Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C. |
| Credit Cards | No co-branded US cards |
| Redemption Options | Etihad & partner flights, upgrades, vacation packages, shopping, Reward Card, donations |
| Average Mile Value | $0.014 |
Etihad Guest Tiers & Status
Signing up for Etihad Guest allows you to earn miles as well as tons of benefits.
To climb the tiers, you must earn a certain amount of miles or segments within a 12-month period. You will be awarded one Tier Mile for every mile you fly on Etihad Airways, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Alitalia and Jet Airways.
Tier Segments are earned according to class type:
- 1 Tier Segment per economy class flight
- 2 Tier Segments per business class flight
- 3 Tier Segments per first class flight
| Tier | Requirement |
| Silver | 25,000 Tier Miles or 20 Tier Segments |
| Gold | 50,000 Tier Miles or 40 Tier Segments |
| Platinum | 125,000 Tier Miles or 60 Tier Segments |
To maintain a status, you’ll need to earn the following within 12 months:
| Tier | Requirement |
| Silver | 20,000 Tier Miles or 15 Tier Segments |
| Gold | 40,000 Tier Miles or 30 Tier Segments |
| Platinum | 100,000 Tier Miles or 48 Tier Segments |
With your status, you can enjoy the benefits of upgrades & other perks.
Silver
- 25% bonus miles on Etihad flights
- 2.5-year mile expiration
- Priority check-in
- Excess baggage allowance
- 25% discount on mileage upgrades at the airport
- Al Reem lounge access at Abu Dhabi, Belgrade & Seychelles
Gold
- All Silver benefits
- 50% bonus miles on Etihad flights
- 3-year mile expiration
- Priority boarding
- 50% discount on mileage upgrades at the airport
- Business/Premium lounge access for you + 1
- Fast track immigration & baggage
Platinum
- All Gold benefits
- 75% bonus miles on Etihad flights
- First class lounge access for you + 1
Collecting Etihad Guest Miles
Other than traveling, there are still plenty of ways to earn Etihad Guest miles.
Etihad Flights. The amount of miles you earned for a flight varies on the booking class of your ticket. You can use the Miles Calculator to see.
Partner Flights. Each partner carrier has its own mileage earning rates. Airline partners include:
- Aegean Airlines
- Aer Lingus
- Aerolineas Argentinas
- Air Astana
- Air Baltic
- Air Canada
- Air Europa
- Air France
- Air Malta
- Air New Zealand
- Air Serbia
- Air Europa
- Air Seychelles
- Alitalia
- American Airlines
- ANA
- Asiana Airlines
- Avianca
- Azerbaijan Airlines
- Bangkok Airways
- Belavia
- Brussels Airlines
- China Eastern
- Czech Airlines
- EgyptAir
- Flybe
- Garuda Indonesia
- GOL
- Gulf Air
- Hainan Airlines
- Hongkong Airlines
- Jet Airways
- JetBlue
- Kenya Airways
- KLM
- Korean Air
- Kulula
- Lufthansa
- Malaysia Airlines
- MEA
- Montenegro Airlines
- Oman Air
- Philippine Airlines
- Precision Air
- Royal Air Maroc
- Royal Jordanian
- S7 Airlines
- SAS
- SAUDIA
- Scandinavian Airlines
- SriLankan Airlines
- SWISS
- TAP Portugal
- Turkish Airlines
- Vietnam Airlines
- Virgin Australia
Etihad Guest miles can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards®, Capital One® Rewards, Citi ThankYou® Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy.
| Rewards Program | Transfer Ratio |
| Amex Membership Rewards | 1 : 1 |
| Capital One Rewards | 2 : 1.5 |
| Citi ThankYou Rewards | 1 : 1 |
| Marriott Bonvoy | 3 : 1* |
*For every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer, you’ll get a 5,000-mile bonus.
Cars & Hotels: Simply book with the frequent flyer program’s many travel partners, such as Avis, Booking.com, Marriott Bonvoy, Rocketmiles and much more. For details about the earning rates, click here.
Shopping: Make purchases at Etihad Guest’s shopping partners and participating retailers such as The Bicester Village Shopping Collection, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, MontBlanc, Pirelli and more. Click here for more details.
Leisure & Lifestyle: Earn miles when you spend with Etihad Guest’s entertainment and lifestyle partners, such as Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, MyList, Rivoli and Warner Bros World. For more information, click here.
If you’re short of an award, you might want to consider purchasing Etihad Guest miles. They cost $0.02 each, but you can get them for cheaper if you buy them during a promotion, which tends to run twice a year.
We value each Etihad Guest mile at $0.014 each.
How did we get that number? Click here to find out.
Keep in mind, you can only purchase up to 100,000 Etihad Guest miles per calendar year and up to 60,000 miles per transaction.
Earn Etihad Guest Miles With AmEx Membership Rewards
The American Express Membership Rewards program has a transfer ratio of 1:1. We recommend earning membership reward points with these cobranded credit cards.
 The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on the Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You'll earn: • 5X Membership Rewards Points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. • 5X Membership Rewards Points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. This card comes with an annual fee of $695 (See Rates & Fees), but you cardholders can enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides in the US annually. Uber Cash and Uber VIP status is available to Basic Card Member and Additional Centurion Cards only. Terms Apply. Terms Apply. |
 The American Express® Gold Card offers 60,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $4,000 on eligible purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months. Terms apply. You'll earn: • 4X Membership Rewards Points at Restaurants, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S., • 4X Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X). • 3X Membership Rewards points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com. $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations. Enrollment required. This card has an annual fee of $250 with no foreign transaction fees (See Rates & Fees). Terms Apply. |
Earn Etihad Guest Miles With Capital One Rewards
The Capital One Rewards program has a transfer ratio of 2:1.5. We recommend earning membership reward points with these cobranded credit cards.
 The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card offers a one-time bonus of 75,000 Miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. You're able to earn: • 5 Miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel • 2X miles on every purchase, every day This card does come with a $95 annual fee. Enjoy no foreign transaction fees and receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre?®. |
 The Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card offers 40,000 miles once you spend $1000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel. Enjoy 0% intro APR on purchases and balance transfers for 18 months; 19.74% - 29.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 18 months. You'll earn 1.25 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day and pay no annual fee. This card comes with no annual fees and no foreign transaction fees which is a great choice as your go-to travel card! |
Earn Etihad Guest Miles With Citi ThankYou Rewards
The Citi ThankYou Rewards program has a transfer ratio of 1:1. We recommend earning membership reward points with these cobranded credit cards.
 The Citi Premier® Card offers 60,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after you spend $4,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening. 60,000 ThankYou Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards when redeemed at thankyou.com. You'll earn: • 3X Points at Restaurants • 3X Points at Supermarkets • 3X Points at Gas Stations • 3X Points on Air Travel and Hotels • 1X Points on All Other Purchases This card comes with a $95 annual fee and no foreign transaction fees. |
The Citi Prestige® Card has a 50,000 bonus points offer. Spend $4,000 within 3 months of account opening to qualify. These 50k bonus points are worth $500 in travel.
The best way to get the most value out of your points is to redeem your points for flights through Citi. This is a great card for the premium travel category with an annual fee of $495.
With this card you will have the opportunity to earn 5X points on air travel & restaurants, 3X points on hotels & cruise lines, $250 Air Travel Credit annually, and free access to 1,300+ airport lounges with Priority Pass Select. For those in this niche market, this card will provide high perceived value.
Earn Etihad Guest Miles With Marriott Bonvoy
The Marriott Bonvoy program has a transfer ratio of 3:1.. We recommend earning membership reward points with these cobranded credit cards.
 The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card offers 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 17X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy • 3X points per $1 on the first $6,000 spent in combined purchases each year on grocery stores, gas stations, and dining. • 2X points for every $1 spent on all other purchase • 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite Status for every $5,000 you spend. You gain an automatic Silver Elite Status each account anniversary year. Path to Gold Status when you spend $35,000 on purchases each account year. You'll receive 15 Elite Night Credits each calendar year & an additional Free Night Award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. This card does carry a $95 fee; there are no foreign transaction fees. |
 The Marriott Bonvoy Bold® credit card offers 60,000 Bonus Points after you spend $2,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You'll earn: • Up to 14X total points per $1 spent at over 7,000 hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy • 2X points for all other travel purchases • 1X points per $1 spent on all other purchases This card comes with no annual fees or foreign transaction fees and you'll get 15 elite night credits each calendar year! |
Spending Etihad Guest Miles
Etihad Guest miles do expire, even if you regularly collect or spend them. So don’t rack them up unless you have a plan on how to use them.
The lifetime of your miles depends on your status:
| Tier | Miles Term |
| No status | 2 |
| Silver | 2.5 |
| Gold and Platinum | 3 |
Etihad Guest does not publish an award chart. To determine how many miles you’ll need for a specific award flight, input your trip details into the Miles Calculator.
There are two types of award seats to choose from: GuestSeat or OpenSeat. GuestSeats are booked using Etihad Guest miles in specific booking classes. There are a limited amount of these seats for each flight. When GuestSeats are no longer available, you can book on any available class using your miles. These are called OpenSeats and are usually much more expensive than GuestSeats.
If you’re short of an award seat, you can purchase up to 25% of the miles you need. When searching for an award, choose Miles Plus Cash and use the slider to see your options in miles and cash.
Etihad Guest offers better Miles Plus Cash value than most major airlines. While other carriers sell miles at around $0.017 to $0.025 per mile, you can buy Etihad Guest miles for as little as $0.009 each.
You can also use your Etihad Guest miles for partner awards. Each partner carrier has its own award chart. Partner awards must be booked at least 14 days in advance by calling the Guest Services Center. For more details, click here.
Upgrades. Upgrade one cabin of service on paid Etihad flights. In general, we don’t recommend this option as it holds poor value. The prices are not much less than award tickets.
Etihad Holidays. Choose your destination – from relaxing retreats to exciting adventures, and turn your miles into a dream vacation.
Shopping. Treat yourself with the Etihad Guest Reward Shop, featuring over 3,500 of the latest products by leading brands in fashion, electronics and gifts.
Donate your miles. Make your rewards go further for someone else. Donate as little as 100 miles to charity and make a difference.
*For every 60,000 Marriott points you transfer, you’ll get a 5,000-mile bonus.
Etihad Guest Sweet Spots
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Short-haul flights to/from Belgrade (BEG) – One Way | Economy | 5,000 |
| Short-haul flights to/from Belgrade (BEG) – One Way | Business | 7,125 |
| New York (JFK) to Belgrade (BEG) – One Way | Business | 64,082 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Seattle (SEA) to Tokyo (NRT/HND) – One Way | Business | 54,000 |
| California (LAX/SFO/SJC) to Tokyo (NRT/HND) – One Way | Business | 63,000 |
Book American Airlines flights with your Etihad Guest miles because you’ll get the better AAdvantage rates before they devalued their award chart in 2016. Below is a comparison between Etihad and American mileage pricing for a few business class options from the United States:
| Region | Etihad Miles | American Miles |
| Asia 1 | 50,000 | 60,000 |
| Asia 2 | 55,000 | 70,000 |
| Europe | 50,000 | 57,500 |
| South Pacific | 62,500 | 80,000 |
| Hawaii | 37,500 | 55,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| West Coast (LAX/SFO) to Seoul (ICN) – One Way | Business | 59,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Within Thailand – One Way | Economy | 5,000 |
| Within Thailand – One Way | Business | 7,500 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| New York (JFK)/Toronto (YYZ)/Washington Dulles (IAD) to Brussels (BRU) – One Way |
Economy | 27,000 |
| New York (JFK)/Toronto (YYZ)/Washington Dulles (IAD) to Brussels (BRU) – One Way |
Business | 44,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Prague (PRG) to Seoul (ICN) – One Way | Business | 25,610 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Less than 500 flight miles | Economy | 3,000 |
| 501 – 1,000 flight miles | Economy | 6,000 |
| 1,001 – 1,500 flight miles | Economy | 9,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Muscat (MCT) to Bangkok (BKK) – One Way | Business | 34,000 |
| Muscat (MCT) to Milan (MXP)/Munich (MUC)/London (LHR) – One Way |
Business | 44,000 |
| Muscat (MCT) to Manila (MNL) – One Way | Business | 51,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| JFK/IAD/MIA to Casablanca (CMN) to Doha (DOH) – One Way | Economy | 22,000 |
| JFK/IAD/MIA to Casablanca (CMN) to Doha (DOH) – One Way | Business | 44,000 |
| New York (JFK) to Belgrade (BEG) – One Way | Business | 64,082 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Colombo (CMB) to Maldives – One Way | Economy | 5,000 |
| Colombo (CMB) to Middle East – One Way | Economy | 16,000 |
| Colombo (CMB) to Tokyo (NRT) | Economy | 30,000 |
| Colombo (CMB) to Beijing (PEK) – One Way | Business | 46,000 |
| Flight Details | Class | Miles Required |
| Short-haul flights – One Way | Economy | 6,900 |
| Short-haul flights – One Way | Business | 13,800 |
| Adelaide (ADL)/Brisbane (BNE)/Melbourne (MEL) or Sydney (SYD) to Bali (DPS) – One Way |
Business | 33,800 |
*We independently collected information from public sources to form our sweet spots. This information is subject to change without notice.
Etihad Guest Tips & Tricks
Etihad Guest makes it relatively cheap and eat to include your infant on your award. It’s just 10% of the award rate to book your infant.
Pool your Etihad Guest miles with family members, so you can enjoy more rewards, faster, together. Each member can spend the miles they accrue, or the “head” of the family can redeem them as they choose. A maximum of nine members can participate in one Family Membership.
BusinessConnect is a free loyalty program for small- and medium-sized companies. You’ll get to earn miles for a business account while your employees get to earn Etihad Guest miles in their personal account. Enroll now and get a 5,000-mile bonus.
Bottom Line
If you’re a frequent flyer, consider joining the Etihad Guest program. Joining this loyalty program gives you plenty of great earning potential with co-branded credit cards and partnership.
For more posts like this, check out our list of credit card bonuses and the best brokerage bonuses.
Leave a Reply