18 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Etihad Airways Guest Programme Miles [2018]
Full Disclosure: We may be compensated when you click on links to credit card products from our advertising partners, such as American Express, Chase & Barclays. Opinions on this site are ours alone, and have not been reviewed or approved by the issuer. See our Advertiser Disclosure for more details. Thanks!
Since its first flight took off in November 2003, Etihad Airways has developed a reputation as a leading airline, recently winning Air Transport World’s 2016 Airline of the Year.
Known for its modern new-generation fleets, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates serves 68 countries around the world. In the U.S., Etihad Airways serves airports in Chicago, Dallas, New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
Members can earn miles in the Etihad Guest Programme by utilizing credit cards and a variety of other strategies. Keep reading to learn about maximizing miles to redeem Etihad Guest Programme rewards as quickly as possible!
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Etihad Guest Programme
1. Enroll and Earn Etihad Guest Miles
Sign up online for the free Etihad Guest Programme, which is open to residents of any country at least 2 years of age. You can also enroll at check-in or fill out a form in one of the Etihad Airways lounges.
Once the first activity posts to your account, you will receive 500 bonus miles.
2. Fly Etihad Airways
As an Etihad Guest Programme member, the easiest way to earn miles is by booking flights on Etihad Airways. The table below shows the earning ratio for each fare class:
| Class | Type of Fare | Earning Percentage |
| Economy | Breaking Deals | 25% |
| Economy | Saver | 50% |
| Economy | Value | 75% |
| Economy | Freedom | 100% |
| Business | Breaking Deals | 115% |
| Business | Saver | 130% |
| Business | Freedom | 175% |
| First | Freedom | 250% |
| The Residence | The Residence | 400% |
Want to know exactly how many miles you can earn on any flight? Use the Etihad Airways mileage calculator!
3. Elite Status Tiers
Like many airline loyalty programs, Etihad Guest Miles can be redeemed for awards. Tier Miles and Tier Segments, on the other hand, determine your elite status based on the following earning rate:
| Tier Segments | Tier Miles |
| 1/economy class | 1 per mile flown on Etihad Airways |
| 2/business class | |
| 3/first class |
Members begin at the Etihad Guest tier and move through the premium tiers (Silver, Gold, and Platinum) during a 12-month rolling qualification period. Each premium tier provides bonus miles which can be redeemed for Etihad Rewards.
| Elite Status Tier | Tier Miles/Segments to Achieve Status | Expires After Remaining Calendar Year | Tier Miles/Segments to Maintain Status | Bonus Miles |
| Etihad Guest | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Etihad Guest Silver | 25,000/20 | 1 yr and 3-month bonus | 20,000/15 | 25% |
| Etihad Guest Gold | 50,000/40 | 2 yrs and 3-month bonus | 40,000/30 | 50% |
| Etihad Guest Platinum | 125,000/60 | 2 years and 3-month bonus | 100,000/48 | 75% |
See a complete list of benefits associated with each premium tier here.
To contact the Etihad Guest Services Centre, use one of the following email addresses depending on your tier: guest@etihadguest.com, guestsilver@etihadguest.com, guestgold@etihadguest.com, and guestplatinum@etihadguest.com.
Earning Etihad Guest Miles With Credit Cards
4. American Express Membership Rewards
Convert American Express Membership Rewards points to Etihad Guest Miles at a 1:1 ratio. That means you can earn Membership Rewards points with an American Express credit card and move them to your Etihad Guest Programme account.
To make the transfer, log into your Membership Rewards account and select Etihad Guest under the drop-down menu of participating airline partners. It takes a minimum of 3 business days for the transfer to be completed.
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| 💳 The Platinum Card® from American Express Love Special Perks & Travel Benefits? > This Card Gets You Access To 18 of Them! |
|
| 💳 Premier Rewards Gold Card from American Express |
|
| 💳 The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express |
|
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| 💳 The Business Platinum Card® from American Express OPEN Love Special Perks & Exclusive Benefits? > Here's 41 Benefits You Get With This Card! |
|
| 💳 The Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN More Info? > Small Biz Owners Love These 11 Card Benefits |
|
| 💳 The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express |
|
5. Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG)
The Etihad Guest Programme also partners with the Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) loyalty program. This means you can earn miles with an SPG credit card and convert them to Etihad Guest Miles.
Transfer Starpoints at a 1:1 ratio and get a bonus of 5,000 miles for transferring 20,000 Starpoints to miles in a single transaction.
SPG Preferred members must transfer a minimum of 2,500 Starpoints, and Gold members must transfer at least 1,500 Starpoints per transaction. There is no minimum transfer requirement for SPG Platinum members.
It can take up to a week for transfers to complete, so make your transfer as far in advance as possible.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| 💳 Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express |
|
| 💳 Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express Not Sure? > 45 Best Ways You Can Use SPG Points |
|
6. Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi ThankYou Rewards is one of the credit cards partners in the Etihad Guest Programme. Simply earn points with your Citi ThankYou Premier Card or Citi Prestige Card and transfer them to your Etihad Guest account at a 1:1 ratio.
It takes a minimum of 3 business days for the transfer to occur.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| Citi Prestige® Card |
|
| Citi ThankYou® Preferred Card |
|
| Citi ThankYou® Premier Card |
|
7. Other Hotel Loyalty Program Conversions
You have the option to transfer miles from several other hotel loyalty programs as well. Here is a list of all transfer ratios:
| Hotel | Transfer Ratio |
| Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) | 10,000:2,000 |
| Marriott Reward Points | 10,000:1,500 |
| Hilton Honors | 10,000:1,000 |
| Hyatt | 2.5:1 |
| Radisson Blu | 10:1 |
| Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | 1:1 |
| AccorHotels | 4,000:2,000 |
Remember, you can also earn hotel points with hotel credit cards, just like we showed you in the Starwood Preferred Guest tip above. For instance, the following cards are available to earn points with Marriott and Hilton hotels.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
| 💳 Hilton Honors™ Ascend Card from American Express Need Inspiration? > 11 Best Ways To Use Hilton Points |
|
| 💳 Hilton Honors™ Card from American Express |
|
| 💳 Marriott Rewards® Premier Plus Credit Card |
|
| Chase IHG® Rewards Club Select Credit Card |
|
| Chase Hyatt Credit Card |
|
Earn Miles Through Partner Travel
8. Fly Partner Airlines
Etihad partner airlines offer the opportunity to travel to even more destinations. These codeshare partners use Etihad Airways flight numbers but allow you to fly on a partner airline for a segment of your trip.
You earn miles for flying on the Etihad Airways code of these flights (not codeshare services operated by SNCF) as long as you include your Etihad Guest Number when booking your trip.
Just a quick note about booking awards on these partner airlines: while Etihad award flights may be booked online, you must redeem miles for partner awards over the phone by calling the Guest Services Centre at 877-690-0767 at least 14 days in advance.
The table below shows the Etihad Guest Miles earning percentage for each partner airline. Use the links for more information about the airline.
| Airline | Miles Percentage | Airline | Miles Percentage |
| Air New Zealand | 100%-150% | GOL | 50%-150% |
| Air Serbia* | 25%-175% | Hainan Airlines | 50%-200% |
| Air Seychelles* | 25%-175% | Jet Airways* | 50%-200% of miles flown |
| Airberlin* | 25%-150% | Korean Air | 50%-180% |
| Alitalia* | 50%-300% | Malaysia Airlines | 0%-150% |
| All Nippon Airways | 50%-150% | Oman Air | 25%-300% |
| American Airlines | 100%-150% | Philippine Airlines | 75%-125% |
| Asiana Airlines | 0%-200% | Royal Air Maroc | 50%-150% |
| Bangkok Airways | 50%-150% | South African Airways | 50%-125% |
| Brussels Airlines | 25%-150% | SriLankan Airlines | 50%-200% |
| Czech Airlines | 50%-150% | Ukraine International Airlines | 10%-150% |
| Etihad Regional* | 50%-125% | Virgin Australia | 50%-200% |
| Garuda Indonesia | 25%-200% |
*Airberlin, Alitalia, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Etihad Regional, Jet Airways, and NIKI are considered “Etihad Airways Partners” and provide the same frequent flyer privileges as Etihad Airways, including priority check-in, priority boarding, lounge access, bonus miles, and baggage allowances.
Together they provide a network of more than 400 destinations across 6 continents.
9. The American Airlines Partnership
Are you an American Airlines AAdvantage member? Not only can you earn Etihad Guest Miles for travel on American Airlines, American Eagle, and AmericanConnection flights, but you can also earn AAdvantage Miles on flights marketed and operated by Etihad Airways!
You can even earn AAdvantage Miles on Etihad Airways codeshare flights operated by American Airlines!
10. Hotel Partner Stays
The following hotels offer Etihad Guest Miles per night or $1 spent. Use the links to find specific offer details for each of the hotel loyalty programs.
| Hotel | Miles/Stay | Hotel | Miles/Stay | Hotel | Miles/Stay |
| Atlantis the Palm, Dubai | 1 mile/$1 | Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts | 1 mile/$1 | Preferred Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles |
| Constance Hotels and Resorts | 1 mile/$1 | Kaligo.com | up to 10,000 miles/night | Radisson Blu | Up to 500 miles per stay |
| Cristal Hotels & Resorts | 1 mile/$1 | Marriott | Up to 2 miles per $1 | Raffles Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles |
| Danat Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles | Millennium and Copthorne | 500 miles | Rocketmiles | 500-10,000 miles |
| Dusit Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles | Minor Hotels | 500 miles | Rotana | 500 miles |
| Fairmont Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles | Merrion Dublin | Up to 2 miles/$1 | Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts | 500 miles |
| Hilton Honors | *varies | Movenpick Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles | Swissotel Hotels & Resorts | 500 miles |
| Hyatt | 300-500 miles | One to One Hotels & Resorts | 1 mile/$1 | Taj Group | 500 miles |
| IHG | 500 miles | PointsHound | 2-15 miles/$1 | Viceroy Hotels & Resorts | 1 mile/$1 |
*In the Hilton Hotel Honors loyalty program, members may choose points & fixed miles (up to 500 miles/stay and 10 Honors points per U.S. dollar spent), OR points & variable miles (1 mile and 10 Honors points per U.S. dollar spent per stay).
11. Rental Car Bookings
Etihad Airways partners with 6 transportation partners to give you plenty of opportunities for earning Etihad Guest Miles. The table below includes current offers and links to more information:
| Tier | Avis | Budget | Europcar | Hertz | Sixt | Careem |
| Etihad Guest | 500 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 550 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 1 mi/$2 |
| Etihad Silver | 650 mi/rental | 625 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 675 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 1 mi/$2 |
| Etihad Gold | 775 mi/rental/td> | 750 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 800 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 1 mi/$2 |
| Etihad Platinum | 880 mi/rental | 800 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 825 mi/rental | 500 mi/rental | 1 mi/$2 |
12. Book Etihad Holidays
Choose from all-inclusive trips, family vacations, beach holidays, and more with Etihad Holidays and earn Guest Miles at the same time. Whether you want to take a tour, safari, cruise, or another trip, there is something for everyone.
Search available destinations and offers at Etihad Holidays and call 800-839-9852 to book a trip.
13. Book With Cruise Partners
Choose from 30 cruise brands when booking a trip through Cruise Master, and then earn 1 Etihad Guest Mile per every $1 spent on your booking. You must book online to get the miles.
Also, earn 1 mile per $1 spent when booking through Luxury Cruise Portfolio, which includes brands such as Windstar Cruises and Holland America Line.
14. Miles Plus Cash
Etihad Airlines allows you to purchase up to 25% of the miles needed for a reward when making a redemption. It can be a great way to maximize your earnings!
When searching for a reward, choose the Miles Plus Cash option. Use the slider on the page to check both the total miles needed as well as the minimum number of miles that must be redeemed. It will display how much it costs to purchase the miles you’re allowed to buy.
By taking advantage of this option, you can pick up miles at a huge saving. For instance, we found Miles Plus Cash offers that allow you to buy miles for as low as $0.09 each!
You must book the reward online through the website and not by phone.
Earn Guest Miles While Shopping
15. Etihad Guest Earn Mall
Shop at the Etihad Guest Rewards Mall and earn points for purchases. Just make sure to set the site to the United States and U.S. Dollar at the top of the page for accuracy. Then you can filter by category, check out the featured departments, and look for the best deals.
16. Read The Economist
Earn 3,000 miles when you order the print plus online edition of The Economist with a weekly subscription package. You’ll receive 77% off the cover price.
Special Programs for Earning Etihad Guest Miles
17. Complete Surveys With E-Rewards
Participate in market research surveys with E-Rewards and watch your Etihad Miles balance grow. You’ll receive E-Rewards currency for taking surveys, which can then be converted to Etihad Guest Miles (up to 8,000 per year). In the U.S. and Canada, the following earning rates apply:
| E-Rewards Currency | Earned Guest Miles |
| $25 | 500 |
| $50 | 1,000 |
| $100 | 2,000 |
To be considered, make sure your communications preferences are set to “Partner Offers” in your Etihad Guest Programme account.
18. Educational Courses
Gostudylink offers over 800 language and education courses in 9 countries. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent to learn about subjects like speaking Italian, studying abroad, and more.
Or earn up to 4,500 miles by taking online language lessons with Language Direct; more than 41 languages are available!
In Conclusion
Earning Etihad Guest Miles can be a breeze if you know all the opportunities that are out there. Hopefully, the strategies we discussed in this article have shown you all that is possible!
Now it’s time to start earning miles, so you can redeem them for Etihad flights and other rewards!
Photo Credits
Etihad Airways A380 Feature Photo: Dmitry Birin/Shutterstock.com
Like this? Pin it on Pinterest!
