18 Best Ways To Earn Lots of Etihad Airways Guest Programme Miles
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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)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a welcome bonus of 60,000 points after spending $5,000 in your first 3 months. This is our favorite card for getting into 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide (including Priority Pass) and we get about $1,500+ in value from the card every year. Plus, get up to $200 in Uber credits annually ($15 per month and a $20 bonus in December) — and up to $200 in annual credit for airline incidental charges (e.g. baggage fees). For rates and fees of the Platinum Card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - We love using this card as it earns 4x points at restaurants worldwide and 4x points at US supermarkets (up to $25,000; then 1x). With a welcome bonus of 35,000 points after you spend $2,000 in your first 3 months and a $100 airfare credit per year, for many this is an easy addition to your wallet. For rates and fees of the Gold Card, click here. |
Recommended Amex Cards (Business)
| The Business Platinum Card® from American Express - Even though this card carries a hefty annual fee, we get ~$1,250+ in value per year by leveraging as many of the benefits/perks card. Get access to 1,200+ airport lounges worldwide, $200 in airline fee credits for incidentals (e.g. baggage fees) and a lot more. Also, earn a welcome bonus of up to 75,000 points (terms apply). For rates and fees of the Business Platinum, click here. |
| American Express® Business Gold Card - probably our favorite Amex business card because we earn 4x points across the top 2 select categories that we spend the most money in each month. The 4x points applies to the first $150,000 in combined purchases from these 2 categories each calendar year. This means you'll max out at a (whopping) 600,000 points per year. After that, you earn 1x. For rates and fees of the Business Gold Card, click here. |
| The Blue Business℠ Plus Credit Card from American Express - This is a real simple card that earns you 2x points on business purchases up to $50,000 annually (then 1x). There's no annual fee. For rates and fees of The Blue Business Plus, click here. |
5. Capital One Miles
Capital One miles now transfer to Etihad Guest at a 2:1.5 ratio. Instead of redeeming your Capital One miles in the Capital One Travel Portal for cash tickets, you now have the option to transfer them to your Etihad Guest account.
Using Etihad Guest miles can potentially save a ton of miles when looking to book first or business class tickets by using the Etihad Guest award chart compared to 1 cent per point of the cash ticket price using the Capital One Travel Portal.
Make sure you have a Capital One card that has the transferable miles feature. Here are our picks:
Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Personal)
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card - This is an excellent card for those looking to earn 10x miles per $1 across thousands of hotels. With a 20,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $200) after spending $1,000 within the first 3 months and no annual fee, it's a strong choice. |
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - A card for the more serious traveler. Earn a 50,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $500) once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening — and 10X miles per $1 spent across thousands of hotels. The annual fee is $0 intro for the first year, then $95 after that. |
Recommended Capital One Cards That Earn Miles (Business)
| Capital One® Spark® Miles Select for Business - This no annual fee card has a 20,000 mile sign up bonus after meeting the minimum spend of $3,000 within the first 3 months. Save on interest with 0% intro APR on purchases for 9 months; 15.24% - 23.24% variable APR after that. |
| Capital One® Spark® Miles for Business - Earn 50,000 miles once you spend $4,500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. Annual fee: $0 intro for first year; $95 after that. |
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 ThankYou® Premier Card |
|
| Citi Prestige® Card |
|
7. Marriott Credit Cards
You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to Etihad at a transfer rate of 3:1. Plus, for every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive an extra 5,000 Etihad miles bonus.
8. 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 | 3,000:1,000 as of August 18, 2018 |
| Hilton | 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. For instance, the following cards are available to earn points with Marriott and Hilton hotels.
| CREDIT CARD | CARD INFO |
|---|---|
Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card |
|
| Hilton Honors American Express Card |
|
Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ card |
|
| IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card |
|
| Chase Hyatt Credit Card |
|
Earn Miles Through Partner Travel
9. 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 |
| Alitalia* | 50%-300% | Korean Air | 50%-180% |
| All Nippon Airways | 50%-150% | Malaysia Airlines | 0%-150% |
| American Airlines | 100%-150% | Oman Air | 25%-300% |
| Asiana Airlines | 0%-200% | Philippine Airlines | 75%-125% |
| Bangkok Airways | 50%-150% | Royal Air Maroc | 50%-150% |
| Brussels Airlines | 25%-150% | South African Airways | 50%-125% |
| Czech Airlines | 50%-150% | SriLankan Airlines | 50%-200% |
| Etihad Regional* | 50%-125% | Ukraine International Airlines | 10%-150% |
| Garuda Indonesia | 25%-200% | Virgin Australia | 50%-200% |
*Alitalia, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Etihad Regional, and Jet Airways 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.
Hot Tip: For more information, check out this in depth guide to help you know where to credit your airline miles.
10. 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!
11. 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 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).
12. 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 |
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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
16. 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.
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
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The Economist no longer works with Etihad Guest. It is not listed as a partner anymore https://www.etihadguest.com/en/earn-miles/more-partners.html
Thank you for pointing that out, we’ve updated the post to reflect the change.