Etihad Guest Alters Cancellation and Change Policies on Award Tickets — And It’s Not Good

Etihad Guest has updated its policies and fee structure for changing or canceling award tickets.

This is the second time the program has updated these policies and fees this year — and the third time since the beginning of 2024. Unfortunately, it’s not great news for travelers.

Here’s what you need to know.

Etihad Guest’s Latest Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Policies

Etihad Guest has updated its policies and fees regarding changes and cancellations for award tickets, as noted by One Mile at a Time. This is the third time the program has updated these guidelines recently, and each time has brought bad news for travelers. The latest change is no exception.

The program has brought GuestSeat award tickets in line with its paid tickets, which means there are 3 fare bundles — Value, Comfort, and Deluxe — and each has a different policy regarding changes or cancellations.

Here’s a look at the latest fees and policies applicable to tickets booked on or after November 13, 2025:

As you can see, the policies are differentiated by whether you book a Value, Comfort, or Deluxe ticket, with Value being the most strict and Deluxe being the most flexible. However, these changes are negative across the board.

Neither changes nor cancellations are permitted — no matter the fare bucket you choose — if you attempt to do so within 72 hours of departure.

If you want to change your ticket more than 72 hours prior to departure, you’ll have to pay about $163 if you’ve booked a Value fare and $54 if you booked a Comfort fare. If you want to cancel a ticket more than 72 hours in advance of departure, you’re unable to with a Value fare, and you’ll be charged 25% of your ticket price if you booked a Comfort fare.

If you booked a Deluxe fare, changes and cancellations are free if done more than 72 hours in advance of departure. Note that first class tickets only have 2 fare buckets: Comfort and Deluxe.

Simply put, Etihad Guest has removed any sort of flexibility within 72 hours of departure, no matter what kind of ticket you purchase. This is bad news all around for travelers, who will now be “stuck” if something happens within 3 days of departure. Hope you don’t get sick!

It’s an especially odd move from Etihad Guest, considering that the rest of the industry is moving away from charging change or cancellation fees. Making things worse, Etihad charges different fees at different times for each fare bundle, making it even more difficult for travelers to keep track. This will likely lead to frustration when travelers are inevitably caught off guard by the latest round of changes.

Final Thoughts

Etihad Guest has made yet another change to its change and cancellation policies and fees for award tickets. Unfortunately, it’s another negative change for travelers, who are largely left with less flexibility and steep fees unless you book the most expensive fares available. Even then, you still can’t make any last-minute changes when life gets in the way of your travel plans.