Buy Etihad Guest Miles With up to a 35% Discount

Etihad Airways is a Middle Eastern airline based in Abu Dhabi that has become popular for its opulent first class.

While it’s regarded as a member of the “Middle East 3” (along with Emirates and Qatar Airways), Etihad is not in any of the world’s 3 major airline alliances. Instead, it operates a variety of individual partnerships with specific airlines, including American Airlines.

And a new promotion lets you buy Etihad miles with up to a 35% discount, dropping the price as low as 2.08 cents per mile, and there’s no end date listed for this offer. Is buying miles at that price worth it?

Let’s take a look at the details to find out.

Buy Etihad Miles — Promotion Details

With this new promotion, you’ll be able to buy Etihad miles for as little as 2.08 cents each — not nearly as good as the last offer for Etihad Guest miles, which was 1.33 cents each. However, that’s a rare price.

The per-mile price during this sale is above our valuation of 1.4 cents per Etihad Guest mile, meaning it won’t make sense to buy miles unless you have a good use for them or just need to top up your account for a redemption.

However, the price you’ll pay for each mile depends on how many you buy, and it’s worth pointing out that there was a big devaluation of the Etihad Guest program in 2023 (discussed below).

This is a tiered offer, meaning you’ll get a better discount the more miles you purchase:

• Buy 1,000 to 2,000 miles without a discount
• Buy 3,000 to 10,000 miles with a 10% discount
• Buy 11,000 to 25,000 miles with a 15% discount
• Buy 26,000+ miles with a 35% discount (2.08 cents per mile)
• Direct link to purchase

If you purchase at least 26,000 miles, you’ll reach the best discount and pay 2.08 cents per mile.

Here are some more details you should be aware of:

• This promotion doesn’t mention an end date.
• You must buy miles in increments of 1,000 miles.
• Purchases will be credited to your account within 72 hours
• Purchases are non-refundable
• Members can buy a maximum of 200,000 miles per year (not including any bonus miles), though Platinum members can buy up to 300,000 miles.

Is It Worth It?

The Etihad Guest rewards program is less popular than other airline programs for award travel, possibly because its system is difficult to use. Although travelers can now book American Airlines and Virgin Australia award flights online, you’ll need to call the airline to book other award flights. That’s because Etihad’s website doesn’t show or provide options for booking these other partners online.

There’s also the fact Etihad launched a zone-based award chart in early 2023, eliminating nearly of its previous award sweet spots with partner airlines. Therefore, its promotions for buying miles are less compelling than offers to buy Etihad miles pre-2023 — unless you’ve got a specific redemption in mind or know how to redeem miles at good value.

However, you may not need to buy Etihad Guest miles at all. Etihad receives transfers from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Rove Miles at a 1:1 ratio, as well as 3:1 transfers from Marriott Bonvoy.

Final Thoughts

Etihad Guest is selling miles for as little as 2.08 cents apiece. This price is above our valuation of these miles, and it’s not nearly as good as the price available during the last sale. That said, buying now might make sense for some people; be sure that’s you before pulling out your wallet.

Even though Etihad requires you to call to book many of its partner airlines, you can find award availability using other programs’ websites, including British Airways and Qantas, to ensure your desired seats are available before purchasing miles for a redemption. That helps you know that your desired seats are available before you pull out your wallet.