Point Systems Etihad Guest

Airline
Points are relatively easy to collect, though we don't love the bank partners or transfer options as much.
Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest

#18 Among Airlines

Point Value

1.20 ¢

Hobby Score

3.7

View Ratings

Sweet Spots

Domestic US flights
Domestic US flights
See More Sweet Spots

Top Transfers

1:1
Capital One Miles
92% Value Retained
1:1
Amex Membership Rewards
75% Value Retained
See More Transfers

Booking Tips For This Reward Program

Book premium cabins far in advance
Use miles for upgrades
Avoid These Pitfalls

Key Takeaways

Etihad Guest is mostly valuable for partner redemptions, but they’ve become harder to use.

  • Etihad has a consolidated award chart for partners that was severely devalued, eliminating almost all of the former sweet spots
  • Etihad flights themselves tend to have high surcharges and inconsistent availability.
  • But it’s often the best way to book a premium cabin ticket on the airline with points as they release availability way ahead of partners
  • Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Marriott, but not all are instant.
  • This program can be useful for niche redemptions but is not user-friendly for casual travelers.

Reward Program Ratings

1.20¢
Point Value
Yes
Points Expire
Yes
to Spouse
Yes
to Friends

Hobby Score

3.7
Brand Footprint 2
Real World Practicality 2
Earn/Redeem Efficiency 2
Policy Fairness 8
Ease of Holding 4
Product Quality 4

Travel Partner Transfers

Transfers In

Capital One Miles
92% Value Retained
1:1
Amex Membership Rewards
75% Value Retained
1:1
Citi ThankYou Rewards
75% Value Retained
1:1
Marriott Bonvoy
57% Value Retained
3:1
IHG One Rewards
40% Value Retained
5:1
World of Hyatt
28% Value Retained
5:2
Hilton Honors
24% Value Retained
10:1

Transfers Out

No direct transfers out of Etihad Guest. Etihad Guest generally cannot be moved to other point programs.

Points Transfer Guide

5,500 Etihad Guest Points

Transferable Points

Transfer to
Spouse
5,219,403
19,000
74% Value Retained
No
125,000
45,000
85% Value Retained
Yes
34,950
2,000
12% Value Retained
Yes
Total Points Available Including all transfers
30,480

How to Earn Miles

Etihad is not part of an airline alliance, but it partners with more than 20 airlines, including carriers from each major alliance. You can earn miles by flying on Etihad or any of its partners. While Etihad does not offer a co-branded credit card in the U.S., it partners with American Express, Capital One, and Citi for points transfers, along with several hotel programs (though hotel transfer ratios are typically poor).

Earn by Flying Etihad

You can earn Etihad Guest miles by flying directly on Etihad. Your earnings depend on your elite status and the class of service you book. Use Etihad’s miles calculator to see how many miles you’ll earn on a specific flight.

Earn by Opening Transferable Miles Cards

If you hold a transferable points card from American Express, Citi, or Capital One, you can transfer points to Etihad at 1:1 ratios. These are the easiest ways to top up your Etihad Guest balance for award redemptions.

Flying with Partners (alliance and non-alliance partners)

Etihad partners with more than 20 airlines worldwide. American Airlines and Air Canada are the two North American partners. You can earn Etihad Guest miles when you fly with any partner airline. Each partner has its own earning chart, so check the specific partner page to see how many miles you’ll earn based on booking class.

Other Options to Earn

You can earn or transfer points from various hotel partners. When earning through a hotel partner, you enter your Etihad Guest number and earn airline miles instead of hotel points. The hotel’s own earning rate is almost always better, but if you don’t care about that hotel’s loyalty program, it can still be an easy way to add Guest Miles. Etihad also partners with several hotel programs for point transfers, but we don’t recommend doing this unless you only need a small top up. Hotel-to-Etihad transfer ratios are generally poor.

There are a few other ways to earn Etihad Guest Miles, though none will add meaningful amounts:

How to Redeem Miles

The best way to redeem your Etihad Guest miles is to book airfare on Etihad or one of its 20+ partner airlines. Here are a few notes on booking award flights with Etihad Guest miles:

  • Etihad uses two award charts - one for its own flights and one for partner flights.
  • Both are distance based but not fixed.
  • Prices shown are the minimum costs for GuestSeats, which are Etihad’s saver awards.
  • If a price is higher than what's on the chart, it means GuestSeats are sold out.
  • Note that even when GuestSeats are available, awards can still higher than stated on the chart because they are priced dynamically.
  • Etihad passes on carrier-imposed surcharges. These can make award tickets expensive, especially in premium cabins.
  • You can book some partner awards online, but others require calling Etihad.

After Etihad moved to a consolidated partner award chart in 2023 and then devalued most partner awards in 2024, there are very few true sweet spots left. You’ll often find better award prices by booking directly through that partner’s own loyalty program or through its other partners.

Sweet Spots Finder

Look at the chart below to find the best sweet spots for this airline. Use the filters to find the optimal Sweet Spot for your trip and points.

Award System

Etihad Guest

Visit Etihad Guest

Max. Point Value 1.20 ¢

Do Points Expire? Yes

Point Transfer Options

Transfer To Spouse/Partner Yes

Transfer To Friends Yes - $$

You load your points. We’ll show you valuation and transfer options.

Add My Points

Travel Partner Transfers

Outside Point System Etihad Guest

Transfers In From
Point Transfer Options
Amex Membership Rewards

1:1 75% value retained

Point Transfer Options
Hilton Honors

10:1 24% value retained

Point Transfer Options
World of Hyatt

5:2 28% value retained

Point Transfer Options
Citi ThankYou Rewards

1:1 75% value retained

Point Transfer Options
IHG One Rewards

5:1 40% value retained

Point Transfer Options
Marriott Bonvoy

3:1 57% value retained

Point Transfer Options
Capital One Miles

1:1 92% value retained

View All Point Transfer Options »

The Highlights

Etihad Guest is mostly valuable for partner redemptions, but they’ve become harder to use.

  • Etihad has a consolidated award chart for partners that was severely devalued, eliminating almost all of the former sweet spots
  • Etihad flights themselves tend to have high surcharges and inconsistent availability.
  • But it’s often the best way to book a premium cabin ticket on the airline with points as they release availability way ahead of partners
  • Transfers from Amex, Citi, Capital One, and Marriott, but not all are instant.
  • This program can be useful for niche redemptions but is not user-friendly for casual travelers.

What to Know About This Point System

Etihad has been named “World’s Leading Airline” at the World Travel Awards every year since 2009. It serves 68 countries, including U.S. cities such as New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and San Francisco. Then, why, you may be asking yourself, am I not familiar with them? It may be because their system is more of a potential booking portal than a point accumulation partner.

What you will be familiar with, however, is 20+ of their airline partners, including American Airlines. While Etihad isn't part of any major airline alliance, accumulating points is easier than you may think because you can transfer American Express Rewards, Citi Thank You rewards and Marriott points directly to Etihad Guest. This is a great option because Etihad Guest Miles are often worth more for flights on American Airlines than American’s own points. International Business class tickets are usually the best value found here -- or you can use miles for on-board upgrades and extras.

There’s also an option to transfer miles to cash through PointsPay. This program has 3 tiers of membership: Silver, Gold and Gold Elite. Reaching Gold Elite status grants perks such as 75% bonus miles and first-class lounge access. Note that miles expire 2 years after crediting for Silver members, 2.5 years after crediting for Gold members and 3 years after crediting for Gold Elite members.

But the annual fees on Etihad's cards generally outweigh the bonuses unless you’re all in on Etihad, which would likely be UAE residents.

How to Redeem

The best way to redeem your Etihad Guest miles is to book airfare on Etihad or one of its 20+ partner airlines. Here are a few notes on booking award flights with Etihad Guest miles:

  • Etihad uses two award charts - one for its own flights and one for partner flights.
  • Both are distance based but not fixed.
  • Prices shown are the minimum costs for GuestSeats, which are Etihad’s saver awards.
  • If a price is higher than what's on the chart, it means GuestSeats are sold out.
  • Note that even when GuestSeats are available, awards can still higher than stated on the chart because they are priced dynamically.
  • Etihad passes on carrier-imposed surcharges. These can make award tickets expensive, especially in premium cabins.
  • You can book some partner awards online, but others require calling Etihad.

After Etihad moved to a consolidated partner award chart in 2023 and then devalued most partner awards in 2024, there are very few true sweet spots left. You’ll often find better award prices by booking directly through that partner’s own loyalty program or through its other partners.

Visit Etihad Guest

Status Levels Explained

Etihad has five tiers of status. Bronze is the entry-level tier for all Etihad Guest members, and you receive it automatically when you sign up for a free account. As a Bronze member, you’ll receive free Wi-Fi for messaging apps on board and access to GuestSeats, which are reduced-fare award seats.

To reach higher tiers, you must earn Tier Miles. Tier Miles are earned based on the number of miles flown and the cabin class you book. Once you qualify for a higher tier, your status is valid for 12 months.

Etihad Guest