Etihad Airways is undergoing a transformation. Since onboarding Antonoaldo Neves as its new chief executive in 2022, the UAE's national airline has placed new aircraft orders, hired more crew, moved to a brand new home and added a host of destinations to its network. Now, it's introducing an updated frequent flyer programme.
“In February we announced that the Etihad Guest programme would be going through a refresh this summer in which we would introduce new features allowing for a more autonomous experience for members and rewarding them for their loyalty,” says Mark Potter, managing director of Etihad Guest in an interview with The National.
The programme has remained the same for a decade, so what does the overhaul mean for members?
Members can choose their own perks
“The three main pillars are offering guests a simplified programme, giving loyal members a more rewarding experience and allowing members more autonomy on how they choose to journey with us,” explains Potter.
The first airline in the region to introduce personalised perks for frequent flyers, Etihad's programme allows members to select a custom group of benefits in addition to the core benefits that everyone receives.
Silver members can select two options from a list of perks including lounge access at Zayed International Airport, free seat selection and discounts on additional baggage.
Gold members can select four services and have more to choose from, such as chauffeur services and home-check in facilities. Meanwhile, platinum members can choose six rewards, including options like first-class lounge access and complimentary upgrades.
Members who don't select custom benefits automatically receive a default suite of perks. Travellers just starting out on the programme can register for the airline's bronze tier and avail one of its core benefits – complimentary Wi-Fi for chat services on flights.
In addition to offering a more personalised service, Etihad has also slashed the price of guest seats – the fares that members can book using miles – by 25 per cent. As global travel demand continues to rise, with the International Air Transport Association reporting a record high load factor in May and airfares rising, this might be a surprising move but, for Potter, it makes sense.
“We are enjoying strong demand in terms of flying, which means that seats can generally be a little harder to attain. But because we’ve made some changes to the expiry of miles, we want our members to have the ability to redeem them faster,” he explains.
Faster expiration dates and new flying obligations
Changes to mile expiration is one drawback for members in the new programme. Miles now expire after 18 months, compared to upwards of 24 months under the previous scheme. But the reduction does not apply to platinum members.
And travellers will also need to fly more often to retain their tier status. “There is now a need to fly with Etihad, or our partner airlines, to gain tier status, which is pretty standard across the world,” says Potter.
Previously, members could retain their status using miles earned from spending on credit cards and with the airline's lifestyle partners, such as select malls in Abu Dhabi. But now members need to earn a set number of miles from flying. Parner airlines that can be used include Air Canada, KLM, JetBlue and SriLankan Airlines.
Frequent flyers who rack up miles also have a new way to spend them. Etihad Guest members have the option to pay to fly in Etihad's The Residence – the world's only three-room suite in the sky – with miles. Applicable on flights from Abu Dhabi to London, Paris and New York, members can buy into first class, then use their miles to pay the difference to upgrade to The Residence, or can purchase tickets outright for the cabin using only miles. Fares start at 300,000 miles, for one person travelling to London or Paris.
It's a benefit that's likely to be used by some of Etihad's most loyal customers, those who spend more than $150,000 a year with the airline. Although this will effectively be for a limited number of passengers – in the hundreds rather than the thousands – an exclusive new tier segment has been unveiled to reward these travellers.
It's called the diamond tier and aims to give travellers unique benefits, not included in any of the other tiers. Exactly what these benefits are is a secret.
“The tier is going to be curated to the member and we'll be developing experiences for them based on their preferences,” says Potter.
Insider tips: Book early and double-dip
After spending months researching airline loyalty programmes, Potter has a few tips on how to maximise the benefits.
“When it comes to spending miles, my biggest tip would be to plan in advance,” he says. “There are always going to be more guest seats available further out and the rates will almost always be more affordable.
“We have millions of seats available for guests, including on popular flights like to London or Australia or the Maldives. You just need to book in advance.”
Using co-branded credit cards and spending with the airline's lifestyle partners is another “no-brainer”, says Potter.
“If you fly a certain amount, you should complement the amount of miles you accrue with a co-brand credit card,” he advises. “My other biggest recommendation would be double dipping – if you spend on your credit card and also spend on Talabat orders or at Aldar malls or by purchasing flights, you can essentially earn double the amount of miles, or a multiplier of that.”
