Find out how to apply
Etihad has another air mile promotion and of course Miles Logistic wasn’t going to leave you out, follow our article and watch the video below to learn more.
Etihad Guest is back with yet another Buy Miles promotion, giving you an easy path to discount flights on airlines such as American Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Royal Air Maroc. Etihad Airways is headquartered in Abu Dhabi, but its unique partnerships make Etihad Miles extremely valuable, no matter your destination.
This new promotion offers a bonus of up to 45% on purchased miles, reducing the cost of Etihad Guest miles to just 1.38 cents per mile. One Mile at a Time announced the promotion for the first time. Here, we’ll take a closer look at the data and discuss whether this sale is worth taking advantage of. We’ll also show you some ways to redeem Etihad Miles to the fullest. Let’s dive!
For more TPG news delivered each morning to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Buying Etihad Guest Miles with a 45% Bonus
Until June 1, 2022, you can buy Etihad Miles with up to a 45% bonus. You will receive the highest bonus when you purchase at least 41,000 miles – see the breakdown:
Buy 4,000 to 20,000 miles and get a 15% bonus.
Buy 21,000 to 40,000 miles and get a 25% bonus.
Buy 41,000 to 100,000 miles and get a 45% bonus.
You must purchase miles in increments of 1,000, but you can purchase up to 100,000 miles per year not including the bonus (or 150,000 miles for Platinum members).
Etihad normally sells miles at 2 cents each, but this promotion will reduce its effective price to 1.38 cents per mile at the 45% bonus level. TPG values Etihad Guest Miles at 1.4 cents each, which makes purchasing Etihad Guest Miles during this promotion a good deal if you have a specific redemption in mind
Should You Buy Etihad Miles?
We do not normally recommend speculative purchase of miles. This is because loyalty program coins are not a good long-term investment and have a lease to devalue over time. There is nothing to stop a program from changing its reward tables without notice, which could leave you with a balance of points or miles that you can no longer use.
It’s also important to note that you can quickly earn Etihad Miles by transferring points from cards like the American Express Capital One Venture Rewards credit card and Platinum Card®. The following transferable point currencies are transferred to Etihad Guest:
American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio).
Citi ThankYou Rewards (1:1 transfer ratio).
Capital One (1:1 transfer ratio).
Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 transfer ratio).
If you have a large balance on any of these programs, save your money and transfer points to Etihad Guest.
However, if you have a specific flight in mind, purchasing miles can be a great way to book your flight at a discount. This method is most useful if you have your eye on premium cabin rewards, such as an upscale international business class seat.
For example, you can book a one-way flight from Miami, New York or Washington, D.C. to Casablanca, Morocco in Royal Air Maroc business class for 44,000 miles. This is a solid deal as the flight usually costs over $1,500 one-way.
When you buy miles at 1.38 cents each, you would pay about $607 for this flight. Using purchased miles will allow you to fly for approximately half of what you would normally pay. Just know that you will not earn redeemable or elite qualifying miles on award flights.
You can also consider booking a premium class flight to Europe on American Airlines. Etihad’s US rewards table essentially retains premium rates prior to the 2016 AAdvantage devaluation, so you can book the following flights:
Business Class: 50,000 one-way miles ($690 with current promotion).
Flagship First Class: 62,500 one-way miles ($870 with current promotion as you need to buy 63,000 miles).
These flights regularly cost thousands of dollars, so this can represent spectacular value. American award space can be difficult to find, so find award space before purchasing miles. You can do this with your favorite Oneworld search engine.
You can also travel from the West Coast to Japan in ANA Business Class for 54,000 Etihad Miles one-way. At a rate of 1.38 cents each, you will spend $745 on the miles required for this flight. Business class flights to Japan typically cost $2,000 or more, so you’re guaranteed at least 50% off when you buy miles.
Be sure to check out our complete Etihad Guest partner guide for more inspiration. Other notable partners include Air Canada, Brussels Airlines and GOL Airlines.
Regardless of which route you book, remember to compare the cost of your award ticket with other partners to ensure you’re getting the best deal. For example, you may find that you can get a better deal on Air Canada flights using the airline’s own Aeroplan loyalty program.
One last thing: It is generally best to book Etihad Award Tickets using American Airlines AAdvantage miles. You’ll spend around 100,000 Etihad Guest Miles on a one-way business class flight from New York to Abu Dhabi. That equates to $1,380 when you buy miles during this promotion, which is still better than paying cash. On the other hand, you can only use 70,000 US miles to book the same ticket.
Use The Right Credit Card:
When you purchase Etihad Miles, your purchase is processed by Points.com, not Etihad. Points.com transactions are not coded as travel, so you will not earn bonus rewards for using an airline spending card as a bonus category.
Instead, consider using one of the best credit cards for everyday spending, such as The Blue Business® Plus credit card from American Express, Chase Freedom Unlimited®, or the Capital One Venture Rewards credit card. Each of these cards earns you more than 1 point or mile per dollar spent on all purchases, which gives you a better return than most cards.
Final Result:
Etihad Guest Miles can add a lot of value when you use them for partner flights. While this isn’t the best deal we’ve seen for Etihad miles, it might be worth it if you value Etihad status and want to book discounted travel later in the year. Know, though, that we’ve seen Etihad sell miles for as little as 1.2 cents each in the past, so you can get a better deal by waiting.