Unlocking a Hidden Sweet Spot: Etihad Guest Redemptions for Short-Haul Flights

Etihad Guest isn’t a program we discuss much, it doesn’t usually offer standout value beyond booking Etihad Airways’ own premium cabin awards. However, I recently came across some intriguing redemption and cash opportunities that might make it worth a second look–particularly for short-haul flights with Air Canada and American Airlines.

Etihad Guest Program in a Nutshell

Let’s go over some basics of Etihad Guest, the loyalty program of Etihad Airways.

Unless you’re flying Etihad, the easiest way to earn Etihad Guest miles is through transfer partners. In Canada, Amex Membership Rewards (MR) points transfer to Etihad Guest at a ratio of 1:0.75. In the US, Amex MR, Citi ThankYou Points, and Capital One Miles transfer at a 1:1 ratio, making it relatively easy to accumulate miles.

For redemptions, Etihad Guest has two separate award charts–one for Etihad Airways flights and another for partner airlines–both are distance-based. Etihad has a number of airline partners from all three airline alliances and others, but unfortunately redemptions aren’t available on all of them.

When redeeming miles, it is important to note that Etihad Guest does pass on carrier-imposed surcharges which should be factored into the overall cost of the redemption.

Etihad Guest is also known for having a notoriously horrible cancellation policy. You cannot cancel an award ticket within 24 hours of departure. Up to 24 hours prior to your flight, you can receive a partial refund of your miles and taxes based on when you cancel a flight, as follows:

• Within 7 days of departure: 75% of the miles redeemed will be forfeited.
• Between 8 and 21 days before departure: 50% of the miles redeemed will be forfeited.
• 21 or more days before departure: 25% of the miles redeemed will be forfeited.

With these in mind, let’s get to the sweet spot…

The Short-Haul Sweet Spot

Partner redemptions use a distance-based pricing model, and while I couldn’t find a current award chart, searches indicate that flights within the 0–500 mile distance band are priced at 6,000 Etihad Guest miles for economy class and 20,000 miles for business class.

As an award redemption, 6,000 miles can be a great value for short-haul flights, especially when dynamic pricing with other programs isn’t in your favour, such as can be the case with booking Air Canada flights with Aeroplan and American Airlines flights with