Etihad Guest Worsens Mileage Expiration Policy - Etihad

Etihad Guest Worsens Mileage Expiration Policy

Ben Schlappig — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 23:29:19 +0000

Major changes are being made to the Etihad Guest program. While some of the changes are positive, there are also some negative developments, like Etihad introducing a ridiculous new award cancelation policy. That’s not the only negative change, though, as Etihad is also worsening its mileage expiration policy.

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Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.

David — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 17:03:22 +0000

Does anyone know if this actually works to reset the 18 month calendar? Thanks!

David — Sat, 30 Nov 2024 21:27:57 +0000

I once took that bus and absolutely regretted it. This was all rationalized for the sake of flying on Etihad and visiting Dubai, and then saving on the taxi fare because the ticket included the bus transfer. Ridiculous. I got out of the bus on the first stop and booked an Uber directly to Al Seef. Had I to do it again, I would just rent a car in Abu Dhabi, there's no reason to want to go to Dubai or stay in an urban hotel. But there's also a bus to Al Ain.

Ryan del Mundo — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 13:14:11 +0000

Buy an award ticket, cheap AA 6000 pt. Points extend. Cancel award ticket within 24 hrs for free. Voila.

Kal — Sat, 24 Feb 2024 01:20:33 +0000

Nope, I certainly flew EY before - admittedly only once every 2 years but always long haul and in J. This change (as Ben mentions in his article) essentially kills off the program for folks who might have gone out their way to pick EY for a journey that they routinely take but not quite every 18 months (e.g. visiting family overseas every 2nd year, which is my situation). This change has basically turned Etihad Guest into a program that is only beneficial for people travelling EY's routes on a high-frequency basis. I get that it's a frequent flyer program, and if that's the only segment of the market they want their program to appeal to then that's fine for them - but it means there's a whole other cohort of travellers who will no longer feel any meaningful sense of loyalty to Etihad. I'll fly them again only based on a good price proposition, and if I do so I'll be crediting the points to another program.

Mish — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:03:50 +0000

I see other programs we can credit to also expire after 18 months. Which partners do you prefer instead? Also I have a Business class z flight from Tokyo-Milan RT coming up. Initially I put my Guest # for credit. Now I can’t change it in the app. Will I be able to change the credit if I call before the trip, or ask at check in?

Samo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 17:08:48 +0000

This article is about miles expiration so I'm commenting on that. I don't see why anyone who actually flies Etihad would care. Yes, I'm aware of other negative changes but there's a separ...

bo — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:32:14 +0000

or even still - can I transfer a bunch of points over in May, and then have all those points grandfathered into a status where I can continue to extend just those points with another small transfer every 18 months? The bad news is that based on my past experience working with Etihad Guest is that you'll never get a straight or accurate answer as to how all of this will work by calling .

C-Tripper — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 12:03:48 +0000

Etihad gold here and I do care and have noticed. I think you are focused solely on one aspect of the change, the expiration of the points and not the full changes. I was fairly loyal to Etihad but see all the changes as major downgrades. Now Etihad’s FF sucks and so does Emirates. I’m going to be a free agent after this. My loyalty to one airline means nothing to them so will go who with whoever gives me the best price.

Nick — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 11:53:45 +0000

I don't think there're flights between Dubai And Abu Dhabi at the moment. Etihad has a bus service but I'm not sure whether you can book it separately or redeem miles of that segment.