(EXPIRED) 30% off Etihad award tickets

Etihad Guest is offering 30% off on saver (“Guest” level) award tickets in all classes of service that are booked by August 27, 2020 for travel by May 31, 2021. This is only valid for travel on flights operated by Etihad Airways. That makes for deal in some instances, though obviously it comes with the uncertainty of booking near-term travel.

The Deal

• Etihad Guest is offering 30% off on “GuestSeats” (saver award tickets) as follows:
  • Must book by August 27, 2020
  • Must travel by May 31, 2021
• Direct link to this promotion

Key Terms

• Offer applicable for GuestSeats on selected routes for Etihad Airways operated flights using Etihad Guest Miles booked between 13 – 27 August 2020 (23.59 GST) for travel 13 August 2020 – 31 May 2021
• The offer can be availed on Etihad.com or via Etihad Guest call center
• Redemptions eligible for travel on Etihad Airways operated flights only
• Upgrades are not permitted on GuestSeats
• This offer is only applicable on the miles value or base fare, applicable taxes and surcharges will have to be paid at the time of ticket issuance and are excluded from the discount
• One-way tickets are permitted
• Stopovers & Open Jaws are not permitted
• Name changes are not permitted
• GuestSeats are subject to availability
• Reward tickets are non-endorsable and non-transferable
• Promotional GuestSeats booked within the sale period can be changed, however a fare difference in miles may apply.
• Cancelation and refund of redemption seats are as per the Etihad Guest terms and conditions
• Etihad Guest reserves the right to change the routes and level of discount at any time without notice
• Redemptions on Etihad Guest Airline Partners are excluded from the offer
• Etihad Airways OpenSeats are excluded from the offer

Quick Thoughts

When available, this discount already shows in the rates you see when you search availability via Etihad Guest. You can search Etihad Guest availability here.

You’ll want to be sure that you compare against your next-best option as American Airlines and Aeroplan both offer award redemptions on Etihad that (in some cases) may be a better deal. As a relevant example for North American readers, here is a comparison for one-way premium cabins between JFK and Abu Dhabi:

• American Airlines charges 70K in business / 115K in first class
• Air Canada Aeroplan (an Amex transfer partner and Capital One transfer partner) charges 82.5K in business / 115K in first class
• With the promotion, Etihad Guest charges just over 70K miles in business class and around 95.5K in first class

I’m not sure on the comparative surcharges. Etihad Guest is showing $206 in fees one-way from Abu Dhabi to New York. I can’t find the same flights available on AA.com, so I tried searching via Juicy Miles. Juicy Miles shows about $300 in fees via American Airlines vs $206 on Etihad. It’s possible that the fees Juicy Miles shows for AA are inaccurate as I wouldn’t expect additional fees through AA. But for those curious, Juicy Miles did accurately show the prices of the 30%-discounted Etihad flights when available.

Keep in mind that Etihad charges a cancellation fee of 10% of the mileage should you need to cancel your trip and redeposit your miles.

While these discounted rates are decent, I personally wouldn’t be in a hurry to transfer Amex, Citi, or Capital One points for travel 5 or 6 or 8 months out. The travel landscape is just too uncertain to tie up points that I’d be stuck trying to use at un-discounted prices down the road in my trip gets canceled. On the other hand, if you have a stash of Etihad Guest miles from canceled travel this year, this sale could be a good way to put those miles to use for a hopeful spring 2021 trip.

H/T: Running with Miles

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