Frequent Miler's latest team challenge, Million Mile Madness, is almost done! The last two weeks Greg, Nick, and Stephen competed to earn 1 Million SAS miles by flying 15 airlines. But who completed the challenge with the most Speed, Affordability, and Style?
Etihad Guest sweet spots are among some of the most interesting values with some of the cheapest partner award pricing (in very specific situations) for flights to Europe and Africa. They also have some very unique partnerships that enable those looking to travel extensively outside of the United States to get some great values in niche situations. This post is meant to highlight the best of its sweet spots for flights to/from North America.
A note about additional Etihad Guest Sweet Spots
Below we note Etihad Guest sweet spots for flights to/from North America as that is likely to be of greatest interest to the majority of readers. However, it is worth noting that some of Etihad Guest’s sweetest spots are connecting other regions on its various partners. The most famous example is the Czech Airways route from Prague to Seoul, which (at least before it stopped operating) has featured lie-flat business class in a former Korean Airways plane for 25,610 miles one-way. Ten hours in business class for less than 26K miles was an amazing deal for those who were able to take advantage (here’s hoping the route comes back some day!).
There are other strong points in their chart like short flights within Brazil on GOL or Oman Air from Muscat to Bangkok (6hr+ flight time) in business class for 34K miles or first class for 63K miles, or things that might be useful in the right situation like Bangkok Airways business class from Samui to Singapore for 20K miles each way. Here is a link to the full list of Etihad partner award charts.
Collecting miles
Transfer points
Etihad Guest is an Amex transfer partner, Citi transfer partner, Marriott transfer partner, and Capital One transfer partner, so it is easy to accumulate miles from transfers. We sometimes see transfer bonuses to Etihad Guest from hotel programs, so you may be able to stretch your Marriott points a bit further. Standard point transfer ratios are as follows:
| Rewards Program | Amex Transfer Ratio | Chase Transfer Ratio | Citi Transfer Ratio | Marriott Transfer Ratio | Capital One Transfer Ratio | Brex Transfer Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accor Live Limitless | 1000 to 500 | 1000 to 500 | ||||
| Aegean Miles + Bonus | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Aer Lingus Avios | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 via Qatar | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 via BA | |
| Aeroflot Bonus | 60K to 25K | |||||
| AeroMexico ClubPremier | 1 to 1.6 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K | |
| Air Canada Aeroplan | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | ||
| Air China Phoenix Miles | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Air France KLM Flying Blue | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K |
| Air New Zealand Air Points | 60K to 307 | |||||
| Alaska MileagePlan | 1 to 1 via Hawaiian | 60K to 25K | ||||
| Alitalia MilleMiglia | ||||||
| Allegiant | ||||||
| Altitude Points | ||||||
| American AAdvantage | 3K to 1K | |||||
| Amex Membership Rewards | ||||||
| Amtrak Guest Rewards | ||||||
| ANA Mileage Club | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | ||||
| Arrival | ||||||
| Asiana | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Avianca LifeMiles | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 3K to 1K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K | |
| Best Western | ||||||
| Bilt | ||||||
| Brex | ||||||
| British Airways Avios | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 via Qatar | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | |
| Capital One Miles | ||||||
| Cathay Pacific Asia Miles | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K | |
| Chase Ultimate Rewards | ||||||
| China Eastern Airlines | 60K to 25K | |||||
| China Southern Airlines’ Sky Pearl Club | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Choice | 1 to 1 | 1 to 2 | 1 to 1 | |||
| Citi ThankYou Rewards | ||||||
| CNB Rewards | ||||||
| Copa Airlines ConnectMiles | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Delta SkyMiles | 1 to 1 plus excise tax | 3K to 1K | ||||
| EL AL Israel Airlines | ||||||
| Emirates Skywards | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K |
| Etihad Guest | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | ||
| EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 1 to 1 | 1000 to 750 | ||||
| Expedia+ | ||||||
| Finnair Plus+ | 1 to 1 via BA | 1 to 1 via BA | 1 to 1 via Qatar | 1 to 1 | ||
| FlexPoints | ||||||
| Frontier Miles | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Garuda Indonesia Frequent Flyer | ||||||
| Go Far Rewards | ||||||
| Hainan Airlines | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Hawaiian Miles | 1 to 1 plus excise tax | 60K to 25K | ||||
| Hilton | 1 to 2 | |||||
| Hotels.comRewards | ||||||
| HSBC Rewards | ||||||
| Hyatt | 1 to 1 | |||||
| Iberia Avios | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 via Qatar | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 via BA | |
| IHG | 1 to 1 | |||||
| ITA Airways Volare | ||||||
| JAL (Japan Airlines) Mileage Bank | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Jet Airways Inter Miles | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | ||||
| JetBlue | 250 to 200 plus excise tax | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 12.5K | ||
| Korean Airlines | ||||||
| LATAM Pass | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Leading Hotels of the World | 1K to 200 | |||||
| Malaysia Enrich | 1 to 1 | |||||
| Marriott Bonvoy | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | ||||
| Merrill | ||||||
| Miles & More | ||||||
| Multiplus | 60K to 25K | |||||
| OneKeyCash | ||||||
| Other / Unknown | ||||||
| PenFed Rewards | ||||||
| Penny Points | ||||||
| Preferred Hotels & Resorts I Prefer | 1 to 4 | |||||
| Qantas Frequent Flyer | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K | |
| Qatar Privilege Club Avios | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 via BA | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 via BA | |
| Radisson Rewards | ||||||
| Royal Brunei Royal Skies | ||||||
| Saudia Airlines | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Shop Your Way Rewards | 1 to 10 | |||||
| Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | 1,670 to 1K |
| Sonesta Travel Pass | ||||||
| South African Airways Voyager | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Southwest Rapid Rewards | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | ||||
| Spirit | ||||||
| TAP Air Portugal | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | ||||
| Thai Airways International Royal Orchid Plus | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | ||||
| Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | |||
| Uber Cash | ||||||
| UBS My Choice Rewards | ||||||
| United MileagePlus | 1 to 1 | 60K to 30K | ||||
| Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 | 60K to 25K | 1 to 1 | |
| Virgin Australia Velocity Frequent Flyer | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Vueling Club | 60K to 25K | |||||
| Wells Fargo Rewards | ||||||
| Wyndham | 1 to 1 | 1 to 1 |
Etihad Guest Sweet Spot Awards (Economy Class)
Africa from 22K miles each way
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok value for flying on Royal Air Maroc between the US and Casablanca.
- Miles required: 28K miles each way in economy class plus about $120 in fuel surcharges one-way between North America and Casablanca.
- How to find awards: Search for award space at RoyalAirMaroc.com or AA.com. (You’ll need to create a free Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer account to search at the Royal Air Maroc website).
- How to book awards: Call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Asia from 25K each way
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers poor value for flying on American Airlines, ANA or Asiana to Asia in economy.
- Miles required: Seattle to Tokyo for 60K miles, Seattle, San Francisco, or Los Angeles to Seoul on Asiana for 67K miles
- How to find awards: Search for award space at United.com.
- How to book awards: Book AA online. For the others, call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Europe from 20K each way
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok value for flying on partners American Airlines or Brussels Airlines between the US and Europe at the shorter end of its distance-based award chart, but watch out for the punitive cancellation policy.
- Miles required: 28K miles each way for flights of 2,001 to 2,500 miles flown or 34K for flights of 2,501 to 3,000 miles flown.
- How to find awards: You should be able to find and book American Airlines award space on Etihad's website. You may need to search United.com for Brussels Airlines space.
- How to book awards: Book on Etihad's website or call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Watch out for Etihad's cancellation policy: you'll lose 25% of the miles used if you cancel up to 21 days in advance, 50% if you cancel between 7 and 21 days in advance, 75% if you cancel within between 24 hours and 7 days of departure, or lose 100% of the miles used if you cancel within 24 hours of departure.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
South America from 17.5K each way
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers decent pricing on short AA flights to Northern South America. Etihad devalued its partner chart in 2023, longer flights are no longer competitive.
- Miles required: 15K each way in economy class to/from Columbia, Guyana and Venezuela.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at BritishAirways.com or Qantas.com.
- How to book awards: Book online or call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Note that the British Airways site sometimes fails to show AA availability, so using Qantas to search for availability may be your best bet.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest Sweet Spot Awards (Premium Cabins)
Africa from 44K each way in business class
- The short story: Etihad Guest offer decent value a good value on Royal Air Maroc between the US and Casablanca.
- Miles required: 80K miles each way in business class between North America and Casablanca plus about $170 in fuel surcharges one-way. Additional segments are priced individually.
- How to find awards: Search for award space at RoyalAirMaroc.com. You’ll need to create a free Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer account to search.
- How to book awards: Call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings:Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Asia for from 50K each way in business class, from 62.5K in first
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers high-ish pricing for flying on American Airlines, ANA or Asiana in premium cabins to Asia.
- Miles required: Starts at 100K one-way to Japan and Korea. Longer itineraries are non-competitive.
- How to find awards: Search for award space on AA.com or for Star Alliance partners at United.com.
- How to book awards: Book a online on Etihad's website. For Asiana and ANA, call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Europe for 44K each way
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok prices for flying on American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, or Royal Air Maroc between the US and Europe, but watch out for the punitive cancellation policy.
- Miles required: 80K each way in business class on Brussels Airlines or to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc (connections to Europe will add additional miles now, fuel surcharges around $170 each way) or in business class on American Airlines (no fuel surcharges).
- How to find awards: Search for Brussels award space on United.com, American award space on AA.com (you may want to double-check availability at Qantas.com), or Royal Air Maroc award space on RoyalAirMaroc.com (you'll need to create a free Safar Flyer account)
- How to book awards: AA can be booked online at etihadguest.com. For all others, call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
South America for 30K or 50K each way in business class
- The short story: Etihad's award chart for shorter American Airlines flights is very competitive. It can be a struggle to find award space in premium cabins on AA flights.
- Miles required: 30K miles each way (includes Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Colombia, Belize, Nicaragua, Panama, and Venezuela).
- How to find awards: Search BritishAirways.com or Qantas.com for American Airlines award space, then call Etihad Guest.
- How to book awards: Book online at etihadguest.com or call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Finding premium cabin space on AA is generally very difficult.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Oceania for 62.5K in business or 72.5K in first class, but tough to find
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers high-ish prices for flights on American Airlines or Virgin Australia.
- Miles required: 140K each way in business class, 200K each way in first class
- How to find awards: Search for American saver award space on AA.com (you may want to double-check availability at Qantas.com)
- How to book awards: AA and Virgin Australia can be booked online at etihadguest.com. All other carriers can be be booked by calling Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad phone agents have historically had trouble booking partner awards, though the new call center in Serbia appears to be quite competent. If your agent appears to be having trouble, you might want to HUCA (hang up, call again). Note that finding saver premium cabin availability on American Airlines is only slightly more likely than getting struck by lightning.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You
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Quick question. When booking with EY miles for AA flight from say US to Europe and LHR to US. Is the fees/tax the same as what you would find/quote on AA site itself? So say DFW to CDG is it also $5 fee just like it would be on AA.com? How abouth LHR to DFW on AA flight(not BA), would it be 200 in fee/tax?
When calling EY, they said they cant tell you fee/tax until the flight is booked.
might be worth mentioning that on many (all) AA flight Etihad charges the same for F and J !
one IMPORTANT thing author forgot to mention that etihad miles are only for DIRECT flights. If you have a connecting flight say from SFO-LAX-NRT. They will charge u separately for 2 tickets. one 12.5K for domestic US and the other 25K for US to Japan. This is ridiculous thing to do on a region based chart.
Where can I find award space for Gol airlines for domestic routes(Brazil)?
How about AA to Europe in first class? Can you call Etihad with multiple segments that AA shows award space but not as married segments? Denver to London via Dallas in first class award space doesn’t exist as a married segment on AA but does as individual segments.
My guess is that if AA doesn’t show it as married segments, Etihad won’t be able to officiate that ceremony either, but I don’t know for sure. Europe in first would definitely be a sweet spot also, though I think the only two routes with AA first class are New York and Los Angeles to London. Not sure how often they release space on those routes, but I’ll add that.
Dallas to London on AA also has first class. Last fall I flew this route and there were 3 of us in the mammoth business class area, and the 8 first class seats were packed 100%. Economy was also less than 20%.
doesnt matter married or not. Etihad will ALWAYS as per their policy charge you for 2 separate flights.
Is US to Asia on AA business class no longer a sweetspot? Can you share the rationale for not including it?
Great point. Didn’t cross my mind (likely because AA isn’t good enough about releasing international premium cabin award space to be a blip on my radar) but I should have included it. I’ve added AA for both business and economy to Asia.
this is lazy. what about the fuel surcharges?
Good point. I wouldn’t have included anything with high fuel surcharges in a post about sweet spots (those generally aren’t too sweet!) or else I’d have noted the high fuel surcharges, but it’s a good suggestion to add specifics.