Starting June 30, American Express Membership Rewards members will no longer be able to transfer their points to the Etihad Guest loyalty program.
Currently, Amex points can be transferred to Etihad Guest miles at a 1:1 ratio and used to book Etihad Airways’ luxurious first-class Airbus A380 Apartment product, one of the most spacious and luxurious products in commercial aviation, as well as tickets through a range of partner airlines, including American Airlines, Air Canada, Korean Air, Air New Zealand and Scandinavian Airlines.
While traveling on Etihad to and through its global hub at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport (AUH) may not be top of mind right now given the current Iran conflict, Etihad Guest has been a great way to book American Airlines flights with Amex points. Though Membership Rewards points do not directly transfer to American Airlines AAdvantage, Etihad’s codeshare agreement allows members of both programs to earn and redeem miles.
As a Philadelphia native, senior points and miles editor Gabrielle Bernardini regularly flies between her home airport of Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) in Florida and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to visit family. Where the lowest saver award availability exists, nonstop flights on American Airlines can be booked from just 12,000 Etihad Guest miles plus $24 in taxes and fees, a great way to save money on domestic flights.
If you do have your eye on an Etihad Guest redemption, whether for travel on Etihad or one of its partner airlines, you have until June 29 to transfer your Membership Rewards points. After this date, you can still redeem your Amex points to reduce the cost of Etihad cash fares through Amex Travel using Pay with Points, though you will likely receive a lower value than if you were to transfer points to Etihad Guest.
Etihad Guest will remain a 1:1 transfer partner of Bilt, Capital One and Citi ThankYou Rewards.
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Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.