Etihad Airways is undergoing a transformation. Since onboarding Antonoaldo Neves as its new chief executive in 2022, the UAE's national airline has placed new aircraft orders, hired more crew, moved to a brand new home and added a host of destinations to its network. Now, it's introducing an updated frequent flyer programme.
“In February we announced that the Etihad Guest programme would be going through a refresh this summer in which we would introduce new features allowing for a more autonomous experience for members and rewarding them for their loyalty,” says Mark Potter, managing director of Etihad Guest in an interview with The National.
The programme has remained the same for a decade, so what does the overhaul mean for members?
Members can choose their own perks
“The three main pillars are offering guests a simplified programme, giving loyal members a more rewarding experience and allowing members more autonomy on how they choose to journey with us,” explains Potter.
The first airline in the region to introduce personalised perks for frequent flyers, Etihad's programme allows members to select a custom group of benefits in addition to the core benefits that everyone receives.
Silver members can select two options from a list of perks including lounge access at Zayed International Airport, free seat selection and discounts on additional baggage.
Gold members can select four services and have more to choose from, such as chauffeur services and home-check in facilities. Meanwhile, platinum members can choose six rewards, including options like first-class lounge access and complimentary upgrades.
Members who don't select custom benefits automatically receive a default suite of perks. Travellers just starting out on the programme can register for the airline's bronze tier and avail one of its core benefits – complimentary Wi-Fi for chat services on flights.
In addition to offering a more personalised service, Etihad has also slashed the price of guest seats – the fares that members can book using miles – by 25 per cent. As global travel demand continues to rise, with the International Air Transport Association reporting a record high load factor in May and airfares rising, this might be a surprising move but, for Potter, it makes sense.
“We are enjoying strong demand in terms of flying, which means that seats can generally be a little harder to attain. But because we’ve made some changes to the expiry of miles, we want our members to have the ability to redeem them faster,” he explains.
Faster expiration dates and new flying obligations
Changes to mile expiration is one drawback for members in the new programme. Miles now expire after 18 months, compared to upwards of 24 months under the previous scheme. But the reduction does not apply to platinum members.
And travellers will also need to fly more often to retain their tier status. “There is now a need to fly with Etihad, or our partner airlines, to gain tier status, which is pretty standard across the world,” says Potter.
Previously, members could retain their status using miles earned from spending on credit cards and with the airline's lifestyle partners, such as select malls in Abu Dhabi. But now members need to earn a set number of miles from flying. Parner airlines that can be used include Air Canada, KLM, JetBlue and SriLankan Airlines.
Frequent flyers who rack up miles also have a new way to spend them. Etihad Guest members have the option to pay to fly in Etihad's The Residence – the world's only three-room suite in the sky – with miles. Applicable on flights from Abu Dhabi to London, Paris and New York, members can buy into first class, then use their miles to pay the difference to upgrade to The Residence, or can purchase tickets outright for the cabin using only miles. Fares start at 300,000 miles, for one person travelling to London or Paris.
It's a benefit that's likely to be used by some of Etihad's most loyal customers, those who spend more than $150,000 a year with the airline. Although this will effectively be for a limited number of passengers – in the hundreds rather than the thousands – an exclusive new tier segment has been unveiled to reward these travellers.
It's called the diamond tier and aims to give travellers unique benefits, not included in any of the other tiers. Exactly what these benefits are is a secret.
“The tier is going to be curated to the member and we'll be developing experiences for them based on their preferences,” says Potter.
Insider tips: Book early and double-dip
After spending months researching airline loyalty programmes, Potter has a few tips on how to maximise the benefits.
“When it comes to spending miles, my biggest tip would be to plan in advance,” he says. “There are always going to be more guest seats available further out and the rates will almost always be more affordable.
“We have millions of seats available for guests, including on popular flights like to London or Australia or the Maldives. You just need to book in advance.”
Using co-branded credit cards and spending with the airline's lifestyle partners is another “no-brainer”, says Potter.
“If you fly a certain amount, you should complement the amount of miles you accrue with a co-brand credit card,” he advises. “My other biggest recommendation would be double dipping – if you spend on your credit card and also spend on Talabat orders or at Aldar malls or by purchasing flights, you can essentially earn double the amount of miles, or a multiplier of that.”
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
The language of diplomacy in 1853
Treaty of Peace in Perpetuity Agreed Upon by the Chiefs of the Arabian Coast on Behalf of Themselves, Their Heirs and Successors Under the Mediation of the Resident of the Persian Gulf, 1853
(This treaty gave the region the name “Trucial States”.)
We, whose seals are hereunto affixed, Sheikh Sultan bin Suggar, Chief of Rassool-Kheimah, Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon, Chief of Aboo Dhebbee, Sheikh Saeed bin Buyte, Chief of Debay, Sheikh Hamid bin Rashed, Chief of Ejman, Sheikh Abdoola bin Rashed, Chief of Umm-ool-Keiweyn, having experienced for a series of years the benefits and advantages resulting from a maritime truce contracted amongst ourselves under the mediation of the Resident in the Persian Gulf and renewed from time to time up to the present period, and being fully impressed, therefore, with a sense of evil consequence formerly arising, from the prosecution of our feuds at sea, whereby our subjects and dependants were prevented from carrying on the pearl fishery in security, and were exposed to interruption and molestation when passing on their lawful occasions, accordingly, we, as aforesaid have determined, for ourselves, our heirs and successors, to conclude together a lasting and inviolable peace from this time forth in perpetuity.
Taken from Britain and Saudi Arabia, 1925-1939: the Imperial Oasis, by Clive Leatherdale
John%20Wick%3A%20Chapter%204
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Chad%20Stahelski%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Keanu%20Reeves%2C%20Laurence%20Fishburne%2C%20George%20Georgiou%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
12%20restaurants%20opening%20at%20the%20hotel%20this%20month
%3Cp%3EAriana%E2%80%99s%20Persian%20Kitchen%3Cbr%3EDinner%20by%20Heston%20Blumenthal%3Cbr%3EEstiatorio%20Milos%3Cbr%3EHouse%20of%20Desserts%3Cbr%3EJaleo%20by%20Jose%20Andres%3Cbr%3ELa%20Mar%3Cbr%3ELing%20Ling%3Cbr%3ELittle%20Venice%20Cake%20Company%3Cbr%3EMalibu%2090265%3Cbr%3ENobu%20by%20the%20Beach%3Cbr%3EResonance%20by%20Heston%20Blumenthal%3Cbr%3EThe%20Royal%20Tearoom%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Juvenile arthritis
Along with doctors, families and teachers can help pick up cases of arthritis in children.
Most types of childhood arthritis are known as juvenile idiopathic arthritis. JIA causes pain and inflammation in one or more joints for at least six weeks.
Dr Betina Rogalski said "The younger the child the more difficult it into pick up the symptoms. If the child is small, it may just be a bit grumpy or pull its leg a way or not feel like walking,” she said.
According to The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases in US, the most common symptoms of juvenile arthritis are joint swelling, pain, and stiffness that doesn’t go away. Usually it affects the knees, hands, and feet, and it’s worse in the morning or after a nap.
Limping in the morning because of a stiff knee, excessive clumsiness, having a high fever and skin rash are other symptoms. Children may also have swelling in lymph nodes in the neck and other parts of the body.
Arthritis in children can cause eye inflammation and growth problems and can cause bones and joints to grow unevenly.
In the UK, about 15,000 children and young people are affected by arthritis.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Twin%20electric%20motors%20and%20105kWh%20battery%20pack%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E619hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E1%2C015Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESingle-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETouring%20range%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUp%20to%20561km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EQ3%20or%20Q4%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh635%2C000%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Marathon results
Men:
1. Titus Ekiru(KEN) 2:06:13
2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50
3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25
4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46
5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48
Women:
1. Judith Korir(KEN) 2:22:30
2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01
3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30
4. Abebech Bekele(ETH) 2:29:43
5. Aleksandra Morozova(RUS) 2:33:01
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
