Etihad Guest Introduces More Ways To Earn And Spend Miles As It Overhauls Frequent Flyer Program

Etihad Airways announced on Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Pointspay to boost its loyalty program, Etihad Guest.

Over the last few months, the airline has been looking to introduce different ways to improve its loyalty program and make it more competitive and attractive to customers. This includes things like new agreements with other carriers, allowing customers to redeem miles with its airline partners.

The new agreement

The latest announcement will see members of Etihad’s loyalty program being given the opportunity to “redeem their miles across a variety of retail partners within the Etihad Guest ecosystem.” In particular, this benefits online retailers, where members of Etihad Guest will be able to earn and redeem miles. Mark Potter, Etihad Guest’s Managing Director said:

“We’re constantly evolving our programme to offer our members a more rewarding experience. In the spirit of innovation in line with Etihad’s core values, we’re pleased to be partnering with Pointspay on this new payment solution, giving our members the chance to earn and pay at online retailers seamlessly using their Etihad Guest Miles.”

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Pointspay already works with other airlines to support their loyalty programs including SAS, Air France-KLM and SWISS to name a few. Pointspay’s Chief Executive Officer Dominic Hofer said:

“We are thrilled to extend our long-term partnership with Etihad Guest and launch our new white label solution. This collaboration represents anothersignificant milestone in Pointspay’s mission to innovate and enhance loyalty programmes globally. Etihad Guest’s dedication to enriching member experiences aligns perfectly with our vision, and we are excited to see the positive impact this will have on both members and retail partners.”

Benefits for retailers

In a statement, Etihad Guest also highlighted the benefits this agreement brings to online retailers. It noted increased engagement, particularly given “extensive omnichannel marketing and advertising opportunities” among the millions of loyalty program’s members. Pete Howroyd, Pointspay’s CMO said:

“Pointspay has demonstrated its ability to significantly enhance engagement amongst millions of loyalty program members by connecting them to Pointspay’s trusted network of global shops providing the ability to earn and redeem miles via our payment solution.”

Photo: Etihad Airways

The company says it offers access to more than 20 million loyalty program members across the world. Through its network, customers can both collect and spend their loyalty points and miles directly at checkout. Howroyd continued:

“Through our patented technology, Pointspay gives online shops the ability to grow sales in a unique and targeted way, tapping into previouslyinaccessible communities of frequent flyer members.”

Etihad describes this system as “groundbreaking” and notes its introduction will be the first of its kind in the Middle East. Customers should be able to benefit from the extended partnership “later this year.”

How does Pointspay work?

In an interview with Simple Flying last year, Hofer took us through the process of paying through Pointspay. It allows you to choose precisely how many miles you wish to spend or alternatively, how many you would gain from a given online transaction. Pointspay’s points-plus-cash slider at checkout is patented and allows customers to divide payment as they please.

At around this time last year, Pointspay had announced its agreement with Air France-KLM, launching a new platform called Flying Blue+ in France and the Netherlands.

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Air France-KLM & Pointspay Launch ‘Flying Blue+’ To Offer New Online Payment Method

Shoppers now have an easy way to earn miles from retail spending.

Airline agreements making Etihad Guest more attractive

Etihad Airways has been working to make its loyalty program more attractive in recent times. Just today for instance, it announced a new agreement with Batik Air Malaysia, providing additional connectivity from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The new codeshare sees five domestic destinations and three international destinations added to the overall Etihad offering.

This follows other agreements signed over the last year or so. In May, Etihad announced it had added loyalty benefits to its existing codeshare agreement with JetBlue. This allows members from JetBlue’s TrueBlue and Etihad’s Guest programs to earn and redeem miles on each of the airlines’ flights.

Less recently, in September, Etihad’s partnership with Air France-KLM saw a boost too. Now, frequent flyers part of Etihad Guest or Flying Blue can also redeem or earn miles with either three of the airlines.

A growing frequent flyer program

In February, Etihad announced additional changes to its frequent flyer program, relaunching in June. This includes improved pricing for seats reserved for members and the introduction of a new Diamond tier.

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Etihad Guest Frequent Flying Program Changes: Everything You Need To Know

Etihad Airways has promised more customization, simpler progression, and personalized benefits for Etihad Guest members.

It is starting to reap the benefits of its work, with the program hitting the 10 million members mark earlier this month.