Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
Part of Etihad Guest hub
GUIDE
How to earn Etihad Guest miles with partners
Etihad Guest is the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, and it credits Etihad Guest Miles on flights with Etihad Airways and the airlines Etihad names as Etihad Guest Partner airlines, as well as on hotel, retail, leisure and lifestyle partner purchases. [2] The programme runs two currencies: Etihad Guest Miles, which are spent on flights, upgrades and rewards, and Tier Miles, which decide your tier. [2] [7]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Etihad Guest Miles are earned on Etihad Airways flights, on flights with airlines Etihad lists as Etihad Guest Partner airlines, and with non-airline partners, at the rates Etihad sets out on its website. [2] [7]
- Your fare and booking class decide whether a flight earns at all: redemption fare classes N, I and O are ineligible for Etihad Guest Miles accrual. [7]
- Tier Miles, the currency for status, last 12 months without extension and are earned from flying and from non-airline transactions such as co-brand credit cards. [7]
- Whether a codeshare flight counts as a Qualifying Flight is stated on the Etihad Airways Website, so it has to be confirmed for the specific flight. [7]
Which Etihad Guest partners earn miles?
Etihad Guest Miles can be collected when you fly with Etihad Airways or with partner airlines, and when you stay or spend with hotel, retail, leisure and lifestyle partners. [2] The programme rules describe earning from Etihad Guest Partners for products and services as specified on the Etihad Airways Website, including the number of Etihad Guest Miles and any bonus multiplier or bonus miles that applies. [7]
Two groups of partner appear in the rules: airline Etihad Guest Partners, whose flights can be Qualifying Flights, and non-airline Etihad Guest Partners, whose products and services earn when they are booked or paid for as specified. [7] The number of miles, and any bonus, is set for each partner rather than taken from a shared table, so the specification that applies is the one Etihad publishes for the partner you used. [7]
Codeshares are handled separately. Etihad states that details of whether a codeshare flight is a Qualifying Flight can be found on the Etihad Airways Website, which means the answer depends on the individual flight rather than on the fact that a partner's code appears on it. [7]
Which booking classes and fares earn?
Etihad Guest Miles for a Qualifying Flight are issued only for flights you actually fly, and they are based on the class of the ticket you paid for, not on any complimentary upgrade or Upgrade Reward. [7] Only Qualifying Fares on flown Qualifying Flights qualify, and Etihad names redemption fare classes N, I and O as ineligible booking classes for Etihad Guest Miles accrual. [7] Tier Miles work in the same way, with one exception: a Promo seat booking with a Comfort or Deluxe Fare Brand is eligible for Tier Miles accrual. [7]
| Item | Etihad Guest Miles | Tier Miles |
|---|---|---|
| Booking classes N, I, O | Ineligible [7] | Ineligible, except a Promo seat booking with a Comfort or Deluxe Fare Brand [7] |
| Complimentary upgrades and Upgrade Rewards | Earning follows the class of the paid ticket [7] | Earning follows the Fare Brand of the revenue ticket paid for [7] |
| Taxes, fees and airport charges | Do not accrue [7] | Do not accrue [7] |
Specific corporate deals or agreements may also be ineligible for accrual, and Etihad says the corporate customer is advised directly in that case. [7] On the partner side, services or products offered at employee reduced rates or preferential rates by non-airline Etihad Guest Partners may not qualify as a Qualifying Activity for Etihad Guest Miles or for Tier Miles. [7]
If you buy a ticket bearing the Etihad Airways designator code with the Cash + Miles option on a Qualifying Flight operated by Etihad Airways, Etihad Guest Miles accrue on the cash portion only, while Tier Miles accrue under the same conditions. [7]
Which partner activity counts towards status?
Tier Miles are valid for a 12-month period, are not extended, and the upgrade, retention or downgrade of your tier is calculated every year from the Tier Miles earned in the preceding 12 months. [7] They cannot be redeemed for rewards and have no cash value. [7] Etihad splits them into two types by how they were earned: Tier Miles from flying with Etihad Airways or any Etihad Guest Partner airline count as Tier Miles from Qualifying Flight, while Tier Miles from co-brand credit cards, payment cards and Miles on the Go participants count as Tier Miles from non-airline transactions. [7] Etihad says Tier Segments have been discontinued, so earning Tier Miles is the only way to attain, retain or upgrade tier status. [7]
Etihad Guest has five tiers — Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Emerald — and members move up by earning the required number of Tier Miles within 12 months; Etihad's own example is a member earning 25,000 Tier Miles in a year to move from Bronze to Silver. [2] [3]
Outside Family Membership, miles and Tier Miles cannot be shared, and they are not awarded to more than one member for the same Qualifying Flight or the same qualifying purchase. [7] In a Family Membership, the Family Head and each Family Guest accrue Tier Miles into their own accounts and hold their own tier status, and the Family Head's status is worked out without counting the miles or flight activity of Family Guests. [7]
How do you claim missing partner credit?
To earn, you must quote your name and Etihad Guest Number at the time of reservation or check-in for a Qualifying Flight, and when booking or paying for other qualifying products or services, and Etihad Guest Partners may ask to see your card. [7] Where the necessary information was given at ticketing or check-in, miles for Qualifying Flights are credited within seven days of travel, while miles from non-flight partner purchases are credited as specified on the Etihad Airways Website. [7]
You are responsible for keeping and producing the documents Etihad or a partner asks for when miles are claimed, such as boarding passes, tickets and receipts. [7] Etihad's rules allow Etihad Guest Miles for eligible Etihad-operated flights taken up to three months before the date you enrolled, claimed by submitting a request. [7] [2]
Credit is given for flown Qualifying Flights, Qualifying Activities and purchases of BuyMiles, and Etihad may deduct miles credited for flights, products or services that were not flown, not paid for, not eligible or deemed fraudulent. [7] Miles are credited to the member named on the booking even if somebody else paid for the ticket. [7]
Exceptions and limits
- Flights that do not operate. No Etihad Guest Miles or Tier Miles are granted where a Qualifying Flight is not flown or is cancelled for reasons beyond the control of Etihad Airways or the airline partner, including cancellations caused by adverse weather. [7] If you are not rerouted and the ticket is refunded, the flight does not accrue. [7]
- Replacement flights. Where a Qualifying Flight is replaced by an alternative flight, accrual follows the replaced Qualifying Flight, not the route actually flown. [7]
- Cash + Miles scope. That rule is written for tickets bearing the Etihad Airways designator code on Qualifying Flights operated by Etihad Airways, so it does not describe flights operated by an airline partner. [7]
- Selected offers. Etihad reserves the right to make Etihad Guest Miles, Tier Miles and promotional offers available to selected members based on flight activity, geographic location, programme participation or information the member supplied, and promotion terms can change without notice. [7]
- Inactivity. After 36 continuous months of inactivity on an Etihad Guest account, Etihad reserves the right to terminate the membership. [7]
Frequently asked questions
Do codeshare flights earn Etihad Guest Miles?
They can, but eligibility is not automatic. Etihad says details of whether a codeshare flight is a Qualifying Flight are found on the Etihad Airways Website, so check the specific flight. [7]
How long do Etihad Guest Tier Miles last?
Tier Miles are valid for a 12-month period and there is no extension of that validity. [7]
Can hotel stays or credit card spending count towards Etihad Guest status?
Yes in part: Tier Miles earned through co-brand credit cards, payment cards and Miles on the Go participants are classed as Tier Miles from non-airline transactions, while flying with Etihad Airways or an airline partner produces Tier Miles from Qualifying Flight. [7]
How quickly are partner flights credited?
Qualifying Flight miles are credited within seven days of travel provided your details were given at ticketing or check-in; miles from other partner purchases are credited as specified on the Etihad Airways Website. [7]
Can two people claim miles for the same flight?
No. Apart from Family Membership, miles and Tier Miles are not awarded to more than one member for the same Qualifying Flight or qualifying purchase. [7]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Other airlines' programmes are not covered here; the page describes Etihad Guest only, drawing on Etihad's own programme and partner pages, and no other programme's earning rules are applied to it.
- Etihad Guest — earn miles, checked 18 October 2026
- Etihad Guest programme page and FAQs, checked 18 October 2026
- Etihad Guest terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026