There’s big news from the other side of the Atlantic concerning the Etihad Guest and Air France-KLM Flying Blue partnership. Etihad announced on Monday, Nov. 27, that the airlines have launched frequent flyer reciprocity, enabling travelers to earn and redeem miles across the airline groups. So, what does this mean, and how can travelers use it to their advantage?
Keep reading to find out more about this partnership, including why we’re most excited about the ability to redeem Flying Blue miles for premium cabin Etihad flights.
Earning Etihad Guest miles on Air France and KLM
When you travel on an eligible Air France or KLM-marketed and operated ticket with your Etihad Guest membership, you’ll earn Etihad Guest miles based on your fare class and the flight distance.
You can refer to this page (Air France) and this page (KLM) and select “Miles you’ll earn” to see how many Etihad miles you’ll earn on Air France and KLM.
Redeeming Etihad Guest miles on Air France and KLM
In March 2023, Etihad launched a single award chart for all partner redemptions. In doing so, Etihad removed all partner sweet spots like the ability to book transatlantic Brussels Airlines business-class flights for 44,000 miles.
Air France and KLM redemptions will follow Etihad’s published award chart. (Select “Miles you’ll redeem” under “Air France” or “KLM.”) You cannot book Air France and KLM Etihad Guest redemptions online. You must contact Etihad’s customer service department at least 24 hours before your flight to book your partner redemption. When award space is available, here’s a look at how many miles you should expect to use on one-way flights:
Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) to Munich Airport (MUC): 6,000 miles in economy or 10,000 miles in business class
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) to Istanbul Airport (IST): 15,000 miles in economy or 30,000 miles in business class
CDG to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK): 45,000 miles in economy, 49,000 miles in premium economy or 80,000 miles in business class
AMS to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX): 67,000 miles in economy, 74,000 miles in premium economy or 120,000 miles in business class
You’ll also have to pay the taxes and fees on your award ticket, though Etihad Guest generally allows you to use additional miles to cover this cost.
Earning Etihad Guest miles with a credit card
Etihad doesn’t have a U.S.-based cobranded credit card. For a quick influx of Etihad Guest miles, you can transfer rewards from the following programs at a 1:1 ratio:
– American Express Membership Rewards
– Capital One Venture Rewards
– Citi ThankYou Rewards
– Marriott Bonvoy
– HSBC Rewards
In our tests, transfers from these programs to Etihad Guest are generally instantaneous.
Remember, for fully transferable Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards points, you’ll need to have select credit cards, like the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, Capital One Venture X Business, Citi Premier® Card, and Citi Prestige® Card.
Flying Blue miles on Etihad
While Flying Blue’s airline partner webpage wasn’t updated with Etihad at the time of this article’s publication, we expect Flying Blue members will be able to earn miles and Experience Points (XPs) toward status by crediting eligible Etihad-marketed and operated tickets to Flying Blue.
You’ll likely earn Flying Blue miles based on your fare class and the distance of your Etihad ticket.
Redeeming Flying Blue miles on Etihad
Here’s where things get exciting. You can now redeem miles for Etihad award flights on the Air France or KLM websites and apps. Generally, Flying Blue is one of the more generous programs for offer transfer bonuses. That means these award rates could require fewer miles if you transfer credit card points while offering a transfer bonus.
While Flying Blue doesn’t have a published Etihad award chart, in our tests, Flying Blue appears to be pricing Etihad redemptions by route (rather than by region). For now, you can only use Flying Blue miles for Etihad economy and business-class award tickets. When award space is available, here’s a look at how many miles you should expect to use on one-way flights:
– Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) to Hamad International Airport (DOH) costs 3,500 miles plus $74.95 in economy or 5,000 miles plus $115.05 in business class.
– AUH to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) costs 22,500 miles plus $107.95 in economy or 39,500 miles plus $208.21 in business class.
– AUH to Dulles International Airport (IAD) costs 44,500 miles plus $146.95 in economy or 87,500 miles plus $247.20 in business class.
You can also add a complimentary Flying Blue stopover to Etihad award tickets by calling Flying Blue’s customer service. However, that’s not likely to stretch your miles since award flights are generally priced by segment.
Earning Flying Blue miles with a credit card
Flying Blue program is a transfer partner of:
– American Express Membership Rewards
– Capital One Venture Rewards
– Chase Ultimate Rewards
– Citi ThankYou Rewards
– Marriott Bonvoy
So, if you have a card like The Platinum Card® from American Express, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (among others), you can transfer your points or miles to Flying Blue. These transfers are generally instantaneous.
Flying Blue has its own cobranded Air France-KLM World Elite Mastercard® with Bank of America. This card is specifically for U.S. applicants.
Bottom line
Etihad and Air France-KLM have strengthened their partnership, allowing members of each airline program to earn and redeem miles on the other. This is particularly good news for those with transferable credit card points or Flying Blue miles, given the ability to redeem for Etihad’s business class.