Emirates Islamic has launched a set of four new Etihad Guest co-branded credit cards. Of the four, the Premium version is likely to be of most interest to expats living in the UAE.
The Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Premium is a Visa Infinite card that comes with complimentary Gold status in Etihad Guest. It also includes typical Infinite benefits such as airport lounge access, airport transfers, travel insurance and purchase protection.
The other new cards include the ‘Saqer’ card exclusively for UAE nationals, an ‘Ameera’ card for women as well as a basic ‘Platinum’ card.
There are four unique things to love about the Emirates Islamic Premium Card. These are the extraordinary sign-up bonus, the exceptional miles earning rates, the competitive annual fee and most of all the 50% rebate on Etihad Guest Miles redemptions.
1. Sign-up bonus of up to 300,000 Etihad Guest Miles
To launch the four new cards Emirates Islamic is offering a sign-up bonus of up to 300,000 Etihad Guest Miles.
I have never seen a bonus this large during my time in the UAE. This bonus is only available for the launch of the new cards. You need to apply by 15 May 2020 to be eligible for the offer.
Emirates Islamic is giving applicants the chance to choose between four different sign-up bonuses. The options range from 50,000 to 300,000 Etihad Guest Miles. Each bonus option comes with a minimum monthly spending requirement.
To earn the largest miles bonus of 300,000 you must spend at least AED 40,000 per month on your Premium card. In comparison, the 50,000 Guest Miles bonus only requires AED 5,000 of spending per month.
In any month you fail to spend the minimum amount requirement Emirates Islamic will charge a penalty fee. Effectively, you are buying the Etihad Guest Miles for that month.
The penalty fee ranges from AED 250 up to AED 1,500 depending on which bonus option was selected. These figures may look a little expensive at first glance. However, they are actually cheaper than buying the miles directly from Etihad yourself.
| 300,000 Bonus Miles | |
| Minimum monthly spend | AED 40,000 |
| Penalty if spend not met | AED 1,500 |
| 200,000 Bonus Miles | |
| Minimum monthly spend | AED 20,000 |
| Penalty if spend not met | AED 875 |
| 100,000 Bonus Miles | |
| Minimum monthly spend | AED 10,000 |
| Penalty if spend not met | AED 625 |
| 50,000 Bonus Miles | |
| Minimum monthly spend | AED 5,000 |
| Penalty if spend not met | AED 250 |
Keep in mind that the minimum monthly spending requirement is calculated over a rolling three-month average. That is important as you will not be penalised if you miss the spend in a single month provided your average is above the requirement.
For example, if you opted for the 300,000 bonus you would need to spend AED 40,000. Imagine you then spent AED 47,000 in Month 1, AED 39,000 in Month 2 and AED 38,000 in Month. You would not be penalised because as your rolling average would be AED 41,000.
There is some additional good news. The minimum monthly spending requirement only exists during the first year you hold the card.
2. 50% Etihad Guest miles back on all redemptions and upgrades
Holders of the Premium card will get a 50% rebate on all Etihad Guest Miles redemptions. This perk is valid for both flight redemptions as well as upgrades. Of all of the perks available with the Premium card, this is by far the most interesting for frequent flyers.
The 50% rebate effectively doubles the value of your Etihad Guest Miles. To put it in perspective the 300,000 Etihad Guest Miles sign-up bonus could be redeemed for almost five return tickets in Business Class to London when combined with the rebate.
There appears to be no limit to this perk which is frankly astounding. Even without the phenomenal sign-up bonus, this benefit alone would make the Premium card worth getting.
3. Highest Etihad Guest earn rate in the market
The Etihad Guest Miles earning rates on everyday spending are amongst the best available on any card in the UAE. The earning rate on spend with Etihad Airways is the highest available in the UAE.
Emirates Islamic is also offering Premium cardholders the opportunity to select two categories to earning a special rate of 2.5 Etihad Guest Miles per 1 USD. The categories include dining, hotels, car rental, mobile wallets and supermarkets. The special category earnings are capped at 1,500 Etihad Guest Miles per month so you would need to choose your categories carefully.
For expat families, the last category, supermarkets, is particularly interesting. Many other miles cards offer a reduced earning rate on supermarket and grocery spend. This is would be one way of increasing miles earning on that spend.
The table below lists the earning rates per 1 USD by category.
| Spending Category | Earn Rate |
| Etihad Airways | 3.5 Etihad Guest Miles |
| International | 3 Etihad Guest Miles |
| Two special categories | 2.5 Etihad Guest Miles |
| Domestic | 2 Etihad Guest Miles |
4. Competitive annual fee
The annual fee for the Premium card is AED 1,500 excluding VAT. As far as I can tell that is the lowest annual fee currently charged for any Etihad Guest co-brand Visa Infinite card.
It can’t all be good news
There is one minor aspect of the Premium card that is a little disappointing. That is the annual cap on earning Etihad Guest Tier Miles.
The Tier Miles earning rate is itself a reasonable 2.5 tier miles per 1 USD spent. However, the maximum number of Tier Miles that can be accumulated each year is 20,000. This is particularly unwelcome for flyers who use the Tier Miles benefit to gain or maintain their Tier status in Etihad Guest.
Not all Visa Infinite co-brand cards do earn Tier Miles but those that do generally cap the earning rate at 50,000 per year.
For instance, Mrs Expat Flyer earns 50,000 Tier Miles on her current Etihad co-brand credit card. Combined with her flying pattern on Etihad those Tier Mils puts her close to the number needed to earn and retain Platinum Guest status each year.
Is the Etihad Islamic Etihad Guest Premium Card worth getting?
If you can meet the monthly minimum spending required and you fly Etihad frequently, the Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Premium card is a must get
I would get the card to earn the extraordinary sign-up bonus but keep using it for the 50% rebate on all Etihad Guest Miles redemptions. The rebate perk may possibly be one of the best available on any co-brand card issued in the UAE.
Remember though, the signup bonus is only for the launch period and you need to apply by 15 May 2020 to be eligible.
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The Expat Flyer aims to cover everything you need to know about Emirates Skywards and Etihad Guest as well as the most useful points earning credit cards in the Middle East.