Complete guide to Etihad Guest elite benefits on airline partners

This is a complete guide to the elite benefits Etihad Guest Silver, Gold and Platinum Tier members can expect to receive when flying with certain Etihad Airways airline partners. 

In addition, all Etihad Guest members can earn Guest Miles when flying with one of Etihad’s 20 airline partners or on a codeshare booking. Check out our complete guide to Etihad Guest elite benefits on airline partners.

The rules can be a little confusing

This post was inspired by a reader’s recent experience travelling on a codeshare flight from Abu Dhabi earlier this year when they did not receive some of the frequent flyer privileges they expected. 

Over the summer, one of our readers had a business trip to Saudi Arabia. He booked a return ticket on the Etihad Airways website. For the outbound, he selected an Etihad codeshare flight operated by Saudia as the most conveniently timed departure of the day for his schedule. 

On this trip, he was travelling in Economy. However, as an Etihad Guest elite, he assumed he would have access to the premium lounge at Abu Dhabi Airport. 

However, at the airport, he was turned away from the lounge. An agent explained that while the booking was made with Etihad and had an EY flight number, the flight was operated by Saudia, and he was, therefore, not entitled to use the lounge despite his status.  

To be fair, during the online booking process, Etihad does warn that you may only get some of your usual benefits. However, the burden is on the flyer to determine what this will mean in practice. 

Our reader was understandably confused. I thought a review of which airlines offer benefits to Etihad Guest elite members would be helpful. 

Which airlines provide Etihad Guest benefits? 

Only five airlines offer elite benefits for Etihad Guest Silver, Gold and Platinum Tier members, such as priority check-in, boarding, baggage and lounge access. 

The five airlines offering benefits are:  

• Air Serbia
• Virgin Australia
• Gulf Air
• Air New Zeland 
• ANA All Nippon Airways

The rules and benefits available vary considerably between airlines as each agreement is individually negotiated.

Air Serbia 

Air Serbia uses Etihad Guest as its loyalty programme, so elite benefits largely mirror what you expect flying Etihad.

Silver Tier members can use priority check-in and receive an excess baggage allowance. They also earn a Tier Bonus of 25%. 

Gold Tier members have priority check-in, boarding, an excess baggage allowance and lounge access for themselves and one guest. They earn a Tier Bonus of 50%. 

In addition to all the benefits above, Platinum Tier members have access to fast-track immigration on departure from Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport. They earn a tier bonus of 75%. 

Virgin Australia 

Virgin Australia offers Etihad Guest members the most comprehensive range of elite recognition. 

Etihad Guest Gold and Platinum Tier members get access to priority check-in, boarding, and baggage handling. Plus, an additional baggage allowance and lounge access for themselves and one guest. 

Etihad Guest Silver members can access priority boarding and check-in when flying internationally. 

Members also earn a tier bonus of 10%, 25% and 50% for Silver, Gold and Platinum. 

Gulf Air 

Priority check-in is available for Silver, Gold and Platinum Tier Members. 

Gold and Platinum Tier members also have lounge access for themselves and one guest. Lounge access is offered exclusively in Abu Dhabi and Bahrain when travelling between the airports. 

Air New Zeland 

Etihad Guest Gold and Platinum members can use priority check-and baggage. In addition, they have access to the Air New Zealand lounges in Australia and New Zealand for themself and one guest. 

ANA All Nippon Airways

ANA provides elite benefits to Etihad Guest members flying on Etihad codeshare bookings on flights operated by ANA. 

Etihad Guest Gold and Platinum members receive priority check-in, boarding, an excess baggage allowance, priority baggage handling and lounge access for themselves and one guest. 

Could there be more partners on the way?  

Etihad and Air France-KLM recently signed an agreement to explore expanding their existing partnership to include reciprocal loyalty benefits for Etihad Guest and Flying Blue members. 

Air France will begin flying from Abu Dhabi on 29th October. However, there is no update on when reciprocal benefits could be implemented. 

Is the new Terminal A an opportunity to simplify?

Loyalty programmes work best when the rules are straightforward. Complicated or inconsistent rules frustrate the very customers the programme is trying to retain.

For example, imagine you’re travelling on an Etihad-issued ticket with an EY flight number and departing from an airport with an Etihad-operated lounge. In that case, it is reasonable to expect to receive your usual elite benefits. 

It would be straightforward for Etihad to provide their frequent flyers travelling on codeshare bookings with priority benefits and lounge access at Abu Dhabi Airport.  

Capacity concerns may have discouraged Etihad from extending priority benefits and lounge access to their elites flying on codeshare booking. The premium lounges in Abu Dhabi Terminal 3 are bursting at the seams during peak hours. 

However, the imminent opening of the new Terminal A provides a potential opportunity to reconsider the rules for passengers travelling on EY codeshare bookings. 

The full list of Etihad Airways airline partners can be found here.