UPDATED: How do I get Etihad Guest Gold Tier status?  

This post outlines the steps you need to take to get Etihad Guest Gold Tier status.

Gold is one of the four main tiers in Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways. The four tiers of the Etihad Guest programme are Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum. 

Bronze is the entry-level tier available to anyone joining the programme. Silver, Gold and Platinum are elite tiers with an increasing range of benefits and privileges as you move up the ranks. 

Gold is the middle tier, sandwiched between Silver and Platinum. It is the sweet spot in the Etihad Guest programme. It comes with the vast majority of perks you would want from an airline loyalty programme while being relatively easy to achieve, particularly for members based in the UAE. 

There is also Emerald, a special tier for individuals who spend over $150,000 with Etihad every year.

Explaining Guest Miles vs Tier Miles

Members of Etihad Guest collect both Guest Miles and Tier Miles. Guest Miles can be earned flying on Etihad Airway as well as with more than 20 partner airlines.

Those Etihad Guest Miles can be redeemed to book reward flights on Etihad Airways and over 20+ partner airlines. 

Using Guest Miles for shopping, car rental and hotel booking is also possible. However, this is rarely good value, and I only recommend using them for flights. 

Meanwhile, Tier Miles are solely used to determine elite status within Etihad Guest. Elite status provides additional travel benefits such as free seat selection, lounge access and excess baggage allowances. 

How elite status is determined?

To earn Gold Tier status, you need to: 

• Earn 50,000 Tier Miles over a rolling 12-month period, AND
• At least 20,000 of those Tier Miles must be earned from flying

You can no longer earn or retain Gold Tier status simply from spending on credit cards.

Qualifying flights are: 

• Any Etihad Airways-operated flight 
• Certain flights on a handful of partner airlines also earn Tier Miles. The four airlines are Air Serbia, Virgin Australia (Until 31 May 2025), Gulf Air and Saudia. 

Maintaining status is easier

Tier status is valid for one year from the month of the Tier upgrade.

Once you have earned status, Etihad Guest makes it easier to keep it as the thresholds to renew are lower. To renew Gold status, you will need: 

• 40,000 Tier Miles in a rolling 12-month period, AND 
• At least 20,000 of those Tier Miles must be earned from flying

How are Tier Miles calculated? 

Tier Miles are calculated based on a combination of distance, cabin and fare class. This means that the most expensive Economy fare earns more Tier Miles than the cheapest Business Class fare.

For example, on a one-way flight between Abu Dhabi and London Heathrow, you will earn the following Tier Miles for each fare type:

• 525 Tier Miles in Economy Basic
• 1,225 Tier Miles in Economy Value
• 2,625 Tier Miles in Economy Comfort
• 4,375 Tier Miles in Economy Deluxe
• 3,500 Tier Miles in Business Value
• 7,000 Tier Miles in Business Comfort
• 8,750 Tier Miles in Business Deluxe
• 10,5000 Tier Miles in First Class

The number of Tier Miles you will earn for a particular fare type is shown clearly during the booking process.

The number of return flights you require to earn Gold status will vary greatly depending on the fare class purchased. It will take 48 return trips in Economy Basic but only three in Business Deluxe.

Unfortunately, Etihad Guest redemption bookings do not earn any tier miles. However, part pay with miles should earn Guest Miles and Tier Miles. 

Fast-track to Etihad Guest Gold Tier status with credit card 

An alternative route to Gold status is with an Etihad Guest co-brand credit card. Seven credit cards issued to UAE residents include complimentary Gold status as a card perk.

There is usually a minimum spend or flying requirement to trigger the complimentary. However, each card has a slightly different requirement to trigger the benefit. The list of cards and their requirements can be found in this post. 

What are the benefits of Etihad Guest Gold? 

Once you fulfil the requirements above, you will be upgraded to Gold.

Etihad Guest elite benefits are now divided into Core, Custom and Beyond categories.

The Core Benefits offered to all Gold Tier members include:

• Earn 50% bonus Guest Miles
• Priority check-in and boarding
• Fast track immigration
• Complimentary standard seat selection

Gold Tier members can choose four Custom Benefits from a menu of options that includes:

• Lounge access
• Extra baggage allowance
• Etihad Chauffeur on GuestSeat bookings
• Etihad Chauffeur on Economy bookings
• Complimentary Home check-in in Abu Dhabi

Check this article on the full list of benefits of Etihad Guest Gold Tier status.

Which airlines offer benefits to Etihad Guest elites?

Etihad Airways is not part of a global airline alliance, so you do not automatically get elite benefits on a collection of other airlines. However, there are a handful of airline partners that do recognise Etihad Guest Tier status. The full details of which airlines offer benefits to Etihad Guest elites can be found here.  

Aiming for the top?

Once you have attained Gold, the next step up is Platinum, the top tier in Etihad Guest. Read about how to get Etihad Guest Platinum Status here. Read about Etihad Guest Platinum benefits here.