Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Ethiad's FFP

Ethiad Airways is to launch new FFP tomorrow.
Does anyone have any idea who might be it's airline partner(s) in the program?
LH? ,UA?, BA?,AF?, or none?

Ethiad Airways is to launch new FFP tomorrow.
Does anyone have any idea who might be it's airline partner(s) in the program?
LH? ,UA?, BA?,AF?, or none?

SN Brussels is the only airline partner so far.

Yes, it became quite clear today that the program is a crap contrary to what
the company has claimed. :td:


SN Brussels is the only airline partner so far.

SN Brussels is the only airline partner so far.Would be potentially useful for me if I could also earn SN miles on Etihad.

By the way, SN's description on Etihad's website is wrong: SN does not fly to North America, it only has code shares. And only SN operated flights are eligible for accrual...

SmilingBoy.

Etihad Airways Launches New Loyalty Concept Offering Immediate Rewards


Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab
Emirates, has today launched its Etihad Guest program, a unique
proposition that revolutionizes airline loyalty initiatives and echoes
the airline's personalized and customer-focused approach to travel.
¶ The initiative is being rolled out throughout Etihad's global
network of 35 passenger destinations simultaneously.
¶ At the core of the program's creation is the absence of
uncompromising restrictions traditionally associated with existing
frequent flyer programs, replaced instead with a flexible range of
features and services designed to cater to public demand.
¶ Geert W. Boven, Acting CEO of Etihad Airways commented, "With our
hospitality-orientated approach Etihad Airways is certain to raise a
few eyebrows amongst its peers, many of whose frequent flyer-related
schemes remained relatively unchallenged by the industry until now.
However, having carried out research of the issues surrounding
frequent flyer programs, we know that the travelling public are
increasingly seeking out incentives and benefits that indicate a
genuine respect for their custom while rewarding them."
¶ Essentially, the key features that the program will offer its
Guests are:
-0-
*T

1) Flexible travel, with anytime, any flight availability:
Recognizing that travellers' biggest criticism of frequent flyer
programs is that accrued miles are not always easily redeemable
for the flights they'd want, Etihad's new blueprint for loyalty
has eradicated the concept of blackout periods and flight
redemption restrictions. Every flight has an allocation of
GuestSeats throughout each of the three Zones which offer the best
value for miles and can be booked for a fixed mileage rate.
However, unlike other airlines, Etihad has introduced the concept
of OpenSeats to ensure that Guests are still able to choose when
they would prefer to travel and redeem their miles on the flight
of their choice. While the mileage required is determined
according to the fare level travelled in, as long as there are
seats available Guests have the option to redeem their miles
whenever it is most convenient to them.

2) Choice of "payment", whether purely miles or a cash contribution:
Unlike most airlines, Etihad recognizes that flexibility is the
ultimate mark of respect to its loyal Guests. As such, it is one
of the few airlines to offer all its members the possibility of
using a combination of miles and cash when redeeming rewards with
its Miles+Cash feature. Using the online slider tool, Guests enter
a combination of miles and cash values into the relevant MyMiles
or MyCash fields. By moving the innovative slider bar they are
then able to calculate which proportion of the two will work best
for them at the time of redemption.

3) Immediate redemption potential, as of the first mile accrued:
Mindful that frequent flyers are rarely able to enjoy instant
gratification on their "points", Etihad's wide range of
established partners have been carefully chosen to insure that
Guests are able to treat themselves from the moment they accrue
mileage. Whether opting to take advantage of the great range of
rewards on offer or topping up the outstanding mileage balance
with the flexible cash payment option, Guests are given a warm
welcome and actively encouraged to treat themselves to their well
deserved rewards from the moment they start accruing their air
miles. Indeed, the 1MileRedemption concept ensures that members
can exchange as little as one mile when taking advantage of the
Miles+Cash option.

4) Range of rewards, with a network of non-flight partners to choose
from:
Etihad has quite literally gone that extra mile by partnering with
a network of airline, car rental, financial, retail and leisure
partners and in doing so aims to offer Guests greater mile earning
as well as spending opportunities alongside an attractive range of
discounts. The Reward Shop is just a click away with the full
range of reward categories - including flights, Etihad Holidays,
entertainment, electronics, lifestyle experiences, auctions,
raffles and charity donations - all available on
http://www.etihadguest.com.

5) Added value, with miles that are worth more:
The initiative focuses on delivering greater value to its Guests -
both in terms of dynamic miles value and added value elements,
such as flexibility and choice. The result of this is that an
Etihad mile is worth more than any miles offered through
competitors' equivalent programs, especially when combined with
the uniquely personalized Miles+Cash option. Added to this, with
three tiers to qualify for - Etihad Guest, Etihad Guest Silver and
Etihad Guest Gold - members are entitled to extra benefits the
more miles they earn, ranging from priority check-in, lounge
access and up to up to 33 lbs excess baggage allowance to
complimentary Limousine service and fast track immigration.

6) Earning miles on reward flights through cash contributions:
An extra advantage of the program is that Etihad Airways is the
only airline to offer members the chance to earn miles on their
reward flights. Essentially, Guests are able to make their miles
work even harder for them by enjoying a flight reward redeemed
through a combination of Miles+Cash and accruing extra reward
miles through the cash element. As such, a Guest travelling on a
flight which has been financed half with cash and half with miles
will receive miles worth 50 per cent of the total flight. This
insures that members can enjoy the best value proposition
possible.
*T

¶ "Etihad remains committed to changing the way our Guests see the
world," stated Peter Baumgartner, Head of Marketing at Etihad Airways.
"With our ever-expanding network of global destinations, we will
continue striving to set new industry standards which enhance the
traveller's overall experience."
¶ Membership is free and mile accrual is immediate, with individuals
from every country aged two years old and upwards eligible to join.
For more information or to enroll online visit:
http://www.etihadguest.com.
¶ Membership forms are also available on board all Etihad flights,
reservation offices, lounges (Abu Dhabi and London) and check-in
desks. Alternatively, Guests can request an enrollment form by calling
the Etihad Guest Service Center and mailing the completed form to the
address provided.
¶ Etihad Airways will launch a daily round-trip flight between Abu
Dhabi and New York's JFK airport, Terminal Four, starting October 26,
2006. From Abu Dhabi, Etihad flies to such markets as Karachi,
Islamabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Kuwait, Doha, Riyadh, Beirut, Dhaka, Colombo
and Kuala Lumpur (a total of 35 markets to date).

¶ About Etihad Airways

¶ Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates,
is the world's leading new airline and currently offers flights for
Guests and cargo to more than 40 destinations in the Middle East,
Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
¶ Etihad Crystal Cargo - http://www.crystalcargo.ae - offers a
comprehensive range of cargo services throughout Etihad's network, and
services its many all-cargo destinations and world-wide charters with
a fleet of modern regional freighter aircraft.
¶ Etihad Holidays - http://www.etihadholidays.com - offers a range
of innovative holiday options in 82 destinations including skiing,
fly-drives, cruises, tours, stopovers, inbound programs and city
breaks.
¶ Through these exciting divisions, Etihad Airways is changing the
way people see the world.
¶ For more information about this award-winning aviation group,
please visit http://www.etihadairways.com

Writing this note while on Etihad flight expatriating from Jakarta to Abu Dhabi. Frankly, I think this is an impressive airline. The quality of business class is fantastic and price is a fraction of what Emirates wants. Yes, I would like to fly home to US on Etihad or a program partner, but the product makes the airline, not the frequent flier program. HK for who cares.... Programs with inflated mileage accrual schemes are not providing real rewards for anyone either. Do people avoid SW for their lack of partners or program which does not reward long flights?

Fred