Some of the best redemptions for guest miles aren't on EY...hopefully those don't change drastically.

Hi all,

we understand this can be rather unsettling news for some of you, especially in the case described by @EFATO, for example.

We would like to stress that these changes reflect our additional investments in our Premium services such as priority check-in, chauffeur service and lounge access. Maybe this helps a bit to understand why these changes are made, although we are can understand your disappointment, too.
*JP

50% increase on a guestseat AUH-UK in J. Guess i'm done with EY. Heartbreaking, I loved flying with them.

Why not just be honest? Instead of, 'we started EY guest in 2006" "We want it to remain competitive and sustainable", why not just say "the other airlines have made their FFPs more difficult and more expensive, that made us look too cheap, oh and we've got Nicole Kidman to pay, so we need the cash.."

Redeeming AA miles for EY flights, prior to these changes was a smart move. Doing so afterwards is a no-brainer, assuming you have AA miles of course.

AA didn't charge EY's fuel surcharge, but likely that they will levy the carrier surcharge, in which case the cash outlay will be more even with AA.

If AA does pass them on, then the DUB-AUH-MLE-AUH for 2 in biz which I booked earlier in the year will rise from the £81 I was charged, to £480. (3 sectors x 2 pax, $100 a sector)

LHR-AUH in F is rising from 55.2K miles to 87.7K miles (nearly 60%), 1-way

Advise anyone who is considering a redemption on EY to bite the bullet now. The T&C say that if you need to change the flight after the 8th of July, the old charging scale will apply.

This is disappointing but of course unsurprising. The hikes in J and F award prices are on a similar scale to the BA devaluation.

The good times in the FFP game are definitely coming to an end :(

Hi there!

We can confirm that the changes will only affect Etihad Airways' operated and marketed flights. Tickets marketed and operated by our partner airlines will not be affected. Hope this helps! *JP

Can you clarify.

1) Are there any changes to fees or mileage requirements, for booking AA flights using EY miles.

2) Are you aware if for example AA, will charge the $50, $100, $150 carrier charge, when booking EY flights using AA miles ?

Yow - 2 of my favorite places and redeemable flights just became out of reach

Hi Tangey!

Thanks for your question. Sure, let's clarify:

If the flight you are booking is marketed and operated by AA, there will be neither mileage requirements nor fees nor carrier charges.

Hope this is what you had in mind when asking?

*JP

Unfortunately I must agree. I keep statistics on my flights; here is my top-ten carrier list:

1 Etihad Airways 220 flights 25,9 %
2 easyJet 91 flights 10,7 %
3 Lufthansa 80 flights 9,4 %
4 Gulf Air 50 flights 5,9 %
5 Ryanair 39 flights 4,6 %
6 Oman Air 39 flights 4,6 %
7 Qatar Airways 24 flights 2,8 %
8 SWISS 24 flights 2,8 %
9 British Airways 16 flights 1,9 %
10 Aer Lingus 15 flights 1,8 %

I am Platinum on EY and Gold on Star Alliance. Note that when I'm in Europe I am not loyal to anyone - I buy the cheapest fare available (easyJet, Lufthansa, Ryanair, etc.). However, when I fly GCC or long haul, I clearly choose Etihad much more frequently than Gulf, Oman or Qatar - because of the FFP.

FFP has to offer a certain level of privileges to work, which I don't get out of LH, for example. On LH I get lounge, which is generally rubbish (it's much more pleasant to sit in the public area at MUC than it is to sit in the lounge, for example), and there are no upgrades. Result? The FFP program doesn't really work to attract my business - as you see from the numbers above, I tend to fly more easyJet than LH, even though I'm Star Alliance Gold.

For GCC, I fly Gulf Air almost as much as I fly EY - because I have Gold there too and their tickets are cheaper.

Of course the people making decisions at Etihad Guest must know this, but it does pay to spell it out again on here. The less benefits you give an FFP elite member (and by that I mean people that are really doing all the flying, not the occasional person that takes a trip once a year and redeems 2,000 points for something in the reward shop), the more reasons you give your best customers to shop around.

As I see it now, if I can't upgrade any more, all that my Platinum status and loyalty is worth to EY is lounge. At that rate there is no point in keeping all my flying with EY - better to split it out 50/50 on EY/EK for example, keep Gold on both programmes, and then cherry-pick the lowest fares.

All I've ever wanted out of an FFP is to be put in a better room at the airport when I'm waiting and put in a better seat on the plane when it is empty. EY has been pretty good at that, which is why I've taken 220 flights with them. Take those opportunities away, as you continue to do (no more First Class lounge, no more upgrades on competitive fare buckets), and I'll go away. Pretty simple.

We are sorry to hear that EFATO. We would still be happy to see you again in the future and hope you have enjoyed our services so far. We can ensure you we don't strive to be as good, but better in our services to you every time you fly with us.

As the changes are merely reflective of that, we hope we can still welcome you on board again soon and show you what it's like to fly reimagined. *JP

Please explain?

There was no change recently as regards Priority Check-in (still requires a Business or First class ticket; or, if in economy, a certain (unchanged) status level). Ditto for lounge access.

And as regards chauffeur service, you've restricted the classes of booking that are eligible.

Sadly, we will get no real, incisive or meaningful responses from Etihad Help on these changes. Thats just a fact. The changes are what they are - nothing will change as a result of whats posted here by FT-ers, sadly. We will all have to decide if its worth carrying on with the programme. For me it is - because even after the devaluation (which IS unwelcome :() its the best programme for my needs & Mrs NoY’s needs. YMMV.

Did they take redemptions offline? Berlin to Abu Dhabi is completely sold out in October.

(@ NoY) I'm afraid you'll be proved correct.

The Etihad Premium Channel was recently even unable to correctly identify the expiry date of my status, when questioned recently. In the end, they simply stopped responding to my queries.

(I hate to say it, but my impression of Etihad has been severely dented recently - not by the flying experience, but by the frustration of dealing with their customer service).