MitzEclipse

Hi all
I am looking to take maximum advantage of a Business Class ticket on Etihad.

1) Free stopover in a 5-star hotel - Premium Stopover package: https://www.etihad.com/en-us/plan-an...ium-stopovers/

• Has anyone taken advantage of this? which 5-star hotel does Etihad put you up in?
• I have to book via AMEX Travel (corporate rules) instead of directly on Etihad's website. Is the stopover package the same whether it's AMEX Travel or via Etihad?
• Once the flight is booked, how do you go about booking the hotel?

2) Visa on Arrival

• Does Etihad pay for Visas on Arrival?
• One of the travellers in our group needs a Visa (Indian Passport) - does Etihad pay for this as well?

3) Where to credit miles?

• I normally book miles to LX M&M (SA), DL (Skyteam) or BA for OW. It appears looking at the partners Etihad doesn't have partners with any of them https://www.wheretocredit.com/etihad-airways/j
• Do any of Etihad's partners allow transferring miles to LX, DL, or BA?

4) Business class tips

• Any tips on how to leverage the best of the business class product?
• Is there an arrivals lounge to use in ZRH (I usually use the LX Arrivals)
• Any limo transport like Emirates or Virgin?

Thanks in advance!

MitzEclipse

Well answered my first two questions:
1) Found this link with the hotels: ::Etihadairways:: Unfortunately the email listed on that website has not been responsive so I'm unclear if I can pick which hotel they list on the website or if I'm automatically assigned to one. Appears you can book this offer even when using travel partners. Unclear if transport to/from hotel is included.

2) Via Etihad's Twitter account, they do not pay for VOAs. Their twitter account ironically has been very responsive but not the email to book hotels on the stopover premium offer.

Still looking for answers to 3) and 4). On 4) chauffeur service is no longer included.

Thanks

pheonix254

On 4) As far as I'm aware, BA don't accept any transfers from other OW airlines, so crediting say to a oneworld partner like MH and attempting to transfer to BA is a non-starter. I've no idea about Skyteam, but Czech is in there. And with star alliance, I also haven't come across an FFP that allows intra-alliance transfers, TK certainly don't. You may be out of luck - but finding a definitive answer is going to be difficult as most people are only members of 2 or 3 FFPs - But speaking as a member of EY, TK and BA, I credit EY flights to EY, because I found no good way of getting miles out again. Note that EY does allow you to redeem miles for cash via their FFP - if no other option, you might as well set up an account with them and just take the virtual visa card option to redeem.

AUH to PNQ will be operated by 9W (Jet Airways) and will be on a narrowbody, but my last trip with them had decent size reclining seats (not the usual intra-europe no-different-to economy class seat). PNQ has no lounge at the moment, at all. (which is an improvement, the old one was the worst one I had ever been in - was last in PNQ in early May 18) The AUH lounges are reasonably good, just make sure you get into the best one you can (don't bother with Al Reem, for example, whilst on a J ticket). Cannot comment on arrivals at ZRH, as I don't know it.

EYrevanchist

Go to the T3 premium lounge in AUH