Hello there, fellow travel enthusiast! Are you sitting on a pile of Etihad Guest miles, dreaming of exploring new destinations, but perhaps with a different airline? Well, you're in luck! While Etihad Airways has a fantastic network, sometimes the best value for your hard-earned miles lies with their partners. And guess what? American Airlines is one of them!
Using your Etihad Guest miles to book flights on American Airlines can unlock some truly fantastic redemption opportunities, especially for domestic and short-haul international flights within the Americas. It's a sweet spot that many savvy travelers utilize. Ready to dive in and learn how to make your miles soar further? Let's get started!
Step 1: Confirming the Partnership and Mileage Value
First things first, let's establish the crucial connection. Yes, American Airlines is indeed an Etihad Guest airline partner. This means you can absolutely redeem your Etihad Guest miles for flights operated by American Airlines (including American Eagle and AmericanConnection flights). This is exciting because it significantly expands your redemption options beyond just Etihad's own network.
Understanding the Award Chart
Etihad Guest uses a distance-based award chart for American Airlines flights. This is key! Unlike some programs that have dynamic pricing or zone-based charts, with Etihad Guest, the number of miles you need depends directly on the distance of your flight. This can lead to some incredible "sweet spots," particularly for shorter routes.
For example, short-haul American Airlines flights under 500 miles can cost as little as 6,000 Etihad Guest miles one-way in Economy. This is an amazing deal, especially when compared to what American Airlines might charge for the same flight using their AAdvantage miles, which can often be dynamically priced and more expensive. For flights between 501 and 1,000 miles, it's typically 12,000 Etihad miles.
It's crucial to always refer to the official Etihad Guest award chart for American Airlines to get the most accurate and up-to-date redemption rates. You can usually find this on the "Spend Miles" or "Airline Partners" section of the Etihad Guest website.
 |
| How To Use Etihad Miles On American Airlines |
Step 2: Accumulating Etihad Guest Miles (If You Haven't Already!)
Before you can redeem, you need miles! If you're reading this, you likely already have some. But if not, or if you need to top up your account, here are the primary ways to accumulate Etihad Guest miles:
Flying with Etihad Airways and Partners
This is the most straightforward method. When you fly with Etihad Airways or any of its partner airlines (including American Airlines!), ensure your Etihad Guest membership number is attached to your booking. The number of miles earned will depend on your fare class and the distance flown.
Transferring Points from Credit Card Programs
Reminder: Focus on key sentences in each paragraph.
This is a major way many people amass Etihad Guest miles. Etihad Guest partners with several transferable points currencies:
American Express Membership Rewards: Transfers are typically 1:1 and often instantaneous.
Capital One Miles: Transfers are generally 1:1, though processing times can vary.
Citi ThankYou Rewards: Transfers are usually 1:1 and can be instant.
Marriott Bonvoy: Points transfer at a 3:1 ratio, with a bonus of 5,000 Etihad Guest miles for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred in a single transaction.
Always check for transfer bonuses! These promotions happen periodically and can significantly increase the value of your transfers.
Other Ways to Earn
Etihad Guest Co-branded Credit Cards: If you're based in a region where these are offered, they can be a good way to earn miles on everyday spending.
Hotel and Car Rental Partners: Etihad Guest has various partners where you can earn miles on your stays or rentals.
Purchasing Miles: While generally not the best value, Etihad Guest does sell miles. This can be an option if you're just short of a redemption and there's a good promotion (e.g., a 20-50% bonus).
Step 3: Finding American Airlines Award Availability
This is often the trickiest part of booking partner awards, but it's entirely manageable with the right approach.
The Challenge: No Direct Online Search for AA on Etihad's Site
Unfortunately, you cannot directly search for American Airlines award availability on the Etihad Guest website. While you can book Etihad Airways flights with miles online, for partner airlines like American Airlines, you'll need to do a bit of legwork.
The Solution: Using Other Search Engines
You'll need to find "saver level" or "partner award" availability on American Airlines. Here are some of the best tools to do this:
British Airways Executive Club: This is often the gold standard for finding American Airlines award space. British Airways is a Oneworld alliance partner with American Airlines, and their website is generally very good at showing partner availability.
How to use: Go to the British Airways website, log in (you'll need an Executive Club account, which is free to join), and select "Book a flight with Avios." Enter your desired route and dates. Look for flights with low Avios pricing, as this generally indicates saver availability.
Qantas Frequent Flyer: Similar to British Airways, Qantas (another Oneworld partner) often displays American Airlines award space. Their interface can also be quite user-friendly.
American Airlines Website (with a trick): While American's own website often shows dynamic pricing, sometimes the "economy Web Special" or other lower-mileage awards can indicate partner availability. However, this is less reliable for finding the exact space that Etihad can access.
Key Tips for Searching:
Search segment by segment: If your desired journey involves connections, search for each leg of the journey individually. For example, if you want to fly from Los Angeles (LAX) to Miami (MIA) via Dallas (DFW), first search LAX-DFW, then DFW-MIA.
Flexibility is your friend: The more flexible you can be with your travel dates and times, the higher your chances of finding award availability.
Look for "saver" space: On partner airline websites, look for the lowest mileage prices, as these are typically the "saver" level awards that Etihad can book.
Step 4: Calling Etihad Guest to Book Your American Airlines Flight
Tip: Scroll slowly when the content gets detailed.
Once you've identified the American Airlines flight(s) with saver award availability, it's time to make the call!
The Essential Step: Get on the Phone!
This is not an online booking process for American Airlines flights. You must call Etihad Guest to redeem your miles for American Airlines flights.
What to Have Ready Before You Call:
Your Etihad Guest membership number.
Your full name and date of birth.
The exact flight details you found:
American Airlines flight numbers (e.g., AA123)
Departure and arrival airports (e.g., LAX to MIA)
Dates and times
Cabin class (Economy, Business, First)
Number of passengers.
Payment method for taxes and fees: While the miles cover the fare, you'll still be responsible for taxes, fees, and carrier-imposed surcharges (though on AA, these are often quite reasonable for domestic flights).
What to Say to the Agent:
Be clear and concise. State that you want to book an award flight on a partner airline, specifically American Airlines, using your Etihad Guest miles. Provide them with all the flight details you've gathered.
Be Patient and Persistent:
Not all agents are equally familiar with partner airline redemptions. If the first agent seems unsure, politely thank them and call back to speak with another agent. It's often a matter of finding someone who knows the system well.
"Phantom availability": Occasionally, an award seat might show as available on a search engine but isn't actually bookable by the partner airline. This is rare but can happen. If you encounter persistent issues with a specific flight, try searching for alternatives.
Step 5: Paying Taxes and Fees and Confirming Your Booking
Once the Etihad Guest agent confirms the availability and the mileage cost, they will calculate the applicable taxes and fees.
Finalizing the Redemption:
You will provide your credit card details for the taxes and fees.
The agent will process the redemption and issue your ticket.
Crucially, ask for the American Airlines (AA) confirmation number. This is different from your Etihad Guest booking reference. The AA confirmation number will allow you to manage your booking directly on the American Airlines website.
Tip: A slow, careful read can save re-reading later.
Managing Your Booking on American Airlines:
Once you have the AA confirmation number, go to aa.com, enter the confirmation number and your last name, and you should be able to:
Select your seats.
Check your flight details.
Potentially add any special requests.
Check in for your flight when the time comes.
Important Considerations:
Mileage Expiration: Be aware of Etihad Guest's mileage expiration policy. Miles typically expire after a certain period of inactivity or a set number of months. Plan your redemptions accordingly.
Change and Cancellation Policies: Understand the terms and conditions for changing or canceling award tickets booked with Etihad Guest miles. Fees may apply.
Connecting Flights: For journeys with connecting flights, the mileage will be calculated based on each individual flight segment's distance, not the total distance. This is important to remember when calculating the overall mileage cost.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are 10 related FAQ questions to help you further navigate using Etihad miles on American Airlines:
How to find the Etihad Guest award chart for American Airlines?
You can typically find the distance-based award chart for American Airlines redemptions on the official Etihad Guest website, usually under the "Spend Miles" or "Airline Partners" section. Look for the specific American Airlines partner page.
How to know if a specific American Airlines flight has partner award availability?
The best way is to use partner airline search engines like British Airways Executive Club or Qantas Frequent Flyer. Look for "saver" level award space, which is typically what Etihad Guest can access.
How to transfer credit card points to Etihad Guest?
Log in to your credit card rewards portal (e.g., American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Travel, Citi ThankYou Rewards). Find the option to transfer points to airline partners and select Etihad Guest. Follow the instructions to complete the transfer.
Tip: Read at your natural pace.
How to deal with an Etihad Guest agent who doesn't know how to book partner awards?
Politely end the call and try again. It's not uncommon to encounter agents who are less familiar with complex partner redemptions. Persistence often pays off.
How to check the taxes and fees before booking with Etihad Guest miles?
The Etihad Guest agent will quote the exact taxes and fees when you call to book. Unfortunately, there's no online tool to pre-calculate these for partner awards.
How to know if my Etihad Guest miles will expire soon?
Log in to your Etihad Guest account on their website. Your mileage balance and expiration date (if applicable) should be displayed in your account summary. Review the full terms and conditions for their expiration policy.
How to make changes to an American Airlines flight booked with Etihad Guest miles?
You will generally need to contact Etihad Guest directly to make any changes to an American Airlines award flight booked with their miles. Be aware of potential change fees.
How to cancel an American Airlines flight booked with Etihad Guest miles?
Contact Etihad Guest to cancel your award ticket. Refund policies and cancellation fees will depend on the fare rules and Etihad Guest's terms and conditions.
How to add my American Airlines AAdvantage number to an Etihad Guest booking?
After your Etihad Guest agent issues your ticket, they should provide you with the American Airlines (AA) confirmation number. Use this confirmation number to pull up your reservation on aa.com, where you can often add or change your frequent flyer number.
How to get the best value when using Etihad Guest miles on American Airlines?
Focus on short-haul American Airlines flights (under 500 miles for 6,000 miles one-way) as these represent some of the best "sweet spots." Be flexible with your travel dates and times to find better availability and value.
 |
