Compare credit cards that help you earn Etihad Guest Miles

If you are a frequent traveller, and often make trips with Etihad, then you may be looking for a way to earn Etihad Guest points from your everyday spending. There are a number of rewards credit cards on the market in Australia that will allow you to earn points and then convert them into Etihad Guest Miles, and with some of these cards, you could also access to benefits like airport lounge access or complimentary travel insurance.

If you’re considering a credit card that allows you to earn points and then convert them to Etihad Guest miles, it may be worthwhile to first ask yourself:

• Do you typically pay your closing credit card balance in full each month? If not, you will be charged interest on your balance, and at a high interest rate, this could be expensive each month.
• Are you a frequent traveller, and if so, would putting points towards Etihad Guest miles and earning other travel related benefits be rewarding to you?
• Are you likely to use your card enough to earn the rewards you’d need to justify the annual fee and any interest charged? If you do not use your card frequently enough reward points to transfer to the Etihad guest program, you may find that you are paying high fees and potentially a high interest rate without earning any real benefit for yourself.

In general, before applying for a credit card or any kind of credit product, it is important to ask yourself whether it is a good fit for your financial situation, and whether you will be able to manage your spending.  Checking the T&Cs with your credit card provider will help, as will reading the Target Market Determination (TMD) and Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) that applies.

There are a key few things to look out for when comparing rewards credit cards, including those where you can earn points to put towards frequent flyer miles. These include:

• Points earn rate: Rewards credit cards will typically allow you to earn points by spending money on eligible purchases, with some offering bonus points for spending at certain partner retailers. The points earned on some of these cards can then be put towards Etihad flights and related perks by transferring them to your Etihad Guest account.
• Points transfer rate: Different credit card rewards programs may allow you to exchange your rewards points for Etihad Guest miles at different rates. It is important to check the terms and conditions of your card to find out the exchange rate for rewards points, and how many reward points will convert to one Etihad Guest mile.
• Annual fee and interest rate: Frequent flyer cards typically charge higher annual fees and interest rates than non-rewards cards, so it is important to consider whether the benefits you’ll get from one of these cards outweigh the potential costs.
• Extras: Many frequent flyer cards offer additional perks to members, including such things as bonus travel insurance, lounge access at airports and hotel and travel credits and seat upgrades. Remember to read the policy terms and conditions to understand what extras you may be eligible for if you sign up.

If you’re considering taking out a credit card where you can earn rewards points to put towards Etihad Guest Miles and you would like to know what’s out there on the market, you can start your search by comparing cards with Canstar, using the comparison tool at the top of this page.

Depending on the kind of card you choose and the frequent flyer program you join, you may also be eligible for additional perks, such as:

• Airport lounge access: Some credit card rewards programs will give customers an annual allowance of airport lounge passes that can be used to relax before your flight or between destinations on a long-haul international flight.
• Airport transfers: Some rewards cards will offer complimentary airport transfer services to eligible customers. These may be available once or multiple times per year, depending on the program and your level of membership.
• Complimentary travel insurance: Travel insurance is important when taking an overseas trip, and some rewards credit cards offer it as a complimentary feature, as long as these trips were booked with the card.
• Concierge services: Certain rewards cards offer access to concierge services, where you can receive assistance with a variety of things from booking events and hotels through to making travel plans and reservations.
• Hotel credits: Some rewards cards will offer you credits to put towards bookings with partner hotels, and in some cases, may even offer a free night’s stay to eligible travellers, depending on your level of rewards membership.
• Travel credits: Some rewards credit cards offer vouchers that can be used for flight or travel credit annually.
• Seat upgrades: Many rewards programs might allow members the opportunity to upgrade your seat from economy to business of first class by spending points.

There are currently no credit cards in Australia that allow you to directly earn Etihad Guest Miles. It is possible, however, to warn points from a participating rewards credit card, and then transfer these to your Etihad account in exchange for Etihad Guest miles that you can put towards a trip.

Etihad also allows customers to purchase miles and boost existing miles. For more information on these programs and how they work, check the Etihad website.

The method of transferring credit card reward points to Etihad Guest Miles will differ depending on your credit card provider. Etihad’s website has detailed instructions for how you can transfer rewards points to its frequent flyer program from a number of providers, however, in a general sense, you will need to:

1. Make sure that your participating rewards credit card account is linked to your Etihad account
2. Log into your participating rewards credit card program account and follow the instructions on how to transfer points to Etihad Guest frequent flyer miles
3. Confirm the details of the transaction and follow the prompts to complete the transfer

You will need to check with your individual provider to find out how transfers work and how long the process takes, as it may not be instantaneous and may take a business day or more.

According to Etihad, the validity of Etihad Guest miles depends on your membership tier. If you are a member on the Bronze, Silver or Gold tier of the Etihad Guest program, then your miles are valid for 18 months, plus an additional 18 months with any eligible miles transaction, including earning, spending or buying miles.

If you are on the Platinum tier of the Etihad Guest program, then Etihad says that your miles will never expire.

Yes, Etihad allows you to redeem Etihad Guest Miles with a variety of partner airlines around the globe. It is advisable to check the Etihad website or contact the airline directly to find out which partner airlines you can use your Etihad Guest Miles with.

Generally speaking, any everyday spending on a credit card could be considered an ‘eligible purchase’ for the purpose of rewards points. This means, for example, that things like supermarket shopping, dining out, petrol and general retail purchases would all fall under the umbrella of eligible purchases.

On the other hand, transactions including cash advances, balance transfers, BPAY payments and the payment of fees and charges on the credit card itself would not count towards reward points. It is important, however, to read the terms and conditions to find out exactly what kind of purchases count towards reward points.

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