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Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Deals
Deal Alert: Etihad business class to Asia and Africa from $1,805 RT
Andrew Kunesh is TPG's Points & Miles editor. He has been active in the points and miles space since 2014, using them to travel far and wide around the world. He is originally from Chicago but moved to New York City after graduating from DePaul University. His work is featured on Credit Karma, UpgradedPoints, ValuePenguin and various other travel and finance publications. He currently holds Delta Diamond Medallion and Marriott Titanium status, and 20+ credit cards that each have a special place in Andrew's wallet.
June 12, 2020 • 9 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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Quick summary
Etihad is offering discounted business class fares from the U.S. to destinations in Asia and Africa, with prices dropping significantly when using a 50% bonus on future travel credit.
Promotional fares are available for travel commencing after August 1, with the travel credit valid for two years from purchase.
Sample routes include major cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Johannesburg, Male, and Bangkok, with effective round-trip prices as low as $1,805.
Travelers can earn miles with various frequent flyer programs when booking these tickets, though elite status miles may not be awarded.
What to consider
Some offers mentioned in the article are no longer available; check current availability before booking.
Travel credit must be purchased by June 24 and can only be used for trips starting after August 1, with a two-year validity window.
There are risks associated with booking during the coronavirus outbreak, including possible change or cancellation fees and financial uncertainty for airlines.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed breakdown of specific routes, pricing examples, and advice on which frequent flyer programs to credit your miles to for maximum value.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Etihad offers one of the best business class products in the sky — when TPG's Samantha Rosen reviewed it earlier in the year, she said the seat was spacious and comfortable, the food was good and the service was second-to-none.
That said, Etihad business class tickets don't come cheap. You'll usually pay more than $4,000 for a round-trip ticket from the U.S. to its hub in Abu Dhabi (AUH), or when continuing on to destinations beyond. While you can use your AAdvantage miles to book Etihad tickets, award space can be hard to come by.
However, Etihad is currently offering solid cash deals from the U.S. to cities in India, South Africa and various countries in Asia. As reported by The Flight Deal, tickets departing from Etihad's U.S. gateways start at $2,826 in late 2020, and you can bring down the effective price down to as low as $1,884 when you take advantage of the airline's 50% bonus on future travel credit.
This promotion offers a 50% bonus on all Etihad travel credit purchases between now and June 24. The only stipulation is that you can use this credit for travel commencing after Aug. 1, with the credit being valid for two years from the date of purchase.
While this is still a lot of money to spend on airfare, it's a solid discount when compared to normal fares. In this article, we'll give you a quick look at the routes you can book with this deal and discuss where to credit the miles. Let's get started!
Should I book travel now?
Before we dive into this deal, it's important to understand the risks of booking travel during the coronavirus outbreak. The first is that you may have to cancel the tickets you book. While the outbreak has shown signs of slowing in some parts of the world, there's no way to guarantee that it will be safe to travel by the time you book.
If this ends up being the case, you may have to change or cancel your trip, so make sure you're familiar with Etihad's change and cancellation policies before you book your ticket. Unfortunately, there is generally a fee involved with doing this, unless the airline's coronavirus travel waiver is extended.
While we're confident in the future of Etihad, your ticket could be rendered worthless if the airline went belly-up in a worst-case scenario. With that in mind, only book these tickets knowing that there's a small chance you could lose the money spent on the ticket. If you can't afford to lose the money, we highly recommend steering clear of this deal.
A closer look at the deal
Now that we have the heavy stuff out of the way, let's get to the fun part: the deal! As discussed in the intro, Etihad is selling business class tickets from the U.S. to major cities in Asia and Africa for as low as $2,823. When combined with the 50% bonus on future travel credit, this drops the price to $1,882 round-trip.
Here's a look at some of the best deals. This isn't an exhaustive list by any means, so you may be able to find deals to other cities for varying prices.
Washington-Dulles (IAD) to Mumbai (BOM) from $1,884
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
From the East Coast, you'll find the best deal on flights from Washington-Dulles (IAD) to Mumbai (BOM) — this ticket costs $2,823 from the end of Aug. through Apr. 2021. When combined with the 50% bonus on travel credit purchases, your cost for this ticket comes down to $1,882.
New York-JFK to Delhi (DEL) from $2,117
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
New York-JFK has some good deals too. We're finding tickets from New York to Delhi from $3,175 on Google Flights, and the price drops to just $2,117 with the travel credit bonus. Again, this price is available on select dates from Aug. through Apr. 2021.
New York-JFK to Johannesburg (JNB) from $2,186
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
New Yorkers dreaming of South Africa can book round-trip tickets to Johannesburg (JNB) for $3,278 in late 2020, with the effective price dropping to $2,186 with the travel credit bonus. These tickets can often be more than $5,000 round-trip, so the savings are pretty incredible.
New York-JFK to Male (MLE) from $2,605
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
Planning a Maldives trip in 2021? The airline is selling tickets from New York to Male for $3,907 in early 2021, which drops to $2,605 when combined with the travel credit promotion. This is an excellent deal for a trip to the Maldives — especially when combined with one of these points-friendly hotels.
Midwesterners aren't out of luck either. You can book Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Delhi from $2,708 on select dates, with the price dropping to just $1,805 when you factor in the 50% bonus on future travel credit.
Chicago-O'Hare (ORD) to Bangkok (BKK) from $1,958
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
We're also finding good pricing from Chicago to Bangkok (BKK) through the end of the year, with prices as low as $2,937 before the travel credit bonus. You can book these tickets as low as $1,958, which is a solid deal for a business class flight to Southeast Asia.
Related: 8 things to know before you go to Bangkok
Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok (BKK) from $2,587
(Image courtesy of Google Flights)
Flying from the west coast? Etihad is selling tickets from Los Angeles (LAX) to Bangkok for $3,880 on limited dates, which drops to $2,587 with the travel credit promotion. We've seen this route price out at over $10,000 in the past, so you're scoring a huge discount.
Earning miles with your flight
(Image courtesy of American Airlines)
American Airlines and Etihad have a non-alliance partnership that allows AAdvantage members to earn and redeem flights on Etihad flights (and vice-versa). Most of the tickets mentioned in this promotion book into the Z fare class, which earns 100% miles flown with American. A flight from New York to Johannesburg via Ahu Dhabi would earn 10,776 redeemable miles. Unfortunately, Etihad tickets don't earn Elite Qualifying Miles on American.
Alternatively, you can credit Etihad flights to other useful programs like Asiana Club (130%), Korean Airlines SKYPASS (115%) or Etihad's own Etihad Guest program (115%). Do your own research and find which works best for your future travel plans.
Maximize your purchase with a travel credit card
In order to book one of these deals, you'll have to call Etihad to buy your promotional travel credit first. This purchase should code as airfare, so make sure you're using a credit card that offers a bonus on travel and airfare purchases to maximize your points.
Your best bet is to pay with The Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent (a 10% return based on TPG valuations) on airfare booked directly with the airline or via Amextravel.com. Starting Jan. 1, 2021, earn 5x points on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year. Alternatively, cards that earn on general travel purchases like the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x points) or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x points) and American Express® Green Card (3x points) work well too.
The information for the Amex Green Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Bottom line
Etihad's travel credit promotion is a great way to fly Etihad business class on the cheap. It offers a way to fly one of the best business class products in the sky at a steep discount, all while earning a boat (plane?) load of miles in the process.
That said, only book this deal if you're comfortable with the risks of booking travel during the coronavirus outbreak. There's no way to tell when travel will return to normal, but we're holding out hope for late 2020 and early 2021.
Feature photo by Dmitry Birin/Shutterstock
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
