Earlier I wrote about how main modifications are being made to the Etihad Visitor program as of June 2024. There’s one actually detrimental change that I missed, which applies instantly. This enormously limits the worth of Etihad Visitor miles, for my part, and limits my want to earn or redeem miles with this system.
Etihad Visitor provides 25-75% award cancelation charge
Etihad Visitor has launched a brand new award ticket cancelation coverage for bookings made as of February 22, 2024. This is applicable particularly to GuestSeat bookings, that are Etihad’s saver awards. I hope you’re sitting down, as a result of Etihad Visitor’s new award cancelation charges are shockingly excessive. They’re so excessive that I nearly marvel if it is a mistake, but it surely’s written on Etihad’s web site in clear textual content.
With this new coverage, you’re eligible for a refund as much as 24 hours earlier than your flight departs, although award tickets can’t be canceled inside 24 hours of departure. Cancelation charges are charged fully as a share of the miles redeemed, as follows:
- You’ll be charged 75% of the miles required should you request to cancel inside seven days of departure
- You’ll be charged 50% of the miles required should you request to cancel inside eight to 21 days of departure
- You’ll be charged 25% of the miles required should you request to cancel 21 or extra days earlier than departure
Award tickets issued by way of February 21, 2024, proceed to observe the outdated coverage. Below the outdated guidelines, canceling an award ticket prices you 10% of your redeemed miles.
Etihad’s new cancelation charge is past ridiculous
With many loyalty program, airline award ticket cancelation charges are decrease than ever earlier than, reflecting how we’ve seen many tickets turn out to be much more versatile. These days many packages don’t even cost any charges to cancel an award ticket, which is a superb choice to have.
Etihad Visitor goes to the opposite excessive right here. I imply, canceling an award ticket inside seven days of departure will price you 75% of the miles redeemed? That’s merely wild. On what planet is that affordable?! I’m not against a program growing the cancelation penalty because the departure date approaches (so that folks don’t hoard tickets), however the 25-75% vary is method too steep.
I additionally assume this coverage change may be very quick sighted. With Etihad more and more proscribing companion award availability, my assumption was that Etihad was attempting to make its personal loyalty program extra compelling to these seeking to redeem miles for journey on the airline. You’d assume this may be the proper alternative to introduce affordable award pricing, and provides folks a purpose to become involved in Etihad Visitor, and fly with the airline extra.
But modifications like this have precisely the alternative impact. I simply have little interest in taking part in Etihad Visitor if canceling an award is doubtlessly going to price me a charge of 25-75%. I worth flexibility, and for lengthy haul premium cabin awards, these award cancelation charges are exponentially larger than actually some other program on the earth.
Backside line
Etihad Visitor has overhauled its award cancelation charges. You’ll now pay wherever from 25-75% of the miles redeemed if it’s worthwhile to cancel your award ticket. Whereas different packages have gotten extra versatile, Etihad Visitor is introducing a charge that simply defies logic.
What do you make of this transformation to Etihad Visitor’s award cancelation charges?
