Etihad Airways is one of the best airlines in the UAE. It connects countries in Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa to North America, thus moving a large volume of passengers and freight. Undoubtedly, one of the most exciting things about flying Etihad is how easy it is to upgrade or change tickets. The company has many easy ways to do this, thus making it quite convenient for passengers. The following instructions are clear and will enable you to understand and manage changes to your reservation.
Table of Contents
ToggleEtihad Airways Upgrade policy
Upgrading with Etihad is relatively easy, but there are some policies involve in doing so:
- You can bid for an upgrade while flying with Etihad.
- Your eligibility for an upgrade depends on the fare class of your ticket.
- Upgrades are also subject to the availability of seats in the class of your upgrade.
- You can upgrade your ticket by cash or credit card.
- You can also upgrade with Guest miles, and in this case, the upgrade cost will be decreases.
- The eligible passengers may also receive an email invitation for a bidding offer on an upgrade.
- You need to follow the email instructions to place your offer before the deadline mentioned.
- If available, you will get an upgrade at the airport check-in counter.
Types of Etihad Upgrades
Etihad gives three options to improve the ride experience of its travelers. These include utilizing miles for an upgrade, submitting a bid for an upgrade, or availing of an instant airport upgrade. Each method assures travelers a superior standard service, more comfort, and premium benefits.
- Upgrade with Etihad Guest Miles
- Place a Bid To Upgrade
- Instant Airport Upgrade
Upgrade with Etihad Guest Miles
Prepaid upgrades are available on Etihad flights for guests who pay using Etihad Guest Miles. Miles – depends on the fare class and mileage of the originating ticket. The airlines offers Miles Calculator, so that you can estimatec the miles required for any type of reservation or upgrade.
You can upgrade your ticket by class using this. For instance, a business class ticket can be upgraded to first class while an economy class ticket may get upgraded to business class. Perhaps the most luxurious flights available is Etihad Residence that’s even open to first-class flyers.
Keep in mind that not every ticket can be upgraded; the lowest fare class, GuestSeat, cannot be upgraded, so make sure to consult with the fare rules on your ticket before you make your upgrade plans.
Bid to Upgrade
Etihad offers its clients a bidding tool, provided free of charge to passengers who would like more flexibility or an upgrade at a competitive price. Passengers can place a cash or mileage bid for an upgrade before traveling. Upgrades can be bid on and a price recommended; the higher the bid, the more likely it will be accepted.
To bid for Etihad, you will require the last name and your record locator/booking reference. The system will return to you an indication of whether your bid is likely to go through. When the bid goes through, the payment process is instantaneous; you will also get a confirmation e-mail automatically. You will either pick up the new boarding card online or wait till you arrive at the airport to collect it while checking in.
One should note that all bids are final and cannot be changed or rescinded once accepted. While an upgrade is confirm, you accrue only the miles flown on the original fare class, not on the upgrade cabin. On the other hand, an upgraded bid through Etihad Guest will provide him with a 10% bonus in miles.
Instant Airport Upgrading
You still get a chance to upgrade your ticket at the airport on the way, in case you did not make this reservation before or by bidding. You can also have an instant upgrade when paying for check-in, either online or in person. This is payable using a credit card Etihad Guest Miles, or cash at some airports.
Airport upgrades are only available on a seats-available in the premium cabins, so although they are rarely available at all, they are an unbeatable practical solution for impulsive travelers who want to improve the quality of their flight at the last possible moment.
How to Upgrade on Etihad Airways?
Online Upgrade:
- Log into the Etihad Airways.
- Enter your booking reference and last name.
- Then, go to “Manage my booking”.
- Check for available upgrades and then complete the upgrade.
Etihad Guest Miles Upgrade:
- Log in to your Etihad Guest account.
- Select the booking you need to upgrade.
- Upgrade with miles and then proceed with the process.
Airport Upgrade
- At the airport, visit the Etihad Airways check-in counter.
- Check available upgrades.
- Buy your upgrade.
Email Upgrade Offer
- You can also contact the customer service through mail at ‘guest@etihadguest.com.’ You can request an upgrade of your preferred seat; they will contact you and provide you with an upgrade based on the fare and seat you want.
Paying To Upgrade Your Etihad Flight With Miles
Upgrading an Etihad flight using miles is very simple. You can calculate the number of Etihad Guest Miles required for an upgrade using the Miles Calculator on Etihad’s website. The mileage costs are calculated based on the distance traveled by the flight and based on the original price class of the ticket.
According to Etihad policy, you can upgrade on board for only one class of service. So if you have bought a first-class ticket, you can upgrade to business class, or if you have bought economy tickets, you may upgrade directly to business class. First-class passengers can upgrade to Etihad Residence as well, but that depends on the fare type you purchased at first, GuestSeat tickets usually are not allowed upgrades, so the original type will do to tell if the upgrade is cheap.
Bidding To Upgrade Your Etihad Flight
Another flexible option is bidding for an upgrade. Begin by filling out the Etihad upgrading page with your details, and Etihad will give you the probability that your offer will be accepted. You can pay either in cash or miles.
Once the amount of the accepted bid is charged to your credit card instantly, you will get a confirmation email regarding your new flight details. One of the best benefits related to bidding is that it might result in generating a high value when your offer is approved.
Although this could be a great bargain for placing a bid for an upgrade, remember that you’ll earn mileage only for the original ticket and not the upgraded class. Meanwhile, winners of winning bids as Etihad Guest members will get an added 10% bonus miles.
How To Earn Etihad Guest Miles
You must first understand how to earn Etihad Guest Miles if you wish to utilize upgrades with Etihad. Primarily, Etihad miles are earned from flying with Etihad and having the miles credited to the Etihad Guest program. Additionally, their relationships allow people to earn miles by flying on any of the over 20 partner airlines.
What I think you may want to note is that Etihad doesn’t have a co-branded credit card here in the United States; however, you can convert your points from several widely recognized reward programs over to Etihad Guest Miles. One of these is the American Express Membership Rewards® program which enables you to convert your points into miles for your Etihad account at any time.
Conclusion
In the world of travel, where each moment is a reason to live, love, and travel, Etihad Airways with Skyblue Trips redefines the meaning of your journeys. With plenty of upgrade options—the Guest Miles and the thrill of a successful bid—each becomes a chapter of your travel story. The more you trust us, the more Skyblue Trips ensures that your journey is something beyond mere travel. Be it a pre-planned trip or an unplanned upgrade at the airport, your journey with Etihad goes on to become a story of comfort, elegance, and choices, all the customization you need. Fly with Etihad, where every seat leads to a world of improved travel experiences.
If you want to know about How to Upgrade a Flight with Virgin Points?, Please go through this link.
FAQs-
A. Upgrade through the Etihad website by bidding or using Etihad Guest miles in the “Manage my booking” area.
A. The cost to upgrade a seat on Etihad Airways will be between USD 155 to USD 450 plus 60,000 to 90,000 miles.
A. Upgrading at the airport can sometimes be cheaper but is subject to availability and specific circumstances.
A. The number of points used to upgrade varies based on the route and class of travel; refer to the Etihad Guest miles calculator.