Bilt adds Etihad Guest as a new transfer partner

Bilt Rewards has been busy including to its record of switch companions this yr. Within the final six months, this system has added Southwest Rapid Rewards, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank and Qatar Airways Privilege Club to its accomplice record. Now, Bilt Rewards is including one more switch accomplice: Etihad Visitor.

This information signifies that members can now switch Bilt Factors to Etihad Visitor at a 1:1 ratio in increments of 1,000.

So, must you switch your Bilt factors to Etihad Visitor?

Etihad Guest companions with airways from a number of alliances and is usually thought of an under-the-radar loyalty program. So, having a brand new approach to earn its rewards is actually a constructive growth. You may also switch American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Rewards factors to Etihad Visitor.

Etihad Guest has many partners, however probably the most related are possible American Airways, Air Canada, Air France and KLM. This system makes use of a one-way distance-based award chart for every accomplice airline, however so far as I can inform, Etihad Visitor unifies the awards throughout the companions.

So, you may fly on American Airways one-way from New York to Los Angeles in firstclass for 67,000 miles plus $61.

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Or you may fly on Scandinavian Airways in financial system one-way from New York to Copenhagen for 45,000 miles plus $29.

The choices are in depth. If you happen to want inspiration or need to decide whether or not it is value caring about Etihad Visitor as a Bilt switch accomplice, try the partners and award charts or head to Seats.aero to see what sorts of awards different customers discovered not too long ago. By doing so, it’s best to see what sorts of awards you may e-book.

In fact, you may additionally need to make sure that different Bilt transfer partners, resembling Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Atmos Rewards, aren’t higher choices for the award you need to e-book earlier than you switch Bilt factors to Etihad Visitor. You may additionally need to double-check that the award you need to safe is bookable by Etihad Visitor on the date and flight quantity(s) you need. In spite of everything, transfers from Bilt to Etihad Visitor are a one-way transaction, which suggests they’re irreversible.

Lastly, you may need to be assured you may fly on the award you e-book because of Etihad Visitor’s punitive award cancellation insurance policies. The award cancellation insurance policies rely on the fare you e-book and the time at which you cancel. However you may normally face a 25% mileage penalty when you cancel an Etihad Visitor redemption greater than 21 days earlier than departure. If you happen to cancel nearer in, you may normally face a 50% or 75% penalty. And when you cancel inside 24 hours of departure, you normally will not get any refund. That is fairly tough, and undoubtedly value contemplating earlier than you switch factors to Etihad Visitor.