Flying with Etihad, using Flying Blue points: here are some examples to maximize the result
The news was in the air, and now that it has become reality it is even better than one could have imagined. [...]
KLM
Etihad Airways
Air France
SkyTeam
The news was in the air and now that it has become a reality. is even more beautiful than one could have imagined. The ability to use Flying Blue points, one of the easiest currencies for Italian frequent flyers to accumulate, to fly around the world aboard Etihad's fleet, stopping over in Abu Dhabi and also taking advantage of the possibility of a free stop-over opens up scenarios that were frankly unimaginable until yesterday.
The partnership
In this article:
Starting today, those flying aboard Air France KLM and Etihad will be able to decide where to accumulate their travel points, modalities and details I have already explained in this article. The news is certainly important because it makes the Flying Blue loyalty program even more unique and richer.
How to use FB points to fly Etihad
If there is one limitation in the Flying Blue program, it is that of the Skyteam weakness, or the alliance of which Air France KLM is a member, the youngest and smallest of the alliances is particularly weak for travel to the east. Of course Korean Air is a very good company, but it does not have an extensive network as Star Alliance and oneWorld can boast. The possibility of being able to use points to fly to Abu Dhabi and from there continue on to Etihad's network is a excellent news for all FB point accumulators.
The main advantage of Etihad's award table is that it provides for the possibility of detaching award tickets based on a fixed table on the distance traveled, this mode (which is becoming less and less popular among loyalty programs) is the one that allows real gems to be uncovered.
Did you get your flight cancelled, miss your connection, land late?
You could get up to 600€ compensation per person
For example. you can fly economy to Sydney from just over 71,000 FB points, an impossible rate compared to what using FB points offered previously.
Flying instead from Milan to Abu Dhabi in business class has a Cost starting at 43k FB points plus 189€ tax and surcharges, in line with the price offered through Paris, but in this case there is the convenience of flying direct from Milan.
Then there are also some real "error fares" or otherwise tariff oddities, like the possibility of flying business class from Abu Dhabi to Hong Kong, via Paris for only 50k FB points. Of course it is not a perfect route for us Italians, but it could be for all Italians who live/work in the Emirates to take advantage of the free stopover and jam two or more vacations into one ticket.
Moving for M.O.
An interesting way of using points is definitely to exploit them for short-haul travel via Abu Dhabi. For example, flying from the capital of the UAE to the capital of Oman costs only 6,000 Flying Blue points in business class (or 4,000 in economy) to fly less than 70 minutes aboard an A320.
Or fly to Jeddah, again from Abu Dhabi, for just under 20,000 FB points. Of course these are routes that can also be flown low-cost, but flying in business with EY opens up all the comforts of the case.
In conclusion
For us Italians, it is definitely a very interesting news, thanks to the two airports served by EY, the proximity of Abu Dhabi perfect for flying to the East and Australia using points.
