Up To 100% Transfer Bonus To Etihad, One Day Only — Book 160K First Class Seats For Just 80K Points

On November 1 only, Bilt will run up to a 100% transfer bonus to Etihad Guest (12 a.m. Eastern to 11:59 p.m. Pacific as its headline Rent Day offer. The transfer bonus will vary with your Bilt Rewards status.

• Base Member: 25%
  
• Silver: 50%
  
• Gold: 75%
  
• Platinum: 100%

I love Etihad’s premium products, and 100% transfer bonuses are fantastic. They make the 160,000 mile one-way cost Etihad Guest charges for New York JFK – Abu Dhabi in first class downright reasonable at just 80,000 points for a Bilt Platinum member! (Similarly, Toronto – Abu Dhabi in First Apartment prices at 200,000 miles one-way so would cost just 100,000 Bilt points.)

However, I avoid keeping any points in Etihad Guest and wouldn’t make a transfer to them except for an award I am certain I can book and that I am certain I will fly.

1. Etihad Guest miles expire after 18 months of inactivity and the only way to extend them is to credit a flight to the program. Points transfers or other earning (or redemptions) won’t do it.

2. Change penalties are absolutely draconian – and complex.
   • Changes more than 21 days in advance cost AED 100 (US$27)
     
   • Between 8 and 21 days prior to departure it’s AED 200 (US$54)
     
   • No changes at all – total miles forfeit – within a week of departure.

   The priciest Deluxe extra mileage awards do allow AED $400 (US108) changes per person between 1 and 7 days prior to departure, but not within 24 hours of scheduled flight.

I like the airline. I like Abu Dhabi airport. I like their first class lounge as well. I just don’t love the mileage program anymore. And I don’t view it as a store of value. I’d only transfer points that I knew I would use right away.

Since you can now transfer Bilt Rewards points to 21 different partners, which outpaces Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, and American Express, and since they run up to 100% transfer bonuses with some regularity, I’ll hold onto my points.

• Star Alliance: Air Canada Aeroplan, Turkish Miles & Smiles, United Airlines MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles, TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
  
• oneworld: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Iberia Plus, British Airways Club, Japan Airlines Mileage Bank
  
• SkyTeam: Air France KLM Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
  
• Non-alliance: Emirates Skywards, Southwest Airlines, Aer Lingus Aer Club, Etihad Guest
  
• Hotels: World Of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors, Accor ALL – Accor Live Limitless