Maldivian signs loyalty programme deal with Etihad

Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of Etihad Airways, has signed with Maldivian, the national airline of the Maldives. Etihad Guest members will soon be able to redeem Etihad Guest Miles for flights across Maldivian’s network, giving them a new way to reach the Maldives’ outer islands and regional destinations beyond Malé. The partnership will extend the value of Etihad Guest Miles for travellers heading to the Maldives, whether continuing on from Abu Dhabi or connecting onward once in-country. Mark Potter, Managing Director Etihad Guest at Etihad Airways, said: “Our new partnership with Maldivian will give members another way to put their Etihad Guest Miles to work, with access to destinations across the Maldives that would otherwise mean a separate booking. The partnership will offer greater convenience and gives Etihad Guest members more choice in how and where they redeem their miles.” Ibrahim Iyas, Managing Director of Maldivian, commented, ” This partnership will bring Etihad’s reach into the Maldives together with our own domestic network, the largest in the country. Etihad Guest members arriving into Malé will be able to use miles they have already earned to travel on with us, to islands and atolls right across the Maldives. It will make the country more accessible to travellers, and bring them closer to the islands and the hospitality the Maldives is known for.” The partnership will build on Etihad’s existing interline agreement with Maldivian, signed in 2024, which allows guests travelling on a single ticket to connect seamlessly onward to 17 airports across the Maldives beyond Malé. The agreement will make booking onward connections easier with the new partnership extending the same network to Etihad Guest members redeeming miles, giving them a second way to draw on the relationship between the two carriers when planning their journey into the Maldives. Etihad to launch new global lounges (IMAGE: Etihad) Etihad Airways has unveiled the next generation of its global lounge experience, beginning with a transformed London Heathrow Lounge in summer 2027 and marking the start of a wider expansion of Etihad lounges around the world. The Heathrow lounge will be the first to introduce Etihad’s new Beyond Borders design language to the ground experience, beginning a new design cycle that will increasingly connect the airline’s lounges and aircraft through a recognisable Etihad look and feel. The new lounge experience forms part of Etihad’s wider Beyond Borders product and experience, bringing greater consistency across the guest journey as the airline invests in its aircraft, lounges, dining, amenities, wellbeing, connectivity and service.  This approach creates a more connected, recognisable and distinctly Etihad journey across the airport, lounge, aircraft and destination. It is part of Etihad’s US$20 billion investment in new aircraft and customer experience, including a US$1 billion fleet retrofit programme. The transformed London Heathrow Lounge will provide the first complete expression of the new lounge design. Guests at Etihad’s ATM stand received an early preview through a showpiece central feature and new bar design that will form part of the Heathrow space. The design and experiences are also set to extend to new Etihad lounges across Etihad’s network. Together, the lounges will become premium gateways into the Etihad experience, reflecting the same design language and hospitality principles being introduced across the airline’s new Beyond Borders products and experiences. Each lounge will feature dedicated spaces for Business and First guests, alongside private suites for guests travelling in The Residence. Arik De, Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer at Etihad Airways, said: “Our new lounges are an important part of the Etihad experience and London Heathrow marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter. It will be the first lounge to bring our new design language fully to life on the ground, creating a space that feels uniquely Etihad and distinctly connected to Abu Dhabi. The thinking behind Beyond Borders is that our guests should increasingly recognise the same Etihad identity wherever they are in their journey. That doesn’t mean every space or every aircraft needs to be identical, but there should be a clear connection through our design, hospitality, dining, wellbeing and service. London is the beginning. As we expand our lounge network, we have an opportunity to create a more consistent premium experience on the ground while continuing to bring the warmth and character of Abu Dhabi to our guests around the world.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]