Etihad Guest, Etihad Airways’ loyalty program,
will expand to become a multi-airline program in June 2012.
The
new development will see Seychelles Plus, the Air Seychelles
frequent flyer program, becoming fully integrated into Etihad
Guest’s loyalty platform.
The change will be effective from
16 June 2012, and all Seychelles Plus members will
automatically receive a new co-branded membership based on
Etihad’s loyalty program.
As part of the integration
of Air Seychelles, the existing tier status of Seychelles Plus
members will be carried over to new Etihad Guest memberships. For
example, Seychelles Plus Gold members will automatically be
enrolled as Etihad Guest Gold members.
For guests
with memberships of both programs, the accounts, including mileage
balances, will be automatically merged.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief
Commercial Officer, said, “The integration of Seychelles Plus into
Etihad Guest continues the exciting partnership expansion between
Etihad Airways and Air Seychelles. The new
development marks a major milestone for Etihad Guest as it evolves
from being a program that supports one airline, to one that
supports multiple airlines.”
Etihad Airways has one of the best FFP in the
industry. Some of the features include immediate rewards, no
blackout periods, and, very importantly, anytime availability,
which means that all seats on the aircraft are available as
rewards seats. This is unlike some airlines that limit the number
of redemption seats on an aircraft, which can cause enormous
problems if you, as a passenger, ever want to change your date of
travel.
Also, as an Etihad Guest member, guests will automatically be
able to earn and redeem Etihad Guest Miles with the entire Etihad
Guest partner network worldwide, which includes international
hotel chains, car hire companies and retailers as well as hundreds
of brands and thousands of products for miles redemptions in the
program’s Reward Shop.
Cramer
Ball, Air Seychelles Chief Executive Officer, said, “I am thrilled
to offer improved benefits, services and flexibility for our
valued and loyal guests. Our partnership with Etihad Guest will
yield tangible benefits for our loyalty program members, opening
up accrual and redemption abilities across the globe via their
acclaimed program. Best of all, our guests not
only keep their existing tier status, but also get eight Etihad
Guest Miles for every Seychelles Plus point, ensuring that this
integration is rewarding from the onset.”
The
Seychelles Plus program will cease operation on 15 June 2012.
Retrospective claims for flights on Air Seychelles will be honoured on or before
30 June 2012.
In January,
Etihad Airways acquired a 40% stake in Air Seychelles and
the two airlines now operate eight return services a week between
Abu Dhabi and the Indian Ocean archipelago – four by Air
Seychelles and four by Etihad Airways.
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