Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has announced that members of its new loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, will be able to donate the miles they earn on the programme to a number of key charitable organisations.
The chosen charities, which so far include Medecins Sans Frontieres and the Zubeda Khaliq Memorial Trust in Pakistan, will receive financial aid from Etihad which converts the Guests’ miles into cash.
“Etihad Guest has been designed to allow our members the maximum flexibility on how they spend their miles. Our in-depth research indicated to us that many members would like to donate their miles to charity, and that is exactly what they can do in the programme,” said Peter Baumgartner, head of marketing, Etihad Airways.
Members of the programme have the freedom to choose exactly how many miles and how often they donate to their chosen charity via the online RewardsShop.
Furthermore, the My Donations section of the Etihad website allows Guests to set up a monthly mile transfer to the beneficiary or beneficiaries of their choosing.
Medecins Sans Frontieres is a world-famous international aid organisation offering emergency humanitarian and medical assistance across the world.
“As an international organisation with a huge profile, Medecins Sans Frontieres believes that its association with Etihad Airways will help us to further communicate the humanitarian work we do with the rest of the world,” said Jordana Abebe, fundraising and partnership development manager, Medecins Sans Frontieres.
“This is our first partnership with a frequent flyer programme and we are extremely pleased to be associated with this growing and dynamic airline.”
The Zubeda Khaliq Memorial Trust provides medical aid in the remote earthquake affected parts of Pakistan.
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“We are extremely grateful to Etihad Airways for choosing the Trust as one of the first beneficiaries of the Etihad Guest programme. The donation of members’ miles will make an enormous difference to so many peoples’ lives,” said Kevin Steele, Zubeda Khaliq Memorial Trustee.
Etihad aims to offer members of Etihad Guest additional and well respected international and local charities across its global network of destinations over the months ahead.
The hospitality-focused Etihad Guest programme was launched worldwide on 30 August 2006, and offers Guests the opportunity to earn and redeem miles through flights as well as via travel, leisure, lifestyle and financial partners.
Etihad Guest Membership is free and mile accrual is immediate, with individuals from every country aged two years old and upwards eligible to join. For more information or to enrol online, visit: www.etihadguest.com.
About Etihad Guest
Etihad Guest launched globally on August 30 to cater to the world’s growing number of service-conscious airline customers.
The pioneering loyalty programme offers its members a flexible range of features and “payment” options, whether using purely miles or a cash contribution, immediate redemption potential, a wide range of non-flight partners and the chance to earn miles on reward flights through cash contributions.
About Etihad Airways
Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, is the world’s leading new airline and currently offers flights for Guests and cargo to 45 destinations in the Middle East, Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.
Etihad Crystal Cargo – www.crystalcargo.ae – offers a comprehensive range of cargo services throughout Etihad’s network, and services its many all-cargo destinations and world-wide charters with a fleet of modern regional freighter aircraft.
Etihad Holidays - www.etihadholidays.com - offers a range of innovative holiday options in 82 destinations including skiing, fly-drives, cruises, tours, stopovers, inbound programmes and city breaks.
Through these exciting divisions, Etihad Airways is changing the way people see the world.
Etihad Airways has been awarded the titles of the world’s leading new airline in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and the world’s leading flat-bed seat in 2006 by the World Travel Awards.
For more information about this award-winning aviation group, please visit www.etihadairways.com.
