Etihad Airways wants you to spend a day or two in their hometown during your travel itinerary.
The Abu Dhabi-based airline has announced that it will allow passengers to add free stopovers in Abu Dhabi on qualifying tickets. That means travelers trying to fly from New York to Bali, for example, can now enjoy a night or two in Abu Dhabi along the way.
Etihad’s new stopover program is run in conjunction with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.
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Eligible travelers can spend a night or two at a “premium” hotel as part of a new stopover program in Abu Dhabi. The airline has not released a list of eligible hotels and they are not yet available on its website.
The airline highlights a number of proposed activities in Abu Dhabi, including the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace.
Note that even if you don’t take advantage of the stopover program, you can still use your Etihad boarding pass to get discounts and other perks at many of the city’s top attractions. This is part of the Abu Dhabi Card, you can learn more by visiting this site.
To book a free stop, you need to purchase a ticket directly above Etihad website and select the Abu Dhabi stopover option.
Etihad’s program is largely similar to that of major Gulf and other national airlines, such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines, which also offer free stops or steep discounts on flights. The program includes connections in their hub.
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As a state-controlled airline, Etihad serves as a tourism driver for the local economy. So it’s no surprise that this stopover program is being launched to promote visits to Abu Dhabi.
It’s unclear whether you’ll be able to take advantage of the Abu Dhabi stopover on an award ticket. We will update this post if we receive a response from Etihad.
Etihad used to offer a two-tiered version of the stopover program, with free one- and two-night stays at “basic” hotels and up to 40% discounts at nicer hotels. Presumably, this new program will give travelers a choice of hotels somewhere between the basic and luxury options previously offered in the airline’s stopover program.
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