You can now earn Etihad air miles on Gulf Air flights

Etihad Guest and Gulf Air Falconflyer travellers can spend and earn loyalty miles when flying with either airline

Abu Dhabi’s state carrier Etihad Airways plans to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050 . Courtesy Etihad

A new partnership between the national carrier of Abu Dhabi and the national carrier of Bahrain allows passengers to spend earned loyalty miles on flights with either airline.

Etihad and Gulf Air have built upon their existing code-share agreement to combine aspects of their respective loyalty programmes. Members of either programme can now earn full points when flying with either of the national carriers. Passengers can also redeem miles reciprocally on all flights across both airline's networks.

Gulf Air Falconflyer members travelling to the United States will now have access to Etihad's USA pre-clearance facility. This facility allows travellers to process all immigration, customs and agriculture inspections in Abu Dhabi before they board flights to North America. It is the only United States Customs and Border Protection facility in the Middle East.

"Our recently redesigned, upgraded, and relaunched loyalty programme, Etihad Guest, welcomes another valued partner that offers our members even more opportunities to earn and redeem their miles," said Robin Kamark, chief commercial officer for Etihad Aviation Group.

In March last year, Etihad and Gulf Air first announced their codeshare agreement. The collaboration saw Etihad place its code on 12 Gulf Air routes across the Arabian Gulf, North Africa, Europe and Pakistan. It also meant that Gulf Air added its code on 10 Etihad routes in Africa, Australia, Indonesia and the United States.