🛫 Best Etihad Guest credit cards in the UAE (2025 guide)
- Kacper Duda
- Sep 17
- 4 min read
Etihad loyalists, this one’s for you. A couple of weeks ago, we dissected Emirates Skywards cards. Today, we turn the spotlight on Etihad Guest and its perks, quirks, and the credit cards that can unlock the most value.
Read on to find out:
Etihad redemption vouchers and status benefits
Best Etihad Guest credit cards available currently
In the news - Central Bank interest rate cut expected later today: how it might impact you
Etihad is not purely a points game: introducing redemption discount vouchers
You may recall from our Emirates Skywards cards article, the offers largely differed in welcome miles, mile earning rates and status benefits.
Unlike Emirates, Etihad cards offer “redemption discount vouchers” that cut the miles you need for a flight by 10–75%. Think of them as turbo-chargers: one voucher can save you tens of thousands of miles on a single booking. Most cards let you earn one or two vouchers a year, tied to spending milestones.
Silver or Gold status - what are the Etihad benefits
The tier memberships with Etihad are a little different from what you might be used to - they offer a core selection of benefits and allow you to choose up to 2 custom benefits at silver, or 4 custom benefits at gold level.
The core benefits cover bonus miles earning rates, dedicated check-in desks and priority baggage handling, but the real value starts with custom benefits. There, you can make selections such as business class lounge access, extra baggage allowances and free seat selection. You can see what’s available on Etihad’s Tiers and Benefits website.
Arguably, silver can be quite restrictive on value, so you should aim for the gold tier if you can.
Best Etihad cards available currently
🥇 Best overall value - a clear winner under current promotion
ENBD Etihad Guest Elevate (Visa Infinite)
A strong all-round option under the current promotion. The first-year fee is waived, bonuses go up to 200k miles, and Gold fast-track requires just one return flight. On top, you get 50% redemption vouchers at AED 150k spend.
Fee: Free in Year 1 (AED 1,575 thereafter)
Bonuses: 40k on joining, 100k at AED 90k spend / 160k at AED 120k spend (within 6 months)
Vouchers: 50% off miles at AED 150k spend (max 2/yr)
Status: Gold after 1 return flight
🎟️ Best for First/Business redemptions - strongest voucher for high spenders
FAB Etihad Guest Infinite (Visa Infinite)
This card is geared to people aiming for premium-cabin redemptions. The 75% redemption voucher can reduce the miles needed for a Business or First ticket substantially. It also offers up to 220k bonus miles in Year 1, though both the spend thresholds and the AED 2,625 fee are on the higher side.
Fee: AED 2,625
Bonuses: 110k on joining, 110k at AED 175k spend (within 6 months, promo until 30/09)
Vouchers: 75% off miles at AED 200k spend (max 2/yr)
Status: Gold after 1 return flight
🆕 Best starter card - cheapest path to silver
ENBD Etihad Guest Inspire (Visa Signature)
A straightforward entry point if you want Etihad benefits without ongoing cost. It’s free for life, has a realistic spend target for bonuses, and includes 25% redemption vouchers. The Silver fast-track makes it a simple way to test the value of airline cards.
Fee: Free for life
Bonuses: 20k on joining, 40k at AED 60k spend (within 6 months)
Vouchers: 25% off miles at AED 100k spend (max 2/yr)
Status: Silver after 1 return flight
🗣️ Honourable mentions
Two other cards that are strong contenders: Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Premium (good if you can consistently spend AED 150k+ to trigger waivers and 60% vouchers), and Emirates Islamic Etihad Guest Saqer (low-spend path to Silver if you keep spending AED 30k+/year on the card).
IMPORTANT NOTE ON STATUS: Unlike with Emirates cards, status provided by Etihad credit cards doesn’t renew in year 2 once you reach a certain spend threshold. Instead, you have to earn status through collecting Tier miles through flying (these are different to Guest miles, which you redeem). A few cards do drip-feed Tier Miles on spend, but they’ll only soften the climb - they won’t replace actual flights.
Reminder: Airline cards are not for everyone!
As we said previously, in general, airline cards are not for everyone. You’ll need certain behaviours before you can maximise the value you get from them.
We’ve come up with a quick checklist you can run through to help you decide:
🔲 Be a frequent flyer, almost solely flying Etihad
🔲 Assign high value to airline status and the benefits it brings (e.g., dedicated check-in, lounge access, extra luggage)
🔲 Good at finding reward flights and planning trips in advance to utilise them
🔲 Added bonus: You also fly on business and can use the credit card to pay & reclaim expenses
If you didn’t tick most of those boxes, you’ll probably get more value from a flexible travel card instead. These still come with travel perks (lounges, FX discounts, cashback on flights and hotels) but without tying you down to one airline.
Careful, it’s still a credit card…
Under the covers, airline cards are still normal credit cards issued by your bank. You will need to have a good credit history and pass credit checks. Most importantly, the usual credit card rules still apply: Pay it off in full every month, never miss a payment, and make sure you re-evaluate the value you get from the card year to year (especially as some of these attract hefty annual fees).
IN THE NEWS - Central Bank interest rate cut expected later today: how it might impact you
The US Fed is expected to cut rates later today (25–50bps), i.e. a 0.25-0.5% cut. Because the Dirham is pegged, the UAE Central Bank will follow suit.
This is good news for UAE homeowners looking to refinance, first-time buyers and anyone who is looking for other financing options, as these are set to become cheaper. However, savings rates are also poised for cuts so if you can fix your savings on existing rates, now is the time. This Gulf News article explains the expected news further.
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind that this email does not constitute financial advice. Any choices you make you are solely responsible for. We always aim to provide highest quality, independent views but do your own research to ensure you’re comfortable with any changes you make to your personal finances.