Etihad Guest, the loyalty programme of UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways, announced that it had hit the two million membership mark, a significant milestone for the seven year old programme.

Mariam Mohamed Al Hammadi, the two millionth member, is 18 years old and lives in Al Ain, within the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

To mark the milestone, Etihad Airways welcomed Al Hammadi to the programme with an Etihad Guest Gold card and a bonus starting balance of 200,000 Etihad Guest Miles.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways chief commercial officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Al Hammadi to the programme and trust that she will reap many rewards with her coveted Etihad Guest Gold membership.”

“We have welcomed more than 500,000 members in the last 12 months alone. Our members reside in more than 200 countries worldwide, with approximately a quarter living in our UAE home market.

“The exponential growth of Etihad Guest – and Etihad Airways as a whole – is a reflection of the increasing number of travellers looking to get more value out of their travel experience. Our guests, including Al Hammadi, enjoy a wide range of earning and redemption opportunities across the globe.

“Etihad Guest Miles can be used to purchase more than 6, 000 products on the Etihad Airways Reward Shop or converted to make cash payments with PointsPay, an exclusive, real-time transaction solution which allows members to convert their Etihad Guest Miles into cash to spend any time at 30 million retail and online outlets globally,” he added.

Members also receive exclusive benefits when they travel, such as chauffer service, additional complimentary baggage allowances, priority check-in and boarding, premium lounge access and immigration and baggage claim fast-track, an airline statement said. – TradeArabia News Service