Etihad Credit

04 April 2021, 09:40 AM

Please follow these guidelines to help guests impacted by COVID-19. Please refer to our Commercial Wavier policy for eligibility criteria.

Immediate action:

1. Cancel the guest’s booking.

2. Inform the guest of the value of credit available.

3. Ideally, keep the PNR live during the rebooking period to simplify the process. If not, create a new booking when the guest decides to travel again.

4. The value of the ticket will be held in the GDS for future use.

This policy applies to all tickets that have been impacted by COVID-19 for travel on or before 30 September 2021.

Option 1: Exchange ticket

Option 2: Etihad Credit

Option 3: Refund ticket

Option 1: Exchange ticket

Reissue the ticket on or before 30 September 2021 for travel within system range

No fare difference for flights rebooked until 30 September 2021 within the same RBD / booking class and zone
No change fees apply
Fare Difference to be collected for all other scenarios
Rerouting within the same zone permitted
Ticket must be endorsed with "INVOL CHANGE DUE COVID 19”
No show fee applies when the guest(s) books themselves on a flight which operates and is a no show
Re-routing and endorsement onto other airlines are not permitted
Group bookings are eligible for the standard credit only, additional credit does not apply

Option 2: Etihad Credit

Guest can contact booking agent, cancel his/her booking and advise when they are ready to travel again

Reissue the ticket on or before 30 September 2021 to travel within system range
Unused value of the ticket is protected as ticket value plus bonus credit
Unlimited free changes apply
Fare difference to be collected
Rerouting permitted within the EY network
Ticket must be endorsed with "INVOL CHANGE DUE COVID 19”
No show fee applies when the guest(s) books themselves on a flight which operates and is a no show
Re-routing and endorsement onto other airlines are not permitted
Group bookings are eligible for the standard credit only, additional credit does not apply

1. What is Etihad Credit?

Etihad Credit gives guests the flexibility to keep their ticket open and travel at another time that suits them.

2. Who is eligible for bonus credit?

Guests holding Etihad Airways tickets who were due to travel on or before 30 September 2021 are eligible for bonus credit. Bonus credit can be used to pay for any additional collection that arises due to fare difference.

3. What is the rebooking policy?

·         Book by 30 September 2021

·         Travel anywhere on our network within the travel system range

·         Option to change route, fare type and cabin without any fees

·         Fare difference applies for change in RBD

·         If Etihad Credit isn’t used within 12 months of the first cancelled flight, guests will be entitled to a refund of the original ticket value

4. Is Etihad Credit available for guests who are booked with Etihad Airways but hold a ticket issued by another airline?

No, Etihad Credit is available for Etihad Airways issued tickets (starting with 607) only. Any changes to tickets issued by other airlines will be determined by the Commercial Waiver of the issuing airline.

5. The ticket was issued through a travel agent or tour operator and no fare is shown – it just shows IT/BT in the fare box. Is the guest eligible for Etihad Credit?

Yes, Etihad Credit is available for all Etihad Airways ticket holders.

6. Can guests use Etihad Credit to travel to a different destination?

Yes. Etihad Credit gives guests total flexibility to rebook their trip. They can choose any destination within the Etihad network.

7. Does this apply even if the current ticket is non-refundable and non-changeable?

Yes, all Etihad tickets are eligible.

8. Etihad usual ticket validity is 12 months from the date of issue or outbound flight. Does this still apply?

No. The normal ticket validity will be waived as long as tickets are rebooked by 30 September 2021. Reissue the ticket before it gets expired from the system to extend the validity in accordance to the waiver policy.

9. What happens if the fare validity has expired?

This is fine. When the guest makes the new booking, any change fees will be waived. Only the fare difference, if any, for the new journey will be charged.

10. Can Etihad Credit be used to rebook for someone else?

No. The ticket can only be rebooked for the same person shown on the original ticket.

11. What happens if the same fare is not available?

This is fine. The new journey can be in any RBD. If there is a fare difference, this will be charged at the time the new journey is booked and the ticket is reissued.

12. What is the maximum period the ticket can be left open?

With Etihad Credit, tickets must be rebooked by 30 September 2021. Within Sabre, any ticket will be open for use up to 12 months after it is issued or flown. Please make sure to reissue the ticket before it is purged from the system.

13. Can I use the INVOL ticket reissue process with Etihad Credit?

No, this is not suitable in this case and shouldn’t be used. However, the reissued ticket must be endorsed with “INVOL DUE COVID19”

14. What if a guest’s infant becomes a child, or child becomes an adult by the time they choose to travel?

This is fine. The value of the original ticket can simply be used towards a new ticket later on. The fare difference to the child or adult fare will be charged at the time of reissue.

15. With multiple waivers now in place, can guests choose to use more than option?

No, guests must choose one option to cancel or change their trip.

16. A guest agrees to use their ticket for a future travel date, but later decides that they would like a refund. Will that be possible?

If the guest later decides that they’d like a refund, the standard refund fee and original fare rules will apply (exceptions apply). However, they will be eligible for a full refund if they apply for a refund after 12 months from the date of cancellation of the first flight.

17. If the value of the new ticket is lower than the original ticket, what happens?

This option is valid for reissue to tickets of the same or higher value. If the new journey is of a lower value, the ticket can be reissued, but no residual balance will be available.

18. Is this option only open to bookings made directly with Etihad?

No, this offer is open to all guests holding an Etihad Airways ticket, irrespective of where the ticket was issued.

19. What action is required from travel trade?

Travel agents and tour operators can use the same process. Keep the ticket open for future travel, and when the new booking is made, exchange the ticket and waive any applicable change fees from the original ticket. If a fare difference arises, deduct the applicable bonus credit and collect the balance from the guest. Remember to add “INVOL EXCHANGED WITH BONUS CREDIT COVID19” as an endorsement to show that Etihad Credit has been used.

20. A guest has rebooked their new journey, and now wants to make a date change. Is this possible?

Yes, you can make changes subject to the conditions of the new fare.

21. When should the original booking be cancelled?

All flights must be cancelled before the original departure date to avoid a no-show fee.

22. A guest has travelled on part of the journey already, are they eligible for Etihad Credit?

Yes, you can still cancel the booking for the remainder of the journey, then make a new booking when you are ready. To use Etihad Credit, tickets must be rebooked by 30 September 2021. The ticket can be used on the any route. All change fees will be waived; fare difference may apply.

For example, the original ticket BKK-AUH-FRA-AUH-BKK has been partially used; BKK-AUH-FRA. The guest wants to travel later, but isn’t sure when. Before 30 September 2021, the guest can make new travel plans to anywhere on the Etihad network, and choose to book FRA-AUH-BKK. All change fees will be waived and the fare difference may be charged.

23. Can unused ancillary EMDs be used when the new booking is made?

An unused ancillary can be re-associated to the new ticket for same sector or exchanged to match the new routing with difference in rate (if applicable)

24. I am unable to reprice the new itinerary using AER/ATC. What shall I do?

You may use manual pricing, ignoring the original fare rules (if already expired), ensuring the value of the old ticket is used towards the rebooked fare/itinerary.

25. The guests’ ticket is about to expire, but they’re not sure when they’d like to travel. What should I do?

You may reissue the ticket for any future date now in order to keep the ticket live in the system. The ticket can be reissued once again when the guest is ready to travel.

26. Can I reassociate the EMD myself?

Yes. If you have any issues, please feel free to call our Contact Centre.

27. How to apply/calculate the Etihad Bonus credit on partially used tickets?

Reduce the NUC levels of the new fare by the equivalent of the Bonus Credit Value

To exchange a ticket with Etihad Credit plus bonus credit:

1. Cancel the booking and keep it live by using ‘OTH’, ‘RU’ or equivalent entry with a future date such as 30 September 2021

2. When the guest is ready to rebook, book new flights – the new flights can be on original or different routing

3. Price the new flights with current fares, taxes, fees and surcharges

4. Convert the bonus credit value into your local currency

5. Compare total price of original ticket and new price

6. Deduct the bonus credit value from the additional collection amount (ADC)

7. Endorse the ticket with “INVOL REISSUE DUE COVID19 FLIGHT CANCELLATION”.

8. Tickets where the new price is equal to or lower than the original price are not eligible for the Etihad Credit bonus at the moment

9. EMDs issued for ancillaries can be reassociated to the new ticket after the ticket is reissued

Tickets reissued involuntarily must be endorsed with INVOL followed by the reason for reissue in the endorsement box (e.g. INVOL REISSUE DUE COVID19 FLIGHT CANCELLATION). Failure to do so will result in ADM (Agent Debit Memo).

More about Etihad Credit plus bonus credit

Etihad Credit plus bonus credit applies to all Etihad Airways tickets (607)
Credit is based on the original ticketed journey
It is not possible to use automated reissue processes such as AER or ATC for this process – price should be manually stored
Rebooking and reticketing should take place before 30 September 2021, for travel within system range
If the ADC is higher than the bonus credit value, reduce the ADC by the bonus credit value and collect the remainder of the ADC from the guest
If the ADC required for the new ticket is less than the bonus credit value, the ADC should be reduced to zero – there is no residual carry over due to technical capability
Normal fare rules are excluded, providing the booking and ticketing period shown here is followed
No show fee applies when the guest(s) books themselves on a flight which operates and is a no show
Policy applies to guests who have already cancelled their journey and hold their ticket as credit
Bonus credits can be used only one time
Tickets that have already been exchanged and are exchanged for a second time are eligible for bonus credit
Tickets that have already been refunded cannot take advantage of bonus credit
Not eligible for group bookings

Option 3: Refund

Refund without any penalty applies only if at least one of the Etihad Airways flights on the ticket were cancelled.

a) Refund any time

Applicable for tickets purchased from travel agencies based in the following countries
- Australia
- Canada
- USA
Applicable for tickets with travel originating from the following countries
- European Union (including Switzerland)
- UK

Only the value of the unused ticket portion and unused EMD will be refunded
Refund without any penalty applies only if the flight was cancelled by EY, otherwise refund rules of the original ticket will apply
Refund will be processed within 45 days of the request to the original form of payment
No show fee applies when the guest(s) books themselves on a flight which operates and is a no show

Guests are also entitled to a refund:

Refunds are permitted for all future bookings with an original travel date on or after 1 October 2020, where any of the flights on the booking have been cancelled.
If a Guest tests positive following their COVID-19 PCR test or where travel is restricted by government regulations and the guest is unable to travel, they are entitled to a full refund.**

**If a guest tests positive for COVID-19 and they are unable to fly, to receive a refund they must present their positive COVID-19 PCR test result in line with country regulations, i.e the test must have been conducted 48-96 hours before their flight from an approved government facility. If the guest is unable to travel due to government travel restrictions at their point of origin or destination as outlined at etihad.com/destinationguide, a refund can be requested a maximum of 14 days before departure.

Travel agencies have to raise an email request with the nearest Sales Office in the region along with a copy of the positive result. Once the waiver is approved, a waiver code will be provided which must be updated along with the request for refund in BSP application by the travel agent.

Tickets refunded due to flight cancellations/misconnections must be endorsed with REFUND followed by the reason for refund in the endorsement box (e.g. REFUND DUE FLIGHT CANCELLATION/MISCONNECTION).

b) Refund after 12 months

Applicable to travel originating from all other countries
Request will be processed only after 12 months from the date of the first cancelled flight on the ticket
If the flight was not cancelled by EY, refund rules of the original ticket will apply
Applicable only to tickets with ‘OPEN’ status
Only the value of the unused ticket portion and unused EMD will be refunded
Refund will be processed within 45 days of the request to the original form of payment
No show fee applies when the guest(s) books themselves on a flight which operates and is a no show
Refund must be processed through BSP Refund Application

Automated refunds through all Global Distribution Systems (GDS) are activated. You’ll also be able to process refunds for e-tickets and EMDs through your GDS too.

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