Get Up to 235,000 Etihad Guest Miles with FAB Credit Cards
I had got the First Abu Dhabi Bank (known as NBAD pre-merger) Etihad Guest Infinite card in 2018. It came with an easy sign-up bonus of 120,000 Etihad Guest Miles with no spending requirements. If you are a high-spender, you could get as high as 235,000 miles.
At that time, the bonus lasted only for a couple of months and was withdrawn. Now, the bonus is back again on similar terms. Read below to find out more.
FAB Etihad Co-branded Credit Cards
FAB, in collaboration with Etihad, offers three variants of the co-branded credit card – Platinum, Signature and Infinite. The sign-on bonus is being offered in all the variants. There are 4 components to the bonus
- Regular sign-on miles
- Promotional sign-on miles (same as regular miles)
- 5,000 miles for adding a supplementary cardholder
- Bonus miles on balance transfer
- Additional miles on achieving spend threshold
The quantum of miles offered in each category varies with the credit card. To summarize,
| Category | Infinite | Signature | Platinum |
| Regular Sign-on Miles | 55,000 | 35,000 | 10,000 |
| Bonus Sign-on Miles | 55,000 | 35,000 | 10,000 |
| Supplementary Card Miles | 5,000 | 5,000 | 5,000 |
| Spend-based Bonus Miles (6 months) | 65,000 | 35,000 | 20,000 |
| Miles on Balance Transfer | 55,000 | 35,000 | 10,000 |
| Total | 235,000 | 145,000 | 55,000 |
The spend thresholds for Infinite, Signature and Platinum cards are AED 100K, AED 60K and AED 40K respectively. You need to achieve this within 6 months of signing up.
While this threshold is high, the first 3 bonuses are low-hanging fruits. For example, if you sign-up for the FAB Etihad Infinite Card, you get 115,000 miles without any spend requirement.
There are two more incentives on offer here. First, you get double miles for the first 90 days when you use your card on groceries, utility bills or school fees. Second, the cards are free for the first year. However, you cannot discontinue the card without paying the annual fee for the second year.
The annual fee for Infinite, Signature and Platinum cards are AED 2,500, AED 1,500 and AED 500 respectively. Effectively, with the Infinite version, you receive 115,000 miles and Etihad Silver (if you complete a round-trip flight within 6 months on Etihad). I value Etihad miles at least AED 0.05. Therefore, it is one of the best sign-on bonuses available.
Remember, the promotional period ends on August 31, 2019. This is a link to the offer.
Final Thoughts
So should you sign up for any of these cards? If you live in Abu Dhabi, it is practically a no-brainer. Even for residents of Dubai, Abu Dhabi airport is not that far. And finally, Etihad miles are one of the most versatile airline miles out there.
You should read my ultimate guide to redeeming Etihad miles for upgrades, outright redemption and partner airlines. It is a three-part series – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.
If you are looking at other cards to earn lots of Etihad miles, see the options here.
