There are card issuers who notify partner withdrawals in good time, and there are those who just nick them away. American Express in India was in the midst of scale, as they refused to divulge over time whether they were keeping Etihad Guest on their roster of transfer partners or not.
Amex to lose Etihad Guest as a transfer partner
American Express Membership Rewards cardmembers in India may soon lose one of their long-standing airline transfer partners, as Etihad Guest appears set to exit the Membership Rewards ecosystem globally.
Over the past few weeks, American Express has been systematically notifying cardmembers across multiple markets that transfers to Etihad Guest will be discontinued. The move has already been confirmed in the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and the United States, with transfer cut-off dates spread across June 2026. Some received notices in March and April 2026 as well.
Today, American Express India has notified that Etihad Guest will no longer be an American Express Transfer Partner in India as of July 1, 2026, 00:00 Hours. The notices sent out are enclosed.
Etihad itself has also updated its Membership Rewards partner page to state that transfers from American Express Membership Rewards to Etihad Guest will end on July 1, 2026. Notably, the page continues to list India among the participating countries, suggesting that the withdrawal is not limited to a handful of markets but rather part of a broader global disengagement between the two companies.
For Indian cardmembers, this would mark the end of a relationship that has existed for many years. American Express Membership Rewards points in India currently transfer to Etihad Guest at a 2:1 ratio, providing another avenue for cardmembers to redeem for premium cabin redemptions on Etihad Airways and partner airlines.
The withdrawal is particularly interesting because it comes at a time when Etihad Guest has been investing heavily in India. Earlier this year, Etihad announced a significant expansion of the Etihad Guest programme in the country, adding partners such as BOBCARD, Flipkart, Swiggy, Shoppers Stop and The Postcard Hotel. The airline has repeatedly described India as Etihad Guest’s fastest-growing market globally.
That makes the timing of the American Express exit somewhat surprising.
American Express UK has already confirmed that Etihad Guest transfers will cease on June 22, 2026. Similar notices have appeared in Canada, Germany and the United States, with the US partnership ending on June 30, 2026. Neither American Express nor Etihad Guest has publicly disclosed the reason behind the breakup.
What should Indian cardmembers do?
Indian cardmembers who have been planning an Etihad redemption may want to begin evaluating their options sooner rather than later. That said, there is no reason for a panic transfer.
Etihad Guest remains a programme with niche sweet spots, but it is not necessarily the most valuable destination for Membership Rewards points for every traveller. Once transferred, Membership Rewards points cannot be reversed back into the Amex ecosystem. Travellers without a near-term redemption plan may be better served by retaining the flexibility of Membership Rewards points rather than moving large balances into Etihad Guest on speculation. Moreover, one can always get the Etihad Guest BOBCard, which is running a double sign-up bonus miles offer through the end of this month.
For those who regularly redeem Etihad Guest miles, however, the clock may be ticking. If you are short on miles to make a redemption, you can always buy Etihad Guest miles. After the loss of Emirates Skywards, this is a big bummer.
Bottomline
American Express and Etihad Guest are ending their transfer partnership globally, with confirmed exits already announced across major Membership Rewards markets. American Express India will join this list of withdrawals as of June 30, 2026, 23:59 hours.
The development is especially noteworthy because it comes at a time when Etihad Guest is aggressively expanding its presence in India, making the loss of American Express as a points transfer partner all the more unexpected.
What do you make of this move by Etihad Guest and American Express?
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