Etihad Guest
Etihad Airways
VS
qitaf
stc
Etihad Guest vs qitaf: which loyalty program wins?
We score Etihad Guest and qitaf on the same five factors — earning rate, redemption value, partner network, ease of use, and point expiry — to help you choose the right program for how you actually spend.
Verdict
Etihad Guest is best for Frequent flyers, while qitaf is best for Heavy stc users on plans that earn points + frequent partner shoppers.
Skip Etihad Guest if Domestic flyers, and skip qitaf if Non-STC subscribers.
Overall rating
| Etihad Guest | qitaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 3.1 / 5 | 3.5 / 5 |
| Earning | 2.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Redemption | 4.0 / 5 | 3.0 / 5 |
| Network | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Ease of use | 3.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Expiry | 2.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
Earning structure
| Etihad Guest | Members earn Etihad Guest Miles by flying with Etihad Airways or 25+ partner airlines including American Airlines, ANA, Air Canada, Air France-KLM, Korean Air, Virgin Australia, SAS, and others. Earning also extends to 300,000+ hotels through Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, car rentals with Avis and Budget, the Etihad Guest shopping portal, and dining partners. Members can also purchase miles (up to 100,000 per year, 150,000 for Platinum) and use the MilesBooster feature for retroactive miles on past flights. For Tier Miles (which qualify members for status), only Etihad flights and Etihad-issued payment cards count — partner flights no longer earn Tier Miles as of June 2024. | |
|---|---|---|
| qitaf | Postpaid customers earn 1 Qitaf point per 15 SAR paid against eligible portions of their bill. Tamayouz Platinum customers earn 1.5 points per 15 SAR; Tamayouz Diamond customers earn 2 points per 15 SAR. Specific Mofawtar Prime and Baity packages earn fixed monthly bonuses ranging from 10 to 35 points. Members earn 1 point per 10 SAR at most partner outlets (Yelo, Applebee's, Ocean Basket, AbdulSamad AlQurashi, and others), and varying rates at others. Travel partners include Almosafer (1 point per 20 SAR flights, 1 per 10 SAR hotels) and Flyin. Excluded from earning: VAT, device installments, direct billing services (Apple, Google, Netflix, Spotify, OSN, stc TV), roaming packages, and many add-ons. |
Redemption structure
| Etihad Guest | Miles redeem for flights and upgrades on Etihad Airways and 25+ partner airlines using a distance-based award chart. Members can also redeem for hotel stays worldwide via Accor, Hyatt, and Marriott Bonvoy, car rentals, and items in the Etihad Guest Reward Shop. Premium-cabin awards (Business and First) on Etihad's own routes deliver the highest typical value. Note: as of November 2025, Value awards are non-cancellable, and higher-tier awards have a 72-hour no-change window. Some partner award redemptions require calling the Etihad Guest call centre. Members can also use the Cash + Miles option for partial payment on flights. | |
|---|---|---|
| qitaf | Points redeem at partner outlets at a rate of 5 Qitaf points = 1 SAR by sharing the registered mobile number with the cashier and confirming via OTP. Members can also pay Saudi Electricity bills with points, redeem for stc internal services (minutes, SMS, data, bill discounts), transfer to flynas naSmiles miles at 1 Qitaf = 2 miles, or use points toward flights and hotels via Almosafer and Flyin. Internal stc rewards (minutes, SMS, data) expire 1 month from issuance. Redemption is processed via the Qitaf app, mySTC app, web portal, SMS to 900, or by calling 900. The Qitaf app supports non-stc users. |
Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy
| Etihad Guest | qitaf | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of partners | 0 | 0 |
| Partners | — | — |
| Number of tiers | 5 | 0 |
| Top tier | Emerald | — |
| First-tier qualification | 25,000 points | — |
| Point expiry | 18 months inactivity (reset on earn) | 12 months |