Aura vs Etihad Guest: which loyalty program wins?

We score Aura and Etihad Guest 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

Aura is best for Mall shoppers, while Etihad Guest is best for Frequent flyers.

Skip Aura if Budget shoppers outside malls, and skip Etihad Guest if Domestic flyers.

Overall rating

	Aura	Etihad Guest
Overall rating	3.4 / 5	3.1 / 5
Earning	4.0 / 5	2.0 / 5
Redemption	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Network	3.0 / 5	4.0 / 5
Ease of use	5.0 / 5	3.0 / 5
Expiry	2.0 / 5	2.0 / 5

Earning structure

Aura	Members earn 1 point for every 1 SAR spent at participating Alshaya brands, in-store and online. That's a 2% effective return on most purchases. Star tier members earn an additional 1% on top, and VIP members earn an additional 2% - bringing the top return to 4%. Bonus points are also offered during promotional events. Starbucks, Boots medicinal products, and Alshaya gift cards are excluded from earning.
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.

Redemption structure

Aura	Points redeem at a fixed rate of 50 points = 1 SAR (0.02 SAR per point) directly at checkout in any participating Alshaya store or online site. There's no minimum threshold - points can be applied to any eligible purchase. Members can also redeem for exclusive experiences, member-only prices, and special offers via the Aura app. Points cannot be transferred, converted to cash, or redeemed at non-Alshaya partners. Refunds on items paid partly with points are returned in points.
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.

Partner network · Tiers & status · Point expiry policy

	Aura	Etihad Guest
Number of partners	0	0
Partners	—	—
Number of tiers	3	5
Top tier	VIP	Emerald
First-tier qualification	6,000 points	25,000 points
Point expiry	12 months	18 months inactivity (reset on earn)

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