• Smart With Points
  • Posts
  • 🛫 Etihad's AMAZING Abu Dhabi Stopover with a FREE 2 Night Hotel Stay

🛫 Etihad's AMAZING Abu Dhabi Stopover with a FREE 2 Night Hotel Stay

Plus 4000 Bonus Avios with The Wine Flyer

Hello, Adventurous Travellers, and Happy Sunday!

This weekend, we have a special bonus offer from The Wine Flyer, tips on automating Avios through the BA Executive Club shopping portal, and details on the incredible Etihad Stopover Programme.

Let's get started:

  • 🍷 The Wine Flyer Special Offer: What is the Wine Flyer? + Earn 4000 bonus Avios on every mixed case of 12 wines purchased before 31 July.

  • 🛒 Have You Linked Your Card to the BA Executive Club Shopping Portal: Earn Avios through in-store shopping. Register your card to collect Avios automatically. Check out the top-earning stores and restaurants offering up to 20 Avios per £1.

  • ✈️ The Etihad Stopover Programme: Explore Abu Dhabi with a free hotel stay of up to 2 nights or a discounted 3-4 night stay.

What is The Wine Flyer? + Special Offer! 4000 Bonus Avios

If you’re a regular wine drinker and haven’t heard of The Wine Flyer, now is the time to check it out!

You can collect 5 Avios on every £ spent on a hand-selected range of wines, spirits and beers – delivered straight to your door.  

The Wine Flyer has a range of traditional wines, current trends and rare gems.

You can even see how many Avios you will earn with each purchase, and there are always selected wines that will earn you more points. 

Collect an additional 4,000 bonus Avios on every mixed case of 12 wines you buy before 31 July.

Just use the code ‘SUMMERSIP’ when checking out.

There are plenty of additional Avios earning opportunities on the site:

TIP: You can also get 2500 bonus Avios when you refer a friend!

The Wine Flyer is a great option if you like premium wines and want to top up your Avios balance. Although more expensive than the Avios subscriptions, you’re getting more than just Avios for your money, and the service is premium. 

Have You Registered Your Card with the BA Executive Club Shopping Portal?

One of the least well-known ways to earn Avios is through online shopping through the BA Executive Club shopping portal. If you prefer to shop on the high street, there’s still a way to earn Avios.

You need to register your card on the shopping portal, and you’ll earn Avios with qualifying purchases when you are out and about. 

It’s easy to sign up. You can either go to my account and then ‘Registered Cards’.

Or click on any of the offers in the spend in-store section and click register a card. You will then get this screen:

Then the popup below will appear:

The list of shops is quite niche, but it’s worth doing anyway. Imagine shopping at one of the stores and not collecting Avios.

TIP: Remember, you’ll also get additional Avios by paying through an Avios-earning credit card.

Here are some of the top-earning stores and restaurants which will earn you 10 Avios per £1 or more:

  • Abu Zaad: 20 Avios per £1.

  • Copper Ceylon: 20 Avios per £1.

  • Curry & Paxton: 12 Avios per £1.

  • Sunglass Hut UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • Oakley UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • Ray-Ban UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • Manthan: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Yauatcha: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Hakkasan: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Market Halls Victoria: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Market Halls Canary Wharf: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Market Halls Oxford Street: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Great British Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Mandrake Hotel: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Club Gascon: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Club Gascon - Le Bar: Earn 10 Avios per £1.

  • Cigalon: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Le Deli Robuchon: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Patara: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Oliver Peoples: 10 Avios per £1.

  • David Clulow: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Shoryu Ramen: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Heddon Yokocho: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Panton Yokocho: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Sticky Mango Restaurants: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Chotto Matte: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Rucola: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Corrigan's Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Piccadilly: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Glasgow: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Birmingham:10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho City: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Broadgate: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Hovarda: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Oscar Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Ham Yard Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • The Potting Shed Restaurant & Bar: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Brasserie Max: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Refuel Bar & Restaurant:  10 Avios per £1.

  • Brumus Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Treehouse Hotel London:  10 Avios per £1.

  • Hawksmoor: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Café Laperouse at The OWO: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Choppaluna: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Rossella: 10 Avios per £1.

If you haven’t heard of many of those, here are some of the most recognisable names:

  • Toolstation: Up to 2 Avios per £1.

  • The Ivy Collection: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Nuffield Health: 5 Avios per £1.

  • YO! Sushi: 7 Avios per £1.

  • Market Halls Canary Wharf: Up to 10 Avios per £1.

  • Chopstix Noodle Bar: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Paul: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Harvey Nichols: Up to 14 Avios per £1 (previously up to 6 Avios per £1).

  • L'Occitane UK: Up to 5 Avios per £1.

  • Hamleys: Up to 4 Avios per £1.

  • Sunglass Hut UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • Molton Brown: Up to 5 Avios per £1.

  • Market Halls Victoria: Up to 10 Avios per £1.

  • Paul Smith: Up to 8 Avios per £1 (previously 5 Avios per £1).

  • Shoryu Ramen: 10 Avios per £1.

  • The Ivy Asia: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Treehouse Hotel London: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gravity: 7 Avios per £1.

  • Yauatcha: 10 Avios per £1.

  • 28-50: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Comptoir Libanais: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Ham Yard Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • JoJo Maman Bebe UK: 9 Avios per £1.

  • Tattu Restaurants: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Davy's of London: 5 Avios per £1.

  • The Ivy Market Grill: 5 Avios per £1.

  • STK Steakhouse - London Stratford: 7 Avios per £1.

  • OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar & Brasserie: 6 Avios per £1.

  • Whitcomb's at The Londoner: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Hawksmoor: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Granary Square Brasserie: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Boisdale: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Ray-Ban UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • Choppaluna: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Sticky Mango Restaurants: 10 Avios per £1.

  • White Stores: 3 Avios per £1.

  • Easy Bathrooms: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Oscar Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Davy's Wine Shops: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Go Ape: Up to 5 Avios per £1.

  • Le Deli Robuchon: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Piccadilly: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Zip World: 6 Avios per £1.

  • Gaucho Broadgate: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Oakley UK: Up to 12 Avios per £1 (previously 8 Avios per £1).

  • El Vino: 5 Avios per £1.

  • Brasserie Max: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Refuel Bar & Restaurant: 10 Avios per £1.

  • Dyson UK: Up to 3 Avios per £1.

There’s no reason not to register your card and start earning points on your everyday shopping without having to remember to log in to the BA portal each time.

The Etihad Stopover Programme

We recently wrote about the fantastic Turkish Airlines Stopover programme and the best airline stopover programmes. The Etihad programme is also one of the best. 

The offer is available for stopovers until 24 December 2024, but it will likely be extended in some way.

You can get a FREE stopover in Abu Dhabi, including a free hotel stay of up to 2 nights, although you can book a stopover of up to 4 nights if you cover the cost of 2 more nights.

FREE Hotels are 3* or 4* and include:

  • Premier Inn Abu Dhabi Capital Centre Hotel

  • Aloft Abu Dhabi

  • Centro Al Manhal

  • Ramada by Wyndham Abu Dhabi Downtown

  • Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi

  • Novel Hotel City Center

  • Premier Inn Abu Dhabi International Airport Hotel

  • TRYP by Wyndham Abu Dhabi

  • Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Abu Dhabi City Center

If you book 3 or 4 nights, you will get a 40% discount at the following 4* and 5* hotels: 

  • Anantara Eastern Mangroves Abu Dhabi Hotel

  • Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi

  • Andaz Capital Gate Abu Dhabi — a concept by Hyatt

  • Dusit Thani Abu Dhabi

  • Fairmont Bab al Bahr, Abu Dhabi

  • Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel & Residences Emirates Pearl

  • InterContinental Abu Dhabi, an IHG Hotel

  • Novotel Abu Dhabi Al Bustan

  • Park Rotana Hotel Abu Dhabi

  • Royal M Hotel & Resort Abu Dhabi

  • Traders Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi

To be eligible, you must book a roundtrip airfare with Etihad and your stopover at least three days before arrival. These hotels depend on which ones are available for your dates.

There are a range of other incentives as well as a free hotel:

Up to 30% off days out and dining in Abu Dhabi. Your boarding pass doubles up as the Extraordinary Abu Dhabi Pass, giving you exclusive deals and discounts, including things like:

  • 20% off Big Bus Tours

  • 20% off Saadiyat Beach Club

  • 15% off Yaas Island Theme Parks

A Free shuttle service connects you to must-see sights, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, and Abu Dhabi city centre.

How to Book Your Abu Dhabi Stopover with Etihad

  1. Purchase your flights: Pay for your flights, and then Etihad will provide a list of available free hotels or premium hotels you can book with a discount. You can see the potential list of hotels above, but not all will be available for your dates.

  2. Book the hotel: Apply your “Stopover Coupon” during the payment process to drop the price to zero for the complimentary stay.

  3. Receive confirmation: The final confirmation page will show that the hotel is booked for £0. The coupon covers the total price of the stay.

If you have time to spare during your trip, this is a great way to see a new city and save so much money compared to just visiting Abu Dhabi for a holiday. Your flights are already paid for as part of your other holiday, and you’ll get a free hotel, shuttle bus, and money off attractions!

Final Words

Keep reading our emails for more updates and tips on maximising your travel rewards.

Safe travels, and always aim for the upgrade!

Want to continue the conversation? Come and join our free Facebook group.

Bye for now!

Reply

or to participate.