Etihad Airlines is no longer the sole airline of the Etihad Guest program. On June 16, 2012, Etihad Guest expanded to include the frequent flyer program of Air Seychelles, Seychelles Plus. Seychelles Plus members have automatically become Etihad Guest members when the programs combined and all accrued miles have been transferred to their new Etihad Guest account. Elite members will receive a comparable elite status with Etihad Guest. For example, Seychelles Plus Gold members are now Etihad Guest Gold members. It also looks as though the Etihad Guest loyalty program may accommodate additional airlines in the future. Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways’ Chief Commercial Officer, said, “The new development marks a major milestone for Etihad Guest as it evolves from being a program that supports one airline, to one that supports multiple airlines.”

Bottom line: You never know when loyalty programs will change. Milepoint member ma91pmh says he flew on Air Seychelles last year and did not collect the miles because he thought the program was too obscure. But he wishes he would have earned the miles now that the program is merging with Etihad Guest. He says, “This is a lesson in why you should ALWAYS collect miles no matter how obscure the program is.”