Hot on the heels of record 2025 traffic, Etihad on 12 January opened a network-wide Economy-class sale, discounting fares by up to 26 % for bookings made before 15 January and travel between 5 February and 30 September 2026 ([gulfnews.com](https://gulfnews.com/business/aviation/planning-2026-travel-etihad-launches-global-sale-with-up-to-26-off-fares-1.500405773)).
Key routes include Charlotte, Hong Kong and Taipei, but corporate-contract fares will also move lower on high-frequency city-pairs such as Abu Dhabi–London and Abu Dhabi–Mumbai. Travel buyers should compare sale rates with existing corporate deals; in past campaigns Etihad has allowed firms to flex down to the promo fare without changing the underlying agreement.
The sale dovetails with Abu Dhabi’s tourism push and offers mobility managers a window to lock in cheaper relocation and project-initiation trips, especially ahead of the Ramadan peak in March.
![Etihad launches global sale with 26 % fare cuts for travel through September 2026]()
Visa considerations shouldn’t be overlooked amid the airfare excitement. Mobility teams can outsource the paperwork to VisaHQ, whose online platform handles United Arab Emirates visa applications from start to finish, provides compliance checks and delivers updates in real time—a useful complement to Etihad’s sale (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/).
Note that change-fee rules on sale tickets remain restrictive; tickets may still warrant a premium-flex purchase for staff with volatile deployment dates.
Upgrading via Etihad’s ‘Miles Plus Cash’ is permitted on sale inventory, enabling HR to convert loyalty balances into business-class comfort on longer legs without blowing budgets.
Key routes include Charlotte, Hong Kong and Taipei, but corporate-contract fares will also move lower on high-frequency city-pairs such as Abu Dhabi–London and Abu Dhabi–Mumbai. Travel buyers should compare sale rates with existing corporate deals; in past campaigns Etihad has allowed firms to flex down to the promo fare without changing the underlying agreement.
The sale dovetails with Abu Dhabi’s tourism push and offers mobility managers a window to lock in cheaper relocation and project-initiation trips, especially ahead of the Ramadan peak in March.
Visa considerations shouldn’t be overlooked amid the airfare excitement. Mobility teams can outsource the paperwork to VisaHQ, whose online platform handles United Arab Emirates visa applications from start to finish, provides compliance checks and delivers updates in real time—a useful complement to Etihad’s sale (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/).
Note that change-fee rules on sale tickets remain restrictive; tickets may still warrant a premium-flex purchase for staff with volatile deployment dates.
Upgrading via Etihad’s ‘Miles Plus Cash’ is permitted on sale inventory, enabling HR to convert loyalty balances into business-class comfort on longer legs without blowing budgets.
