This is the first step towards a much bigger travel experience
Planning a holiday usually means opening approximately 47 tabs, comparing hotel prices, checking flight times and then wondering where you saved that one really good restaurant recommendation.
Etihad wants to make things a little easier.
The Abu Dhabi airline has announced Etihad Escapes, a new travel platform designed to take care of more of your trip beyond the flight.
Launching next month, the platform will initially let passengers who have already booked an Etihad flight add a hotel to their trip directly through their official website.
So, rather than booking your flight with Etihad and then jumping between a handful of other websites to sort the rest, you can start putting the whole trip together in one place.
Etihad Escapes is the first step towards a much bigger travel experience, with the airline planning to bring together flights, hotels, loyalty and other travel services over the coming years.
Initially, you’ll need an Etihad flight booking to add accommodation. But the plan is for the platform to eventually let you search and book hotels independently, then combine your flights and hotel into one booking journey.
Etihad CEO Antonoaldo Neves says the idea is to make the entire travel experience feel just as easy as booking the flight itself.
“With Etihad Escapes, we want to make the rest of their journey just as easy.”
And there’s more to come. Neves says the airline wants to build “a much deeper relationship” with travellers beyond the flight, eventually bringing flights, hotels, loyalty and other travel experiences together in one place.
The new platform isn’t just about making it easier to book a bed for the night.
Etihad is also teaming up with Miral Destinations, meaning Abu Dhabi experiences and attractions are expected to become part of the offering as the platform develops.
That could eventually mean building a trip around your flight, hotel and things to do in the emirate, all through the same digital experience.
For Etihad, there’s a bigger picture too. Neves says the platform could help bring more visitors to Abu Dhabi, encourage them to experience more of the emirate and support the city’s tourism ambitions.
“By connecting the scale of our network with a broader travel offering, and some of Abu Dhabi’s leading visitor experiences, we can bring more visitors to the emirate.”
The first version launches in October 2026, with hotel bookings available to people who already have an Etihad flight reservation.
After that, expect Etihad Escapes to get considerably bigger. Plans through 2027 include bringing the platform into the Etihad app, adding Etihad Guest integration, more personalised options and a wider selection of travel experiences and services.
The hotel side is being powered by Expedia Group B2B, with Juniper Travel Technology supporting the technology behind the platform. Miral Destinations joins as a launch partner for Abu Dhabi experiences.
In other words, Etihad is starting with flight + hotel, but the ambition is very much flight + hotel + things to do + loyalty + more.
Or, as Neves puts it: “Over time, Etihad Escapes will bring together flights, hotels, loyalty and other travel experiences in one place, creating a simpler and more personalised way to travel.”
For now, the first phase is pretty straightforward: book your Etihad flight, add your hotel and keep more of your holiday plans together in one place.
