Abu Dhabi, UAE – Etihad today unveiled Etihad Escapes, a new travel platform that will take the Etihad experience beyond the flight, giving guests an easier way to plan and book more of their journey in one place.
Unveiled at Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2026 in Dubai, Etihad Escapes will launch in October, initially allowing guests with an Etihad flight booking to add hotel accommodation directly through Etihad.com.
It is the first step in a much broader travel platform that Etihad plans to expand through 2027, bringing flights, hotels and additional travel services together within a single digital experience, with further integration into the Etihad app and Etihad Guest.
Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: “Our guests already choose Etihad to take them to some of the world’s most exciting destinations. With Etihad Escapes, we want to make the rest of their journey just as easy.
“This is about building a much deeper relationship with our guests beyond the flight. 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.
“It also creates an important new growth platform for Etihad and for Abu Dhabi. 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, help them experience more of Abu Dhabi and support Abu Dhabi’s ambition to welcome 39.3 million visitors* and generate AED 90 billion in tourism GDP by 2030.”
One journey, one Etihad experience
At launch, Etihad Escapes will enable guests to add a hotel after booking their flight, giving them access to accommodation through Etihad.com without having to build their trip across multiple platforms.
The experience will progressively expand to allow customers to search and book hotels independently and then combine flights and hotels within an integrated booking journey.
Future phases will extend Etihad Escapes into the Etihad app and introduce greater personalisation, Etihad Guest loyalty integration and a wider range of travel experiences and ancillary services.
By bringing these services together, Etihad aims to give guests greater choice and convenience while providing a consistent, digital-first experience across booking, servicing and travel.
The platform is being developed through a combination of Etihad’s own capabilities and strategic partnerships. Expedia Group B2B is powering the hotel inventory for Etihad Escapes, with Juniper Travel Technology supporting the technology infrastructure. Miral Destinations joins as a launch partner, helping Etihad connect guests with Abu Dhabi experiences and develop travel packages around the emirate’s leading leisure destinations. Etihad plans to add further travel suppliers and partners as Etihad Escapes evolves.
Etihad Escapes addresses a significant commercial opportunity with the global holiday market valued at approximately US$2.7 trillion** and forecast to grow at a rate of 6.5% to 2030, with significant travel spend taking place beyond the flight.
As Etihad’s network and customer base continue to grow, Etihad Escapes will allow the airline to participate in more of the overall travel journey, creating new revenue opportunities while converting network growth into increased visitor numbers, destination spend and stronger route economics for Abu Dhabi.
