Fly to 15 destinations in a year, get 5 million Etihad miles

Dubai: Etihad is offering UAE-based and global travellers a chance to win up to five million Etihad Guest miles—its largest-ever loyalty prize—by visiting 15 newly launched destinations over the next year.

The campaign, called "The Extraordinary Challenge," starts now and runs until May 25, 2026. To qualify, participants must fly on an Etihad-operated flight to or from all 15 new cities. The first three people to complete the challenge win:

These rewards can be redeemed for hundreds of flights, upgrades, or used on the Etihad Guest Reward Shop.

While the reward is significant, completing the challenge won’t be easy. You’ll need to visit all of these cities before the deadline:
Addis Ababa, Algiers, Atlanta, Chiang Mai, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Krabi, Medan, Peshawar, Phnom Penh, Prague, Sochi, Taipei, Tunis, and Warsaw.

The 15 destinations span 13 different countries, with two cities—Chiang Mai and Krabi—located in Thailand. The full list includes Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Algiers (Algeria), Atlanta (USA), Chiang Mai and Krabi (Thailand), Hanoi (Vietnam), Hong Kong, Medan (Indonesia), Peshawar (Pakistan), Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Prague (Czech Republic), Sochi (Russia), Taipei (Taiwan), Tunis (Tunisia), and Warsaw (Poland).

This wide geographic spread means participants will need to plan carefully across multiple regions, from North America to Asia, Africa, and Europe, to complete the challenge in time.

Registered members can track their progress through a digital passport and live leaderboard, which shows who’s ahead in real time. While it’s a fun way to encourage travel, it also adds a serious dose of competition.

The challenge is open to all new and existing members of Etihad Guest. Registration is required at etihad.com/race-to-fly to start earning stamps and tracking flights.

The challenge coincides with Etihad’s most aggressive network expansion in recent years, with 15 new year-round routes opening in 2025. It’s part of a broader push to increase engagement with its loyalty programme, at a time when airlines are rethinking how to connect with younger, travel-savvy flyers.

For UAE residents, the challenge is particularly accessible, given the number of direct flights out of Abu Dhabi and Etihad’s growing regional partnerships. But winning it? That’ll take careful planning, flexibility—and a passion for travel.