Etihad launches Etihad Escapes to extend travel experience beyond flights

Etihad Airways will roll out Etihad Escapes in October, letting passengers add hotel bookings via etihad.com as the carrier builds an integrated travel platform through 2027.

Etihad unveils integrated booking platform

Etihad Airways has announced Etihad Escapes, a new digital platform intended to extend the Etihad travel experience beyond the flight. Revealed at Arabian Travel Market 2026 in Dubai, the service will debut in October and initially allow guests who hold an Etihad flight booking to add hotel accommodation directly through etihad.com.

The launch represents the first stage of a wider plan that Etihad intends to develop through 2027, bringing flights, hotels and additional travel services together within a single digital experience. Future phases will bring Etihad Escapes into the Etihad app and introduce greater personalisation and deeper integration with Etihad Guest.

Supporting Abu Dhabi’s visitor strategy

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said the platform is designed to make the remainder of guests’ journeys as straightforward as their flights. He also described Etihad Escapes as a commercial opportunity to connect the airline’s global network with a broader travel offering and to promote Abu Dhabi’s visitor experiences.

The airline specifically linked the platform to Abu Dhabi’s tourism ambitions. Etihad said Etihad Escapes can help attract more visitors to the emirate, encourage greater exploration of Abu Dhabi and support targets to welcome 39.3 million visitors and increase tourism’s contribution to GDP to AED90 billion by 2030.

Phased expansion and market context

At launch, the platform will permit customers to add hotel accommodation after booking a flight, eliminating the need to manage different elements across multiple websites. Etihad has said Etihad Escapes will expand to allow independent hotel searches and to combine flights and hotels in a single booking process.

Later developments will focus on enhanced personalisation, improved Etihad Guest links and a wider range of travel experiences and ancillary services. The carrier notes the opportunity in the global holiday market — valued at approximately US$2.7 trillion and forecast to grow by 6.5 percent through 2030 — where significant spending occurs beyond the cost of the flight itself.

By embedding accommodation and ancillary services with air travel, Etihad aims both to capture a greater share of travel expenditure and to present visitors with a more cohesive route to explore Abu Dhabi’s attractions.

Source: WAM