Live | CIMB Offers Up to 40% Bonus Miles on Etihad Guest
- Refined Points
- 13 minutes ago
- 2 min read
CIMB has launched two more airline transfer promos from 1–31 October 2025 following the Qatar Airways promotion.
On paper this looks exciting—up to 40% bonus miles with Etihad Guest and a flat 20% with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. In practice, value differs a lot.
Etihad Airways is well known to have pretty poor redemption rates since its 2023 overhaul of its loyalty program, so while you should be aware this promotion exists, think three times before committing to transferring your CIMB Bonus Points to Etihad Guest.
Etihad Guest — Up to 40% Bonus
Etihad prices each flight segment separately. Kuala Lumpur–Abu Dhabi in Business is one band; Abu Dhabi–London is another. Add them and you’re typically looking at around 140,000 miles one way in Business from Kuala Lumpur to London.
So yes, to a certain extent, redemption value on Etihad Airways is arguably even worse than Malaysia Airlines!
As a quick heads-up, a One-Way redemption via Qatar Airways Avios from KL to London would cost 75,000 Avios, almost half of what Etihad is demanding.
Now, is there perhaps any situation whereby booking Etihad Airways can still make sense?
The answer is really if you specifically want Etihad metal for some reason, and have plans, schedules that require a stopover in Abu Dhabi.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles — Flat 20% bonus
In addition to the Etihad promotion above, CIMB is also launching a simultaneous promotion with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, and here's where value is much better.
If your plans skew to North Asia, or you need a fuss-free top-up to clear an Asia Miles redemption (Cathay or oneworld partners), the flat 20% works nicely. I've consistently advocated for conversions to Asia Miles, although I may be slightly (or very) biased towards the airline.
Which promotion should Refined Points readers prioritise?
If your goal is Business Class to Europe: steer to Avios (Qatar) instead. For the exact same Kuala Lumpur–Europe journey, Qatar’s mileage ask (typically 70k–75k Avios one way in Business) undercuts Etihad’s combined-segment pricing by a wide margin.
Even with Etihad’s 40% transfer bonus, you’ll usually spend more miles end-to-end versus Qatar. If you’ve got CIMB Bonus Points and you care about value, your best bet for Europe is still Avios via the ongoing Qatar promo.
If you're planning a vacation towards Japan/Korea/Hong Kong or oneworld partner routes, Cathay Pacific's deal is a no brainer.
Final thoughts
October is generous on paper, but value isn’t created by the bonus alone—it’s created by the underlying award chart.
For long-haul premium travel from Malaysia to Europe, Etihad’s segment-by-segment pricing dilutes the headline 40% pretty quickly. If maximum value is your north star, Avios remains the smarter play for Europe in Business Class.
On a side note, can someone tell me how CIMB is literally the only bank in the market doing these promotions? It feels a little lonely being on the UOB side of things recently!
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