Etihad passengers connecting in Abu Dhabi have the opportunity to take a free night in the UAE between now and December.
That's an attractive option for business travellers wanting to add a bit of sunshine, sand and relaxation to their trip.
The deal is this: if you book two nights' accommodation through Etihad's program, one of your nights is free.
And the night you'll pay for comes at a decently reduced rate: among others, you can pick up the InterContinental Abu Dhabi for $75, the Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort for $79 or the top-of-the-heap Shangri-La at Qaryat al-Beri for $249. (Those prices are per person per night and in USD.)
If you have some annual leave or time-off-in-lieu left to burn, you can extend your stay beyond two nights at the reduced rate too.
Various 2-for-1 tour, desert safari and golfing options are also available if you're bringing the other half with you or travelling with a colleague.
The offer is open to economy, business and first class passengers travelling up to 1 December 2012, pleasingly for business travellers with less generous travel perks who end up at the back of the plane and might have a better case for a jetlag-busting stopover in the sun.
If you're interested, you'll want to check out the terms and conditions and head over to etihad.com/stopovers to book.
About John Walton
Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.
