When did Etihad Guest and STARLUX COSMILE two-way earning start?

The expanded benefits took effect on 28 October 2026. Etihad announced the change on 29 October 2026.

Which cabins can Etihad Guest and COSMILE members redeem miles in?

Members can redeem miles for award tickets in First, Business and Economy cabins on eligible flights operated by either airline. Availability and each programme's terms apply.

What was the earlier Etihad Guest and STARLUX arrangement?

The partnership launched in August 2026 and let Etihad Guest members redeem miles on STARLUX Business and Economy flights. The new phase adds earning and extends redemption to both programmes' members.

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The network, live 1,268 members · 11 cities · 14 countries

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Week of 12 October 2026

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24–25Nov · Dubai MELA Forum 2026 Two days in Dubai. The Pulse benchmark, the Trends Report and the MELA Awards.

In the news

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MELA Insights · Trends

Ten themes, placed by maturity and relevance to the region. Follow a trend and Trend Watch will tell you when it moves.

{{ radarCore }} Emerging Growing Mainstream

How Najm Bank priced its paid tier

Rania Haddad on capping the tier in year one, and what she would change.

What others can learn Price from benefit cost per member, not from the fee. Cap the tier while you learn who uses it.

Practitioners who set the regional standard

News

On the calendar

MELA Newsletter

MELA Insights

Insight you can act on.

News records what happened. Articles explain what it means. Trends read where the region is heading. Research and Standards are the evidence.

Trend Radar

Ring = maturity · dot size = relevance to the region

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Regional signals

You follow

Every trend, one card each

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Talk to

MELA Pulse · Give to get

Share your programme data. Get the full regional benchmark back.

The Q3 survey takes 12 minutes. The public sees headline findings; contributors see every cut by sector and country.

Full benchmark unlocked for you

68%of programmes plan to add a partner in 2027

31%are piloting AI-driven offers

212members have shared Q3 data so far

Articles

News

What happened across the region

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MELA’s view

What to do this quarter

A point of view from the MELA Research Desk.

Questions and answers

Related events

Whitepapers

Members to talk to

MELA Events

Where the community becomes real.

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Open calls

Members are authors, speakers, hosts and judges. MELA teams and Circle hosts post calls from the admin console, and new ones reach you in notifications and the Weekly Brief.

/MELA Forum 2026

ForumPublic · ticketedEnglish · Arabic

MELA Forum 2026

WhenTue 24 – Wed 25 November

WhereMadinat Jumeirah, Dubai

LaunchesPulse benchmark · Trends Report

You're registered · QR in My MELA

BeforeKnow who you'll meetOpt-in attendee list, people-you-should-meet suggestions and bookable meeting slots.

DuringEverything on your phoneMobile agenda, QR check-in, live polls and Q&A in every session.

AfterFindings within a weekKey takeaways in public; slides and recordings for members. Findings feed Trends.

Agenda

Speakers

Forum hub

Past editions

2024 · Riyadh2023 · Dubai2022 · Dubai

MELA Awards 2026

Winners are announced at the Forum dinner on 24 November.

Eight categories. Entries close 7 November.

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Prices exclude 5% VAT. Corporate members can add team seats from their dashboard.

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You're in. See you in Dubai. Show this code at check-in. It's also in My MELA and your confirmation email. {{ bookedLine }}; we'll confirm each one when the other person accepts.

MELA Community

Among your own.

Find members by sector, country and expertise, join a peer Circle, and ask the community. Introductions are double opt-in: contact details are shared only when both sides accept.

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Circles

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MELA Community

Your network, working for you.

Three people to meet this week, suggested by the MELA Guide from your profile, interests and activity.

Double opt-in · details shared only when both accept

You share

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Connected · contact details shared

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Concierge introductionsLeader and corporate members can ask the MELA team to broker a specific introduction, including to speakers and Board members.

No members match. Try a broader search, or ask the Guide who to meet.

Members choose their visibility. Partners never see the directory.

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Ask the room

Members answer from their own programmes. The best answers count towards the answerer's contribution record.

Your question Details Sector

Moderated under the community guidelines

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Most helpful first

Member news & milestones

Recently earned

MELA Awards 2026Entries close 7 November. Winners at the Forum, 24 November.

Members who opted in to be introduced. They also appear in the New Members & Movers edition.

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Attending

Profile visibility

Contact details are never shown. They're shared only through accepted introductions.

Open to

Credentials

Verifiable digital badges, portable to LinkedIn

CLMP

CLMP Certified3 of 5 modules complete

Contribution record

What it unlocks

Contribution opens invitations, not discounts.

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Your first 30 days

Checklist complete. You'll appear in the next New Members & Movers edition.

Three people to meet

Waiting for {{ p.first }}

Passed

For you

MELA Guide

Ask anything about your membership, the library or who to meet.

Your events

Nothing booked yet. The Forum is five weeks away.

What you've given

Share your programme data with MELA Pulse Q3 and get the full benchmark back.

Pulse data shared. The full Q3 benchmark is in your library.

Choose your membership

Every tier includes the community, the library and member pricing. Prices in AED, excluding 5% VAT.

Your details

One profile across membership, events, CLMP, Community and the newsletter. You choose who sees it.

Full name

Please add your name.

Work email

Please add a valid work email.

Role Organisation Country Sector

What do you want from MELA?

We use this to pick your people, events, reading and Circles. You can change it any time.

Industries I followYour own sector is already in. Add the ones you learn from or partner with.

Your Circles{{ jCircleCount }}

Events I'd like to attendWe'll put these first on your calendar and tell you when seats open.

I can attend

Trends to follow

I'm open to

Newsletter editions

Payment

We'll send a VAT invoice in AED to your organisation. Membership starts when it's paid.

Renews yearly. Before renewal you'll get "Your year at MELA": events, people met and credentials earned.

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Your MELA Member badge is ready to add to LinkedIn. We'll show you around in two minutes, starting with your Circles.

You're in

Three people to meet first Suggested by the MELA Guide. Introductions are double opt-in.

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MELA Newsletter

Preference centre

Pick the editions, topics and frequency you want. Each edition has one job. Unsubscribing from one never removes the others.

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Topics for your "For you" block

Frequency

Preview · The MELA WeeklyMonday 19 October

MELAWeekly

Coalitions move from reach to economics

For you, {{ melaFirst }}

YAMeet Yasmin Al-Habsi, new to MELA from Majan Malls. She wants to discuss mall coalitions.

Read on the portal

About MELA

Turning a value the region holds into a recognised profession.

PurposeTo advance the practice and impact of loyalty across the region.

MissionTo connect, educate and empower loyalty professionals.

Inspire, connect, grow and lead

Every part of MELA does at least one of these, in a way members can feel and we can measure.

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Where it lives

A network that learns

A traditional association publishes and hosts. MELA's value grows with every member who joins, because its members design loyalty for a living.

A traditional associationMELA

Our values

Four values, kept as promises

Each value is a promise MELA makes to every member, and can be held to.

01استقلاليةIndependentWe serve the profession, never a vendor.

02كرمGenerousWe share what we know, with everyone in the room.

03دقّةRigorousWe back every claim with evidence.

04أصالةRootedWe build for this region, held to global standards.

Eight principles we hold ourselves to

Board

Advisory Council

Reviews MELA research and Standards, and runs the quality gate for papers.

Press room

A trusted voice for the profession.

For media, regulators, academics and investors. Every figure links to its source page.

Announcements

MELA Pulse Q3 2026 · headline findings

68%of programmes plan to add a partner in 2027

31%are piloting AI-driven offers

Spokespeople

{{ s.ini }}{{ s.name }}{{ s.role }}Talks about: {{ s.topics }}

Brand assets

The MELA logo and colours

Every approved version of the wordmark and the monogram, as SVG for screens and print and as PNG for documents and slides.

Download all logos (ZIP, 1 MB)

Wordmark

Navy on cream · wordmarkMain version, for light backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Black on cream · wordmarkSingle-colour print and light backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Cream on navy · wordmarkNavy and other dark backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Cream on black · wordmarkBlack and photography

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Monogram · for small spaces and profile pictures

Navy on cream · monogramMain version, for light backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Black on cream · monogramSingle-colour print and light backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Cream on navy · monogramNavy and other dark backgrounds

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Cream on black · monogramBlack and photography

TransparentSVG PNG

With backgroundSVG PNG

Brand colours

MELA Navy Main logo colour, headings on light backgrounds

HEX #0E1D33RGB 14, 29, 51

MELA Cream Logo on dark backgrounds, logo background

HEX #DED6C8RGB 222, 214, 200

MELA Green The dot in the wordmark

HEX #0D5B47RGB 13, 91, 71

MELA Gold The middle bar of the E

HEX #C8A96BRGB 200, 169, 107

Black Single-colour logo

HEX #000000RGB 0, 0, 0

Website colours

Paper Page background

HEX #F7F4EERGB 247, 244, 238

White Cards and panels

HEX #FFFFFFRGB 255, 255, 255

Sand 1 Soft panels

HEX #F3EFE7RGB 243, 239, 231

Sand 2 Image placeholders, dividers

HEX #EBE5DARGB 235, 229, 218

Field Form fields

HEX #EFEAE0RGB 239, 234, 224

Ink Body text, main buttons

HEX #121212RGB 18, 18, 18

Ink 2 Secondary text

HEX #4A4740RGB 74, 71, 64

Ink 3 Labels and captions

HEX #6E6A61RGB 110, 106, 97

Green ink Links and highlighted words

HEX #0E6B50RGB 14, 107, 80

Navy ink Dark panels, button hover

HEX #13233FRGB 19, 35, 63

Gold ink Text on gold tags

HEX #6B5320RGB 107, 83, 32

Using the logo

Use navy or black on light backgrounds and cream on dark ones.
Leave clear space around the logo and keep it off busy parts of photos.
Don't stretch, rotate, recolour or add shadows to the logo.
Use the monogram only where the full wordmark won't fit.

Membership

Loyalty, returned.

Progress, reciprocity, recognition and belonging: the principles MELA teaches, applied to its own members.

Our members

The people who run the region's loyalty programmes

MELA members design, run and measure loyalty for a living. They range from analysts in their first CRM role to the directors who own programmes with millions of members, across airlines, banks, retailers, hotel groups, telecoms and government.

1,268members 340+organisations 14countries

Industries represented

Airlines & travelFrequent flyer and partner programmes18%

Banking & paymentsCard rewards, points and fintech wallets22%

Retail & coalitionsGrocery, malls, fashion and multi-brand coalitions24%

HospitalityHotel groups, resorts and dining14%

TelecomsSubscriber rewards and bundles9%

Government & public sectorResident and citizen engagement programmes6%

Agencies & technologyLoyalty platforms, consultancies and data partners7%

Brands our members work for

A selection of member organisations

Falcon AirwaysAirline

Najm BankBanking

Sahara AirAirline

Rawabi TelecomTelco

Oasis HospitalityHospitality

Souq CoalitionCoalition

Mirage RetailRetail

Majan MallsRetail

Nile PayFintech

Dune HotelsHospitality

Cedar PayFintech

Pearl HotelsHospitality

0{{ st.n }}{{ st.k }}{{ st.d }}

What every member gets

Tiers

AED, excluding 5% VAT

Proposed

For corporate members

See your team's credentials and contributions in one place.

Add and remove seats, track CLMP progress and show your team's recognition. Useful for employer branding and recruiting.

Team · Oasis HospitalityCredentialsGiven

Omar Al-SayeghCLMP · Award winner12

Lina HaddadSpeaker7

Mei TanCLMP in progress2

Two open seatsInvite a colleague

Questions

MELA Learning

From first role to boardroom.

Certification, learning paths, masterclasses and mentoring, built on regional cases and MELA Standards.

CLMP certificationJanuary 2027 intake

Five modules · member price AED 4,800 · badge verifiable on LinkedIn

Learning paths

Masterclasses and webinars

Mentoring

Opt-in mentor matching, linked to the CLMP. Requests use double opt-in.

Careers board

Loyalty roles posted by corporate members.

{{ r.title }}{{ r.org }} · {{ r.city }} · {{ r.level }} · {{ r.posted }}

MELA e-learning

Courses at your pace

Short lessons, quick quizzes, CPD hours that count toward the CLMP.

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The key points

MELA’s take

Opinion from the MELA Research Desk.

Questions and answers

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Have news from your programme?

More news

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Past Pulses

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0%50%100%

Optional

Answers are anonymous and reported only in groups of ten or more. You can change them until the Pulse closes.

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Full report

The sponsor sees download counts, never your contact details unless you opt in.

Key findings

Abstract, key findings and charts are public. The full report is for registered readers.

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Agenda

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Who's going

From your CirclesOther MELA members

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//Findings 2025

Findings · published 3 December 2025

MELA Forum 2025: what we learned.

Key takeaways are public. Slides and recordings are for members. Findings feed the Trend Radar and the newsletter.

Recordings

These findings fed

MELA Awards 2026

Thank you, properly.

Winners are announced at the MELA Forum dinner in Dubai on 24 November. Members judge every category.

Next deadline

Judging panel

2025 winners

/Circles/{{ circle.name }}

Circle · {{ circle.count }} members

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Discussion

Join to read and postCircle discussions are private to members of the Circle. Three new threads this week.

Members

Resources

Messages

One-to-one and Circle messages. Move a conversation to WhatsApp or LinkedIn whenever you choose.

Privacy

Your data, your choices.

01One record, held in permitted systemsYour profile is shared across membership, events, CLMP, Community and the newsletter, and nowhere else.

02You choose who sees youPublic, members only or hidden. Change it any time on your profile.

03Introductions are double opt-inContact details are shared only when both sides accept.

04Partners never see the directoryPartners can message members only after a member opts in. Partner content is always labelled.

05The MELA Guide stays inside MELAIt answers from MELA sources. Conversations are reviewed by the MELA team and never used to train third-party models.

06Regional law appliesWe follow UAE and KSA data protection law and prefer regional hosting. Ask for a copy, a correction or deletion at any time.

Preview · September 2027

Your year at MELA, {{ melaFirst }}.

What your renewal recap could look like if you keep going at this pace.

6events attended

14people met through MELA

3credentials earned

9contributions given

OctJoined MELA and answered your first question

NovMELA Forum 2026 in Dubai, with three booked meetings

MarLed a session in the Airline & travel Circle

JunCLMP Certified, badge added to LinkedIn

SepMentored your first emerging member

/CLMP Registry

Public register

CLMP Registry

Every Certified Loyalty Management Professional, verified by MELA. Check a credential by name, company or credential ID.

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ProfessionalOrganisationCountryCredential IDCertifiedStatus

No certified professionals match. Check the spelling or the credential ID.

Listings appear with the holder's consent. Credentials are valid for three years from certification.

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Trend Radar

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Every trend, one card each

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Regional signals

What to do now

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Questions and answers

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Where the community becomes real.

Open calls

MELA Forum 2026

Agenda

Speakers

Past editions

Winners are announced at the Forum dinner on 24 November.

Among your own.

Circles

Your network, working for you.

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Member news & milestones

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Contribution record

What it unlocks

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Your first 30 days

Three people to meet

For you

Your events

What you've given

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Your details

What do you want from MELA?

Payment

Welcome to MELA, {{ jFirst }}.

Preference centre

Turning a value the region holds into a recognised profession.

Inspire, connect, grow and lead

A network that learns

Four values, kept as promises

Eight principles we hold ourselves to

Board

Advisory Council

A trusted voice for the profession.

Announcements

Spokespeople

The MELA logo and colours

Loyalty, returned.

The people who run the region's loyalty programmes

Brands our members work for

What every member gets

Tiers

See your team's credentials and contributions in one place.

Questions

From first role to boardroom.

Learning paths

Masterclasses and webinars