The Winter holidays are set to start soon with schools in the UAE breaking for holidays in the coming week, leading to a particularly busy time at Abu Dhabi Airport.
To ensure guests enjoy a
convenient travel experience during this busy period, Etihad Airways has a
number of travel tips and reminders to save time:
Early Check-in
For the convenience of
those guests who live downtown, early check-in is available at the Abu Dhabi
City Terminal for AED30 per guest. Guests should arrive at Abu Dhabi
International Airport at least three hours before take-off, accounting for
extra road traffic.
Check-in and Boarding Times
Economy Class check-in for
non-US flights opens three hours before departure and closes one hour before
departure. Guests travelling to destinations in the US must check in two hours
before departure and present themselves at the US Customs and Border Protection
facility no later than 90 minutes before departure. Boarding for all Etihad
Airways departures closes 20 minutes prior to departure for guests in all
classes.
Given the significant
increase in demand for check-in for the start of the school holidays, Etihad
Airways will relocate check-in for the following flights when they take place on
the mornings of Friday 14 December, Sunday 16 December, Friday 21 December,
Sunday 23 December, Sunday 30 December, Wednesday 2 January and Friday 4 January
to Terminal 1:
- EY083 to Rome (FCO)
STD 0845
- EY077 to Amsterdam (AMS)
STD 0920
- EY535 to Beirut (BEY)
STD 0930
- EY297 to Baku (GYD)
STD 1010
- EY653 to Cairo (CAI)
STD 09:35
- EY647 to Cairo (CAI)
STD 1050
Etihad Airways mobile app
With the Etihad Airways
mobile app, guests can check in 48 hours before departure and download an
electronic boarding pass for presentation at the bag drop and when boarding
their flight. The app is free to download from the Apple App Store or Android
Play and has a host of features including preferred seat selection,
pre-purchasing of additional baggage and flight status information.
Online Check-in
Online check-in is also
available on Etihad’s website, etihad.com. For those guests who have checked in
on-line but are unable to print their boarding passes at home or the office,
self-service kiosks are available in Terminals 1 and 3 to print their boarding
passes prior to proceeding to the bag drop.
Family Check-in
For guests travelling with
young children and infants, a dedicated ‘Family Check-in’ area will be
available for flights checking-in at Terminal 3 each morning (6am-9am) between 14
December and 4 January. Extra Etihad Airways staff will be available on site to
provide assistance, and additional signage and dedicated immigration access will
ensure a seamless airport experience.
Smart Travel
When proceeding through
departure immigration or upon return, Abu Dhabi Airport’s ‘Smart Travel’
immigration e-gates are available for registered UAE nationals and residents.
Guests simply scan their passport and mobile or paper boarding pass at the
e-gates and the immigration process will take a matter of seconds.
Etihad Baggage Policy
For the safety and comfort
of all guests, Etihad Airways stringently enforces its cabin baggage policy of
7kg for Economy Class and 12kg for First and Business Class guests. Maximum
Cabin Baggage dimensions are: Height 50 cm, Depth 25cm, Width 40cm. Staff will
be checking the weight of cabin baggage at check-in at prior to boarding the
aircraft.
Prior to proceeding to the
airport, guests are reminded to check their e-ticket or the Etihad Airways
website for the baggage policy related to their particular fare, destination or
class of travel. The Etihad Airways app and website offer a number of
additional options for guests to pre-purchase additional baggage at special
rates prior to departure.
Pre-purchase travel options
The Etihad Airways website
also has a variety of pre-purchase seating and upgrade options for greater
comfort while travelling during the school holidays. ‘Economy Space’ offers a generous area for
guests to stretch their legs. There is also the innovative ‘Neighbour-free Seat’
option for guests to choose.
Instant upgrades to
Business or First Class are also available for purchase at special rates during
check-in for guests looking to travel in additional comfort.
Access to Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi Airport
Business Class lounges in Terminal’s 1 & 3 is also available for purchase
by Economy Class guests at the lounge prior to departure. For those guests in
Business Class, you can also purchase access to our First Class Lounge &
Spa to experience an even more exclusive level of service and hospitality,
before stepping on board your flight.