The combination of the festive season and schools breaking up for holidays means the period from 12 December to 5 January will be a particularly busy time at Abu Dhabi International Airport, with up to 1.25 million guests flying with Etihad Airways across the network over this period.

To make sure that guests enjoy a convenient travel experience during this busy season, Etihad Airways has a number of travel tips and reminders to save time:

Early Check-in

Early check-in is also available at the Dubai Travel Mall, and at the Al Ain and Abu Dhabi City Terminals. Guests should arrive at Abu Dhabi International Airport at least three hours before take-off, accounting for extra road traffic. 

Family Check-in

Each morning in Terminal 3, between 12 and 24 December, a dedicated ‘Family Check-in’ area will be available for guests travelling with young children and infants. Extra Etihad Airways staff will be available on site to provide assistance, and additional signage will ensure a seamless airport experience.

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 on the first day of the school holidays, Etihad Airways will relocate check-in for the following flights on the morning of 15 December only to Terminal 1:

••EY097 to Istanbul (IST) departure time 0850

••EY091 to Athens (ATH) departure time 0915

••EY535 to Beirut (BEY) departure time 0930

••EY513 to Amman (AMM) departure time 1045

Etihad Airways mobile app

With the Etihad Airways mobile app, guests can check in 49 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 and flight status page.

As a special offer for guests booked to depart on Etihad Airways services from 6pm on Thursday 14 December until 12pm on Sunday 17 December, guests that check-in using the Etihad Airways mobile app and present their mobile boarding passes at bag drop, will receive an additional 5kg of checked baggage allowance per booking reference number (conditions apply).

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.

Moonlight Check-in

Etihad Airways is offering special rewards for guests using the Moonlight Check-in service, which is available from 12 - 24 December at Abu Dhabi International Airport Terminal 3. This service allows guests for all Etihad Airways operated flights to check in four to eight hours before their scheduled departure at specially marked Moonlight counters in Terminal 3, between 4am and 6am, and 4pm and 6pm. 

Guests using this limited-time service will receive an additional 5kg of checked baggage, 2,500 Etihad Guest Miles and vouchers for select Duty Free and food and beverage outlets.

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. 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 website also offers a number of additional options for guests to pre-purchase additional baggage at special rates prior to departure.

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