Etihad Airways

Etihad Airways flights and information

• Etihad Airways Check-in
• Etihad Airways baggage allowance
• Etihad Airways legroom

Online check-in is available between 24 hours and two hours before the flight is scheduled to take off.

Check-in opens at least three hours before the flight is scheduled to depart (four hours at Abu Dhabi Airport), and closes 60 minutes before the flight is due to take off. Diamond First Class and Pearl Business Class flyers have slightly more time. Check-in for those classes closes 45 minutes before take-off.

For passengers returning from the UAE (with the exception of those on US-bound flights), there are city check-ins at ADNEC, located in the Abu Dhabi's Diplomatic District, City Terminal, in Abu Dhabi’s business district, and Chelsea Towers in Dubai (on Sheikh Zayed Road).

Hand luggage:Coral Economy flyers, one piece weighing up to 7kg with total dimensions of 115cm. Pearl Business and Diamond First passengers are allowed to bring on board two pieces with a combined weight of 12kg. A personal item such as a handbag or laptop is also allowed. Disabled travellers may bring cructches or a collapsible wheelchair.

Checked: The allowance varies by route. On flights except those to/from US and Canada, Coral Economy Class may stow 23kg (but Etihad Guest Silver members may stow 33kg and Etihad Guest Gold members may check-in 38kg in the hold); Pearl Business Class, 30kg (Etihad Guest Silver members - 40kg and Etihad Guest Gold members - 45kg); Diamond First Class, 40kg (Etihad Guest Silver members - 50kg and Etihad Guest Gold members - 55kg). On flights to/from North America, Etihad codeshares with American Airlines and Etihad notes that a fee of US $50 will be collected for the second bag.

Infant travellers have a baggage allowance of 23kg (50lbs) including a car seat or carry cot and other accessories.

Excess: rates vary by zone (where you depart and where you land). Australia is in zone 3, the UAE is in zone 1. Buying extra weight for a flight from zone 3 to zone 1 costs $35 (US) per kg. On Brisbane to Singapore flights the rate is $20 (US) per kg.

Depends on the aircraft, but, in general, Coral Economy Class travellers have 81-86cm of legroom. In Pearl Business Class seats have 124cm seat pitch. Some wide-bodied aircraft (A340-500, A340-600, A330-200 and B777-300ER) have flat beds. Diamond First Class features fully flat beds on A340-500s, A330-200s and some A340-600s.

Passengers may select seats during the booking process or during online check-in.

The ability to make changes depends on the type of fare purchased. Change and cancel fees range from $50 per change plus any difference in fares. Travellers may add Flexibility to a fare. On a Brisbane-Singapore flight, the cost of adding extra flexibility ranges from almost $300 (AUD) to just over $1000 (AUD).

There is a discount for children between 2 and 11 years of about 75 per cent.

There's no discounts for older travellers.

Contact your local Etihad Airways office for full info on pet travel. Falcons and guide dogs are accepted in the cabin as well as in the cargo hold (on certain routes). All other animals travel as cargo. Falcons are accepted in the cabin and guide dogs may travel with their owner in the cabin on flights from Abu Dhabi to the USA. Pets are not carried on transit flights through Abu Dhabi.

Musical instruments are stowed in the hold and count towards a passenger's baggage allowance or are charged the excess baggage rate if the free baggage allowance is exceeded. Large musical instruments may be transported in the cabin as long as an extra seat is purchased.

All meals are Halal and do not contain pork or alcohol. Award-winning chefs create meals with a variety of influences — Asian, Middle Eastern and European. Champagne and celebration cakes (for a birthday or anniversary for example) can be ordered at the time of booking. Etihad's young fleet of aircraft has a state-of-the-art audio-video-on-demand (AVOD) system with more than 600 hours of entertainment (TV, film, music and interactive games). The airline boasts that it has the largest video screens in Economy Class - 26cm.

Etihad Guest Miles are earned at the rate of at least one Etihad Guest Mile for every mile flown. Tiers are Etihad Guest, Etihad Guest Silver, Etihad Guest Gold and Etihad Guest Gold Elite. Passengers can collect miles with Etihad's partner airlines, at several hotel chains including Radisson, Hilton and Hyatt and car rental companies such as Sixt and Hertz.

Read reviews and see photographs of Etihad Airways meals taken by fellow flyers at AirlineMeals.net.

Etihad Inflight is the magazine.

Etihad Airways is in the Arab Air Carriers Organisation. It also has partnership agreements with the Virgin Australia Group (Virgin Australia, V Australia and Pacific Blue), which allows Etihad's customers to fly to 44 destinations in Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Asia and to Los Angeles. Etihad also has partnerships with several carriers including Aer Arann, the Irish regional airline, American Airlines, Air Astana, ANA, Air Malta, Air New Zealand, Alitalia, Bangkok Airways, bmi, Brussels Airlines, flybe and Jet Airways.

Etihad Airways, established in 2003, is the fastest-growing airline in the history of flight. Along with Emirates and Qatar Airways Etihad is racing ahead, competing with the established European and American carriers and forging relationships with regional carriers (most recently linking up with V Australia on flights between Australia and Abu Dhabi).

In late 2011, it bought almost 30 per cent of airberlin, Europe’s sixth-largest carrier. The move syncs up the airlines’ networks and frequent-flyer programs and offers flyers 239 destinations across 77 countries.