Etihad seat assignment advice

[jpp42]

Hello,

My friend and I are booked on separate tickets on the same flights from SYD to AMS on EY. We used separate tickets due to returning on different dates, but would like to sit together on the outbound segments. I know the best option to guarantee seats next to each other is to pay for seat assignments on both our itineraries. What are the other options if we don't want to shell out the $200+ for this ? This is my first time flying EY for longhaul so I'm not really sure of the ins and outs of this.

* I have WP on Virgin Australia. Does this offer any advantages in seat assignment? It's all EY tickets booked through EY web site, but I did enter my VA details. This didn't seem to make a difference in seat assignment - is this correct?
* Can the lounge attendant in EY lounge in SYD re-assign us seats together (if available) ?
* If we wait until T-24, seat assignment is free, right? Is it generally possible to find seats together if we log on right at T-24, and if so, will they 'stick' or can they be moved around randomly (given that their systems will see us as two separate bookings) ?

We are travelling on mid week, last week of November, so I think it's a shoulder season and hopefully not totally full flights.

 

[borism5]

Hi,

The general guideline is that you can check in online 30h before departure and then choose standard seats for free, should there be any spare seats as they automatically assign seats before they open online check-in. Now I did notice that they assigned a seat for me even earlier (let's say 48h before departure) and already from that moment I could log in with my PNR on Etihad and change the seating. As last resort, ask at the airport check in.

 

[Stealthflyer]

* I have WP on Virgin Australia. Does this offer any advantages in seat assignment? It's all EY tickets booked through EY web site, but I did enter my VA details. This didn't seem to make a difference in seat assignment - is this correct?
* Can the lounge attendant in EY lounge in SYD re-assign us seats together (if available) ?

I know your trip is a while away, but let us know how you fare. I’m WP with Virgin too and I have just booked my first Etihad trip. I’m hoping that my status might help get me an aisle seat when the time comes. I always like to sit on an aisle seat but the seat selection fees for Etihad are far higher than I expected (they’re twice the rates I paid for SQ aisle seats in May). I don’t want to pay that much for a regular economy seat.

 

[Jusrus]

Replies below from my experiences in May, July and August on EY to Madrid from Melbourne.

Hello,

* I have WP on Virgin Australia. Does this offer any advantages in seat assignment? It's all EY tickets booked through EY web site, but I did enter my VA details. This didn't seem to make a difference in seat assignment - is this correct?

Sadly completely correct. Does nothing. Even calling VA doesn't help.

* Can the lounge attendant in EY lounge in SYD re-assign us seats together (if available) ?

Yes, I have reassigned my seat on each of my flights this year at the EY lounge in MEL and at the counter at MAD. Have had seat next to me for each flight as a result (though they have been clear this hasn't been guaranteed)

* If we wait until T-24, seat assignment is free, right? Is it generally possible to find seats together if we log on right at T-24, and if so, will they 'stick' or can they be moved around randomly (given that their systems will see us as two separate bookings) ?

30 hours I believe. You should be OK for together, might just not be heaps of options.

We are travelling on mid week, last week of November, so I think it's a shoulder season and hopefully not totally full flights.
[/QUOTE]

 

[jpp42]

Follow-up on this, on the outbound segments (SYD-AUH-AMS), I ended up paying for seat selection for both me and my friend to ensure we had preferred seats together (pairs on both the B777, last few rows from SYD-AUH, and on the A330 for AUH-AMS).

My return trip was slightly different and I was travelling alone, but I really hate middle seats on longhaul so I bought normal seat assignments for myself too. On one segment which was IAD-AUH, I paid for regular economy aisle seat, but due to some kind of equipment swap, I ended up in "Economy Space." My seat could not be changed without paying the upcharge to Economy Space, but I did have an aisle seat similar to what I had originally selected. Fortunately, the middle seat was empty - the B787 9-across configuration does not excite and I was very happy this extra shoulder room was available. I would not recommend paying extra for this unless you are particularly tall/long legs; it doesn't give you anything more than an extra inch or so of leg room.

For the AUH-SYD segment, I received several emails from Etihad suggesting I bid for a guaranteed free seat next to me. This is the first I had heard of this kind of offer. It was using the same bidding system widely used for paid upgrades to business class. I actually did consider bidding but forgot to come back to this before the deadline. Incidentally, I noticed upon boarding this flight, a seat marked with a reserved sign on the headrest. This was a middle seat so I'm guessing was someone who had paid for a spare in this manner. The flight was nearly full - only 2-3 empty seats in the cabin section I was in. Fortunately it was an A380 so the seats are somewhat wider and more comfortable.