Policy library

Here is everything you need to know about Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) and how to update it on the PNR.

Policy

It is mandatory for all commercial airlines on international flights to send guest and crew manifest data to the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS). APIS details must be updated prior to departure to avoid delay at the airport.

Etihad reservation offices, including contact centres, have to include the required Advance Passenger Information (API) in the Special Services Request (SSR) field at the time of creating a booking.

The three SSR elements used for this purpose are categorized as:

• DOCS: for the primary travel document information (e.g. passport or national ID)
• DOCO: for the secondary travel document information (e.g. visa)
• DOCA: passenger address information (either residence or destination)
  
  

The above three SSRs should be passenger-associated (mandatory) and segment-associated (optional). Certain countries require all three pieces of information to be inserted in the travel record locator of the guest that enters or leaves the country.

Note: The name of the guest is auto-populated. However, you should ensure that there is a space between the first name and title to avoid a name mismatch between the reservation and travel documents.

Routes that require APIS information| DOCS:

For PEK: The 3 SSR elements of the API i.e. passport information (DOCS), destination address (DOCA) and visa information (DOCO) are mandatory.

For Japan: Authorities of Japan require APIS for all guests travelling to Nagoya (NGO) and Narita (NRT). Passport information (DOCS) is mandatory.

For Germany: DOCS SSR is mandatory and must be updated for all guests including infants travelling to Munich (MUC), Frankfurt (FRA) and Dusseldorf (DUS). Additional mandatory APIS data is required for nationals who require a visa to enter Germany. Incorrect or missing data may result in a fine of up to EUR 50,000.

For India: Passport information (DOCS) and visa information (DOCO) is mandatory. 

Airpass is a flexible and convenient way to book flights to multiple destinations in one region. Combine and Etihad flights to Australia with up to 10 internal flights with Airpass. 

Read more

Blind and temporarily blind guests

Guests who are permanently blind are permitted to travel without obtaining medical clearance. Please let us know if your guest requires any specific assistance at the time of booking.

Guests who are temporarily blind are required to obtain medical clearance through MEDIF.

Please notify us of blind groups at least 48 hours in advance.

All reservations must be made through an Etihad Sales Office to create a PNR. Please make sure to add an SSR to the booking, select ‘BLND’ from the drop-down box and enter text as necessary, for instance, ‘UNACCOMPANIED’. Name and segment must be selected when you add the SSR.

Travelling with a guide dog
 

Guide dogs are permitted in the cargo hold for free as part of the checked baggage allowance. Always ensure that your guest has the correct permits and documentation for their pet to travel. Regulations may vary depending on the destination or country of departure, so it is always better to check well in advance.

Special assistance requests can be made through an SSR.

Human remains in an urn

• Transportation of cremated human remains is permitted on all Etihad Airways flights in checked baggage or as cargo
• Carriage of cremated ashes in the cabin is strictly prohibited
• Documentation including certificate of cremation and death certificate issued by a competent authority must be carried for presentation to authorities upon request
• The casket or urn containing the cremated remains must be packed in a sealed outer box or case

Human remains in a coffin

Coffins are permitted on all Etihad Airways flights and routes, subject to the relevant documents being submitted. The accompanying guest or agent must contact Etihad Cargo to make all of the necessary arrangements.

Required documents:

·         Death certificate

·         Passport copy

·         Contact number at both the origin and destination

·         Confirmed ticket for the accompanying guest (if applicable)

·         Flight details

For more information, please contact:

Etihad Cargo Customer Services

cargocs@etihad.ae

+971 2 599 0099

800 2535 (toll-free within the UAE)

• The Etihad Chauffeur service can be availed only in AUH for guests holding confirmed reservations only in The Residence (P), First (F, A, R) and Business Flex (J, C, D) and Business Classic (W) on Etihad-operated flights.
  
• Premium guests ticketed in UAE and traveling in Z class can now use our Limousine services within UAE
• Exclusive members of the Etihad Guest programme are entitled to the Etihad Chauffeur service even when travelling in Economy on Etihad-operated flights (valid for commercial and redemption tickets).
• Effective 14th November 2019, Gold and Platinum tier guests travelling on Redemption First & Business (O, I) bookings will be eligible for Complimentary Etihad Chauffeur Service within the UAE for one way.
• All First and Business guests travelling on Etihad-operated flights marketed by other airlines are eligible for the Etihad Chauffeur service, except I and O classes.
• For eligible guests on codeshare-marketed flights operated on Etihad Airways, codeshare airlines must book the Etihad Chauffeur service through etihad.com, up to 12 hours prior to flight departure.
• Guests travelling on other airlines (OAL) operated flights marketed by Etihad are not eligible for Etihad Chauffeur
• The Etihad Chauffeur service is not applicable for Unaccompanied Minors (UM).
• The Etihad Chauffeur service is not applicable for children between 2 and 12 years
• Discounted Tickets AD (Agent Discounts), ID (Industrial Discount), DG or any other FOC (Free of Charge) tickets, including redemption tickets, are not entitled to this service.
• Diplomatic guests travelling on DP discounted tickets are entitled to the Etihad Chauffeur service on F, A, J and C RBDs only.
• The Etihad Chauffeur service is not applicable on American Airlines (AA) redemption tickets issued on flights operated by Etihad.
• The Etihad Chauffeur service is not available on complimentary tickets or for complimentary upgrades from Economy to Business.
• Guests transiting in Abu Dhabi are eligible for the Etihad Chauffeur service only if a stopover indicator is present on the ticket.

Effective 04 December 2019, guests who purchase tickets in first or business class on other airline ticket stock (non 607) travelling on Etihad Airways operated flights will no longer be eligible for complimentary chauffeur service.

• All chauffeur requests made before 04 December will be honored, and any bookings made after 04 December will not be eligible for the service
• If a guest makes a date change to their ticket, chauffeur eligibility will be based on the reissuance date 

The Etihad Chauffeur service is not eligible for non-revalidated/non-reissued tickets.

Priority Access gives Economy guests the option to fast-track their airport experience with priority check-in and speeding boarding, as well as priority baggage when they land. Priority Access is available to purchase through our Global Contact Centres and travel agencies, or at the airport up to 90 minutes before their scheduled flight time. The ancillary will be available to purchase online in the future. Priority Access costs US $40 per person, no matter where passengers are flying to or from. 

What is Priority Access? 

Policy

• An Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) will be issued
• Fixed price of US $40 applies – this is non-refundable
• Applied on an origin/destination basis, for instance, a guest traveling from LHR to SYD will pay US $40 and get priority check-in and boarding in London, then priority boarding in Abu Dhabi
• For stopovers, bookings require two EMDs, for instance, a guest travelling from BKK to MUC with a stopover in AUH will have to buy an EMD for BKK-AUH and another one for AUH-MUC – this will cost US $80

Procedure

Priority Access is available to purchase through our Global Contact Centres and travel agencies, or at the airport. An Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) will be issued to fulfil the payment and the booking will be automatically updated.

During the first 28 weeks of pregnancy, guests do not need a medical certificate to fly, though we’d always recommend that they speak with their doctor before they travel.

Single pregnancy

From weeks 29 to 36, guests will require a medical certificate to fly, which they’ll have to present when they check in at the airport.

At the 37th week of pregnancy, guests will not be accepted to travel.

Multiple pregnancy

From weeks 29 to 32, guests will require a medical certificate to fly, which they’ll have to present when they check in at the airport.

At the 33rd week of pregnancy, guests will not be accepted to travel.

Medical certificate

Medical certificates must be original and presented during check in at the airport. The certificate must state that the guest is fit to fly, whether the pregnancy is single or multiple, the number of weeks of pregnancy and Expected Delivery Date (EDD).

The medical certificate must be:

• Issued and signed by the treating doctor or midwife within the gestation period considered acceptable for travel
• Issued on clinic or hospital letterheaded paper or stamped
• Valid for 3 weeks from the date of issue
• Written clearly in English or Arabic (other languages are accepted but must be verified by Etihad Airways check-in staff)

Extra Seat – Personal Comfort

For their comfort, guests are able to reserve an additional seat on board all Etihad Airways flights.

Extra Seat - Cabin Baggage

Guests may book an additional seat if they are travelling with cabin baggage that does not fit in the overhead storage locker.

Things to keep in mind

• Guests will be charged the normal ticket fare for the additional seat
• Only YQ, YR and any percentage-based taxes will be charged - all other taxes are exempt
• The guest and their extra seat must be booked on the same RBD (Reservation Booking Designator) and PNR
• This service is only applicable on Etihad-operated flights
• IATA commission will be as per Etihad’s existing policy in each country of sale
• A Global Service Fee (GSF) applies only to the guest occupying the seat
• In the case of changes to the booking, penalty charges will apply for both the guest’s ticket and their extra seat ticket
• Tickets can be booked and issued by Etihad Airways agents or external travel agents

Terms and conditions

1.      Large items, such as musical instruments, are accepted for carriage in the cabin

2.      Cargo and mail are not permitted to be carried on passenger seats

3.      Each item must not exceed the following dimensions:

Height: 45”/114cm

Depth: 9” / 22cm

Width: 17”/43cm

4.      The maximum weight of such baggage must not exceed 75kg/165lbs per seat

5.      All items must fit within the allocated seat area and not obstruct the aisle - large musical instruments may be placed on the cabin floor against the vacant seat and secured with an extension belt

6.      Items must not obscure the view of any cabin signs such as seat belt or exit signs

7.      All items should be packaged and/or covered to avoid possible injury to guests or crew

8.      All items are subject to security clearance for carriage in the cabin

A group is defined as a party of 10 or more guests in Economy, six or more in Business and four or more in First. Infants are not included in the group size. 

Group bookings must be created at an Etihad Sales office or via a dedicated group system, access to which has been provided by Etihad Airways. Travel agencies are not permitted to request groups in the GDS. 

All guests should be booked together on the same flight(s)/ departure dates at the time of booking. 

There are two major group types:

Adhoc Groups: 

A party of 10 or more guests (excluding infants) traveling together on the same outbound and inbound flights and dates. This is a one-off movement for specific dates.

Series Groups: 

Minimum of 6 consecutive movements of a similar group size (minimum of 10 guests)

from the same agent, or, 200 guests from the same travel agent in a travel pattern, for instance, 10 guests every Tuesday over the travel period 1 March to 31 October. 

Read more about group bookings

Note:

To know the instructions on how to do seating with Groups please view GDS entry to book Ancilliary Services and FOC seating Amadeus.

As per IATA Resolution 830d, from 1 June 2019 we require all travel agents to:

• Actively ask guests whether they wish their contact details to be provided to airlines for the purpose of contacting them in an operational disruption.
• Update the applicable SSR where the guest agrees to provide their contact information.
• Advise the guest that they may not receive information from the airline relating to flight cancellation or schedule changes when they refuse to provide contact information. The refusal must be recorded in the booking.

Special Service Requests (SSR)

IATA has provided SSRs designated for the purpose of capturing the above details in the booking as follows:

CTCE: Passenger contact email address

CTCM: Passenger contact mobile phone number

CTCR:  Passenger contact refused

The following conditions must be met in order to comply with regulations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during the Hajj:

• Hajj flights will commence on 4 July, 2019 until midnight of 5 August, 2019 – Hajj guests will not be accepted after this deadline
• GCC nationals performing Hajj must have an official Hajj permit
• All non-GCC nationals performing Hajj must have an official Hajj visa and a return ticket
• All Hajj guests must have confirmed return flight
• GCC nationals arriving after the deadline may be accepted if they have a Hajj permit, which must be presented at immigration upon arrival
• Failure to present a Hajj permit will result in deportation and a fine of SAR 200,000 against Etihad – applies to all arrivals into Jeddah (JED) and Medina (MED)
• Hajj visas are not required by GCC nationals travelling via Jeddah (JED) and Medina (MED)
• Guests travelling for Hajj are not permitted to travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia via Dammam (DMM) or Riyadh (RUH)
• Etihad Airways shall not transport females under the age of 45 for Hajj unless accompanied by relatives listed on their Hajj visas
• In the event of violating this requirement, females shall be returned to the country they arrived from on the same flight and all associated costs shall be borne by Etihad
• Hajj landing cards will be distributed at Abu Dhabi (AUH) and all Hajj guests must complete their Hajj landing cards prior to arriving in Jeddah (JED)
• Each pilgrim is permitted to carry a maximum of five litres of Zamzam water

Download our Hajj instructions for more information > 

You need to apply the Indian Goods and Services Tax (GST) on fares, fees, ticket changes, refunds, and ancillaries connected to Indian tickets.  Read everything you need to know here.

Corporate Travel Booking

If you’ve made a corporate travel booking directly with Etihad Airways and need a GST invoice for a business registered in India, please email contactcentre@etihad.ae within 48 hours of making the booking.

We require the following information to issue the GST invoice:

·         Booking reference

·         Company full name

·         Company’s Indian GST Identification Number (GSTIN)

·         Company address in India (including State)

·         Company email address to which the invoice should be issued

·         Company telephone number

By providing the above information you confirm that the GST invoice relates to legitimately incurred travel expenses. The applicant and the entity mentioned in the details indemnify Etihad Airways from all costs incurred in the event that any of the details that have been provided are incomplete or incorrect.

Goods & Service Tax (GST) on ancillaries

Goods & Service Tax (GST) (K3) was implemented by the Indian government in 2017. It is an indirect tax levied on the supply of goods and services.

As of 6 January 2020, K3 will automatically be added to ancillaries when purchased through any of our global contact centres or travel agencies.

You will only have to manually calculate K3 in the following scenarios:

·         The base value is updated manually (for instance, a miscellaneous EMD)

·         EMD-A on partially flown tickets

Goods & Service Tax (GST) (K3) policy

·         K3 is a percentage-based tax: 5% tax applies to Economy class segments and 12% to First and Business segments. For mixed class bookings, 12% tax will be charged. You can find more information here.

·         When a journey originates from India, K3 is applicable to Associated EMDs (EMD-A) associated to any segment in the itinerary.

·         For Standalone EMDs (EMD-S), K3 is applicable to ancillaries sold in India. 

·         There are certain ancillaries where K3 is not applicable. You can find more information here.

If a guest requests a longer connection between journeys, please add an ARNK between the segments. Adding the ARNK ensures the segments do not get cancelled during the re-accommodation process.

Special Assistance

Guests requiring special assistance should complete a Special Service Request at least 48 hours before their flight.

Our crew are fully trained to assist guests with reduced mobility, hearing impairments or vision impairments, and we have a number of wheelchair options available. Please simply request assistance in advance to avoid delays at the airport.

Assistive devices such as canes, crutches and foldable walkers are allowed in the cabin, but they must be securely stored before take-off and landing. Cabin chairs are available on board all of our flights to assist non-ambulatory guests to move to and from the aircraft lavatory. The majority of our aircraft are also equipped with accessible lavatories. Electric wheelchairs must be dry-cell operated in order to meet our cabin safety requirements.

Guide dogs are permitted in the cargo hold for free as part of checked baggage allowance. All pets must have the correct permits and documentation to travel, and these regulations may vary from one destination to another.

Medical Clearance

Some conditions may require guests to seek medical clearance before flying.

Medical clearance is required if the guest:

·         Suffers from any condition which is believed to be actively contagious

·         Suffers from any condition that may be adversely affected by flying

·         Is likely to be a hazard or a cause discomfort to other guests due to their physical or behavioural condition

·         Is considered to be a potential hazard to the safety or punctuality of the flight

·         Requires special assistance

·         Has recently undergone major surgery

·         Suffers from an unstable physical or psychological condition

·         Requires a stretcher

·         Requires in-flight oxygen, portable oxygen concentrator (POC) or ventilator

·         Requires the use of battery-powered* medical equipment on board (except for CPAP) 

·         Requires a medical procedure during the flight (e.g. injections)

*Only dry-cell operated devices are accepted onboard

Before a guest receives medical clearance to fly, they must complete and submit a MEDIF (Medical Information for Fitness to Travel) form to the nearest Etihad Airways Ticketing Office or Contact Centre at least 72 hours before their flight. Incomplete forms will not be accepted for assessment. The MEDIF form must be submitted along with a recent medical report from their treating physician (in English). The medical report must have been issued within 14 days of travel.

Etihad Airways Medical Centre (EAMC) will determine whether a guest is fit to travel and will notify them if a separate MEDIF is required for the return journey. If approved, EAMC will issue a Medical Certificate through the respective Ticketing Office. Guests may be asked to present the certificate at any time during their journey.

Etihad Airways must be notified immediately of any changes prior to travel. In the event that the medical condition changes during the journey, guests will be required to obtain another MEDIF form to continue travelling.

Onsite Assessment

You can arrange same-day clearance to fly with our fast-track onsite assessment. Our onsite physician will assess guests and determine whether they are fit to fly on the same day.

AED1,500 per visit in Abu Dhabi

AED2,000 per visit in Al Ain, Dubai and other locations outside of Abu Dhabi

Call +971 2 599 0000 or email MEDA@etihad.ae to book

Nurse On Board

Guests with a medical condition can fly with peace of mind thanks to our Nurse On Board service. Our fully-trained nurse will be on hand throughout the entire journey; they’ll ensure that all medical forms and documents are in place, assist with boarding and offer medical assistance during the flight.

Call +971 2 599 0000 or email MEDA@etihad.ae to book 

Etihad Airways, the National Airline of the United Arab Emirates, invests substantial amounts of money to develop and bring to market innovative aviation products and services, including our award-winning airport lounges, cabin interiors, and inflight offerings.   We recognize that our authorized travel agents and other travel partners (collectively “Trade Partners”) also contribute to Etihad Airways’ success by investing significant time, and effort in helping promote Etihad Airways to the traveling public and educate them about our airline.   To facilitate this goal, Etihad Airways has established the Etihad Airways Territorial Minimum Advertised Price Policy (“MAP Policy”).  The MAP Policy is a unilateral policy of Etihad Airways and does not constitute any express or implied agreement between Etihad Airways and any other party or entity.  The MAP Policy applies to Trade Partners in the Territory, which is defined below. [1]

Under the MAP Policy, Trade Partners and other promoters and distributors of Etihad Airways products and services in the Territory may not advertise, promote, or publish to the general public any passenger fare or ticket distributed by Etihad Airways within the Territory for a price that is less than that the Etihad Airways Current Published Fare.  The Etihad Airways Current Published Fare is the fare distributed by Etihad Airways and displayed in the applicable global distribution system(s) (“GDS”), including all applicable taxes, charges, surcharges, and/or other fees displayed in the applicable GDS(s). 

The MAP Policy applies to all advertisements by Trade Partners that include any Etihad Airways passenger fares in any media, including but not limited to flyers, posters, Internet sites, metasearch sites or other electronic formats, social media sites, newspapers, magazines, catalogues, television, radio, and public signage.  

Etihad Airways, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to discontinue doing business with and/or terminating inventory access to any Travel Partner or other party that violates Etihad’s MAP Policy.  Etihad Airways will enforce MAP Policy at its sole discretion and without notice.  Trade Partners have no right to enforce the MAP Policy – it is a unilateral policy of Etihad Airways.

[1]  As of this update, the Territory consists of the United States, Canada, Republic of South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, India, Philippines, Thailand, Egypt, Singapore, Pakistan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong SAR (China).

Etihad Airways launched combinable First (F), Business (J) and Economy (Y) fares for all point of sales across the Etihad network on 14 November, 2019.

•   Mixed Cabin tickets can be issued only from Contact Centres and Travel Agencies. The guest may request to be upgraded to the cabin he has paid for if it becomes available before travel. However, the ticket exchange has to performed before reaching the airport.
•   This product is not available online
•   To achieve the combination of cabins, segments may have to be booked separately
•   Economy benefits will apply to the leg booked in Economy
•   The guest will pay the highest of the combined fares used; i.e. if it is a combination of Y and J, J class fare will apply.

Example:

01 O DMM EY   322J  25NOV 1015A  JLRTSA/JF

02 X AUH EY   204J  25NOV  225P  JLRTSA/JF

03 O BOM EY   203Y  20DEC  910P  JLRTSA/JF

04 X AUH EY   323J  21DEC  210A  JLRTSA/JF

     DMM                                  

Here’s what you need to know about Multiflyer tickets:

·         Multiflyer tickets offer guests multiple passes for approved fares in a given market

·         For Economy Multiflyer bookings, use RBD “M”

·         For Business Multiflyer bookings, use RBD “D

·         Agents are permitted to upsell a Multiflyer ticket issued in Business to “C” and “J”

·         Open-dated segments are not permitted

·         Guests can make as many changes as they need to up until the end of the travel validity period

·         Multiflyer tickets are non-refundable.

·         A fuel surcharge fee (YQ) is included in the fare

·         All other taxes must be charged according to the selected route

·         Normal fare rules apply

·         If a guest uses a flight segment out of sequence, the previous segment(s) will be forfeited and a new ticket must be reissued with the remaining coupons

·         Upgrades are not permitted on Multiflyer tickets

Policy:

It is very important to record name information accurately, due to increasing Governmental requirements concerning Passenger Data. Ideally, the recorded name should match that in an official travel document, e.g. a passport. As this may not always be possible, please follow these guidelines:

If your guests are flying with us to or from Frankfurt, Munich, Dusseldorf or Paris-Charles de Gaulle, they can use our Rail & Fly service, in partnership with German rail company, Deutsche Bahn, and French rail company, SNCF.

How does Rail & Fly work?

1. Guests will receive an email with their flight e-ticket reference number and train confirmation number

2. When they arrive at the airport, guests must collect their baggage before making their way to the train station

3. Train ticket collection:

a. Deutsche Bahn: Tickets can be collected from a self-service kiosk at the train station or printed from www.accesrail.com/checkin - Tickets cannot be printed more than 72 hours in advance

b. SNCF: Tickets can be collected from the TGV AIR counter at the train station – Guests must present their e-ticket and a valid form of ID

4. Guests can take a Deutsche Bahn / SNCF train to any station in the corresponding rail network

The rail segment of the trip is only valid in conjunction with the flight segment

Find out more here.

The Air Passenger Protection Regulations in Canada requires children under the age of 14 years travelling to or from Canada to be seated in close proximity to their parent, guardian or tutor.

Guests are able to purchase seats together when they book their flight or for free when they check in online. We will also do our best to seat families together during check-in at the airport at no extra cost.

Note: Due to COVID-19 restrictions, our lounges in Abu Dhabi are closed. We will reopen them as soon as we can. 

We’re pleased to offer STPC to all of our guests in First and Business, as well as Economy guests on certain routes. All guests must have a transit time of between 8 – 24 hours in Abu Dhabi. Guests are able to make use of the AEROTEL hotel in Abu Dhabi (either in or outside of the airport), or airport lounge if no accommodation is available.

Here’s everything you need to know:

• Guests must have a transit period of 8 – 24 hours in Abu Dhabi airport
• Connecting flights must be Etihad Airways operated
• Guests booked on Other Airline (OAL) or a flight operated by an Etihad Airways Partner (EAP) may be accepted on request
• STPC applies to the first scheduled flight connecting from Abu Dhabi
• Guests may choose to book a flight with a longer transit time but more direct route, and if all conditions are satisfied, STPC will be provided; for instance, CCJ-AUH-LAX-SFO has a shorter transit time in Abu Dhabi but CCJ-AUH-SFO is a more direct route
• STPC requests must be made at least five days before departure
• STPC must be requested in the PNR and queued to Queue city AUH on Queue number 501 with Prefatory code 11 – this must be done at the time of booking and confirmed by the Etihad STPC desk – Abu Dhabi
• ID / AD / FOC / diplomatic discounted tickets are not eligible for STPC
• STPC is applicable on STA tickets (000) only where POS is Australia for sectors mentioned under STPC Table- Australia
• STPC is subject to availability

Premium and Economy Guests

Make your STPC request by contacting your local EY office.

For tickets issued from 01 November 2018, stretcher guests will be charged the highest Y RBD EY one way sector level fare (YOW11) multiplied by the number of seats booked. 

Policy

• Stretcher cases are accepted onboard only for travel in Economy for which six, eight, nine or twelve seat positions may be required.
• Stretcher is permitted on Etihad Airways prime operated flights only and not on OAL configured aircraft types.
• Medical Clearance is required for stretcher cases. This service must be requested at least 72 hours prior to departure. Stretcher service is not permitted for infants.
• Medical Escorts are mandatory for the acceptance of guests if it is mentioned in the medical certificate issued by Etihad Airways doctor. Non-medical escorts are permitted to accompany medical cases unless there is a need for a qualified nurse or doctor.
• Foreign carriers cannot accept stretcher passengers in and out from Shanghai as per the revised Aviation Security Regulation for Shanghai Airports (both SHA & PVG).

Procedure 

• Guest is charged the highest Y RBD EY one way sector level fare (YOW11) multiplied by the number of seats booked. For connecting flights, the fare applicable to the higher number of seats will apply. E.g. If a STCR guest starts journey on a A319 aircraft type and then transfers onto an A330, 9 seats for the entire journey must be purchased (although 3 seats are not used on the second sector).
• All applicable taxes must be collected for the stretcher guest. For the STCR seats (tickets), only YQ and YR are charged; all other taxes are exempted.
• The maximum weight of the guest that can be accommodated on a stretcher is 120 kilos.

• GDS entry for a Stretcher Passenger

Below table provides the configuration and stretcher location along with the number of seats required on each aircraft type: 

For assistance with any bookings or queries related to The Residence, please email the Travel Concierge at viptravelconcierge@etihad.ae  or call +971 2 5990380.

Reservation policy for The Residence

• Bookings are to be made in “P” class.
• A maximum of two guests - of which one guest may be an infant - can be booked on a PNR. If an infant is the second passenger, the guest is permitted to carry an approved car seat with them as The Residence is not equipped with a bassinet. Otherwise the infant will travel in the lap of the guest.
• No child/infant discount applies.
• Always seek agreement directly from the primary guest or booking agent before adding the accompanying guest.
• If the primary guest wants to add a guest:
  • Before travel commences, refund P1 ticket and issue new tickets with P2 fare level
  • Once travel commences, purchase a one-way ticket (P1) for the additional guest
• A name change is permitted only for the accompanying guest, subject to certain terms and conditions. Please contact the VIP Concierge Desk for details.

Notes: You can process refunds by manually deducting the applicable refund penalty. Automated Exchanges and Refunds (AER) are not currently activated for this process. Please contact the VIP Concierge Desk for assistance.

Before a child’s 2nd birthday, they are classed as “infants”.

Each infant must be accompanied by one adult. Each adult is only allowed to accompany one infant.

This is a GCAA safety requirement.

It is possible for one guest to book tickets for more than one infant, however they must arrange for one adult per infant.

Bassinets

Bassinets are carried in limited quantities on Etihad aircraft and can accommodate infants up to a maximum weight of 11kgs (24lbs) on the day of travel. The infant must not exceed 11kg and must fit comfortably in the baby bassinet.

At the time of check-in, if the infant is found to be over 11kgs, the BSCT request will be removed and the guest will be advised. All guests with BSCT requests will be advised that cabin crew will check onboard to confirm the bassinet can be used safely.

Dimensions of a baby bassinet:

• Length – 29 inches
• Width   – 13 inches
• Height – 8.5 inches

Note: Guests must request a bassinet at least 24 hours before departure.  Click here to know more.

Please click here to know the GDS entries on how to add an infant after ticketing.

When children between 5 and 11 years of age travel alone, we call them “Unaccompanied Minors” (UM), and they are entitled to our UM service. 

For an additional fee, you can request the UM service for children between 12 and 17 years of age. To request this service, parents or guardians must complete the online Unaccompanied Minors booking form.  

Unaccompanied Minors (aged 5-11 years)

1.      Children aged between 5 and 11 years old are considered to be Unaccompanied Minors (UM).

2.      Our Unaccompanied Minor service is free for children aged 5 to 11 as long as they are booked on an adult fare, and the service has been pre-booked before arriving at the airport. If the service has not been arranged in advance, a fee will apply at the airport.

3.      Occasionally, it may not be appropriate for children with special needs to travel unescorted if the level of care which they require exceeds that which our crew are able to provide. Cabin crew are not permitted to assist in the toilet, administer a guest's medication or feed guests.

4.      The Unaccompanied Minor must be escorted to the airport and met on arrival by the parent or guardian mentioned on the UM form.

5.      The parent or guardian must be present with the child at check-in and ensure that the child has all of the relevant forms and documents to travel alone. Check-in must be completed at least two hours before your child’s flight.

6.      Unaccompanied Minors are permitted to travel on connecting flights operated by Etihad Airways, provided that the transit time does not exceed 8 hours.

7.      Travel on itineraries involving other airlines is not permitted for Unaccompanied Minors. All flights must be operated by Etihad Airways.

8.      Unaccompanied Minors with medical conditions shall be accepted after obtaining medical clearance from Etihad Airways Medical Centre (EAMC).

9.      Unaccompanied Minors are not permitted to sit in emergency exit row seats.

10.   Unaccompanied Minors travelling from Abu Dhabi are not eligible to be checked in from Abu Dhabi and Dubai city terminals.

11.  Etihad Chauffeur and coach services are not provided to Unaccompanied Minors.

12.  Unaccompanied Minors travelling in premium cabins (First or Business) or those eligible for lounge access via an Etihad Guest tier, may not be able to use the lounges in airports other than Abu Dhabi. If the lounge is not operated by Etihad Airways, we cannot guarantee supervision and the level of care, and therefore we may require the guest to report back to the check-in area at a nominated time and be escorted directly to the boarding gate, without lounge access.

13.  The Unaccompanied Minors transit lounge located within terminal 3 is available for all originating and transferring Unaccompanied Minors via Abu Dhabi.

14.  An Unaccompanied Minor form must be completed in full prior to travel on Etihad Airways operated flights.

15.  At least one copy of the completed and signed Unaccompanied Minor form must be taken to the airport on the day of departure.

Accompanied Minors in different cabins

Children travelling with parents or guardians on the same flight but in different cabins (for instance, parents travelling in Business and children in Economy), will be considered as 'Accompanied Minors' and treated as 'Unaccompanied Minors' on board the aircraft.

1. The age criteria of our Unaccompanied Minors policy will apply 

2. Accompanied Minors are permitted to travel on a child fare ticket

3. The parent or guardian must handle all travel documents for the Accompanied Minor

4. Guests are requested to limit their visits between cabins during the journey

Young Passengers (aged 12-17 years)

1.      Young Passengers (YP) between the ages of 12 and 17 are able to travel unaccompanied.

2.      Young Passengers may request our Unaccompanied Minor service for a fee. This service costs US $100 each way on direct flights or US $150 each way for journeys which involve connecting flights.

3.      Young Passengers are permitted to travel on connecting flights operated by Etihad Airways, provided that the transit time does not exceed 8 hours. Travel on itineraries involving other airlines is not permitted for Unaccompanied Minors. All flights must be operated by Etihad Airways.

4.      The Young Passengers Fee applies to all single journeys (inbound and outbound) and is non-refundable.

5.      Occasionally it may not be appropriate for Young Passengers with special needs to travel unescorted if the level of care which they require exceeds that which our crew are able to provide. Cabin crew are not permitted to assist in the toilet, administer a guest's medication or feed guests.

6.      Guests between the ages of 12 and 17 years are not permitted to escort an Unaccompanied Minor. However, legal parents below the age of 18 will be permitted to accompany infants or children with relevant identification.

With a range of options to enhance their journey, your guests can choose the experience they prefer at a price they can afford.

Seating Options

In Economy Class, your customer can pay for their choice of:

• Economy Standard seat (or we will allocate a seat for free within 24 hours of departure)
• Economy Space seat, with extra legroom to stretch out
• Economy Neighbor-Free, for more space and privacy (subject to availability)

Excess Baggage

Encourage your customers to pre-book their extra baggage online, and save up to 20% on airport fees. To purchase excess baggage, click here.

Upgrades

Or customers can upgrade to Business or First, and enjoy great food, fully-flat beds or simply more privacy.

Lounges

All customers can now access our lounges for a small fee, or organize our personalized Etihad Meet & Greet service to make their journey through the airport even more relaxing.

Here are GDS specific ancillary guides:

• Amadeus
• Travelport
• Sabre

With immediate effect, bookings for seamen will no longer be required to be updated with an OK to Board (OTB) message.  

OTB messages were discontinued in 2017 when UAE visa validation was activated on our Sabre check-in system.

Economy guests can use our Etihad Coach to travel between Dubai and Al Ain, when flying into or out of Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The city code for Al Ain Etihad Airways Coach has been changed from AAN to ZVH. This has been published on all GDS systems and will apply to coaches departing from 15 November onwards. The pickup/drop off location point remains unchanged.

The code AAN will be used solely for Al Ain International Airport. 

This is a free service, but they must pre-book their seat. Book now.

We offer tailor-made fares, so every guest can make their choice of journey according to their needs. Whether they want to travel light, in luxury or even last-minute, our fares and benefits are flexible.

For details, please refer to the table.

Hand baggage only fares now available to more destinations

Our hand baggage only fares are now available to purchase on new routes across Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Indian Subcontinent.

The best value way to travel for guests who don’t need to take checked baggage, our hand baggage only fares are available on 26 point-to-point routes and more than 230 connecting routes, all with less than a six-hour flight time.

Find out more

Etihad is the only airline in the region to offer a US immigration facility within Abu Dhabi Airport. This means that guests flying to the US will complete US immigration checks before they fly, not after landing.

They will then arrive into the US domestic terminal and skip international immigration queues.

It’s important to tell your guests:

• Check-in for Etihad flights to the US closes two hours before the flight, so they must arrive at the airport in plenty of time.
• All guests must go through the US Immigration facility, located near gates 58 – 61 in Terminal 3, no later than 60 minutes before the flight. If guests are late to report to the US Immigration facility, they may be denied boarding.
• Guests must check all the restricted and prohibited items that they can bring into the US before they pack.
• Guests’ date of entry into the US on their passport will be the date they depart from Abu Dhabi, and not the date they arrive in the US.
• Baggage will be sent to guests’ final destination in the US.

Please read further information here.

Once guests have cleared the US immigration facility, they are welcome to use our US Premium Lounge. Access is complimentary for First and Business Class guests, and available at a fee of AED 185 / US $50 for Economy Class guests

From 17 February 2019, UAE nationals are exempt from obtaining pre-entry visas to travel to Russia. Russian nationals are also exempt from obtaining pre-entry visas to visit the UAE.

Find more information about visas here

Is your customer unfamiliar with the local language or a first-time flyer? For total peace of mind, our Global Meet & Assist service can help with everything from baggage to boarding. 

Powered by Fasttrack.aero, Global Meet & Assist is available before departure, on arrival or even during transport. Pick from a choice of packages including a dedicated host, use of our priority check-in counters, fast-track security clearance and lounge access – we can even arrange a premium car from the terminal to the plane.

The World Health Organization has designated the Covid-19 virus outbreak as a pandemic. In response to this issue, extensive measures have been introduced globally to help limit the spread of the virus. In line with this, Etihad Airways has introduced operational changes and commercial policies to support travellers.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus/Corona virus) related content

• Commercial Waiver for COVID-19
• Etihad Credit
• All Etihad Airways flights suspended
• Travel restrictions impacting holders of UAE visas

From 1 June 2019, changes will be made to the IATA Resolution 735d policy which governs Involuntary Change of Carrier, Routing, Class or Type of Fare. The main changes are:

• Resolution 735d only applies when the circumstance that results in an involuntary reroute occurs a maximum of one day before the scheduled departure time of the first impacted flight. 
• A change to the passenger’s itinerary as originally ticketed may involve a change to the routing, arrival or departure dates or times, or carriers. Resolution 735d may apply even if there is no change in carrier.
• Upgrading to a higher cabin class shall not occur unless specifically permitted by the New Operating Carrier as bilaterally agreed with the Original Operating Carrier
• The characters ‘INVOL’ must be used in the first five characters of the endorsement/restriction area of the reissued document only where an Involuntary Reroute has occurred. The characters ‘INVOL’ shall not be used in the endorsement area of the reissued document in any other circumstances such as schedule changes.
• Where an Original Operating Carrier obtains inventory from a New Operating Carrier as described in Resolution 735d, the New Operating Carrier should accept and transport the customer, provided that the bilaterally agreed booking method has been used for obtaining inventory.
•  

Find details of the changes here. 

Involuntary Flight Changes FAQ

Etihad Airways Commercial Waivers

1. Flight Disruption policy

2. Cancellation of 9W services

3. Flights to Sri Lanka

4. Winter 2019 Amman Frequency

5. EY statement on Airspace restrictions

6. Etihad Airways suspends flights to Khartoum

7. Etihad Airways recommences flights to Khartoum

8. Unrest in Beirut Waiver Policy

9. Date Change Waiver for Australia

10. Date Change Fee Waiver due to recent events in Iran

11. Date Change Waiver for Manila closure due to volcanic activity

12. Commercial Waiver for FlyBe (BE) service cancellation 

13. Commercial Waiver for COVID-19 - Novel Coronavirus (Corona)

14. Etihad Credit

Click here for more details.

There are a number of reasons why you may need to update or change a name. For example, a guest has provided a different name to that shown on their passport, your guest has got married and changed their surname, or the spelling of their name was misunderstood by the booking agent.

Policy

• Title amendments, juxtaposing/rearranging surname/first name and name corrections due to genuine typing errors (up to three characters) are accepted free of charge.
• Any other correction will incur a fee of US $100 or equivalent (AU $150 for point of sale Australia).
• The request must be for the same guest on the ticket.
• Only one change is permitted.
• A name correction is not permitted on an un-ticketed booking. A new booking in the available booking class must be created with the correct name. If the name correction is made on an un-ticketed booking, it will be identified through the Revenue Integrity Name Change Violation Process and cancelled.
• Name corrections are permitted on Etihad Airways tickets (607) with Other Airline (OAL) segments:

          a.      For itineraries involving German rail (Deutsche Bahn) or French rail (SNCF), names can be corrected on the same booking. The ticket must be reissued.

          b.      For itineraries involving Virgin Australia (VA), Air Seychelles (HM) and both prime and codeshare flights marketed by Etihad Airways (607), names can be corrected on the same booking. The ticket must be reissued. Change requests are accepted up to 24 hours before the scheduled flight departure time. For any requests within 24 hours of departure, please create a new booking.

c.      For itineraries involving any other airline, please create a new booking and reissue the ticket. Please refer to procedure section for more information.

As long as passport copies are provided, the following name changes are permitted:

a) Genuine typing errors (up to three characters)

Example: TOM/JIRRY MR TO TOM/JERRY MR

b) Title aendments

Example: TOM/MARY MR to TOM/MARY MRS

c) Maiden name to married name (or vice versa)

Example: JOHN/MARY MS TO JACK/MARY MRS

d) Juxtaposing of surname/first name

Example: MARY/TOM MRS to TOM/MARY MRS

e) Shortened/nick name to full name

Example: ALSHAMSI/MOHD MR to ALSHAMSI/MOHAMMED MR

f) Addition of middle name*

Example: BROWN/JOHN MR to BROWN/JOHN PAUL MR

g) Addition of surname*

Example: PAUL/JOHN MR to BROWN/JOHN PAUL MR

h) Complete/partial name change for the same guest with proof from authorities (e.g. Deed Poll)

Example: GEORGE/PAUL MR to DANIEL/JACK MR

*Both surname and middle names should be present in the passport

Procedure

1. Contact Etihad to make the name correction – make sure that you have the applicable documents.

2. Where fees apply, make the payment in cash or by credit card. You may also issue an Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) with RFISC 98J, stating the reason as Name Correction in the endorsement field.

3. Etihad will verify the documents and payment then correct the name on the booking. Once the name is corrected by Etihad, the new name will appear on your reservation system and you may reissue the ticket. This applies to itineraries involving Etihad Airways (607) tickets with Etihad-operated and marketed flights.

4. Reissue the ticket with endorsement showing “TKT REISSUED FOR NAME CORR”.

5. If there is a date change, a penalty fee will apply as per the fare rules.

6. If name corrections are made without an Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD), an Agent Debit Memo (ADM) of US $100* or equivalent will be raised against the booking/ticketing office/travel agency that has made the change (*AU $150 for point of sale Australia).

7.  When a name correction is requested on an EY (607) ticket involving any other airline (OAL):

a) Create a new booking (PNR) with the correct name on available RBDs. Do not attempt to correct names on the original booking when other airline segments (except VA, HM and rail) are involved.

b) Travel agents must approach an EY ticketing office or Contact Centre to issue the EMD.

c)  Reissue the original ticket with the correct name on the new PNR with the applicable fare difference (if any). Current fares must be used to reprice.

d) Cancel the old booking (PNR).

Change fees   

Date change penalties apply only if there is a change in the flight itinerary. Global service fees (if applicable) will be collected in addition to the name correction fee if there is a date change and the ticket is being reissued by Etihad Airways. Name corrections/changes on group bookings also require a fee of US $100.

Name correction and associated EMDs

When a name correction is made on a booking, the associated EMD will disassociate from the booking. Name corrections on the associated EMD should only be made by Etihad Airways. Etihad Airways must verify the EMD for name correction fees and reissue the VCR for the modified booking. Once the name is corrected, the EMD should be re-associated to the guest’s name.

A guest is considered a no-show if they fail to show up at the airport one hour before the scheduled departure time of their flight. All bookings must be cancelled, reissued or refunded at least one hour before the scheduled flight departure time to avoid a no-show.

Policy

From 13 June 2019, no-show guests are permitted to travel on their onward flight without any change in fare provided they inform Etihad Airways within 24 hours of the scheduled departure time of the unused flight.

Applicable for guests who have:

• Missed or did not use the first flight of a round trip itinerary
• Missed the first flight of a multi-leg itinerary having stopovers over 12 hours

Guests must be travelling on tickets sold in Europe, Russia, the UK or the US through Etihad.com, ticket offices, Etihad Contact Centre or Travel Agencies.

If the departure time of the next flight is within 24 hours, please inform us at least two hours before the departure time of the next flight. Failure to do so will result in the remaining reservations being cancelled. If the guest wishes to rebook, subject to availability of seats, they will be charged the difference between the original ticket and the highest fare in the same class of travel, applicable to the modified itinerary at the time that the ticket is reissued. If the fare rules of the original ticket are more favourable to the guest, they will be applied.

 Get in touch with Etihad. 

Introduction

Automated Refund (AER) allows the refund of sale documents such as paper tickets, Virtual Coupon Records (VCR), Miscellaneous Charges Order (MCO), Vouchers and Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD).

Policy

Below are the key points to check before you start the refund process:

• Always view the VCR before processing the refund.
• Check if the original VCR is refundable/non-refundable. For reissued VCRs, apply the refund rules of the original VCR. When a non-refundable fare is combined with a refundable fare, the whole VCR is non-refundable. When two different fares are combined, apply the highest refund penalty.
• For non-refundable tickets, only government levied taxes are refunded. Fuel surcharge (YQ) is non-refundable for such tickets, except for tickets issued in the UK, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and the Nordics (consists of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aland). Date change penalties, service fees and insurance are non-refundable.
• Refund of VCR coupons used out of sequence is not permitted.
• Contact centres must direct guests to Ticketing Offices when form of payment involves cash.
• Refund validity:
  • Completely unused - One year from the date of issue of the original ticket.
    E.g. if a guest issues a return ticket on 29Jun15, he has to refund his ticket on / before 29Jun16.
    • Partially used - One year from the date of first outbound travel, provided the outbound travel has commenced within one year from the date of issue of the original VCR.
    • E.g. if a ticket is issued on 29Mar15 and guest has travelled outbound on 27Mar16, he may refund on / before 27Mar17.
    • One-year validity shall mean one year from the date of issue or the date of commencement of travel, as applicable, to the corresponding date in the subsequent year (unless specified differently in fare rules).

Key actions:

• Check for cancellation penalty, if any.
• Apply service fee for all refund transactions.
• Calculate the used fare and taxes for partially used tickets.
• Inform guest of the refund amount.
• Cancel air segments after processing the refund.
• Update historical remarks with the reason for cancellation (for involuntary refunds).
• A no-show fee is automatically applied by the system according to fare filing when a refund is done using AER. The no-show fee is dependent on the date on the VCR coupon. Even if the itinerary is cancelled before departure, the system recognises it as a no-show. Agents are advised to check the history of the PNR to make sure that it is an actual no-show before charging the guest. If it is not a no-show, the agents will have to deduct the no-show fee before refunding the VCR.
• A Refund Penalty is automatically applied by the system according to fare filing when a refund is done using AER. If not, the agent gets a pop-up asking to check for applicable penalties, which requires the agent to look at the fare rules and manually update the fee.
• A Refund Service Fee is applicable for all refunds (exceptions are listed in the Global Service Fee document). This is applied according to the station that services the VCR. At the contact centre, the agent will decide upon the service fee based on the station of commencement of the journey. The Refund Service Fee has to be manually added to the refund transaction as ‘Other Fee’.
• For any reason, if a travel agency issued ticket needs to be refunded by an EY office, manually add the commission amount to the “Other Fee” box, while refunding.
  

For death cases, travel agencies have to raise an email request with the nearest Sales Office in the region along with a copy of the death certificate. Once the waiver is approved, a token number will be provided which must be updated along with the request for refund in BSP application by the travel agent. 

Introduction

For dates of return travel that fall beyond 331 days ahead.

Policy

Bookings on Etihad Airways can be made for flight departures up to 331 days in the future. In order to facilitate journeys which commence within this period but have onward/inbound dates that fall outside 331 days from the date of booking, Etihad Airways shall permit one date change free of charge to facilitate the actual onward/inbound return dates once those dates become available in the booking system.  

The text below shall be added in the CAT16 rule data for such fares:

ONE DATE CHANGE PERMITTED FOC WHEN RETURN DATE OUT OF RANGE. RETURN DATE MUST BE SPECIFIED AT TIME OF ORIGINAL BOOKING. IF ORIGINAL RBD IS NOT AVAILABLE THEN ANY FARE DIFFERENCE SHALL APPLY.

Procedure

Reservation and Ticketing Agents need to book the last available date in the system and add a remark in the PNR with the traveller’s return date agreed at the time of booking. The return date can be changed to the pre-notified date when it becomes available, within booking range and in the same RBD free of charge (FOC). Fare differences will apply if any other date is booked and/or the original RBD not used or available. You must advise the guest accordingly at the time of original booking.

From 1 October 2019, Etihad Airways will introduce a time limit on all travel agency booking that have been changed but not re-issued or revalidated.

If the flight number, routing or date of a ticketed booking change, we will automatically send an SSR notification to the person who made the booking, stating the time limit within which the ticket must be reissued or revalidated, in accordance with the fare rules.

If you do not reissue or revalidate the ticket within the requested time limit, the booking will be cancelled.

The time limit to reissue or revalidate tickets is as follows:

Introduction:

This document aims to explain the definition of validity of a Virtual Coupon Record (VCR), or ticket.

Policy  

Except as otherwise provided in the Virtual Coupon Record (VCR) or in applicable fare rules (which may limit the validity of a ticket, in which case the limitation will be shown on the ticket), a VCR, or ticket, is valid for:

1)    One year from the date of issue of the original ticket, if completely unused. For instance, if a guest issues a return ticket on 29 March 2016, they must commence their outbound travel before 29 March 2017.

2)    One year from the date of first outbound travel provided the outbound travel has commenced within one year from the date of issue of the original VCR. For instance, if a ticket is issued on 29 March 2016 and the guest has travelled outbound on 29 March 2017, they must return before 27 March 2018.

3)    Reissuance of a fully unused ticket does not change the validity: the validity of the original ticket applies. For instance, if a guest issues a return ticket on 29 March 2016, and reissues the ticket on 30 March 2016, they must commence their outbound travel before 29 March 2017 and return before 29 March 2018. The date of issue of the original ticket is always shown on the reissued ticket.

One-year validity shall mean one year from the date of issue or the date of commencement of travel, as applicable, to the corresponding date in the subsequent year (unless specified differently in fare rules).

Exception:

In case the guest is denied boarding at the airport because they are deemed unfit for travel, then the below policy shall apply:

If, after having commenced carriage, a guest is prevented from travelling within the validity period of their ticket or VCR because of illness, the validity may be extended until the date when the guest becomes fit to travel or until the first flight after such date from the point where the journey is resumed, on which space is available in the class of service for which the fare has been paid. Such illness must be attested to by a medical certificate. When the flight coupons remaining in the VCR or ticket involve one or more stopovers, the validity may be extended for up to three months from the date shown on the certificate. In such circumstances, we will similarly extend the period of validity of tickets of other members of immediate family accompanying the guest.

In the event of death of a guest en-route, the tickets of accompanying guests may be modified by Etihad Airways either by waiving the minimum stay or extending the validity. In the event of a death in the immediate family of a guest who has commenced carriage, the validity of the VCR or ticket and those of the immediate family* who are accompanying the guest may likewise be modified. Any such modification shall be made upon receipt of a valid death certificate or other evidence satisfactory to Etihad Airways and any such extension of validity shall not be for a period longer than forty-five (45) days from the date of the death.

*Immediate family member - spouse, children (including adopted and religious children), parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, grand-children, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law.

The 24 Hours Cooling-off Period policy now extends to Canada and all countries within the European Union.

The policy now applies to:

1)    US

2)    India

3)    Canada

4)    European Union (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom)

Applicable to new bookings only, the policy allows guests to change or cancel their booking without charge, subject to the following conditions:

• Applicable only for new bookings
• The ticket has been purchased seven days or more ahead of the flight departure date
• The request for a refund has been made within 24 hours of issuing the ticket
• The ticket was purchased through one of the following channels:

                o    Etihad Airways office in an eligible country (US, India, Canada, EU)

                o   Travel agency in an eligible country (US, India, Canada, EU)

                o   Etihad Airways Contact Centre in an eligible country (US, India, Canada, EU)

                o   Etihad.com with an eligible country IP address (our eServices team will verify the IP address)

All fare rules have been updated to automatically apply the policy for cancellations within 24 hours. To reissue a ticket, the waiver must be applied manually.

Waiver code C24 must be used to indicate the override. For reissues, the code must be entered in the tour code box. For refunds, the code must be updated as a historical remark in the PNR.

New bookings

Every guest must be made aware of Etihad’s 24-hour cooling off policy at the time of booking. Make sure to update the PNR with “Guest advised of 24 hour policy”.

Changes

Tickets can be changed without charge within 24 hours of being issued, so long as the ticket has been booked at least seven days in advance. You can make more than one change within 24 hours of the original ticket being issued.

Any difference in fare must be settled by the guest.

Refunds

Cancelled tickets can be fully refunded within 24 hours of being issued, so long as the ticket has been booked at least seven days in advance.

Payments must be refunded to the original form of payment and processed within 24 hours.

Always enter the code C24 in:

• Tour code box when the ticket is reissued
• Remarks in PNR when the refund is processed through GDS
• Remarks in PNR when the refund is applied through the BSP link (refunds through BSP must be applied within 24 hours of the ticket being issued)

Follow the below rules if you need to refund non-refundable taxes with C24:

Any Electronic Miscellaneous Document (EMD) issued for an ancillary service can be refunded provided the ancillary is issued with the ticket (on the same day).

If Global service Fee (GSF) was charged, it has to be refunded using the compensation voucher process.

Refunds may take at least seven working days to be credited.

Space churning

Excessive and repeated booking and cancelling of space is often done to:

• Cancel and/or rebook the same flight, class, date or route to circumvent a fare rule
• Achieve GDS productivity targets
  
  

The above practices are strictly prohibited and will be invoiced on a per segment basis.

Duplicate bookings

A travel services provider must not create impossible travel itineraries in a single booking.

It is not allowed to hold concurrent flights for the same travel period where it is not possible for the passenger to travel simultaneously.

Debit memos of US$ 10 per passenger per segment will then be raised against travel agencies found in violation.

Fare rules

You must adhere to all ticketing and fare rules, and ensure that the booking is either ticketed or cancelled before the expiry of the ticketing time limit.

Etihad Airways reserves the right to use an automatic programme to cancel segments when ticketing has not occurred within the ticketing time limit.

Please refer to the Ticket Time Limit Table.

Fictitious and speculative booking and ticket numbers

Holding on to Etihad Airways inventory until a passenger or ticketing opportunity arise increases the airline’s booking fees and reduces the availability of Etihad Airways products.

We ask for your cooperation in using the GDS only when it relates directly to a passenger’s request or intention to buy a ticket.

Creating segments, passive or active, or a combination of both, to meet GDS productivity agreements is a breach of standard industry procedures. This includes the ticketing of duplicate space from one GDS to another, to fulfill booking requirements and gain GDS incentives.

You must not make reservations with fictitious names or enter false ticket numbers. Bookings which contain fictitious names or ticket numbers will be screened. Once identified, bookings are subject to automatic cancellation and debit memos of US$ 10 per passenger per segment will then be raised against travel agencies found in violation.

Inactive segments

When a reservation is affected by a schedule change, ticketing time limit action, flight cancellation or any other circumstance, Etihad Airways sends a notification directly to the original booking agent’s GDS queue. This notification communicates the change, directs the booking agent to accept the changes in the passenger name record (PNR) and removes the inactive segments.

Changes to itinerary segment status resulting in inactive segments require action at least 24 hours before departure. This includes cancelling ticketed or un-ticketed segments with a status code of UN, NO, HX, WK, WL, or WN.

Test bookings

It is not permitted to create bookings for testing or training purposes, or for itinerary pricing, using live inventory.

Pricing transactions are available for all pricing requirements. It is the responsibility of the agency to provide training to its personnel in order to foster the use of those transactions.
Once identified, such bookings are subject to automatic cancellation and debit memos of US$ 10 per passenger per segment will then be raised against travel agencies found in violation.

A note about booking  

Etihad Airways shall have the right to audit all booking transactions to identify non-compliant booking practices, and reserves the right to issue invoices to recover excessive GDS cost wastage.

If the non-compliant activity is continued by a travel agent, Etihad Airways reserves the right to take additional action up to and including restricting that agency’s access through the specific GDS which was used by the agency to abuse Etihad Airways inventory.

It is expressly understood that the principles, rules, and instructions set forth above are in addition to the rights of each Carrier pursuant to the ARC ARA and the IATA Passenger Sales Agency Agreement (as may be amended from time to time).

Each agent’s concurrence with these principles, rules, and instructions shall occur by such agent’s continuing performance under the ARC ARA or the IATA Passenger Sales Agency Agreement.

Consequences for policy violations

Damages: Etihad Airways reserves the right to hold the travel service provider responsible and liable for any losses and damages due to violation of this policy by the relevant travel service providers.

Etihad addendum to the IATA PSAA and ARC Agreement

Introduction

Your travel agency (“Agent”) has entered into the IATA Passenger Sales Agency Agreement (the “IATA PSAA”) or with respect to travel agency location(s) in the United States the Agent Reporting Agreement (the "ARC Agreement") whereby Agent has been appointed (“Agent’s Appointment”) to act as an agent for Etihad Airways (“Etihad”) in the sale of air transportation. Agent acknowledges and affirms that with effect from 01 January 2015, Agent's continued sale of Etihad’s products and services will evidence our mutual agreement that this Addendum shall constitute a clarification of the Agent’s responsibilities and duties under the IATA PSAA or ARC Agreement, as applicable. To the extent that Agent engages employee, sub-agents, services vendors or other third party contractors to support Agent’s activities within the scope of the Agent’s Appointment, Agent will be responsible to Etihad for their full compliance with this Addendum. The terms and conditions of this Addendum apply to all the tickets issued using Etihad’s ticket stock.

1. Appointment.

Etihad may independently review any of Agent's locations, including those under Agent’s common control that are accredited by ARC or IATA (the "Agency Locations"). The review may include on-site inspection of any Agency Location to determine that Agent's operations comply with Etihad's requirements for its agents in the sale of Etihad products and services. Without limitation, and in its sole discretion and at any time, Etihad may, upon written notice to Agent, suspend or limit the Agent’s Appointment, including immediately terminating the appointment of any Agency Location or Agent's Appointment. If any Agency Location is terminated, Agent may not act in any agency capacity for the sale of Etihad’s products and services from the terminated location. If Agent's Appointment is terminated, Agent may not act in any agency capacity whatsoever for the sale of Etihad’s products and services.

2. Compliance with Etihad’s Terms and Conditions

    a) Proper Disclosure of Fares, Charges and Terms and Conditions: Agent advertising Etihad fares as available for purchase through agent must at all times include all applicable taxes, airport charges, and all other levies, charges and fees (“Required Fees”) that are known at the time of advertising. Any Required Fees communicated to the Agent by Etihad may not be altered by the Agent. Charges for optional products and services must be clearly presented as such, and should be applied only if the customer affirmatively elects to purchase such product or service (i.e. no pre-checked boxes for optional charges). Agents may not impose charges for services that Etihad provides to its customers without charge, such as online check-in. Agents also may not impose additional charges in addition to Etihad’s fees for any paid Etihad service, such as excess baggage. If the Agent collects a fee from the customer for the booking, such fee must be clearly disclosed as separate from Etihad’s fares and the Required Fees, in a way that makes it clear that the fee is being collected by the Agent and not Etihad (for example, labeled as “[Agency Name] Booking Fee”). The Agent may in no event impose service fees, discounts, or other fees for Etihad fares that are higher than those imposed by the agent on any other carrier’s fares. Agent must ensure that its systems, processes and sales practices accurately display and convey all information relating to Etihad's products and services as presented by Etihad. Agent's systems, processes and practices may automate a customer's preferences for air carrier, but must not otherwise involve any form of bias against Etihad's products and services, or alter the presentation of the information as provided by Etihad. All Etihad terms and conditions and applicable fare rules and restrictions must be communicated by the Agent to the customer prior to booking. Any additional terms and conditions imposed by the Agent must be clearly disclosed to the customer, in a way that makes it clear that such terms and conditions are not set or endorsed by Etihad. To ensure customers are provided accurate information, any description of Etihad’s product offering must include a link to source of the information on Etihad.com. This includes information about baggage fees, onboard product offering, seat maps, financial products and awards.

    b) Prohibition of Abusive Booking Practices: Agent acknowledges that Space Churning, Duplicate, Impossible/Illogical Bookings and other Fraudulent, Fictitious, or Abusive Bookings, violate Etihad's Rules (See Etihad's ADM Policy for further information on other Fraudulent or Abusive Booking practices). Circumventing journey controls to obtain sold out inventory is also prohibited. Furthermore, since Etihad is not a participant in other carriers’ private agreements and since Etihad does not honour other airlines' discount codes, Agent agrees that other airlines' private or contracted fares or ticket designators may not be ticketed using Etihad’s ticket stock. Agent acknowledges that if it engages in these practices or sells or issues a ticket used for any of these purposes, Agent will be subject to (1) debit memos, (2) the suspension, limitation or termination of Agent's Appointment, and (3) other remedies available to Etihad.

    c) Fraud and Misrepresentations: Agent will not engage in any fraudulent activity, including altering flight coupons for non-qualifying discount travel, backdating tickets, or selling no-cash-value coupons, discounts, or upgrades. Fraudulent activity also includes intentionally withholding or misrepresenting information regarding Etihad products and services, such as information regarding availability and pricing.

3. Use of Etihad's Identification Plate. 

Etihad's validation plate is Etihad's sole property, and Agent will surrender it immediately upon demand by Etihad, ARC or IATA. Agent shall not issue electronic tickets or any other traffic documents for transportation on any airline that has refused to appoint, or has terminated its appointment of, Agent. Further, Agent will not issue tickets for transportation on Etihad on behalf of any other travel agency location for which Etihad has refused or terminated its appointment, including any of the Agency Locations. Agent will not use Etihad's validation to issue tickets for transportation on carriers that do not maintain a ticketing and baggage interline agreement with Etihad.

4. Etihad Data

    a) Data Ownership: Agent acknowledges that Etihad content and data constitute Etihad's valuable property and that unauthorised distribution or remarketing of Etihad content and data is improper and unlawful. Such unauthorised distribution or remarketing of Etihad content and data would constitute, in part: (1) accessing etihad.com by the use of any automated or electronic devices commonly known in the Internet industry as robots or spiders, or by the use of other electronic search devices; (2) soliciting, facilitating, encouraging or agreeing to provide access to or otherwise remarket or redistribute, or take affirmative steps to allow or permit such access to, or remarketing or redistribution of, any Etihad content or data to any third party, through any process, including screen scraping, spiders, web "bots" or other device, software or system; (3) licensing, selling, or otherwise providing to any person or entity any software or other device that is capable of accessing Etihad content or data from any source; or (4) assisting, aiding, or abetting in any way the unauthorised access of etihad.com, or the distribution or display of Etihad data obtained or derived from etihad.com or any other website or any other source, by any third party. Agent shall not engage in any of the above examples, or any other unauthorised distribution or remarketing of Etihad content or data, without the prior written authorisation of Etihad. If Agent learns that any third party is accessing, distributing, or displaying Etihad content or data in any way obtained via Agent, including Agent's website, without Etihad's written authorisation, Agent shall promptly inform Etihad and take all commercially reasonable measures, including commercial, technological, or legal measures, to prevent the unauthorised access, display, or distribution of Etihad content or data.

    b) Etihad’s Intellectual Property: Etihad grants Agent a limited, royalty free, non-transferable, non-exclusive permission to use certain Etihad intellectual property, specifically the trademarks “ETIHAD”, “ETIHAD AIRWAYS” (“Etihad Marks”) solely for the purpose of identifying Agent as an authorised agent of Etihad. In using the Etihad Marks, Agent agrees that Etihad owns the Etihad Marks, and that Agent will not harm the Etihad Marks or Etihad's ownership of the Etihad Marks or in any way contest or deny the validity of, or the right or title of Etihad in or to, the Etihad Marks. Agent acknowledges and understands that it has no right or permission to use the Etihad Marks for any purpose not expressly stated in these terms and conditions, and that any unauthorised use of the Etihad Marks will constitute an infringement of Etihad's rights. Agent understands that it has no right or permission pursuant to this Addendum to use any other intellectual property owned by Etihad or its affiliated entities.  Agent further agrees that it will not purchase, use, or register any domain names or keywords or search terms that are identical or similar to, or contain (in whole or in part), any of the Etihad Marks.

    c) Re-Distribution: Agent’s Appointment is for purposes of the Agent marketing and selling Etihad’s products and services directly to customers for those products and services. Agent’s Appointment is specific to Agent, and does not include any authority for Agent to act as an intermediary for further distribution of Etihad’s products and services via other intermediaries and sales agents. For example, Agent may not offer or distribute Etihad products and services as part of a service provided by Agent that is re-branded so that it appears to customers to be a search, booking or ticketing service from a third party or distribute, display or otherwise provide direct or indirect access to any Etihad Data (or any portion thereof) to any other party, including without limitation any Metasearch Site, or receive any referral, web page click-through or link from any Metasearch Site that is attributable to any Etihad fare in connection with any search result on the Metasearch Site. Agents also may not place or otherwise have any advertising link on any Metasearch Site in connection with any Etihad fare. A “Metasearch Site” is an Internet website that obtains fare data from various travel services companies, aggregates such fare data in response to user queries, and includes links to such other travel service companies for booking the selected itineraries. Any such re-distribution arrangement is only permitted pursuant to a separate agreement signed by authorised representatives of both Agent and Etihad. In addition, if Agent uses or works with a non-accredited entity in making a booking, then Agent acknowledges and agrees that Etihad reserves the right to reject the booking in Etihad’s sole discretion and that Agent nonetheless remains fully responsible to Etihad in all respects for any bookings made by third parties and ticketed via Agent’s Appointment.

5. Right to Inspect and Audit

Etihad shall have the right to enter any Agency Location upon reasonable notice to: (1) inspect Agent's books and records relating to air transportation sold on Etihad and to ensure Agent's compliance with the provisions of the IATA PSSA/ ARC Agreement and this Addendum; and (2) audit Agent's books and records to detect or establish Agent's abuse of, or failure to comply with, any of Etihad’s Rules concerning sale of travel on Etihad, Agency free and reduced rate travel, Agency Incentives, promotional or override programmes, or Agent ticket fraud. Agent agrees that Etihad may use information obtained from IATA or ARC to evaluate the credit-worthiness of Agent and Agent's employees and owners.

6. Agent Incentive, Promotional, and Override Programmes

Agent shall comply with Etihad’s rules and any specific contractual requirements concerning agency incentives, promotions, or overrides with Etihad in which Agent participates or has an interest. Failure to comply subjects Agent to (1) forfeiture and repayment to Etihad of all sums paid by Etihad to Agent or the value received by Agent, (2) termination of Agent's right to participate in or receive all or a part of any agency incentives, promotions, or overrides, and (3) termination of Agent's Appointment.

7. Miscellaneous.

    a) Prior Agreements. This Agreement supersedes any prior agreement or addendum between Etihad and Agent.

    b) Waiver. Any waiver or modification of any of the terms of this Addendum must be in writing from Etihad. Etihad may amend or modify this Addendum at any time. Agent agrees that failure of or delay by Etihad to require strict performance or to enforce any provision of this Addendum, or a previous waiver or forbearance by Etihad, will in no way be construed as, or constitute, a continuing waiver by Etihad of any Rule or any provision of this Addendum.

APPLICABLE LAW. THE LAWS OF THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES SHALL GOVERN ANY DISPUTES BETWEEN ETIHAD AND AGENT ARISING OUT OF THE IATA PSSA, ARC AGREEMENT OR THIS ADDENDUM. AGENT HEREBY SUBMITS AND CONSENTS TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES FOR ALL THESE DISPUTES.

Etihad Airways recognizes the Global Distribution System (GDS) as a valuable distribution channel, and as such, we currently participate in all major systems. As part of our participation, we pay incremental fees for travel agent bookings. Billable activity includes sell, cancel, waitlist, change, schedule change, etc.

This policy applies to all GDS subscribers including travel agents and any person or entity accessing Etihad Airways internal reservation system content via the Internet or any other electronic means. It is the responsibility of the GDS subscribers to ensure that all of its employees, agents and contractors in all of its locations, are familiar with this policy.

We hereby request all GDS subscribers to make every effort to comply with these policy guidelines.

A- POLICY

1. Waiting lists

Travel Service providers must not repeatedly create waitlisted bookings, since these do not increase chances of confirming and result only in higher booking volumes and increased GDS fees for Etihad Airways.

Travel Service providers must ensure all waitlisted bookings are removed from the active PNR at least 24 hours prior to departure.

2. Passive bookings:

An acceptable passive segment is entered into a GDS for the purpose of ticketing. It must match an existing booking in Etihad Airways internal reservation system. The use of mismatched segments to issue tickets is strictly prohibited.

Industry standards require that passive segments be used “for the purpose of ticketing” only after a booking has been made in an airline inventory system. Etihad Airways does not allow passive segments to be used for other reasons, including but not limited to:

• Satisfying GDS productivity requirements
• Circumventing fare rules
• Fulfilling an administrative function
  
  

If a passive segment is rejected by Etihad Airways, then the passive segment should be cancelled immediately by the agent in order to avoid unnecessary fees to Etihad Airways.

3. Married Segments:

Booking class inventory availability varies with specific Origin-Destination (O&D) cities. Connecting flight segments should be booked from a single availability display from point of origin to point of destination. Flight segments sold together are designated as “married segments” and must not be separated. Rebooking or cancelling any married segments must, at the same time, be applied to the connecting flight segment.

A PNR is considered a violation of married segment if:

• There is no married segment indicator on the PNR
• The married segment indicator is not in sequence
• The married segment indicator is missing in one of the legs of an O&D
• Any partial cancellations have been done on OD segments

Multi segment itineraries must be booked together in one transaction. All practices that manipulate the system to accept bookings made against the married segment logic are strictly prohibited.

3.1. Married segments procedure

1. Book married segments from the O&D availability display
2. When rebooking, cancel all connecting flight segments of a married Origin and Destination (partial cancellations on OD segments will be considered a violation)
3. Rebook all new selected flight segments of a married Origin and Destination in the same entry

3.2. Married segment abuse

1. Booking manipulation of married segments
2. Cancellation of partial itineraries
3. Booking flights to a fictitious destination to find flight availability in a lower booking class

If we find married segment abuse, we have the right to cancel the reservation for all unticketed bookings immediately. Ticketed bookings will be cancelled within 24 hours. The agency will be held responsible for any inconvenience caused to the guests, and an Agency Debit Memo (ADM) of US $200 per passenger in Economy or US $400 per passenger in First and Business will be raised.

4. Training/Test bookings:

It is not permitted to create bookings for testing or training purposes, or for itinerary pricing, using live inventory.

Pricing transactions are available for all pricing requirements. It is the responsibility of the agency to provide training to its personnel in order to foster the use of those transactions.

Once identified, such bookings are subject to automatic cancellation and debit memos of US$ 10 per passenger per segment will then be raised against travel agencies found in violation.

5. Origin - Destination (O&D) availability abuse:

Point of Commencement for a given itinerary is determined by Point of Origin in the booking. Availability on a flight may differ from different point of commencement or journey board point. Booking should be created using the OD availability in sequence of journey. When a flight shows an “Availability Display” as part of a connection, the entire connection or travel option must be sold together.

A revised Married Segment Integrity policy will come into effect from 1 May 2020.

6. Abuse of Point of Commencement (POC)

All flights should be booked in the right sequence, as per the passenger’s intended journey. Bookings created solely with an intention to bypass Etihad inventory, for instance, to obtain seats in unavailable cabins, will be considered as a Point of Commencement violation. Unticketed bookings will be cancelled immediately, and ticketed bookings will be cancelled within 24 hours. The agency will be held responsible for any inconvenience caused to the guests, and an Agency Debit Memo (ADM) of US $200 per passenger in Economy or US $400 per passenger in First and Business will be raised.

The following instances are considered POC abuse:

• Booking Out of Sequence is not allowed - Inbound booked first & outbound booked later
• Booking Dummy Segment is not allowed - Booking a segment at the beginning of the itinerary which is not intended

7. Invalid ticket on bookings (eticket validation):

Holding confirmed bookings with VOIDED/REFUNDED/FLOWN TICKET in live inventory is not permitted.

Invalid ticket numbers include restricted, used, refunded, voided or non–existent ticket numbers associated with confirmed segments in a booking. A valid ticket should be provided immediately or the booking needs to be cancelled if ticket is voided/refunded/flown. Once identified, such bookings are subject to automatic cancellation and ADMs of US$ 10 per passenger per segment, will then be raised against travel agencies found in violation.

8. Interline Ticketing

The Travel Service provider must not validate any ticket on Etihad Airways if the ticket contains a flight segment(s) on any other airlines unless the other airline is an Etihad interline partner and has a ticketing and baggage agreement with Etihad. In addition, any ticket validated on Etihad must contain at least one Etihad flight segment. A listing of Etihad’s interline partners is available via Travel Service provider’s GDS system. We permit stand-alone tickets only for our Partner Airlines where they are not present in local BSP.

B- Consequences for policy violations

Damages: Etihad Airways reserves the right to hold the Travel Service provider responsible and liable for any losses and damages due to violation of this policy by the relevant Travel Service providers. 

ADM Issuance:

ADMs will be processed through BSP/ARC and issued within 9 months of the final travel date, or the expiry date of the document when the final travel date cannot be established.

The minimum amount for the issuance of a single ADM is US$ 10 (or equivalent amount in local currency). Differences that are lower than this amount, related to more transactions of the same kind and with the same memo reason, may be included in one single ADM.

ADM Fee Structure applicable for GDS violation of policy

Effective from 19 November 2019, we’ve made some changes to the amount of time your guests have to pay for ancillaries, including seats and extra bags.

• If you book an ancillary item, make sure to issue an Electronic Miscellaneous document (EMD) straight away. If you do not issue an EMD to fulfil the payment, the ancillary will be automatically cancelled six hours before the scheduled flight time.
• Ancillaries that change to fulfilled status “HI” when selected will not be affected
• Ancillaries booked within six hours of the flight will be cancelled after 30 minutes if they haven’t been paid for
• For Travel Agency bookings, another IX routine is in place to cancel seat and baggage ancillaries 6 hours after assignment if unfulfilled.

Policy

A Special Service Request (SSR) enables you to offer guests more choice on board. They include:

• Different types of meal, such as diabetic or low-calorie.
• Special assistance (such as wheelchairs).
• Baggage handling requests.
• Unaccompanied Minor service for children travelling alone.
• Codes to notify the crew about certain passengers e.g. a VIP, a deportee or someone who has impaired hearing.
• Codes to notify the crew about situations e.g. an animal in the hold or sporting equipment.
• GDS entry for a Stretcher Passenger

SSRs are subject to availability. Please review the full GDS list:

• Sabre GDS Trade Entry Guides
• Amadeus GDS Trade Entry Guides
• Axcess GDS Trade Entry Guides
• Gailileo GDS Trade Entry Guides
• Travelsky GDS Trade Entry Guides

Here are GDS specific ancillary guides:

• Amadeus
• Travelport
• Sabre

To improve our availability during peak travel periods, our Peak Ticketing Time Limit (TTL) rules for all cabins are:

• 30 days or more before departure: Five days after booking
• Seven to 29 days before departure: Two days after booking
• One to six days before departure: Six hours after booking
• Within 24 hours before departure: Two hours after booking

These rules apply to all bookings created on or after 11 February 2019 and are based on the point of sale (POS) and origin/destination.

Etihad Airways is implementing Point of Commencement (POC) based availability. This will be rolled out across GDS systems in a number of phases.

Point of Commencement (POC) uses the starting point of the journey for evaluation. Currently, availability is based on the Point of Sale (POS, O&D) meaning that availability of may differ from POS to POS.

POC will show availability irrespective of physical location, so everyone in the world will get the same availability for a given itinerary.

From March 2019, availability for bookings made through Worldspan and Apollo (1P, 1V) will be based on the customer’s journey starting point – Point of Commencement – for all travel agents.

This will mean that travellers will have the same availability across all of Etihad Airways’ booking channels (GDS, Web, Contact Centre).

What is Point of Commencement abuse?

All Etihad Airways bookings should be created in the right sequence, as per the passenger’s intended journey. Bookings created solely with an intention to bypass EY inventory, for instance to obtain seats in cabins that are not available at the time of booking, will be considered as a Point of Commencement violation. In this case, unticketed and ticketed bookings will be cancelled and an agency debit memo (ADM) will be raised.