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UAE flights: Airline offers quick self-service bag drop facilities as summer, Eid travel demand surges

Passengers can skip long queues by first checking in online and completing verified-to-fly process

As travellers begin flying for the summer holidays, Etihad Airways is expanding its quick self-service bag drop facilities at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The service provides a faster check-in experience and can accommodate a greater number of guests who will then be able to skip the queues.

Once checked-in online, the self-service facilities allow travellers to seamlessly retrieve their booking, print the bag-tag and process their bags in less than two minutes.

John Wright, VP Network, Airports & Cargo Operations, Etihad Airways, said: “With the removal of many travel restrictions, Etihad is expecting the number of travellers to soar for the summer holidays.

"To make the airport experience seamless for passengers, Etihad is offering more self-service options at Abu Dhabi International Airport where they can skip the longer queues by first checking-in online and completing the extremely popular verified-to-fly process."

Covid related travel restrictions have been completely removed for travellers flying to Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Egypt, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Kuwait, Oman, Switzerland, Turkey and the UK.

The airline is preparing to welcome large volumes of passengers at Abu Dhabi International Airport between June 30 and 15 July 15, 2022 advising travellers to follow the below tips.

Etihad Airways travel tips

Get verified to fly and check-in online: For destinations with travel restrictions, travellers should visit ‘Manage my booking’ on etihad.com to upload their Covid travel documents.

Approval will be shared by email giving passengers confidence that all required documents are in place. Approved passengers can check-in online and obtain their boarding card, then use fast-track ‘Verified to Fly’ desks at the airport, or the self-service facilities.

Early check-in at Skypark: Effective from June 30 till July 31, guests will be able to check-in between 24 hours to 4 hours before their flight at the Skypark building. They will get complimentary 2 hours free Skypark parking and receive either free 2,500 Etihad miles or extra 5 Kg of baggage. The facility will be open from 9:00 am till 4:00 pm.

Arrive at the airport early: Travellers should check in online and arrive early to complete the airport formalities. During peak times, check-in opens four hours before departure and closes one hour before departure for non-US flights and two hours before departure for US flights. Boarding for all Etihad Airways departures closes 20 minutes before departure.

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Use home check-in: For more convenient travel options, guests can also check in for their Etihad flight from the comfort of their own home by visiting etihad.com/homecheckin up to seven hours before their flight. This means passengers can check in their bags, choose their seat and collect their boarding pass and luggage tags from their home in Abu Dhabi. Once at Abu Dhabi International Airport, all non-transit passengers who have used the home check-in service can skip the queues bag-free, making the airport journey seamless. Luggage will need to be collected at the destination baggage belt.

Check the flight timing and departure terminal: Given the significant increase in passenger numbers, Etihad Airways will relocate check-in for Economy class guests travelling on selected flights. Please check the latest information on etihad.com or the Etihad application