Seat Selection on Etihad?

[ddd]

I'm Velocity gold and flew Etihad in April and was able to select my seats in advance with no problems. I've just booked another flight for October and can't select seats. Looking at the listed benefits for gold members flying Etihad no longer shows advanced seat selection as a perk.

Anyone else run into similar issues?

 

[Gianni S]

I'm not sure if booking a paid fare makes a difference, but when i redeemed an award F flight with velocity points i was unable to select seats unless i called up.Fast forward 12 months later and we have just booked an Business award using velocity points also with different results.

Using the Etihad website it still does not allow me to change seats or select seats, however after installing the android etihad app, and then adding a trip with the etihad PNR(without logging into my etihad account) i was able to select "choose seat" which brought up the seat map and i was able to select any seat that was still available. So might be worth trying via the app

 

[ddd]

I'm not sure if booking a paid fare makes a difference, but when i redeemed an award F flight with velocity points i was unable to select seats unless i called up.Fast forward 12 months later and we have just booked an Business award using velocity points also with different results.

Using the Etihad website it still does not allow me to change seats or select seats, however after installing the android etihad app, and then adding a trip with the etihad PNR(without logging into my etihad account) i was able to select "choose seat" which brought up the seat map and i was able to select any seat that was still available. So might be worth trying via the app

For reference this is paid economy. I can select seats but have to pay ~$50 per flight. Tried the app to no avail.

 

[Must...Fly!]

For reference this is paid economy. I can select seats but have to pay ~$50 per flight. Tried the app to no avail.

Etihad recently introduced paid seat selection in Y. They almost took the cake from QF's "enhancement" strategy when they announced it...

 

[ozstamps]

Surely Virgin Elites pay no fee?

 

[Must...Fly!]

Surely Virgin Elites pay no fee?

Even Etihad elites pay a fee as far as I am aware...

 

[Notyourbag]

I flew EY to Athens via AUH last week.

Can confirm that Gold & Platinum VA members now have to pay for seat allocation and they no longer will provide free exit row/bulkhead seats unless a fee is paid at check-in.

 

[Must...Fly!]

I flew EY to Athens via AUH last week.

Can confirm that Gold & Platinum VA members now have to pay for seat allocation and they no longer will provide free exit row/bulkhead seats unless a fee is paid at check-in.

where is the laugh out loud emoji...just become an LCC already. Save us the trouble of being loyal, and the airline the trouble of all that marketing spend trying to claim being premium in nature...

 

[N860CR]

Yep better half (VA Plat) booked EY Y from SYD-MXP. No way to select seats at all. A call to the EY call centre straight out said "not even our own elites can select seats"

Etihad can't have much life left in it.

 

[jasecao]

I redeemed EY F SYD - LHR via AUH and SIN F LHR - SYD via SIN and it was easy enough to select seats on SIN on their website, EY on the other hand I had to call Virgin who told me to call EY, then when I called, got told to go through whom I booked it with, so called Virgin again...

Was told it will be investigated, as they have been told extra fees in Economy for seats, but nothing for F and J

 

[RaGH]

I booked with points a SYD to LHR flight in J via velocity on EY and have had issues choosing seats. Couldn't do it via the Etihad website, tried calling velocity and was told to contact Etihad, I did that but was told it couldn't be done. The operator said they can select the seats however when they went to save the configuration it kept displaying an error. I've tried twice to see if it was an isolated incident but with no luck.

Anyone else have any luck with F/J redemptions and selecting seats?

 

[jasecao]

I have an open case with Velocity Redemption team about seat selection on my F Booking, they said they will get to me by Friday or Saturday at the latest, will report back

 

[davestan]

I booked with points a SYD to LHR flight in J via velocity on EY and have had issues choosing seats. Couldn't do it via the Etihad website, tried calling velocity and was told to contact Etihad, I did that but was told it couldn't be done. The operator said they can select the seats however when they went to save the configuration it kept displaying an error. I've tried twice to see if it was an isolated incident but with no luck.

Anyone else have any luck with F/J redemptions and selecting seats?

Try using the APP. I couldn't select seats for the flight on the Etihad website on my PC that I redeemed through Velocity. In fact I was told by Etihad Customer Service that because it was a redemption flight via Virgin seat selection could only be done at check in time and paid extra legroom seats at the airport counter. However I noticed that the APP would allow me to select seats including exit row (for extra cost of course).

 

[jasecao]

Try using the APP. I couldn't select seats for the flight on the Etihad website on my PC that I redeemed through Velocity. In fact I was told by Etihad Customer Service that because it was a redemption flight via Virgin seat selection could only be done at check in time and paid extra legroom seats at the airport counter. However I noticed that the APP would allow me to select seats including exit row (for extra cost of course).

I have managed to choose my seat on my F redemption from Virgin via the app! Thanks!

 

[RaGH]

Try using the APP. I couldn't select seats for the flight on the Etihad website on my PC that I redeemed through Velocity. In fact I was told by Etihad Customer Service that because it was a redemption flight via Virgin seat selection could only be done at check in time and paid extra legroom seats at the airport counter. However I noticed that the APP would allow me to select seats including exit row (for extra cost of course).

Just chose my J seats. You legend!

 

[tdpali]

Just got back flying Etihad using VA flight numbers from Melbourne-AbuDhabi-Frankfurt. Could NOT do the online check-in using laptop or app. Could NOT assign a seat either. All before and during Check-in window.

I'm on Velocity Gold.

Had to wait and cross my fingers until I get to the airport and manually check-in. Etihad couldn't explain it at the counter at airport or Etihad support line.

Luckily flights were not too busy flying out, so spare seats next to me.

Return flight from Frankfurt was oversold. Got to Frankfurt airport and no economy seats left, my biggest worry. But WOW, got bumped to Business (YEAHHHHH !! 1st time ever)

But Melbourne leg go stuck way out back for 13 hours, with too much business class food and drink still in me. Window seat with no window

Except for Business upgrade, rest of the booking was stressful. Would I book that journey again without better comms between VA and Etihad, not sure. Nobody really knew how to deal with the setup, the alliance and my questions.

Let's see if it get's back to normal, like it was before.

 

[jasecao]

for Economy bookings, there is a charge for seat selection now for VA bookings, seat allocation fee at the moment doesn't apply to J or F bookings

However congrats on the upgrade!

 

[tdpali]

Thanks. Hopefully I don't get the taste for it. That would be an expensive taste

 

[flying_duck]

I booked an Etihad J redemption on the VA website this morning (to Cairo), and the Etihad website refused me to select a seat. The iOS app, had no problem. It turns out it put me in great seats anyway.

 

[gizzard]

Have they closed the app loophole? I'm unable to select a seat in Y for my flight in 48 hours.