Like several other airlines, Etihad Airways has introduced a seat selection fee for some economy fares.
Effective July 15, passengers who purchase an Economy Deal, Saver, or Classic fare will be required to pay a small fee to choose their seat in advance. Those who prefer not to pay can still select from the remaining seats at no cost beginning 24 hours before departure.
This change is in addition to Etihad’s existing paid options, such as Preferred Seat and Extra Legroom, and complements the Neighbor-Free option introduced last year, which allows passengers to bid for up to three empty seats beside them.
Other carriers in the region have taken similar steps: Emirates introduced a seat selection program for Special and Saver economy tickets in 2016 and later added paid Extra Value seats.
The move reflects an ongoing industry trend toward unbundling services and charging separately for amenities that were once included in standard fares.