Originally Posted by thbe

Are you 5 guests in total? Or are there more family members, who are not traveling in F?

If you are 4 in F and 1 in C, there should be a good chance for you, that they let you in. I think, it's worth asking for it.

AA status doesn't help. The better argument is, that you want to stay with your family or that you have to take care of someone of your family. Etihad is a family-friendly airline.