It's interesting that when I check AUH to and from random destinations like NYC and BKK starting next week — and I'm sure Revenue Management has had a real fun job over the last couple of weeks — there seems to be availability for new reservations in both Main and Business... and that's why I wonder if most of the "evacuation" of stranded folks has been pretty much taken care of. So it is thus also interesting that they would offer refunds of any flights through 3/31... yet sell new tickets. Therefore I presume it is as a courtesy for those who are skittish about flying through that airspace and also those whose schedules may have been disrupted because obviously they are still far far away from any semblance of normal ops.

Curiously also, their inaugural AUH-CLT non-stop is still showing seats for sale starting next week which is the day of the 1st flight. Wonder if it'll actually start as scheduled. I for one will be waiting to see if it does since we are scheduled to fly the return route a month after the inaugural flight which will put us in the 3rd week of April, connecting through AUH on to India on an AA ticket so if something happens I'll cancel or rebook with AA, but I've also booked a refundable contingency backup through Europe.

On the way back we are again flying from Malé to the US through AUH and that is in early May but simply out of an abundance of caution we've still have booked a safety backup via the Pacific which is circuitous and not ideal but will get us back one way or the other. EY has the best schedules (especially from somewhere like Malé which is not heavily serviced by other carriers) and has the most efficient connections to the US East Coast so we are hoping we can fly our original schedules both ways. Of course, IF they actually do fly! 🤞 🤞 🤞