toni8284

I just arrived at AUH at 5pm from DOH by QR.

My next flight is EY First from AUH - IAD tomorrow 10am (Sept 6th). So I have around 18 hrs layout.

My plan was, go through immigration, pick up my baggages. Then go to Etihad to check in and drop off my baggages, And I will stay in the First Class lounge overnight. To me, it's a perfect plan.

But I walked in the First Class Check in room, no one welcomes me, no one approach me. I walked to the First Class Desk. The staff not saying anything under I walked to the desk.

I ask to check in to my flight for tomorrow 10am and want to drop off my check in baggages.

The staff looked at me and said, you cant check in until 6 hours earlier than your departure flight.

I was shocked. If it's a foreign airline, I dont expect the check in counter open until 3 hrs earlier. But this is Etihad airline and I am at their home airport AUH.

I ASSUME I am allowed to check in.

Then I asked him, can I put my checked baggage in storage and get my boarding pass and go through immigration for the night and come back out tomorrow for the baggage drop off.

And he said NO again. You cant pass immigration until you are 6 hours away from your departure time.

And the whole airport. No ones seems want to help. First class desk, Information desk, immigration desk.

I think I am too naive to think that the Etihad @ AUH will offer this kind of service. Comparing where I was coming in from, DOHA.

The service from the ground are NIGHT and DAY between QR vs EY.

So my solution, I booked the hotel @ Andaz and stay there for the night. The only joy I had so far is Andaz upgraded me to executive suite.

Finally, I share this as FYI. Dont arrive in AUH from different airline if you are transit more than 6 hours. And make note of the 6 hours check in policy. (which I didnt find in the website).

And if there is anywhere that I can complain about this, please let me know... Or you had different experience @ AUH for the similar situation, please share with me.

Acid

On separate tickets, what it looks like you have - you are not on a 'layover' and EY is not obligated to allow you in the lounge a day before. Check-in is not allowed until few hours in advance. Its similar rules in most airports around the worl.

Your assumption was incorrect. Get a hotel for the night and and head back to airport tomorrow. Plenty of reasonably priced hotels landside.

m0hamed

Staying in any lounge overnight is bizarre to me....

seanp7

You should have booked the Andaz from the get-go. Far too much time to spend in a lounge / airport.

I find AUH is pretty strict across the board. It’s not DOH, as you pointed out.

TPJ

I think you expected too much...

1. Older airports that cannot cope with the traffic levels have these type of restrictions. QF at SYD/MEL International Terminals will not check you in more than 4 hours prior to departure. DOH is a new airport with fully automated baggage system, so it does not have these restrictions. I guess a new AUH Midfield Terminal that should be inaugurated soon will not have these restrictions, either.

2. EY now has a very few aircraft with F - was there any F-class departure even scheduled when you tried to check-in? If not I am fairly sure they assumed you are a Platinum member using F-class check-in. If memory serves in DOH true First Class passengers are segregated from Emeralds not traveling in F - in AUH First Class is mixed up with Platinums. But it is not much different from may oneWorld carriers that also mix up First with Emeralds (again - QF comes to mind).

m0hamed

QF have all day check in for International Flights at SYD.

AJNEDC

Is this even allowed?

m0hamed

Some AAdvantage members score QR Awards and spend 12-24 hours in the lounges at DOH. I could think of nothing worse, but they seem to draw "value" out of it. It's a very warped sense of thinking as my time and comfort are luxury.

AJNEDC

Wow. I just spent 5 hours in lounges at Frankfurt. I was climbing the walls at the end. I do not want to do spend another 5 hours if I can possibly help it. 12hrs... 24hrs... yikes. I would have to book a hotel
I wholeheartedly agree with you that my time and comfort are luxury. I guess this is one of those to each his own things...

burg_rtw

It is actually quite clear on the website ... and it is actually 4 hours in advance. So they were even allowing you to check in 2 hours ahead what is guaranteed ...

SilverChris

This sounds like a case of bad research rather than bad service. EY never said you could check in the day before, which is the case at most airlines.

You assumed wrongly, and you're taking it out on EY...?

sadiqhassan

You know what they say about assuming.
I think if EY had allowed this it as a courtesy to someone traveling in F, it would have been going above and beyond. However, their website is pretty clear about when check in opens.

tom tulpe

but what about if it's in CAPITAL LETTERS?