User Name

I'll be arriving at AUH mid-evening on EY2 from FRA, traveling in business class with my wife. I haven't arrived at AUH before, but am reasonably well traveled and have navigated many airports.

However - this is a special trip for us and I've just learned of these pay-for arrivals services offered by Etihad, Pearl Assist and others, and am considering using one if this will speed the arrival process up significantly (they include fast-track immigration and customs, which I don't think I'd get otherwise). The cost will come to US$89 for the both of us.

Does anyone have any experience using these services, or else can comment on the likelihood of long immigration queues during the evenings?

muscat

Options are pay for fast track then wait for luggage, or don't pay and have a shorter (or no) wait for luggage.
Strategy at passport control is usually to take the left hand queue, and watch for a new queue being opened up to your left - this usually happens when the Emirati or fast track queue clears.
There is nothing to be gained at customs - you wheel your luggage through and out. There are no queues - if there is a queue (which sometimes happens if someone is stopped and the people behind decide to stop as well, thus forming a queue) , just keep to the left of it and walk through; as you approach you will see a red and a green entrance a few metres further on, they both open in to the same area so go through the red entrance and walk through the green customs area.
Airport taxis are plentiful and cheap. Down ramp after customs, out the door, then turn left and walk to taxi queue. Ignore any touts. If there is a queue, it moves quickly. Each taxi can take up to about ten people and plenty of luggage; no need to organise a limo. In my experience the limo drivers are a lot more unsafe than the regular airport drivers.

User Name

Thanks a lot! Quick follow up question - we're in business class, so do we get fast track immigration anyway, and is that the same fast track the arrival services use? There would be no benefit at all if that was the case, would there?

muscat

You should be given a card for fast track as you leave the aircraft (though there were none on a BA flight last week). There is usually someone directing you into queues, so just tell them you are "fast track, business,etc." (I use the egates, so am through immigration in less than a minute, but people using normal immigration are often at the baggage belt before luggage arrives). Arrival services may try and push their way to the front of the fast track queue.... 19:00 to about 22:00 tends to be the busiest time at arrivals., so it is worth walking quickly to get ahead of other people on the way to immigration, but as I said earlier, be prepared to move, or smile nicely at the Emirati official if they don't have a queue of people at their desk.

abaheti

Newbie questions, never flown Etihad or through AUH. My mother will be flying business class LAX-AUH-HYD and back. Connections are 1.5 hours at AUH in each direction. She'll need to go from T3 to T1 on outbound and T1 to T3 on return.

She can muddle through, and has Global Entry, but can get a bit flustered at the kiosk (especially if people are waiting behind her) so usually prefers to just deal with a human in line. She has no physical limitations. She's usually flown Singapore, largely because she's so familiar and comfortable with the airport, so a new setting means she may benefit from some help given the tight times.

(1) Does the Meet & Greet service help her through preclearance on the way to USA? With a 90 minute connection, I'd rather get her someone to move her through and to the post-preclearance lounge (or boarding) efficiently.

(2) Is there a fasttrak for preclearance business class pax?

(3) I've heard mixed things about AUH. With 90 minutes to connect, should I consider Meet & Greet even on the outbound?

I see the prices, and while a bit steep, it is worth it for her to have a good, no-stress experience. (And, yes, I know it could get tight on the return and she may spend the night if there are delays, but she's in paid business so assume Etihad will take care of her, especially with Meet & Greet staff.)

Thanks.

sharp5flat9

I've never transited through AUH or used pre-clearance, but it's a simple airport to navigate and T1 and T3 are only a max 10 min indoor walk apart, with moving walkways. There is one security check.

There's a useful video on the airport's website: http://www.abudhabiairport.ae/englis...t-information/

If she has concerns, she should speak to the crew on the inbound flight who will introduce her to the ground staff and probably arrange a buggy ride.

It would also be useful to look at relevant posts in the Etihad forum.

abaheti

Thanks -- searched a bunch and can't figure out if the Meet/Greet helps you get through the USA immigration/customs bit at all or just drops you at the "border".

Ranibs

All Business Class customer gets a fast track for the immigration. The baggage usually comes out before everyone's baggage - If they're tagged as Business priority.

As a business class passenger I do not recommend it. However if you like to surprise your partner, book it with a bouquet of flowers perhaps

Ranibs

1) The connection of 90 minutes is doable, unless you face delays with the connection and this is where the Etihad (EY) team will step in and look after her and book her a 4 or 5 star property (depending on the next available flight option). You must be present at the US immigration no later than 60 mins before your departure

2) There is a fast-track for Business Class

3) I don't think the MAAS (meet and assist) will help fast track as much as the business class does.

abaheti

Thank you. Just what I needed to know. It is my mother, so given all the factors I think the experience of being met and treated well will be worth it so she doesn't have to be stressed about anything (and someone will help her if there's a late landing). Now, of course, you've put me on the spot to get my mom flowers. :-)

Thank you. This helps. I'm going to book the service both directions for the transit just to be safe and to make her feel special. Worst case, if there is an issue at least I know there's someone there whose job it is to make sure she's set -- and help her move her carryon etc if she needs to run for it.

Thanks to both of you. I'll report back on her experience later this year.

abaheti

Closing the loop by reporting our experience.... Reserved the meet and greet both directions for my mom. 90 minute connections both ways. On the return had to do USA pre-clearance. LAX-AUH-HYD and back. Roughly $90 USD each way.

Outbound, flight was running late. She reports the man who met her was fantastic. Took her rolling carry on bag, got her quickly through the airport, to lounge, freshen up, and then took her to her plane and walked her to her seat, stored her bag in the overhead. Chatted with her the whole time and explained what was going to be happening at each step etc. She was impressed and happy to have the service.

Return, was met by a woman. Didn't take her rolling carry on bag, didn't converse, just led her through the airport. Got her to the US "border" and then departed. My mom says they aren't allowed into the USA area to help with claiming checked bags, rechecking, etc, and while I thought there was a business class lounge in the USA gate area my mom says the woman didn't mention it, so she ended up in the very crowded pen waiting for boarding.

So, mixed quality. BUT, if she had missed a connection, I think having the service would have helped my mom even on the return. I'll still probably do it both ways if she flies that route again.

Tip: One interesting glitch in their IT is that once I booked the outbound service, it wouldn't let me use the same email address to book the return service -- even after the outbound had been flown (I waited, thinking that might be it). Kept saying I had already reserved service, so couldn't do any more. So I finally just faked it by using one of my other emails and it went thru immediately.

TheMadeTraveler

Actually, this meet and greet service is really useful when there is less time between two flights and parents of old age.

I read that it was a mixed experience for your mother but it is good to have someone to support her.

abaheti

Agreed -- I'd do it again for her, just wanted to report the facts for FT-types. Especially if she had a missed connection, I know she would be taken care of.

jaejaez

Hello all,

Any recent experiences with the arrivals service through Pearl Assist? Trying to arrange one for a family member arriving into Abu Dhabi who doesn't speak English and may need help clearing immigration and finding the driver who will be waiting at the arrival hall.

Hoping that this is a simple enough task and that the covid situation hasn't made the service worse. TIA!

csdf

I used it last Friday - what do you want to know?