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aori
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How to Book a Bassinet Seat on Etihad Airways
I’m a relatively new mom, and we recently flew Etihad from London to Sydney with a layover in Abu Dhabi, which is a long journey with a 4-month-old. I went through the whole emotional roller coaster trying to secure those bassinet spots, and I wanted to share exactly what worked for us.
My Bassinet Booking Journey: A Story of Persistence
My first flight booking experience was actually a bit of a disaster, and it taught me the number one rule of flying with babies: never assume anything is confirmed until you have a seat assignment.We were flying internationally when my son was just 6 weeks old, and I called the airline immediately after booking to add the bassinet request. The agent assured me, "Yes, ma'am, it's noted on your file, and the seats are assigned." Great! I felt relieved.
Fast forward to online check-in opening 24 hours before the flight. I couldn't select seats. I called again. The new agent said, "Oh, the bassinet is requested, but the seat has not been assigned because it's only done at the airport check-in counter to prioritize families." My heart sank. I spent the next 12 hours panicking that we'd be stuck holding him for 14 hours. Thankfully, we got the seats, but the stress was immense.
That's why, with Etihad, I was determined to be more proactive.
The Step-by-Step Guide to Securing Your Etihad Bassinet Seat
The key thing to understand about Etihad (and most major airlines) is that the bassinet is an amenity, but the actual seat is what you need to book. Bassinets attach to the bulkhead (the wall) in front of certain seats.Step 1: Check Eligibility & Make the Initial Request (Immediately!)
- Age/Weight: First, confirm your baby meets the requirements. Generally, Etihad’s bassinets are for infants up to 10 kg (22 lbs) and are approximately 75 x 29 x 22 cm. They need to be under the height limit and able to lie flat.
- Book Your Flight: Book your flight first. Make sure your infant is included in the booking.
- Call Etihad Reservations: As soon as you get your booking confirmation, call the dedicated Etihad call centre for your region. Do not rely solely on the "special request" box during online booking.
- What to Say: "Hi, I have a booking reference [Your PNR]. I need to request a bassinet for my infant on both legs of the journey. Can you please confirm the bulkhead seats associated with this request have been assigned to our party?"
- Get Confirmation: The agent will add the request to your Passenger Name Record (PNR) and may be able to assign the bulkhead seats right there, depending on your fare class and how far out you booked. Some premium fare classes allow early seating.
Step 2: Monitoring and Online Seat Management
This is where the new way of booking flights comes in. For my recent Etihad trip, I used the mobile app almost exclusively for management.- Log In: Go into the Manage Booking section on the Etihad website or, even better, the Etihad Airways mobile app.
- Check Seat Map: Look at the seat map for your flight. The bulkhead seats (the ones right behind the wall) are usually blocked off and reserved. These are the ones you want. They might show up as 'unassigned' or 'unavailable.'
- The Power of the App/Website: I found that the Etihad Manage Booking section is the best way to instantly book, cancel, or modify flights and seats. I checked it daily. Why? Because sometimes, those blocked seats become available as the flight gets closer or if the reservations system auto-releases them. I once saw a seat become available at 6 am (I assume a cancelled booking) and grabbed it instantly through the app—no waiting on hold!
Step 3: The 72-Hour Final Check
- Call Again: Around 72 hours before your flight, call Etihad one last time.
- Goal: Reconfirm your bassinet request and, critically, confirm the seat numbers. If they are still unassigned, ask what the current status is and if they can override the hold.
Step 4: The Airport Check-in (The Final Decider)
- Arrive Early: Get to the airport at least three hours early, maybe even four, especially if you haven't been assigned the bassinet seat yet.
- Be Polite and Prepared: Go straight to the check-in desk. Explain calmly that you have a bassinet request. This is the last chance for the agents to manually override the system and give you the seats before anyone else. They hold these seats until the very last minute to ensure families with the youngest babies get them. If there are two babies, the youngest often gets priority.
Why Online Management is the Best Way
My biggest takeaway from my booking saga is that relying solely on a phone call is an old-school method that creates anxiety. The future, and the best way to instantly book, cancel, or modify flights, is through the airline's official online portal or app.The instant booking confirmation, the ability to see a live seat map, and the power to snag a cancelled seat at 3 AM without talking to a human is priceless. I’ve used the instant modification feature a few times—once to shift a flight by a day when my baby got sick and once to change my seat right after a plane swap changed the configuration. It’s real-time control, and for something as critical as a bassinet seat, you need that control in your hands.
Good luck with your flight! You’ve got this, and that bassinet will be worth every moment of effort!