Etihad allowing passengers to pay extra to sit next to empty seat

Customers can now bid to have the whole row to themselves

Etihad Airways is offering its economy passengers a chance to pay extra to keep the seat next to them free.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline has launched a "neighbour-free" seat scheme which allows customers to input a price they would be willing to pay in order to keep the seat next to theirs empty. Etihad has given space-loving flyers the opportunity to bid for a maximum of three adjacent seats which means that if the price is right, they can have an entire row to themselves.



The logistics set up by the airline gives passengers the option to bid on the seats any time up to 35 hours before departure. However, it is not possible to bid for empty seats at the airport or on the flight. Travelers also can change their bids and preferences online at the Etihad seat selector tool. Passengers will be informed by email whether or not their bid was successful, and if the flight is fully booked, all bids will be considered void. The customers will only be charged for successful bids.

Etihad is also allowing economy passengers to pay to use its premium lounges in Abu Dhabi, London, Manchester, Dublin, Paris, Washington DC, New York JFK, Sydney, Melbourne and Los Angeles.



“On the ground, premium class guests can enjoy free access to Etihad Airways’ collection of outstanding lounges,” said Mohammad Al Bulooki, Executive Vice President Commercial for Etihad Airways. “By offering paid access to Economy Class guests, these signature lounges can now be enjoyed by all who desire to experience our award-winning facilities.”