Etihad Chauffeur is a complimentary car service offered to certain premium passengers and Etihad Guest elite tier members departing from and arriving at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi.
The Etihad Chauffeur will pick up or drop off anywhere in the United Arab Emirates, making this a valuable perk if your location is in Dubai or further afield.
The standard car is a comfortable BMW 5-series station wagon with plenty of luggage space. There are also a handful of Ford GMC SUVs, which are used for larger groups.
All cars have Wi-Fi for international travellers and are stocked with water bottles and wet towels.
Who is eligible for Etihad Chauffeur?
Premium passengers on cash tickets
Passengers booked into The Residence, First Class, or Business Class on Comfort and Deluxe fares are eligible for Etihad Chauffeur.
However, the ticket must have been booked directly with Etihad Airways or through a travel agent. Tickets booked through partner airlines are not eligible, regardless of class of travel.
Etihad Guest elite members
Etihad Chauffeur is also available as a benefit to Etihad Guest Platinum Tier and Gold Tier members in certain circumstances.
- Platinum Tier members get Etihad Chauffeur service on all Business and First GuestSeat bookings as a Core benefit.
- Gold Tier members can choose Etihad Chauffeur service on Business and First GuestSeat bookings as one of their four Custom benefits.
- Gold and Platinum Tier members can opt for Etihad Chauffeur on two Economy bookings per year as one of their Custom benefits.
Read about Etihad Guest Platinum benefits here. You can find the full list of Etihad Guest Gold Tier benefits here.
How to book your Etihad Chauffeur service
There are three ways to confirm an Etihad Chauffeur booking:
- Use the Chauffeur tab in Manage your booking
- Book via the main Etihad Chauffeur page
- Call the Etihad Airways contact centre
To complete the booking, you will need to provide the following details:
- Contact details
- Number of passengers travelling
- Number of hold and carry-on bags
- Pick up/drop off location
For pick-ups, the formwill automatically recommend a pick-up time based on your pickup location. For Abu Dhabi city pick up is about two hours before scheduled departure. However, you can manually adjust this. Online, you can request a pick-up up to six hours before departure. However, Etihad Chauffer will call to confirm the booking a day or two in advance. At this point, it is possible to request an earlier pickup slot.
Two important things to note. Bookings need to be confirmed at least 12 hours before departure. I have also noticed that the online booking form can be temperamental, particularly if you have attempted to access multiple bookings in one session. If you find the form is not loading correctly, you will need to either clear your cache or try to access the booking link using a different browser.
Stopovers
Etihad Chauffeur is available on stopovers in Abu Dhabi, where the full taxes have been paid. I assume that means stopovers over 24 hours.
Departing from Abu Dhabi
Etihad Chauffeur will call one to two days before departure to confirm your car booking. On a recent trip, I wanted to arrive at the airport eight hours early to sleep at the AUHotel Transit Hotel before a 3 am departure. It had not been possible to book such an early pick-up online. However, the agent was happy to confirm the earlier time slot over the phone.
After the call, I received a WhatsApp message requesting a location pin for the pick-up. On the day of departure, the chauffeur’s name and contact number were also shared via Whatsapp.
My driver turned up a few minutes before the pickup time, and we had an uneventful journey to the First & Business Class drop at Terminal A. At the drop-off point, uniformed porters with luggage trolleys are available. The drop-off opens directly into the First & Business Class check-in zone, which was very quiet before the evening rush.
Arriving in Abu Dhabi
To find the Etihah Chauffeur reception upon arrival you’ll need to head into the baggage claim area.
Turn left after passing through immigration and the arrival bag security screening.
Etihad Chauffeur is located at the far end past Carrousel 10.
Surprisingly, Etihad Airways does not offer an arrivals lounge at Terminal A. So, the toilet before heading to the Etihad Chauffeur reception, particularly if you have a long joureny. There is water and fresh towels provided in the cars.
At the reception, they will confirm your chauffeur reservation and give you a car number.
Conclusion
Etihad Chauffeur is a complimentary transfer service offered to certain premium passengers and Etihad Guest elite tier members departing from and arriving at Zayed International Airport in Abu Dhabi.
Find full details of Etihad Chauffeur here.