Etihad Airways is the Middle East’s leading airline for cabin crew, business class, first class, inflight entertainment and customer experience, according to the World Travel Awards 2022. In addition, Etihad Airways is the world’s third safest airline, according to AirlineRatings.com that rates airlines against various parameters of safety in the sky.
Other than comfortable seating and award-winning inflight entertainment, Etihad Airways has unique services that define the USP of the airline on intercontinental routes. IndianEagle.com, a most trusted US-India travel booking portal, takes on what distinguishes Etihad flights from other airlines in the US-India travel corridor. US immigration pre-clearance, flying nanny, and onboard medical care support are unique to Etihad Airways, irrespective of travel class and fare types.
Flying nanny for infants on Etihad flights
The flying nanny service on select Etihad Airways flights between USA and India is the reason why travelers with kids look forward to Indian Eagle for the best Etihad fare deals. Introduced in 2013 for the purpose of reducing the hassles of traveling with kids, Etihad Airways’ flying nanny service is a special assistance program designed to ensure a comfortable flight for families with young children. One or two nannies are aboard select long-haul flights spanning more than 6 hours.
Since this special service was launched, Etihad Airways’ flying nannies have been trained in several modules of childcare, child psychology, and how to entertain children with different behavior types. The service available across all travel classes can be requested at the time of booking economy or business Etihad flight tickets to India online or offline. While having a meal, taking a nap, reading a book, or watching a movie on board, you can rest assured that your kids are in safe hands.
Flying nannies are good at providing pediatric first aid to young travelers and protecting them during a mid-air emergency. They are helping hands when it comes to warming up milk bottles, feeding kids, changing their diapers, reading out to them, lulling them into sleep, or keeping them engaged in age-appropriate fun activities like drawing. Cabin crew members wearing rusty orange aprons are easily identifiable as flying nannies on Etihad Airways flights between India and USA.
Pre-clearance US immigration and customs
The best perk of traveling even on cheap Etihad flights to USA is pre-clearance of all checks including US immigration and customs during your transit in Abu Dhabi. Having done the customs and immigration clearance at Abu Dhabi Airport before boarding your connecting flight to New York or Chicago or D.C., you can arrive as domestic passengers in the US and exit the destination airport without any need to experience long immigration queues.
Baggage screening at Abu Dhabi International Airport is another way you can benefit from traveling on Etihad Airways. Since Abu Dhabi Airport’s baggage screening complies with the TSA security guidelines, you can check-in your bags thoroughly from AUH to the final destination even if your itinerary has a connecting domestic flight in the US. This gives Etihad Airways a competitive edge over other airlines as far as senior citizens’ convenience is concerned.
Nurse for medical care aboard Etihad flights
If you’re traveling with a medical condition, Etihad flights with a dedicated onboard nurse are ideal for you. The national carrier of the UAE is the first airline to have introduced inflight medical services in 2018 for passengers with pre-existing health issues so that they could get continual medical care throughout the journey. Etihad Airways’ fully-trained onboard nurses ensure you or your elderly parents travel with peace of mind. They provide assistance with filling out medical forms, boarding, and emergency needs on board. You can request onboard nurse service by writing to contactcentre@edithad.ae once your Etihad flight tickets to India or USA are booked.
Complimentary stopover in Abu Dhabi
Etihad Airways’ AUH stopover programs make compelling reasons to grab low-fare deals for Etihad flights between USA and India. Irrespective of your travel class and fare type, you can take an Abu Dhabi City sightseeing tour and enjoy a complementary hotel stay under any of the airline’s three stopover programs – Transit Connect, Stopover on Us, and Best of Abu Dhabi – depending on the duration of a stopover or transit hours in your itinerary. The Transit Connect package includes complimentary one-night accommodation in the city, while the “Stopover on Us” program offers complimentary stay for up to 48 hours. You need a transit visa to step out of Abu Dhabi Airport, but a transit visa is issued only if your planned layover or stopover is 8 hours or more.
We recommend checking our exclusive guide on Etihad Airways’ Abu Dhabi stopover programs and transit visa requirements.
Ease of flying with kids on Etihad
Like Emirates Airlines’ kids-friendly services, Etihad Airways’ inflight meals and entertainment are customized for family travelers with children. The airline ensures the ease of flying with kids by providing fun activity packs, coloring kits, games and likes on flights from New York to Kochi, flights from DC IAD to Chennai, flights from Chicago to Kolkata, flights from Chicago O’Hare to BLR Airport, and its other routes between USA and India via Abu Dhabi. Different games inspired by children’s favorite cartoon characters are available to keep young minds, from 3 to 13 years, busy on board.
If your kid has a specific diet requirement, you can order a child’s special meal at least 24 hours before your scheduled departure. A nonvegetarian child meal comprises burgers, pizzas, chicken nuggets, fish fingers and likes. You can get your baby’s milk or meal from home heated on board.
I like Etihad airways.This year they hiked the price so much…Fares are not cheap.
Hi Varkey! May we know your travel plans and dates, so that we can help you with the best fare deals available?
How about pre clearance of all checks including India immigration and customs during transit in Abu Dhabi?
Hi Anil! The US immigration pre-clearance is a major advantage of traveling by Etihad Airways. It found a mention in our exclusive article.
Having traveled to India multiple times over the last 40 yrs it was the first time on Etihad 3 weeks ago, just returned on 4/24, and if I can help it will be the last. The inflight entertainment is one of the worst. All the movies and TV shows were at least a decade old. Same goes to games. There was no decent music either so spent the 13 hrs plus from Bangalore to NY with no entertainment. Except for one meal food was pretty bad both onward and return. I had requested for special Asian vegetarian meals. The only saving grace was the extra leg room which I paid for.