Flying Etihad with Kids: Flying Nanny, Bassinets & Stroller Policy

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, infants under 24 months at the time of travel may fly as lap infants on a parent's or guardian's ticket by paying 10% of the adult base fare plus applicable taxes and fees. Etihad operates exclusively international routes and has no domestic network, so this 10% rate applies to every Etihad booking without exception. Taxes and surcharges are added on top of the 10% base-fare component and vary by route — on long-haul routes between Abu Dhabi and Europe or North America, the combined cost can be meaningful. Per Etihad Airways' published booking process, infants can be added online via the 'Manage Booking' portal after the adult ticket is purchased, making the process relatively self-serve compared to carriers that require phone-only additions. Always verify the final all-in total at etihad.com before confirming your booking.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, infants under 24 months do not need a purchased seat and may travel as lap infants at 10% of the adult fare. However, purchasing a separate seat for your infant and using an FAA-approved or EASA-approved child restraint system is a safety best practice recommended by aviation authorities for all flights, particularly those exceeding four to six hours. Per Etihad Airways' published policy, a ticketed infant or child receives the full adult baggage allowance for the relevant fare class, which may justify the ticket cost on gear-heavy itineraries. Etihad's wide-body fleet on long-haul routes also offers in-cabin bassinet alternatives such as JetKids BedBox, which are permitted per published policy, giving lap-infant families an additional rest option without purchasing a full seat.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, bassinets are available on 787-9, 787-10, 777-300ER, and A350-1000 wide-body aircraft, with a weight cap of 11 kg and a length cap of 75 cm. Bassinet requests are made by calling Etihad Guest Services — they cannot be completed through the online 'Manage Booking' portal. Once requested, the bassinet is noted on your booking record, but the actual bulkhead seat is only assigned at airport check-in on the day of travel. Parents should therefore arrive at Abu Dhabi International Airport early to secure the bassinet row before other infants on the same flight. Bassinets are not available on Etihad's A320 and A321neo regional narrow-body fleet. There is no fee for the bassinet itself — it is provided free of charge as part of the family-flying service. Always confirm at etihad.com or with Guest Services before your travel date.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, ticketed children aged 2 and over holding a paid seat receive the identical baggage allowance as the accompanying adult on the same fare class — no reduced child baggage applies. Lap infants on international routes are entitled to one free checked bag up to 10 kg in addition to one collapsible stroller, separate from the parent's own allowance. The diaper bag for an infant-traveling passenger is permitted as an additional item, though it generally counts within the carry-on allowance for the fare class rather than being entirely free. Per published policy, Business and First Class fares carry more generous carry-on limits that typically accommodate a diaper bag alongside a standard carry-on item. Always verify the specific allowance for your fare class and route at etihad.com before packing.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, children under 5 years cannot travel as unaccompanied minors under any circumstances. Children aged 5 to 11 must use the mandatory unaccompanied minor service, which costs AED 200 each way on short-haul routes and AED 400 each way on long-haul routes — approximately USD 54 to USD 109. Children aged 12 to 15 may travel without an adult and may optionally purchase the UM service at the same fee. Unaccompanied minor service must be booked by phone with Etihad Guest Services; it cannot be added online. Connections are accepted only on Etihad-operated metal, not on code-share or partner-operated segments. Per Etihad Airways' published Flying Nanny program, the Norland-trained nanny aboard long-haul flights also provides onboard escort for unaccompanied minors — a safety differentiator no other airline in the 28-carrier set matches. Always verify at etihad.com before booking.

Per Etihad Airways' published Flying Nanny program, Norland-trained nannies are automatically present on every Etihad long-haul flight as a standard part of the cabin crew. The nanny meets families at the boarding gate, assists with boarding infants and young children, helps settle infants into bassinets, provides in-flight childcare support during the journey, and accompanies unaccompanied minors throughout the flight. No additional booking or fee is required — the Flying Nanny is included automatically on all qualifying long-haul departures. This is a globally unique program: across the 28 airlines reviewed on this site, no other carrier provides a trained childcare professional on every long-haul departure as standard. Short-haul flights on the A320 and A321neo regional fleet do not feature the Flying Nanny service. Always verify current service details at etihad.com before travelling.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, JetKids BedBox, Plane Pal, and Fly Tot are all permitted as in-cabin items on Etihad flights. This is a uniquely permissive stance among Middle East and major Asian carriers: per the published policies of Emirates, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, and Japan Airlines, all of these carriers have published restrictions or outright bans on one or more of these products. For parents who have invested in a JetKids BedBox or similar product to create a lie-flat sleeping surface for their toddler, Etihad is the only Middle East carrier where the product can be used in-cabin without checking it as cargo. Parents should always reconfirm the current policy at etihad.com immediately before travel, as airline in-cabin item rules can change between booking and departure.

Per Etihad's published partnership with Warner Bros, children on Etihad long-haul flights receive Looney Tunes themed amenity kits sorted across three age tiers. Children aged 0 to 2 receive a soft Looney Tunes blanket. Children aged 3 to 8 receive an activity book with crayons. Children aged 9 to 13 receive a Scooby-Doo themed backpack. The kits are distributed by cabin crew during the flight and are provided as part of the standard family-flying service on qualifying long-haul routes — no advance request is required. Looney Tunes and Scooby-Doo are Warner Bros trademarks; the kits are produced under Etihad's published partnership with Warner Bros. For families with multiple children spanning two or three age tiers, each child receives the appropriate kit based on age. Confirm current kit availability at etihad.com as kit designs may be updated.

According to the published AAdvantage–Etihad strategic partnership, American Airlines AAdvantage miles can be redeemed for travel on Etihad Airways-operated flights. This is a meaningful option for US-based families who have accumulated AAdvantage miles through credit cards, flying American, or other earning channels and want to access Etihad's family-travel product — including the Flying Nanny service, JetKids BedBox permission, and Looney Tunes amenity kits — without paying the full cash fare. Child award redemptions are subject to AAdvantage's published partner-award rates and availability, which may differ from adult-award rates on the same route. Parents should search award availability on the AAdvantage program and verify redemption rules at aa.com before committing to an itinerary. Always confirm current partnership terms with American Airlines or at etihad.com, as partner award programs are subject to change.

Per Etihad Airways' published policy, families traveling with infants and young children receive complimentary priority boarding at Abu Dhabi International Airport, ahead of general cabin boarding zones and alongside Etihad Guest Gold and Silver members. No additional fee is charged — priority family boarding is included with the standard ticket. On long-haul flights, per Etihad Airways' published Flying Nanny program, the Norland-trained nanny meets families at the gate before boarding begins, assists with the boarding process, and helps settle children and infants into their seats and bassinets. Parents should note that while priority boarding is provided, the bassinet bulkhead row assignment is confirmed only at check-in rather than at the gate, so early check-in remains important even with priority boarding status. For specific boarding-zone sequencing at outstations served by Etihad, verify the local boarding process at etihad.com.

Per Etihad Airways' published fare structure, children aged 2 to 11 years receive a discount of approximately 25% off the adult base fare on Etihad-operated international routes. The discount is automatically applied when the correct passenger age is entered during the booking process — no code or manual request is needed. The discount applies to the base fare component only; airport taxes, government surcharges, and fuel levies are typically charged at the standard rate, so the all-in saving will be less than 25% of the total ticket price. Infants under 2 on lap-infant tickets pay 10% of the adult base fare rather than the child-discount rate. Per published information, the child discount is consistent across Etihad's international network, though specific savings vary by route, fare class, and booking period. Verify current fare conditions at etihad.com before booking.

Per their respective published policies, Etihad Airways and Emirates are geographically close Gulf carriers — Abu Dhabi versus Dubai — with similar overall family scores (Etihad 7.7 versus Emirates 7.8 in this review set) but meaningfully different product features. Emirates auto-allocates bassinet bulkhead seats at the time of booking for lap-infant PNRs, while per Etihad Airways' published policy the bulkhead is only assigned at airport check-in even after a phone reservation — giving Emirates a structural advantage for bassinet-dependent families. On the other hand, per Etihad Airways' published policy, JetKids BedBox, Plane Pal, and Fly Tot are permitted in-cabin on Etihad, while Emirates has published a ban on these products. Per Etihad Airways' published Flying Nanny program, Norland-trained nannies are present on every Etihad long-haul flight — a service Emirates does not offer. Both carriers check strollers and car seats free and offer the approximately 25% child fare discount. For parents who own a JetKids BedBox or value onboard childcare staffing, Etihad's policy is more accommodating. Always verify current policies at etihad.com and emirates.com before booking.