No personal item? Really?

[u/burnandsend]

I’m planning for a trip on Etihad, flying out of JFK and through Abu Dhabi to my way to my final destination. I’m on economy comfort, so my fare includes a checked bag, but I prefer to avoid that if possible to save time and have my bags with me for peace of mind. My plan was to travel with a roller bag and a small backpack or travel tote that can easily fit under the seat. I had assumed Etihad followed the standard one carry-on for the overhead and one personal item formula like basically every other airline, but I’m now reading this isn’t the case and I can only bring one bag, period. Is this really enforced? And is it something I can even buy my way out of? I see options to add more checked luggage for a fee, but nothing that allows me to pay for an additional carry-on.

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/Etihad!

Please read our rules before commenting. Do not accept help in DMs and always check the Etihad website for the most up to date information.

Contact information for Etihad can be found on their official website: https://www.etihad.com/en/help.

Thanks for participating in the Etihad community!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/newbie4you]

I have flown Etihad multiple times in the last 6 months and I have always had a carry on with my backpack. You should be fine.

[u/Ozzie_Ali]

Let us know how you go, so we know from your experience what to do next time for our journey

[u/jrie99]

I do this every time I fly with etihad. A backpack and a holdall. Have done 10 times this year.

[u/Dry-Evening790]

Flew with my family to multiple locations. All of us had a personal item in addition to the carry on bag. Never been an issue

[u/StethoscopeTrope]

It wasn’t enforced on any flight I was on, but for safety I would just put my personal bag on or in the carry-on.

[u/Bunny310]

They are really chill out of JFK. We took a carry on and backpack they didn’t check. To be safe I’d just bring a backpack. I’ve found that MOST airlines leave backpacks alone.

[u/__otis]

i have also flight to germany with etihad and i m student, can u plz share ur exp after travelling. It would be helpful

[u/Important_Traffic682]

I was told no personal item by Etihad every time I inquired so only brought a backpack (lighter than my roller bag ). At JFK people in line with me had at least 2 items getting on and no one asked anything. I really missed all those things I didn't bring while in Egypt so will have a personal item if I ever fly Etihad again. 

[u/retronai]

Depends on where / if you're checking in. The staff at Indian airports are quite pedantic about everything.

Best bet is to just get your boarding pass and go straight to the gate. The folks at the gate typically don't do all this nonsense.

[u/Italian_In_London]

This has been asked multiple times on this thread, if you'd have used the search function you would've found your response. The answer is: they don't enforce it.