Is it possible to choose seats for free when registering for an Etihad Airways flight in 2026?

Yes, it is possible, but with serious limitations. Currently, the seat selection and registration scheme at Etihad Airways works as follows:

• During ticket purchase or immediately after, you can choose a seat in the cabin for a fee, costing from 30 euros and above, depending on the flight. For some expensive fares, seat selection is conditionally free, i.e., you can choose it, but you have already paid for it in the ticket price.
• Online check-in for the flight starts 30 hours before departure, but at this stage, you again cannot choose your seat; it is assigned automatically, and you can only change it for a fee, which costs the same as seat selection.
• 4 hours before departure, seat sales stop, and after that, you can choose the seat assigned earlier during online check-in for free.

So, in the end, it turns out that early online check-in 30 hours in advance does not provide any advantages for free seat selection, and if you want to try to get it, you can only do so 4 hours before departure.

Seat selection in Etihad is most convenient to do in the app (screenshot of the management section), but it can also be done on the airline's website

Follow the link, here are all the answers to your questions - https://t.me/nashaplaneta_chat