Recently, Etihad has made quite a major change regarding check-in. The airline announced that all Premium passengers, (Residence, First Class, Business Class, Platinum, Gold and Partner Elites) will all now use the T3 check-in area instead of in Terminal 1, even if that’s where your flights are departing from.

Per Etihad,

Guests travelling from Terminal 1 at @AUH who are flying in The Residence, First or Business Class must now check in at Terminal 3 (2/3)

— Etihad Airways (@etihad) March 15, 2017

I myself haven’t actually used the T1 check-in area before but heard it’s quite ordinary. The T3 area has fast security and it’s also directly across from the First Class Lounge.

Etihad T3 Check-In Area

Etihad First Class Lounge

What flight’s use T1?

• Mumbai
• Riyadh
• Kochi
• Hyderabad
• Chennai
• Bengaluru
• New Delhi
• Kozhikode
• Thiruvananthapuram
• Jaipur
• Colombo

The T3 check-in is located right at the end of Terminal 3, the Business Class section does get very busy in peak periods understandably and First Class is always usually quiet except for the evening/night.

Etihad T3 Check-In

If you’re wondering how to get from T3 to T1, it’s quite easy. There’s a walkway within the terminal and it’s only about a 5-minute leisurely walk between the two terminals. T1 does have lounges but I’d definitely recommend using the ones in T3.