How crowded are Etihad flights currently, especially in economy class after the pandemic?

@Pauline ******

My thoughts exactly. I'm not not budging on my current bids and will be surprised if there are 15 of us bidding over a remaining 4 seats. If that's the case, how on earth have the other 26 or so seats been booked when there was no option to book them directly up until recently days. They are now charging £1400 per leg - if booked directly. Who on earth pays that amount for business? That's nigh on 1st class prices. If I were to do all four legs, there and back at that price it would cost £5600. Absolute madness.

@Ivan ********

Thanks Ivan. It's the first time I've come across it. Normally I fly with Qatar, never any issues.

What I don't understand is there are clearly more than 4 seats available. Let's say for arguments sake there's 30 - give or take a few here and there...What's happened to the other 26 if we are all bidding up until 3 hours before the flight....There was no option from the beginning to book business so I don't believe those seats have been booked and taken.

We'll see what happens....

@Lee ***********

Bang on for both legs.

@Blaise ***

Etihad out of MAN to BKK on NYE - I think about 13:00 departure. I've bid £500 extra for each leg, on top of £450 economy....

@Ray **********

Economy only, and even their extra legroom seats aren't available to buy or upgrade off bat. Again, have to bid. I've never come across this before.

All seems a bit fishy to me...

We'll see, may come back to bite me in the arse. I'm not budging with my bids. If there's such a demand and people are willing to pay way over the odds fair enough.

@Garrett **********

Unfortunately with Etihad there's no option to buy business class off the bat - otherwise I would and have done in the past.

They now have this "bidding system" where anyone who wants to fly business has to bid, from the outset. You book economy, then put your bid in. I therefore placed my bids when booking economy, there was no other option.

I feel like todays emails are just an automated system and way of getting those who wish to fly business class to pay a bit more....

Surely the planes aren't rammed full with 15 people bidding over the last 4 seats in business class....