A few days back I wrote about what I’d consider The Best Flight Connection Ever while on the way to Jamaica.

What made the connection so great was getting in on an amazing deal and booking a flight for a future trip when I’d least expect to be doing so!

In mid- August 2015 we’ll be flying to Abu Dhabi and also plan to check out some other areas in the region.

This will be my second time to the UAE, I visited Dubai back in 2009. It will be the first time to the country for Kim and Lucas.

This will also be the first time for all of us flying Etihad Airways.

We have some decisions to make as to where else we’d like to visit besides Abu Dhabi which will most likely include some other Emirates.

While doing some reading I came across an article from Jaunted about Why Everyone’s Going to Abu Dhabi All Of A Sudden.

Most of us know the reason is due to the amazing mistake fares on Christmas Day. However, I took some other very useful information from the article.

Did you know that if you are flying Etihad in Economy Class you can get to two of the other Emirates for free? That’s right, free!

Etihad Airways offers Economy Class passengers a free transfer to Dubai or Al Ain on their Etihad Express coach bus service. This offer is good when arriving or departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport.

The service sounds really nice and is on modern coach buses. They feature onboard entertainment, mineral water and “refresher” wipes and mints.

We’ll most likely take advantage of this service at least one of the ways during our trip!

Travelers flying with other airlines can book the coach service for AED 80 per person, about $22 per person. This still sounds like a pretty decent price.

Terms and Conditions of this offer (from Etihad):

• Etihad Express coach service is available free of charge to guests holding confirmed coach reservations as part of a flight itinerary on Etihad Airways. The services are available to and from Abu Dhabi International Airport to Dubai and Al Ain.
• The Etihad Express service must be booked 24 hours prior to travel. Guest without confirmed coach reservations will not be eligible to use the service. 
• Bookings made within 24 hours from flight departure coach will not be confirmed.
• The Etihad Express service is not available for Un-accompanied Minors (UM).
• Guests with medical conditions or with reduced mobility cannot be booked to use the Etihad Express coach service. 
• Guests travelling on flights operated by other airlines may book Etihad Express service for a nominal fee of AED 80 / per person per way. The service may be booked only through Etihad Airways offices at least 24 hours prior to flight departure. 
• Etihad Express coach services are provided by third-party service providers who assume responsibility for all trips in terms of insurance and liabilities governing them. 
• Please ensure a minimum connecting time of 2.5 hours to connect to departures from Abu Dhabi International Airport. 
• The Etihad Express coach service can only be used by travelers who have a corresponding arriving or departing flight from Abu Dhabi International Airport on the same day. The service cannot be availed on any other day under any circumstances.
• Etihad Express service is not available for use with complimentary and discounted tickets (ID, AD etc). 
• All guests traveling on flights operated by Etihad Airways (EY), Virgin Australia (VA), Air Seychelles (HM), Air Berlin (AB) and Garuda (GA) are eligible for Etihad coach service.

If you booked a flight to Abu Dhabi, what are you planning to do? Stay in Abu Dhabi? Explore more of the Emirates?

Find out more about Etihad Express coach service here.