Ethiopian Airlines, headquartered in Addis Ababa, is Africa’s largest airline group and a Star Alliance member. Since its first flight decades ago, it’s built a reputation as an innovator in African aviation, ushering in the continent’s first Boeing 767, 777-200LR and 787 Dreamliner into service.
The airline holds a four-star Skytrax rating and multiple awards including World Travel Award for Africa’s Leading Airline. Its modern fleet maintains an average age on par with the world’s most trusted carriers, and it shows in the service quality.
Worldwide destinations
Ethiopian Airlines serves international passenger and cargo destinations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. UK destinations include London Heathrow, London Gatwick, and Manchester. For many years, it was my airline of choice for travelling between Johannesburg and London.
That’s because its fares were typically the most affordable and because it offers a similar level of service and reliability to European airlines like KLM, Air France and Lufthansa. The one catch for me is the layover at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, which I find could use improvement in cleanliness and facilities.
That’s not to say I ever felt unsafe in Addis. On the contrary, on one occasion when I was travelling solo and my connection was delayed overnight, I was impressed by how quickly the airline got us all sorted with taxis and a hotel. In my experience, Ethiopian’s cabin crew and ground staff tend to be both efficient and caring.
Fare classes
Ethiopian offers two fare classes: a fairly standard Economy and Cloud Nine business class. Cloud Nine gets you a lie-flat seat on key long-haul aircraft with considerably more privacy and space, plus premium food and beverage service with a welcome drink and trolley buffet. You’ll also get priority boarding, an increased baggage allowance and access to lounges at Addis Ababa.
The lounges at Addis Ababa definitely make a layover more pleasant. Besides the usual perks like free food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and Wi-Fi, lounge guests get to take part in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony.
If you want the Cloud Nine experience without the full price tag, you can try the Upgrade to Cloud Nine service. You just submit an offer for what you’re willing to pay. If your bid is successful (typically because there are seats left in Cloud Nine just before departure that would otherwise go empty) you can fly Business for a fraction of the cost.
Ethiopian also offers MyShebaSpace for getting more room in Economy. If there’s extra space, you can buy one or more seats next to you at a discount within 72 hours before your flight. For a long-haul flight, especially with kids, the ability to lie flat is often worth it.
Luggage allowances
Ethiopian is particularly generous with luggage. On routes to and from the US, Economy passengers get two checked bags of up to 50 pounds each, while most airlines only allow one. Cloud Nine passengers can check either two pieces of baggage of up to 32 kg (70 lb) each or three pieces weighing up to 23 kg (50 lb) each, depending on the route. I realised just how generous this was when researching airline allowances before emigrating from South Africa to Scotland.
ShebaMiles members get even more. Platinum members can check two extra bags of up to 23 kg (50 lb) each. Gold members get one extra piece of up to 32 kg (70 lb), while Silver members get one extra piece of up to 23 kg (50 lb).
Rules do differ slightly for certain destinations, so be sure to check your booking confirmation before you start packing. For cabin bags, Economy travellers get one 7 kg (15 lb) bag, and Cloud Nine gets two bags of up to 7 kg (15 lb). Little ones under two get one checked bag (up to 10 kg (22 lb) or 23 kg (50 lb), depending on the route), plus a collapsible stroller and a car seat.
Loyalty programme
The Ethiopian Airlines loyalty programme is called ShebaMiles, with tiers from Blue and Silver to Gold and Platinum. You earn miles on flights with Ethiopian or any partner airline (including all Star Alliance members). You can also earn them on hotel bookings, car hires or by using partner credit cards.
ShebaMiles has three types of miles. Award Miles can be redeemed for discounted flights, lounge access and more. You can also convert Award Miles into points for partner airline loyalty programmes. Status Miles and Qualifying Segments are what determine your tier level. They’re only earned on international flights with Ethiopian and reset every year.
The perks get better as you move up. Silver members get priority standby, extra baggage, and access to the ShebaMiles Silver Lounge at Addis Ababa Terminal 2. Gold members add priority check-in and boarding, plus access to the Star Alliance Gold Lounge at Addis Ababa and Star Alliance lounges worldwide. Platinum members get all that, plus personal assistance in Addis and two free upgrades to Cloud Nine per year. It’s a solid programme if you fly with them often.
Entertainment and Wi-Fi
In-flight entertainment on Ethiopian Airlines is comparable to that on any other major airline. Expect a back-of-seat screen loaded with the latest films, series, playlists, podcasts, and games. If you need to stay connected, most of their A350, B777 and B787 aircraft offer Wi-Fi.
It’s a paid service, unless you’re flying Business Class or you’re a ShebaMiles Platinum member (you get an hour for free). The rates are reasonable, though. You can buy a pass for one hour, two hours or the full flight. On any flight over six hours, the full-flight pass is your best bet for value. You can buy it at ticket offices, check-in counters, the gate or right from your seat.
Food and drink
Food and drink is always a subjective topic, and Ethiopian Airlines cuisine splits opinions more than most. That’s because the hot meals on long-haul flights proudly reflect Ethiopia’s rich culinary culture, and are therefore quite different from what many North American and European passengers may be used to.
I personally love the rich spiciness of Ethiopian cuisine and although you’ll typically have a choice of three meals in Economy (with at least one international option), I’d say be adventurous and try the local dishes. If you’re not into spice, no worries. They have a special “bland” meal option you can pre-order.
They also cater to various dietary needs, just be sure to order special meals at least 48 hours in advance. Meals come with free drinks, including wines and beers. Cloud Nine passengers get the VIP treatment with a welcome drink and menu featuring traditional Ethiopian dishes alongside international options, served from a trolley buffet.
Flight Pass
There’s another Ethiopian Airlines innovation I wish I’d known about when my family travelled several times a year between Africa and Europe. It’s called the Flight Pass, and it allows you to pre-purchase a minimum of four flights at a pre-set low fare. It’s flexible, so you can choose different destinations, share it with friends and family and pick your travel dates later.
The Flight Pass works for any Ethiopian Airlines flight in either Economy or Cloud Nine and can be valid from one month up to two years. If you’re buying a bigger pass, you can even pay in instalments with just 20% upfront through their “Fly now, pay later” option. Just remember that taxes and fees are typically added when you actually book the flights, unless you select the “Tax Included” option at purchase.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
