Any views on Ethiopian Airways?
Discussion
You could try this website which aggregates data from the IATA & other industry bodies:
https://www.airlineratings.com/airlines/ethiopian-...
However, the EU mandates strict compliance for any planes landing here so perhaps the info is outdated
https://www.airlineratings.com/airlines/ethiopian-...
However, the EU mandates strict compliance for any planes landing here so perhaps the info is outdated
I used them a few years ago for a set of trips round Africa, and transferred a couple of times in Addis Abbaba - big modern airport, with plenty of cheerful African chaos, and a complimentary transit hotel for an overnight stopover. Flights were fine, all in economy, with standard and decent food and beverage. Didn’t feel ropey at all, and would use them again if need be.
Ethiopian Airlines is a one of Africa’s largest and most established airlines with a strong safety record and membership in the Star Alliance. It operates a modern fleet, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners. While praised for competitive pricing and hospitality, reviews on punctuality and customer service are mixed. The main hub in Addis Ababa is functional but may lack the amenities of larger airports. Overall, it is a solid choice for value and regional connectivity, especially for flights to or within Africa.
No direct experience of Ethiopian Airways but my daughter has used a couple of times flying to/ from Tanzania where she lives. It is currently the choice for her group of expats flying backwards and forwards to Europe as it is proving to be more reliable than say Kenyan / KLM etc and faster if you include time in airport than using Turkish/ Dubai/ Qatar/ KLM etc. Hope that helps. If that doesn’t work for you I think Lufthansa and its tourist airline Discover might be suitable.
I flew Ethiopian in January down to Zimbabwe. They do have a very extensive network inside Africa.
I found the flight to/from Addis Ababa were both really poor, crammed full and I kept being woken up, by the seat next to me and the cabin crew, even though I had a cover over my head and was in the window seat. The breakfast back into LHR was the worst in flight meal I've ever had - an omelette that. was like cardboard.
That said the internal flights were great - down to Vic Falls, back from Bulawayo. The flight was booked via Booking.com - which was £1000 cheaper than booking direct.
My favourite African airline is Kenya Airways - but can be expensive.
RwandaAir seem to be the upcoming African Airline - I want to try them for my next flight to Central Africa.
I flew Qatar to Lusaka in June - which was great.
I found the flight to/from Addis Ababa were both really poor, crammed full and I kept being woken up, by the seat next to me and the cabin crew, even though I had a cover over my head and was in the window seat. The breakfast back into LHR was the worst in flight meal I've ever had - an omelette that. was like cardboard.
That said the internal flights were great - down to Vic Falls, back from Bulawayo. The flight was booked via Booking.com - which was £1000 cheaper than booking direct.
My favourite African airline is Kenya Airways - but can be expensive.
RwandaAir seem to be the upcoming African Airline - I want to try them for my next flight to Central Africa.
I flew Qatar to Lusaka in June - which was great.
Bobtherallyfan said:
My wife wants to do a Safari and her options are either one of the big carriers to S Africa, or Ethiopian to Nambia. Any thoughts or suggestions?
I’ve flown Ethiopian albeit in business class and not planned, long story. I was quite impressed. Addis airport can be a little chaotic but tbh not much worse than the likes of Gatwick. Their fleet is modern, their crews are good. It would have to be cheap for me to consider it because I’d rather fly to either JNB or CPT and then connect with the wonderful Airlink back up to Namibia but that’s based on the perks I have with BA.Where is she looking at for safari?
paddy1970 said:
Ethiopian Airlines is a one of Africa’s largest and most established airlines with a strong safety record and membership in the Star Alliance. It operates a modern fleet, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners. While praised for competitive pricing and hospitality, reviews on punctuality and customer service are mixed. The main hub in Addis Ababa is functional but may lack the amenities of larger airports. Overall, it is a solid choice for value and regional connectivity, especially for flights to or within Africa.
Lovely bit of Ai there! 
abzmike said:
I used them a few years ago for a set of trips round Africa, and transferred a couple of times in Addis Abbaba - big modern airport, with plenty of cheerful African chaos, and a complimentary transit hotel for an overnight stopover. Flights were fine, all in economy, with standard and decent food and beverage. Didn’t feel ropey at all, and would use them again if need be.
Same as my experiences. I used them for London-Addis-Hargeisa a few times. It's not Emirates, but it's perfectly ok and I'd use them again. I’ve done a return trip to Addis with them.
The outbound leg from the UK was fine,
but the return journey less so, there was an issue which meant an aborted take-off,
followed by a 7 hour delay, and then on re-boarding, an attempt to give our allocated bulkhead seating to another passenger.
The outbound leg from the UK was fine,
but the return journey less so, there was an issue which meant an aborted take-off,
followed by a 7 hour delay, and then on re-boarding, an attempt to give our allocated bulkhead seating to another passenger.
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