[Closed] Ethiopian Airlines?

I haven't. I have spent 4 hours at Nairobi airport. YMMV, but I'd not do that again for a hundred quid.

I'd echo that.

a six hour layover? No chance. Even with lounge access I wouldn't do it.

*edited. Was sure it said 18 months

They did were hijacked once. Famously the hijackers were overpowered, strapped to the seats and had their throats cut.

They've never been hijacked since...

Only saving £300 for 3 and having a stopover vs straight-through flight - ain't worth it IMO, especially if you've a delay and then lose 1-2 days holiday.

I went on a cycling holiday to Ethiopia with Cycleactive about 15 years ago.The airport was basic but ok - certainly not terrible.

I did not have a young nipper in tow though.

It might be worth giving Chris Ford at Cycleactive a call as he will have been there numerous times and is probably the best person who could advise you.

https://cycleactive.com/index.php/contactus

18 year old daughter

=/= "nipper"

18 year old daughter

= cannot be pacified with cough-medicine and warm milk.

😉

The other option isn't straight through, they're about £700 each more. So no-one so far with [b]actual[/b] Ethiopian Airlines experience?

I'll try calling my 18 year old daughter a young nipper when she gets back from her self-funded week away in Zante with her mates later tonight. She'll probably tell me to **** off.

If you fly a lot then you'll be fine.

If you really need to save money and are less fussed about travel time / stops, there are some really good tools available to look for cheap flights nowadays: kayak.co.uk is easy to use with lots of filters, ita.matrix.com and google flights are effectively the same thing and offer lots of flexibility. Consider flying mid-week, different departing airports and open jaw. More so for business than economy, departing outside the UK massively lowers taxes. But also MAN, EDI, GLA have connections through AMS/CDG or the middle east with lower fees. I mention open jaw because there are a lot more options to JNB (more competition generally means lower fares and you can use Tesco vouchers to convert to Avios to book CPT-JNB flights - though you would need 19500 - 22500 Avios for 3 adults one-way which is around £80-95 of tesco vouchers and to ensure there is reward availability.) This is where google flights is great because you can set multiple departure and arrival airports and it will find you the cheapest within a few days either side.

Edited after OP's response: I don't personally have experience on ET, but I find [url= http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/lufthansa-austrian-swiss-brussels-lot-other-partners-miles-more/1691223-ethiopian-lufthansa.html ]flyertalk[/url] to be a very informative forum and some reviews there suggest no worse in economy (Y class) than any other major airline.

3rd world airlines..... 😐

one of my team just flew to Zim on Ethiopia via Addis Ababa said it was fine and they had new Boeing Dreamliners (said terminal was fine + a lot less hassle that recent transfers in Dubai and Qatar)

Yes, I use them from time to time when I'm moving around Africa. They are a pretty good airline, Ethiopians are special and very clever people. Their aircraft are good and the maintenance fine. Via Addis is a good way to Cape Town as it's fairly direct; if you used Emirates you'd be subjecting yourselves to a huge easterly dogleg adding many hours, not to mention the 7 hour stopover in Dubai for your retail opportunity.

There isn't much of that at Addis but it's a decent airport; it would definitely be worth trying to get lounge access as the concourse is pretty big and busy. See if you can taste the Ethiopian national dish of inerja, which is an interesting sourdough bread served damp and a bit like a rubber bath mat with delicious spicy fillings wrapped up in it. Here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Injera

Apart from ET your other good choice is Kenya Airways who have good aircraft and crew and Nairobi airport is now excellent after the hurried completion of the new terminal following the fire. Again, use of a lounge would make it more pleasant. With either ET or KQ don't allow your travel agent to book tight connections because there can sometimes be delays.

What about South African Airways? TBH I would recommend them the least as they are poor on punctuality and they gave me a bad stomach last time I took them from Lagos to JNB.

On Cape Town, be prepared to be blown away by the place. The airport is superb and the city and surrounding area stunning. I can give you loads of recommendations if you like; hiring a car with ****nav is a safe option if you feel confident as the driving isn't much different from Europe.

Finally, enjoy the exchange rate - now close to 20 Rand to your pound. It was 6 Rand the first time I went there.

Sorry I thought it read 18 month old daughter 😳

If she is anything like my 18 year old step-son as long as she gets food and a wifi connection things would be ok!

See if you can taste the Ethiopian national dish of inerja, which is an interesting sourdough bread served damp and a bit like a rubber bath mat

I tried this and it reminded me of carpet underlay!

It was a long time ago but I did the same trip that Cletus did and it involved quite a few flights with Ethiopian airways.

Back then conditions on the plane were basic but adequate and I'd have no issues flying with them again. I remember the airport as very basic but that has likely changed, it was 2002 when I was there.

I tried this and it reminded me of carpet underlay!

...only without as much flavour!

Thanks for the replies, especially globalti and T1000. Konagirl thanks for all the advice and the tip towards flyertalk. We've done the trip with KLM, Lufthansa, Virgin (direct, can't afford that anymore!), SAA and Turkish before, whatever is cheapest that year basically, I've got family in Somerset West, this will be our 8th visit since 2000, usually at Christmas but at Easter this time. We're teachers so really inflexible about dates and days of the week.

And Cletus: you're right about teenagers and wifi!

I've flown with them too. Were fine. Addis airport was actually quite nice I thought. Pretty hills around Addis too.

All I need to do now is sell the idea to the rest of the family...you don't generally see much good press about Ethiopia...I'll show 'em this thread! 😀

Been to Ethiopia twice with work a few years ago (circa 2010/2011). One return trip with British Airways, one return trip with Ethiopian, flying from Heathrow each time. Not a lot to choose between them tbh. So long as you've got a good book and don't get bored easily, a 6hr stop at Addis airport is no better or worse than a 6hr stop at any other airport. If you're the type of person who gets bored easily and like to while away transit stops in duty free, then it's probably not the route for you.

Internal flights with Ethiopian Airlines - well, that's a slightly different matter, but this is also true of many airlines.

I'm actually hoping to go to Addis for 2-3 days in a couple of months. I was marooned there for 24 hours a few years ago when I missed a connection; was taken to the ancient Hilton hotel where I didn't manage to sleep a wink thanks to the altitude. This time I have a business associate there and a reason to stop off, which I'm rather looking forward to.

I have a business associate there and a reason to stop off, which I'm rather looking forward to.

One in every port, eh?

Ha ha, the irony of that jibe is that this associate, a Sudanese who is married to an Ethiopian and therefore can conduct business there, keeps giggling about all the Ethiopian girls who are dying to meet me and what fun I can have in Addis, and how beautiful they all are.... and nothing could interest me less! My only requirement is to fly in, get to the hotel of my choice, not his, which needs to be clean, quiet and not too far from the airport, sleep soundly, have the business meetings and move on to the next country. I certainly have zero interest in getting involved with local girls! I need to go there because the bloke offers good business prospects, which I need to check out. At the same time I've always wanted to spend a couple of days in Ethiopia because I suspect it's going to be an interesting contrast to my usual haunts in Africa.

Used ethiopian to fly to Jburg last year. Would pay to use BA/SA if I flew again to be honest.

Flight was fine but the Addis is a very poor layover stop comparatively; very few/poor cleanliness bathrooms & a pretty awful selection of spots to eat.

However once in South Africa every airport was excellent! I dropped the hire car off at Durban <15minutes before the flight was due to leave and still got on it including sorting luggage!

And Cape Town is an amazing place; spend a couple of days riding with Locals and they could not have been more welcoming.

Yes, one way the World Cup benefited South Africa was in the improvements to their airports. They are all excellent, real models for the rest of Africa.

They are fine, if you don't mind an unplanned stopover in Addis (it's an interesting city ...). Two of six times I've flown Ethiopian There has been a delay and I've missed my connecting flight. So if you have a schedule you need to stick to probably worth paying a bit more for reliability.

Cheers

Would you have to go through customs in Addis. We were on holiday in Ethiopia last Autumn and while the country is stunning and the people generally very friendly and welcoming it was torturous going through the airport.

Took us ages to clear customs, lots of slow queueing to get stamps and pay people then get more stamps then some more queuing to have someone look at your passport. Think it was a about 3 hours did an internal flight as well and that was no quick affair.

Airline was ok but not the same standard as BA - you got a seat and a meal though just it was a bit tatty.

Personally on a trip that long I'd have to be saving a fair chunk of money to do it.

No I use Emirates, found them to be excellent airline. When we got caught in the volcano issue a few years ago they put us up free of charge for a week in Dubai. They are also the best on long haul for free luggage allowence @ 32kg which is handy for bike bag stuffed with clothes. I'm off to cape Town xmas with the bike. TBH I pay slightly extra but Im happy with the service.

My dad flies Ethiopia Airlines regularly via Addis with fairly long stopovers, doesn't seem to have any problems with them

If you're in Transit you won't need to go through Immigration, just a security check. When I got marooned there for 24 hours the airline took me to Immigration who admitted me with no problems. For my impending trip I'm going to get a visa before travelling.