ASEFlyer

They cancelled a section of ADD-BKK this week, which is forcing me on a 24 hour layover in ADD. I just wanted to confirm the procedures as I have never been to ADD before:

Exit plane, try to be in the front and make way to transit desk (where is it?).
At transit desk will be given a plastic token to give to immigration for a 24 hour stamp, will also be given a hotel reservation.

Traveling in paid economy, no *A status.

Any help is most appreciated.

B747-437B

In all likelihood, you will arrive at a remote stand (only a handful of jetways in Addis) so you will be bussed to the terminal. Go up the escalator (faster to use the stairs if you are trying to beat the crowds) and then head straight in the direction that the stairs bring you up towards the center of the terminal. If you arrive on a jetway, then follow the signs for Transfers and Arrivals (they head in the same direction initially).

When you come to the escalators going down to immigration and baggage claim, the transfer desk is on the left. You can't miss it. They will give you a voucher (you may or may not get the plastic token - last two times they didn't give me one and immigration just stamped the back of my onward boarding pass rather than the passport) that has hotel details on it, plus a list of the meals to be provided at the hotel.

Take the voucher and go down the escalators towards immigration. Go through immigration (NOTE : DO NOT stand in the visa-on-arrival lines if you have the voucher and/or token - go straight to the counter). You will be fingerprinted and photographed. Just before exiting baggage claim (after the Customs X-ray machines but before entering the public area) there is a waiting area on the right for hotel shuttles. If you want to get some Birr, there are ATMs in the customs area right next to this. Take a seat and listen carefully for the relevant driver yelling your hotel name at the appropriate time. There is usually an ET staff member on hand there to assist as well.

The system is a well oiled machine since ET puts hundreds of pax through it every single day. The hotel will arrange your meals, wake up call, shuttle back to airport and everything else you need on ET's account.

PS. Since you have a schedule change, it is likely that ET will have your voucher already printed at your first check-in point. In this case, you will still need to stand in line at transfers to get your specific hotel assignment. Don't make the mistake of going down to immigration without the hotel assignment - they will just send you right back upstairs and then you'll be stuck at the back of the line!

ASEFlyer

the details are most appreciated! cheers!

Myyra

I booked KGL - FRA via ADD on ET, with 19 hours layover at ADD. It worked out cheaper to do this as multi-stop booking, i.e. KGL - ADD, ADD - FRA. Does anyone know if I'm still eligible for the free visa + hotel transfer package via Ethiopian? Or, will they refuse it seeing as I'm technically not in transit?

B747-437B

You can fly KGL-ADD-FRA on a much shorter than 19 hour layover since KGL-ADD is operated 2x daily (both morning and evening banks). You will not be eligible for the free transit package, but you should be able to purchase the $70 package that includes visa, hotel and meals.

Myyra

Thanks, I sure hope so, I'd hate to get stuck in the airport (even with lounge access) for that long - and I took the long layover on purpose to be able to check out Addis for a day.

I understand that people arriving in ADD must be on the first outgoing flight in order to be eligible for the free transit package, and that will be true for me . You're right that there's also an afternoon KGL - ADD flight (4 hours in transit at ADD) as well as the early morning one that I booked. This is the first time I've read that the inbound flight must also be the one with the shortest possible connection.

B747-437B

You are on two separate tickets. That is why you will not be eligible.

Officially, you must have the best possible connection as well but in practice they rarely (but sometimes do) enforce that.

Myyra

Thanks, that's pretty much what I expected. One last question: can I go straight to the immigration and buy the 20$ visa on arrival from them? Or do I still need to go to the ET transfer desk and buy the transit package?

zig2

I am thinking of booking a ZNZ-ADD-KGL flight using United miles. There are two options, one is a 3 hour layover and another is a 14 hour one. The 3 hour one will arrive at 1:40 am which is not preferred. So in this case will ET give me hotel if I book the latter one?

B747-437B

Officially not. But you may get lucky. And in any case you can buy the package for not too expensive.

rootsint

As a data point I booked a business class award iad-bru-add-ebb with a 16 hour layover in ADD. I booked the layover on purpose to spend one day in addis before reaching my destination. When I arrived at 5 am it was raining so for S's and G's I inquired at the voucher desk. I was given a voucher at the hilton even though I wasn't even staying a night. Since I was a little tired, didnt have a good place to leave my things, needed transport from the airport, etc it was great. Hilton gave 2 meal vouchers also.

intltravel90

Hi,

Traveling NBO-ADD-BOM and would like to spend part of a day in ADD. There's a connecting flight that arrives less than 2 hours before the evening BOM flight departs, and there's another one that arrives around 1:30 PM (leaving the afternoon to explore). Alternatively, I could fly in the previous night, with just under or over a 24 hour layover.

Two questions:

(1) Will any of these get the free package? If not, are all eligible for the paid package?
(2) If I take the one that arrives at 1:30 PM (leaving an 8h10m layover), I'll need a transit visa on arrival. What is the cost for US citizens?

Thanks!