dparkinson

Does anyone know if you can fly just the JRO-ZNZ part of ADD-JRO-ZNZ service, or if you can do a stopover in JRO for a day or two on that journey?

dvs7310

Just poking around on ITA Matrix, it doesn't look like it. Probably an anti-cabotage rule on the domestic flight, but it will let you book via KQ and transit NBO. (The JRO-NBO though is still on PW metal, I can't see any KQ metal to JRO or ARK)

I'd just book it as an open jaw XXX-JRO // ZNZ-XXX then book a one way on PW (Precision Air) for the domestic segment. I haven't read anything bad about them, it seems to be a pretty decently run operation.

Another issue with actually booking this flight on ET if they would let you is that they quite frequently rearrange the schedule according to the day's loads. There was a time I was flying to DAR, when I booked the flight it was scheduled as 767 ADD-ZNZ-DAR, then it changed to 737 ADD-JRO-DAR a few days before the flight, then on the morning when we arrived in ADD it changed again to a Q400 direct ADD-DAR. It may end up that the segment you want doesn't end up operating that day due to loads and one part gets bundled into DAR's flight but you wouldn't know it until last minute.

dparkinson

Interesting. Do they often swap widebodies for prop jets? I barely trust Ua's Q400s, I don't think I really trust theirs.

dvs7310

Don't know how often, but they certainly do it. ET's fleet management is interesting to say the least. On trunk routes you're quite likely to get what you're expecting, but even then perhaps not. Back when CAN-ADD still went via BKK on the 767, they once swapped us to a 772 and flew direct (wasn't complaining on that swap). ADD-DAR is a VERY long flight on a Q400 too, wasn't much fun. It's 947nm according to great circle mapper, that's on the upper end of its range and probably explains why they left a bunch of checked luggage in ADD.

Flightaware will show you 4 months of history, it shows ET815 with a mix of 788, 763, and 738, didn't see any Q400 in recent times. Checked DAR (ET805) out of curiosity, it's the same as JRO plus 752 is thrown in there from time to time.

Sabasi

Precision Air is a financially troubled operation. Otherwise, it is perfectly fine.

ET does not have intra-Tanzania ticket selling rights.

ET has not had an accident/incident involving a turboprop in almost 20 years.

evanb

Dare I say the ET 767 interiors are not in great shape (unlike the 777s and 787s which are in great shape). The Q400s are still relatively new and in decent shape inside.

uanj

This is exactly what happened to me in the last year. Booked on a 738 for ADD-ZNZ but flew (with an earlier departure time yet!) on a 763 for ADD-DAR-ZNZ. We could not deplane in DAR. Leaving Tanzania was booked on a 738 for JRO-ADD and ended up (still in a designated business cabin if you can believe it ) on a Q400. I have to say I was generally impressed by ET, especially the 763s and 777s.

PW is ok, just make darn sure you are there indisputably before their 1 hr check-in deadline. We were delayed in ZNZ by the ridiculous luggage screening where they first send it through non-operational xray machines and then haul it over to a flat counter to be opened, unpacked and manually inspected. Once this is done you pack up and take it back to the non-operational machine where they will run it through again. The delay was some diving equipment looked like medical equipment to them.

After watching this debacle unfold over 20 minutes we got to the check in counter to be told we were 2 minutes too late and had been offloaded. Suspecting someone need some money placed in his hand I challenged him first. I asked is the flight oversold- oh no, less than half full. Has the flight arrived- no, it will be an hour before it arrives. Has the plane taken off yet from its last station- no, not yet, it is only a 12 minute flight.

I said what prevents you from putting us on the flight and checking our luggage before I call the DAR office to complain about what is happening. Luggage was checked and boarding passes issued, but all done by hand in nice handwriting. A guy showed up even later than us and received the same royal welcome, Something passed between his hand and the guy giving everyone the trouble and he, too, then was accommodated.

dvs7310

I was probably within 30 seconds of having the same treatment in SEZ one time while flying ET. I don't think the bribe would have worked in SEZ though unfortunately. She did reopen the flight and check us in fortunately, the problem there was they wanted to leave a full 30 minutes early, not something I was prepared for and showed up a bit before normal check in cutoff should have been. The plane was almost completely full of an Italian tour group, we may have been the only non group passengers on the flight or there were very few others, so suppose they decided the tour group is here so let's go home.

Sabasi

ET no longer flies ADD to ZNZ nonstop.

dvs7310

Until one day they decide that they have a majority of pax on the flight booked to ZNZ and fly it non-stop, subbing a smaller plane to DAR or JRO. One thing I've learned with ET is never to say never.

Sabasi

They don't change routings at the last minute.

dvs7310

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one. See my posts #2 and #4 as well as uanj's post #7, I'm not the only one who's experienced a very last minute ET route change and it's happened to me more than once.

Sabasi

ET does not fly ADD to Zanzibar nonstop. And I cannot find any evidence that it ever did.

Sabasi

There have been periods when ET operated both nonstop (on a 777-200LR) and one-stop (on a 767 via BKK) scheduled service between ADD and CAN, depending on the day of the week.

dvs7310

The time I was referencing was scheduled as a 763 via BKK when we booked the tickets then it was swapped to a 77L non-stop a couple days before the flight. As I said though, I wasn't complaining a bit about that upgrade, most of the 763s are in very rough shape but did end up spending a few more hours in the ADD lounge than had originally planned. Was too early in the morning to really leave the airport and see anything unfortunately.