dvs7310

Flying ET, I'm looking at at 10 hour layover at ADD between the once daily LLI and HKG flights. I've used the ET stopover program on INT-INT before with no issues, but do they still give me the hotel voucher on DOM-INT flights?

Marslandflyer

My understanding is that the stopover programme is tied to the transit visa programme whereby ET takes responsibility for the passenger (by accommodating them) during the INT-INT transfer. With a DOM-INT transfer, you are already in Ethiopia and therefore not the airline's responsibility, so no hotel voucher. As you may know, DOM flights arrive at T1 and there are no transit or hotel counter facilities there.

dvs7310

Yes and no, I'd say... their website is clear as mud on this issue. I've used the transit program and you don't get a visa at all, just show your boarding pass and hotel voucher to immigration and they stamp your boarding pass only, no visa, no passport stamp, nothing. But last time I used it (May this year), when I went to the transit counter in ADD to get the voucher they were surprised that the check in counter at NBO didn't give me the voucher already, so I guess outstations can do it... now if LLI can do it or not could be another story, but seems international outstations can.

Marslandflyer

I lived in ADD for the last year. The way it has been explained to me by friends at Ethiopian Airlines is that even though your passport may not be stamped with a formal transit visa (although having used the transit programme myself perhaps half a dozen times, sometimes there is a stamp, sometimes not), ET takes immigration responsibility for the passenger involved. It happens, sometimes, that those in transit don't return for their onward flight, and apart from the obvious problem of change fees and ticket cancellations, immigration causes all sorts of problems.

For about a year now, international outstations are supposed to verify eligibility and issue hotel vouchers - I have received vouchers ex-DXB, amongst other places. The idea was to reduce the burden in ADD of issuing vouchers - but depending on the station manager a given outstation may or may not be actively issuing hotel vouchers. The key point here remains it is a policy of international, and not domestic obligation, but let us know what ET personnel in LLI say.

dvs7310

Looks like I'm not going to be able to find out this time. I had initially planned to take the 10:40am flight which arrives at ADD 11:50am and gave well over 8 hours (the minimum for the transit voucher) but it seems I ended up booking the 12:15pm flight which doesn't get to ADD until 2:20pm since it stops en route at Gondar, so I now only have a 7h55m layover, LOL... that's my luck... or perhaps my good luck if they would have denied the voucher anyway. Now I have to figure out somewhere to dump my carry on luggage for the day, not keen on staying in the lounge for nearly 8 hours.