Halfway around the earth and back with Ethiopian (IAD-ADD-NBO and return with pics)
Jul 28, 2010, 2:57 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MCO
Posts: 867
Halfway around the earth and back with Ethiopian (IAD-ADD-NBO and return with pics)
Earlier this month I got to try out an airline that rarely makes an appearance in this forum- Ethiopian Airlines. I flew them from Washington Dulles to Nairobi and back in economy class.
Ethiopian serves destinations throughout Africa and into Europe, Asia and the US via its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The airline has two classes on its planes- economy and business, which is called Cloud Nine.
The check-in process at IAD went smoothly. Ethiopian doesn't charge for the first checked bag, which is a nice perk. However, they don't offer check-in online or at a kiosk, so you must check in at the ticket desk first.
The legroom in coach was pretty typical for coach class seating. I was comfortable, but someone taller then my statuesque 5' 2" might find them a bit more unbearable. They also provided everyone with an amenity kit consisting of ET-branded socks, eyemask, toothbrush and toothpaste in a plastic bag.
One of the first things I did after getting on board is flip through the in-flight magazine that listed their movie options for the flight. Their IFE offerings included about 4 movies and some shorter programs. Nothing amazing, but it's what I expect for economy class. Unfortunately, as I was about to find out, the system didn't meet even those expectations.
After takeoff, the FAs did a drink run and handed out these cute jet-shaped crackers.
I settled in and started watching "Date Night". Shortly after the movie ended, the FAs started the dinner run. For this long flight, three options were offered- beef, chicken or fish. I went with the beef, which was pretty tasty for airline food. It wasn't dried-out and had a nice flavor to it thanks to the gravy. I also like the fact that the meal came with a lot of side dishes including a roll, salad, dessert and cheese and crackers. ET also serves up free wine and beer to all passengers whenever beverages are offered. Definitely a nice bonus.
During dinner I watched another movie, The Last Song. It was when I was thinking of watching a third movie that I encountered the first of many glitches with the IFE system. The other movies on the system kept replaying the first five minutes of the film over and over again. The channel with short-form programming didn't work at all. I had brought some books with me, so the malfunctions were more of a nuisance then anything else.
A couple of hours after dinner the FAs served up the mid-flight cold snack. Like dinner, the food was surprisingly flavorful. The one disappointing aspect of it was the rice was hard and dry.
Their IAD-ADD route is not a non-stop flight- the plane stops in FCO for a technical stop, which includes things like refueling, changing crews, removing some trash and bringing more food aboard. The stop takes about an hour, and during that time the IFE system is shut off and passengers can't use the lavs. Passengers can get out of their seats, but with all the traffic in the aisles and galleys from cleaning crews and other staff there's not a lot of places passengers can move around to.
One interesting sight- I saw a flight attendant move around the cabin and actually unbuckling passenger seatbelts. I'm guessing it's some kind of safety requirement when the plane is refueling. Still, I never thought I'd hear a flight attendant telling me to unbuckle my seatbelt.
ET does have some 787s on order. If those planes have the legs to get to ADD without stopping, that would make this flight significantly shorter and avoid the annoying fuel stop in the process. The most frustrating part of the fuel stop is that it takes place in the middle of the night in both directions. It means that it's either early morning in Ethopia and late night in the US or vice-versa so most passengers were starting to doze off when the stop occurs. The IFE system was reset during the stop and it fixed the issue of the stuck movies.
Before landing, breakfast was served. The options were omelets or crepes and I went with the crepes. What I was served surprised me. I was expecting some thin pancake-like thing wrapped around fruit. What I got was this:
I guess crepes have a different definition in Ethiopia. But what I got was so much better then what I expected. The round medallions turned out to be a fluffy egg-like concoction covered in an amazing cheese sauce. I wish I could get the recipe for this as I would love to have it again (something I thought I'd never say about airline food).
The process of changing planes at ADD is straightforward. ADD doesn't require passengers to go through immigration if they are going from one international flight to another. Passengers still have to go through a security screening at each gate, which I found a bit ironic as I was getting rescreened to get back on the plane I was just on. The plane used for IAD-ADD is also used to NBO (and vice-versa)
I normally fly on US airlines, so my expectations of food service is pretty low. So I was surprised that Ethiopian served a full lunch on the ADD-NBO leg, which is about 2 hours long. On most US airlines, there's rarely more then a snack even for "international" flights going to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. I didn't snap a photo of lunch- jetlag was catching up with me by that point. But there were two choices offered- lasagna or chicken and rice. Again, the meal was quite good and the rice came out right this time.
Because of where I was sitting, I had a good view of the Cloud Nine service. Cloud Nine passengers get larger seats and IFE screens and meals are served on proper china instead of plastic. They also get hot towel service, apps and dessert along with the meal. There's also a Cloud Nine lounge at ADD (and a separate ShebaMiles lounge for members of Ethiopian's frequent flyer program).
The check-in at NBO was significantly slower then the check-in at IAD. I was travelling with a team of 10 and the process from first person to last took over 40 minutes. Admittedly part of the problem may have come from the last few members still checking in at the cut-off point (our drivers taking us to the airport were late, although we were all in line 20 minutes before the cut-off time). Besides the slow check-in, some bags were checked all the way to MCO, while others were checked only to IAD even though the agent was told we were all going to MCO. ET did had an agent at IAD who fixed the mistagged bags in the bag drop area after clearing customs. Also, one member was given a boarding pass only to ADD and had to pick up the other BP in ADD, even though all the rest of the group got both BPs. Strange.
This was one of those times where being able to check-in online or use kiosks would have saved some time and frustration for my group.
On the return leg from NBO to ADD, dinner was served. This time however I was seated in the last row of the cabin. Ethiopian serves the meals front to back and on this two-hour flight the FAs seemed to struggle a little bit in getting the meals out on time. By the time they got to my row, the only option available was lamb. I don't know for certain if they had more then one choice, but considering I was offered a choice at every other meal service, it doesn't surprise me if they had ran out of the other option by the last row. The lamb was spicy and delicious.
However, the IFE problems continued on this flight. This time, the system didn't work at all and the crew appeared to be so busy with the meal service that no one attempted to restart the system or make any apologies for its malfunction. Not a big deal for the short flight, but it was disappointing that the problems were not acknowledged at all.
The return flight ADD-IAD (with that fuel stop in FCO again) was pretty similar to the first flight, complete with those IFE problems again. The same plane from NBO was used for this leg and ET did get the system partly working again before the flight. This time around, two movies and some short programming was available. Alas, the two movies were the same ones I had watched on the way over. Oh well. The same number of meals were served, but it was dinner, cold breakfast and lunch this time around.
Dinner (the fish option- beef and chicken was also offered)
Breakfast
Lunch (Chicken here, with fish or beef again as options). The couscous salad with little bits of sundried tomatoes in it was simply divine and the chicken was quite tender.
Overall, my impression of Ethiopian is positive. I would fly them again. The food was fantastic and FAs were friendly.
If they could get their IFE system working consistently and provide some other ways to check in besides the ticket desk, the airline would be a solid 3-star airline in my book.
Ethiopian serves destinations throughout Africa and into Europe, Asia and the US via its main hub in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The airline has two classes on its planes- economy and business, which is called Cloud Nine.
The check-in process at IAD went smoothly. Ethiopian doesn't charge for the first checked bag, which is a nice perk. However, they don't offer check-in online or at a kiosk, so you must check in at the ticket desk first.
The legroom in coach was pretty typical for coach class seating. I was comfortable, but someone taller then my statuesque 5' 2" might find them a bit more unbearable. They also provided everyone with an amenity kit consisting of ET-branded socks, eyemask, toothbrush and toothpaste in a plastic bag.
One of the first things I did after getting on board is flip through the in-flight magazine that listed their movie options for the flight. Their IFE offerings included about 4 movies and some shorter programs. Nothing amazing, but it's what I expect for economy class. Unfortunately, as I was about to find out, the system didn't meet even those expectations.
After takeoff, the FAs did a drink run and handed out these cute jet-shaped crackers.
I settled in and started watching "Date Night". Shortly after the movie ended, the FAs started the dinner run. For this long flight, three options were offered- beef, chicken or fish. I went with the beef, which was pretty tasty for airline food. It wasn't dried-out and had a nice flavor to it thanks to the gravy. I also like the fact that the meal came with a lot of side dishes including a roll, salad, dessert and cheese and crackers. ET also serves up free wine and beer to all passengers whenever beverages are offered. Definitely a nice bonus.
During dinner I watched another movie, The Last Song. It was when I was thinking of watching a third movie that I encountered the first of many glitches with the IFE system. The other movies on the system kept replaying the first five minutes of the film over and over again. The channel with short-form programming didn't work at all. I had brought some books with me, so the malfunctions were more of a nuisance then anything else.
A couple of hours after dinner the FAs served up the mid-flight cold snack. Like dinner, the food was surprisingly flavorful. The one disappointing aspect of it was the rice was hard and dry.
Their IAD-ADD route is not a non-stop flight- the plane stops in FCO for a technical stop, which includes things like refueling, changing crews, removing some trash and bringing more food aboard. The stop takes about an hour, and during that time the IFE system is shut off and passengers can't use the lavs. Passengers can get out of their seats, but with all the traffic in the aisles and galleys from cleaning crews and other staff there's not a lot of places passengers can move around to.
One interesting sight- I saw a flight attendant move around the cabin and actually unbuckling passenger seatbelts. I'm guessing it's some kind of safety requirement when the plane is refueling. Still, I never thought I'd hear a flight attendant telling me to unbuckle my seatbelt.
ET does have some 787s on order. If those planes have the legs to get to ADD without stopping, that would make this flight significantly shorter and avoid the annoying fuel stop in the process. The most frustrating part of the fuel stop is that it takes place in the middle of the night in both directions. It means that it's either early morning in Ethopia and late night in the US or vice-versa so most passengers were starting to doze off when the stop occurs. The IFE system was reset during the stop and it fixed the issue of the stuck movies.
Before landing, breakfast was served. The options were omelets or crepes and I went with the crepes. What I was served surprised me. I was expecting some thin pancake-like thing wrapped around fruit. What I got was this:
I guess crepes have a different definition in Ethiopia. But what I got was so much better then what I expected. The round medallions turned out to be a fluffy egg-like concoction covered in an amazing cheese sauce. I wish I could get the recipe for this as I would love to have it again (something I thought I'd never say about airline food).
The process of changing planes at ADD is straightforward. ADD doesn't require passengers to go through immigration if they are going from one international flight to another. Passengers still have to go through a security screening at each gate, which I found a bit ironic as I was getting rescreened to get back on the plane I was just on. The plane used for IAD-ADD is also used to NBO (and vice-versa)
I normally fly on US airlines, so my expectations of food service is pretty low. So I was surprised that Ethiopian served a full lunch on the ADD-NBO leg, which is about 2 hours long. On most US airlines, there's rarely more then a snack even for "international" flights going to Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. I didn't snap a photo of lunch- jetlag was catching up with me by that point. But there were two choices offered- lasagna or chicken and rice. Again, the meal was quite good and the rice came out right this time.
Because of where I was sitting, I had a good view of the Cloud Nine service. Cloud Nine passengers get larger seats and IFE screens and meals are served on proper china instead of plastic. They also get hot towel service, apps and dessert along with the meal. There's also a Cloud Nine lounge at ADD (and a separate ShebaMiles lounge for members of Ethiopian's frequent flyer program).
The check-in at NBO was significantly slower then the check-in at IAD. I was travelling with a team of 10 and the process from first person to last took over 40 minutes. Admittedly part of the problem may have come from the last few members still checking in at the cut-off point (our drivers taking us to the airport were late, although we were all in line 20 minutes before the cut-off time). Besides the slow check-in, some bags were checked all the way to MCO, while others were checked only to IAD even though the agent was told we were all going to MCO. ET did had an agent at IAD who fixed the mistagged bags in the bag drop area after clearing customs. Also, one member was given a boarding pass only to ADD and had to pick up the other BP in ADD, even though all the rest of the group got both BPs. Strange.
This was one of those times where being able to check-in online or use kiosks would have saved some time and frustration for my group.
On the return leg from NBO to ADD, dinner was served. This time however I was seated in the last row of the cabin. Ethiopian serves the meals front to back and on this two-hour flight the FAs seemed to struggle a little bit in getting the meals out on time. By the time they got to my row, the only option available was lamb. I don't know for certain if they had more then one choice, but considering I was offered a choice at every other meal service, it doesn't surprise me if they had ran out of the other option by the last row. The lamb was spicy and delicious.
However, the IFE problems continued on this flight. This time, the system didn't work at all and the crew appeared to be so busy with the meal service that no one attempted to restart the system or make any apologies for its malfunction. Not a big deal for the short flight, but it was disappointing that the problems were not acknowledged at all.
The return flight ADD-IAD (with that fuel stop in FCO again) was pretty similar to the first flight, complete with those IFE problems again. The same plane from NBO was used for this leg and ET did get the system partly working again before the flight. This time around, two movies and some short programming was available. Alas, the two movies were the same ones I had watched on the way over. Oh well. The same number of meals were served, but it was dinner, cold breakfast and lunch this time around.
Dinner (the fish option- beef and chicken was also offered)
Breakfast
Lunch (Chicken here, with fish or beef again as options). The couscous salad with little bits of sundried tomatoes in it was simply divine and the chicken was quite tender.
Overall, my impression of Ethiopian is positive. I would fly them again. The food was fantastic and FAs were friendly.
If they could get their IFE system working consistently and provide some other ways to check in besides the ticket desk, the airline would be a solid 3-star airline in my book.
Last edited by LizzyDragon84; Jul 28, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Jul 28, 2010, 3:38 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: MCO
Posts: 867
Thanks, mynameismud for your kind comments. I'm glad you think I was optimistic- I guess because this was my first trip to Africa and I was so happy to be going there.
The flight time for IAD-ADD was around 15-16 hours. The overseas leg takes about 8 hours, the flight down to Africa takes 6, plus a hour at FCO.
No passengers got on or off at FCO. I'm guessing it's because ET doesn't have fifth-freedom rights between the US and Italy and having passengers get on and off would complicate things further. ET does sell tickets to FCO, but it must be a separate flight.
The flight time for IAD-ADD was around 15-16 hours. The overseas leg takes about 8 hours, the flight down to Africa takes 6, plus a hour at FCO.
No passengers got on or off at FCO. I'm guessing it's because ET doesn't have fifth-freedom rights between the US and Italy and having passengers get on and off would complicate things further. ET does sell tickets to FCO, but it must be a separate flight.
^^^
Jul 30, 2010, 8:17 am
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: East Ester, Alaska
Programs: Alaska Million Miler, United Million Miler, Wyndham Rewards Diamond, Choice Hotels Diamond
Posts: 12,148
Thanks for this report! It looks like ET takes good care of its Economy Class passengers.
Sep 6, 2010, 1:49 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Stavanger, Norway
Programs: Flying Blue Platinum, HiltonHon Diamond, Radisson Rewards Gold, One World Silver, Eurobonus Silver
Posts: 63
Nice TR.
I flew Ethiopian a few times between Frankfurt and Adis in 2008 as I was working in Ethiopia. Food was not good then, glad to hear they improved. I remember they had ads all over Adis about the new 787s which were to be introduced "very soon". Assume they are among the first in line to get those planes delivered. Hope so because replacement of the fleet is already overdue. With the new planes Ethiopian should go from OK to great!
I never considered joining their FF-program ShebaMiles (cool name^), but now see they have partnered with SAS Eurobonus in adition to LH MM, which is good.
I flew Ethiopian a few times between Frankfurt and Adis in 2008 as I was working in Ethiopia. Food was not good then, glad to hear they improved. I remember they had ads all over Adis about the new 787s which were to be introduced "very soon". Assume they are among the first in line to get those planes delivered. Hope so because replacement of the fleet is already overdue. With the new planes Ethiopian should go from OK to great!
I never considered joining their FF-program ShebaMiles (cool name^), but now see they have partnered with SAS Eurobonus in adition to LH MM, which is good.
