Originally Posted by
seaspray218
Thank you for this intel, B747! Puzzling that the ET agent would be so wrong across the board, and not particularly encouraging as an intro to ET, hah. Do I have to do anything in advance, or just wait until our arrival in ADD to find an agent to facilitate this?
I wonder if you also have any insight into the following separate-but-related question: on our outbound journey to ZNZ, we couldn't get a booking that included the final leg, so we arrive into ADD on an open-jaw that later returns on the itinerary mentioned above. To get to ZNZ, we have a separate ticket, also on ET but booked as a one-way from ADD-ZNZ again about 12 hours after arrival. This one I'm sure we will certainly be on our own for hotel etc - but I am wondering if it may in any way be possible to get the ET gate agent perhaps in EWR to check the bag through to the final ZNZ destination? I imagine this is wildly unlikely, but man, if it were possible it would so simplify that layover and the yellow fever requirements of ZNZ.
You should get your transit voucher at the check-in desk at ZNZ. Nothing additional for you to do. If they don't automatically give it to you, ask for it - they are supposed to have them pre-printed at the departure airport and sitting with the supervisor. If you don't get it in ZNZ then you will need to go to the "Transit Accomodation" office in Addis (new location is on the left just before the transit security checkpoints) to collect the duplicate.
You are correct that separate tickets on the outbound will not be entitled to the STPC package. However there is no reason that they shouldn't be able to tag your bags through from Newark to Zanzibar and also issue your connecting boarding passes. I've always been succesful getting ET to tag my bags through to ET or other Star Alliance carrier flights even on separate tickets, but it may depend on the checkin agent at Newark. This overnight layover is where the In Terminal Skylight Hotel could be quite useful, especially since you don't have experience with navigating Addis on your own.