ADD / Addis Ababa Bole International Airport - Connections, Facilities, Layovers
Jun 4, 2018, 1:15 am
#31
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
If you are given a "token" for the transit visa (a laminated coloured cardboard piece with a number on it) then your passport will be stamped.
If you are given only the transit voucher, then the passport will not be stamped but rather the onward boarding pass will be stamped accordingly.
Jul 26, 2018, 1:27 pm
#33
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
Officially, access to the Cloud Nine Lounge is based upon the class of your departing flight but it doesn't hurt to ask.
Sep 17, 2018, 9:07 am
#34
Ambassador: World of Hyatt
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: UK - the nearest airport is named after a motorway !
Posts: 4,230
Spending birr at the airport
I recall that the DF stores only take USD, but do any of the cafes/bars airside take birr, or is it USD only throughout? I'm transitting through next week, and wondering whether to take my bag of birr to try to get rid of a few, or if it's not possible at the airport...
Sep 27, 2018, 3:55 pm
#35
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: ShebaMiles Blue, Skywards Blue
Posts: 42
I recall that the DF stores only take USD, but do any of the cafes/bars airside take birr, or is it USD only throughout? I'm transitting through next week, and wondering whether to take my bag of birr to try to get rid of a few, or if it's not possible at the airport...
Oct 3, 2018, 10:10 am
#36
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: Flying Blue, Diamond Club
Posts: 780
Multiple entry question
Can someone explain the double entry transit visa thing? (https://www.ethioembassy.org.uk/fees-table/#step-2)
Does it mean that one can enter twice in Ethiopia within a 24h period OR on two separate days both transit durations can not exceed 23h59?
Can this visa be obtained on arrival? if not possible, can multiple entry visa be granted at the airport?
Btw, according to Skyteam lounge finder, Kenya Airways and Saudia use Cloud Nine Lounge near gate 3 at T2.
Does it mean that one can enter twice in Ethiopia within a 24h period OR on two separate days both transit durations can not exceed 23h59?
Can this visa be obtained on arrival? if not possible, can multiple entry visa be granted at the airport?
Btw, according to Skyteam lounge finder, Kenya Airways and Saudia use Cloud Nine Lounge near gate 3 at T2.
Nov 12, 2018, 9:35 pm
#38
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: ShebaMiles Blue, Skywards Blue
Posts: 42
I was randomly searching the flight status of a flight the other day and noticed that ADD has re-numbered it's gates. I'm assuming this is due to the gradual opening of the expanded terminal. If anyone is traveling via ADD soon, it would be nice to get an update on how the terminal is looking like...
Nov 14, 2018, 7:15 am
#39
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
I was randomly searching the flight status of a flight the other day and noticed that ADD has re-numbered it's gates. I'm assuming this is due to the gradual opening of the expanded terminal. If anyone is traveling via ADD soon, it would be nice to get an update on how the terminal is looking like...
As of last week, the external work for the new terminal extension looks complete (including jetways, etc..) but no idea about the internal testing yet.
Nov 23, 2018, 11:01 pm
#40
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Fairmont Plat, IHG Spire, SPG Gold, WS Gold, Hertz PC, National E Elite,
Posts: 2,766
So I arrive at 1 am and depart at 9:30am. We were going to just book the nearby best western, but if I do that do I also need to get a visa? Is it better just to book at the transit desk? I will be flying business class, but arriving on Turkish and departing in the morning in ET. Thanks!
Nov 24, 2018, 4:30 am
#41
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
So I arrive at 1 am and depart at 9:30am. We were going to just book the nearby best western, but if I do that do I also need to get a visa? Is it better just to book at the transit desk? I will be flying business class, but arriving on Turkish and departing in the morning in ET. Thanks!
You can be completely independent and book your own hotel and visa (which will probably be more expensive overall) but eliminate any delays or risk. At 1am, you will simply breeze through immigration and be in your hotel probably within 30 minutes of touchdown.
Alternatively, you can take your chance with purchasing an STPC package from Ethiopian (you won't be automatically entitled to this as you are on a TK-ET connection). You will be at their "mercy" as to which hotel you are assigned - probably the Radisson Blu as a Business Class passenger since the Hilton has a number of rooms currently under renovation, but for the same reason if the Radisson is full you could be placed somewhere significantly sub-standard. The "visa" is included as part of the package (not really a visa but rather a visa exemption) but you will be at ET's mercy with regards to ground transfers. This will be cheaper, but on a short 8 hour overnight, I'd personally prefer to be completely independent and stress-free rather than worrying about which hotel they are going to put me at.
Nov 24, 2018, 3:04 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: YYC
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Fairmont Plat, IHG Spire, SPG Gold, WS Gold, Hertz PC, National E Elite,
Posts: 2,766
You have two choices.
You can be completely independent and book your own hotel and visa (which will probably be more expensive overall) but eliminate any delays or risk. At 1am, you will simply breeze through immigration and be in your hotel probably within 30 minutes of touchdown.
Alternatively, you can take your chance with purchasing an STPC package from Ethiopian (you won't be automatically entitled to this as you are on a TK-ET connection). You will be at their "mercy" as to which hotel you are assigned - probably the Radisson Blu as a Business Class passenger since the Hilton has a number of rooms currently under renovation, but for the same reason if the Radisson is full you could be placed somewhere significantly sub-standard. The "visa" is included as part of the package (not really a visa but rather a visa exemption) but you will be at ET's mercy with regards to ground transfers. This will be cheaper, but on a short 8 hour overnight, I'd personally prefer to be completely independent and stress-free rather than worrying about which hotel they are going to put me at.
You can be completely independent and book your own hotel and visa (which will probably be more expensive overall) but eliminate any delays or risk. At 1am, you will simply breeze through immigration and be in your hotel probably within 30 minutes of touchdown.
Alternatively, you can take your chance with purchasing an STPC package from Ethiopian (you won't be automatically entitled to this as you are on a TK-ET connection). You will be at their "mercy" as to which hotel you are assigned - probably the Radisson Blu as a Business Class passenger since the Hilton has a number of rooms currently under renovation, but for the same reason if the Radisson is full you could be placed somewhere significantly sub-standard. The "visa" is included as part of the package (not really a visa but rather a visa exemption) but you will be at ET's mercy with regards to ground transfers. This will be cheaper, but on a short 8 hour overnight, I'd personally prefer to be completely independent and stress-free rather than worrying about which hotel they are going to put me at.
Nov 24, 2018, 3:15 pm
#43
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
Online application - usually approved within 24 hours. Cost is $50 (+$2 processing fee).
Dec 1, 2018, 10:14 am
#44
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,362
I am scheduled to arrivie on ET703 from FCO at 6.50am and depart on KQ401 at 9:55am on separate tickets. the KQ flight will be in business class. The ET flight may or may not be in business class (base ticket is economy but I have bid for a cloud nine upgrade, the success of which I will only know a couple of days before the flight).
1) I understand that 7-9am is a very busy time at ADD but I assume that, barring a catastrophic delay to ET703, there should still be plenty of time to connect?
2) I should in principle have an online printed boarding pass for the KQ flight. Is ADD one of these places where the boarding pass needs to be stamped by immigration or some some authority in order to be able to board or can I just head to the boarding gate with my unstamped online boarding pass?
3) If, for some reason, I cannot get my online boarding pass for KQ, is there an airside transit desk I can refer to at ADD and, if so, do I just follow the green signs for connecting passengers or is there a different route to follow for transit desks?
4) Is the Cloud Nine/Star Alliance Gold fast track security channel exclusively for Cloud 9/*A G passengers as the name suggests or can business class passengers of other airlines such as KQ use it too?
Dec 1, 2018, 12:56 pm
#45
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,655
1) I understand that 7-9am is a very busy time at ADD but I assume that, barring a catastrophic delay to ET703, there should still be plenty of time to connect?
2) I should in principle have an online printed boarding pass for the KQ flight. Is ADD one of these places where the boarding pass needs to be stamped by immigration or some some authority in order to be able to board or can I just head to the boarding gate with my unstamped online boarding pass?
3) If, for some reason, I cannot get my online boarding pass for KQ, is there an airside transit desk I can refer to at ADD and, if so, do I just follow the green signs for connecting passengers or is there a different route to follow for transit desks?
4) Is the Cloud Nine/Star Alliance Gold fast track security channel exclusively for Cloud 9/*A G passengers as the name suggests or can business class passengers of other airlines such as KQ use it too?
2) I should in principle have an online printed boarding pass for the KQ flight. Is ADD one of these places where the boarding pass needs to be stamped by immigration or some some authority in order to be able to board or can I just head to the boarding gate with my unstamped online boarding pass?
3) If, for some reason, I cannot get my online boarding pass for KQ, is there an airside transit desk I can refer to at ADD and, if so, do I just follow the green signs for connecting passengers or is there a different route to follow for transit desks?
4) Is the Cloud Nine/Star Alliance Gold fast track security channel exclusively for Cloud 9/*A G passengers as the name suggests or can business class passengers of other airlines such as KQ use it too?
2) No, they are fine with a regular OLCI printout or even a mobile boarding pass on your phone. No stamps required.
3) Technically, if you dont have your BP already, you will need to go to the "Interline Desk" which is the same place you go for the STPC vouchers. They will tell you to wait until they track down the KQ staff who will then bring your boarding pass to the gate at boarding time where you will receive it as you board. Sounds complex but it works.
4) Officially its for Star Gold / Cloud Nine only, but I can't imagine them turning you away as a KQ premium passenger. They are usually very helpful and friendly in Addis.