ET - 20 min connection Intl to Intl in ADD?
May 31, 2017, 12:54 pm
#16
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 244
So transited through Addis last weekend. What a messy airport. The staff however is great! They are very friendly and organize the chaotic queues at the two security checkpoints very well by going through the queues and asking passengers with particular destinations which are boarding to follow them to another check point and making sure they would get their flight. Also, they met passengers on short connections directly at the gangway and supposedly led them short tracked through security to the next flight.
Also, for Star Gold and Cloud 9 (Business Class) there is a separate checkpoint and if you get bus bording (which happens often in ADD) they even have a special gate for Gold and Business Class passenger which own busses that bring you to the plane.
The airport itself you can consider yourself lucky if you can access a lounge. It's full, it's loud, it's chaotic. There have prefabricated toilet cublicles everywhere as there is not enough toilets. It's very narrow as well, the stores look cheap (half of the stalls are actually abandonned), the few restaurants look bad, wifi does not work, in one area you smell the smoke from the smoking rooms etc...
Also, for Star Gold and Cloud 9 (Business Class) there is a separate checkpoint and if you get bus bording (which happens often in ADD) they even have a special gate for Gold and Business Class passenger which own busses that bring you to the plane.
The airport itself you can consider yourself lucky if you can access a lounge. It's full, it's loud, it's chaotic. There have prefabricated toilet cublicles everywhere as there is not enough toilets. It's very narrow as well, the stores look cheap (half of the stalls are actually abandonned), the few restaurants look bad, wifi does not work, in one area you smell the smoke from the smoking rooms etc...
Sep 25, 2017, 11:10 am
#18
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 346
Yes, unless the transit is really tight. Otherwise, there will be a separate bus (if not directly connected to the boarding bridge) waiting after getting off from the plane that takes you directly to your next flight. If the arrival plane arrives directly to the boarding bridge gate, an agent will be waiting for you to take to the next flight directly, without having to go through any security check. Again, this only applies when the connection is really tight (about less than 30mins).
Oct 24, 2017, 11:53 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,824
I was on CPT-ADD last week and upon arrival at ADD (no delay) ET staff onboard called for pax to IAD - ET ground staff did the same in the jetbridge and staff were waiting at the end of the airbridge with signs for those pax (apparently to take them directly to the gate/aircraft) I had a look at the depart. screen and the IAD flight was already closed but I assume that ground staff got those pax onboard their IAD flight.
Oct 24, 2017, 11:59 am
#22
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,824
Indeed. But the security checks at ADD is not that strict - nothing to worry about. There is a separate security entrance for Cloud Nine and Star Gold pax (in the middle of the departure hall; you can't miss it). The lines were very short.
Oct 25, 2017, 2:40 am
#23
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
Very glad to read that ET does a good job in connecting passengers and baggage!
I have an international-international connection with ET coming up and I noticed I have to transfer from Terminal 1 (regional flights, I assume?) to Terminal 2.
In an old thread, I read a transfer from T2 to T1 (or vice versa) involved getting through immigration, getting landside and walking to the other terminal. That specific thread seems to relate to an Intl-Domestic connection and I am transferring between 2 international flights.
Does anyone have recent experience with an international T1-T2 transfer? Do I still need to go through immigration and walk over to the other terminal (assuming I am not met at the gate/stairs by an ET rep)? I have a fairly long connection time (1:20), so I am not too worried about missing my connection, but just want to manage my expectations ;-).
Any insight/experience is appreciated!
I have an international-international connection with ET coming up and I noticed I have to transfer from Terminal 1 (regional flights, I assume?) to Terminal 2.
In an old thread, I read a transfer from T2 to T1 (or vice versa) involved getting through immigration, getting landside and walking to the other terminal. That specific thread seems to relate to an Intl-Domestic connection and I am transferring between 2 international flights.
Does anyone have recent experience with an international T1-T2 transfer? Do I still need to go through immigration and walk over to the other terminal (assuming I am not met at the gate/stairs by an ET rep)? I have a fairly long connection time (1:20), so I am not too worried about missing my connection, but just want to manage my expectations ;-).
Any insight/experience is appreciated!
Oct 25, 2017, 6:46 am
#24
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
Does anyone have recent experience with an international T1-T2 transfer? Do I still need to go through immigration and walk over to the other terminal (assuming I am not met at the gate/stairs by an ET rep)? I have a fairly long connection time (1:20), so I am not too worried about missing my connection, but just want to manage my expectations ;-).
However, the standard protocol is that you will see a sign for "CONNECTING FLIGHTS" as you enter into T1 (assuming a bus gate). Follow the sign and there will be an ET staff member who arranges an airside bus to take you to T2. The entire process usually takes around 3-5 minutes total as they keep a bus ready for the transfer whenever a flight arrives at T1 and the T1 flights are usually no larger than Dash 8s or 737s.
Oct 25, 2017, 8:30 am
#25
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: RTM
Posts: 130
There is a lot of construction ongoing in the area between T1-T2, so this may change slightly depending on the construction progress.
However, the standard protocol is that you will see a sign for "CONNECTING FLIGHTS" as you enter into T1 (assuming a bus gate). Follow the sign and there will be an ET staff member who arranges an airside bus to take you to T2. The entire process usually takes around 3-5 minutes total as they keep a bus ready for the transfer whenever a flight arrives at T1 and the T1 flights are usually no larger than Dash 8s or 737s.
However, the standard protocol is that you will see a sign for "CONNECTING FLIGHTS" as you enter into T1 (assuming a bus gate). Follow the sign and there will be an ET staff member who arranges an airside bus to take you to T2. The entire process usually takes around 3-5 minutes total as they keep a bus ready for the transfer whenever a flight arrives at T1 and the T1 flights are usually no larger than Dash 8s or 737s.
I am actually arriving on a 77L (from JED), so that will be a big bird between the Dash 8s :-)
Oct 26, 2017, 3:07 am
#26
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,656
If you're in Clound Nine, you'll have a separate bus. Just ask the driver / ground staff to drop you directly at T2 and they will usually oblige. Makes it even simpler.
Mar 7, 2019, 7:53 am
#27
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: Chicago
Posts: 318
BOM-ADD-CPT on ET611/ET847 is actually a relatively safe connection. ET will have a separate bus on the tarmac when 611 arrives to directly transfer connecting passengers to the next aircraft and bypass the terminal entirely. You can go from one seat to the next in 5 minutes flat.
Mar 7, 2019, 10:17 am
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Denmark
Programs: TK Elite
Posts: 11,824
No need to request anything. If needed for getting to you flight in time, ET will arrange it. If not arranged when you disembark, just proceed up to departure level and pass through security check to get to your gate. 35min at ADD is not a big issue.
Apr 7, 2019, 11:34 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: Boston MA
Posts: 127
I've got an ET itinerary in Y on hold right now. What concerns me is the routing from CPT-ADD-IAD-IAH (last leg codeshare via UA but booked on one ticket). The connection in ADD is only scheduled at 20 minutes - surprised that's legal! I'd think there's got to be a few passengers on this route from time to time. I've read a few posts and threads that mention ADD transit is fairly easy/quick and employees even hustle you along on tight connections. However I'm also looking at FlightAware and the on time performance of the flights. Leaving CPT tends to be within 10-20 minutes of scheduled, but it seems the arrival time is rarely early. Often the flight arrives within 5 minutes of the DUB/IAD departure. So who has ET mis-connect experience? I'm guessing about 80% chance it would happen if I book this. There aren't any offered options with better connections and forcing a 25hr stopover in ADD is an additional cost.
Assuming the misconnect, will ET likely offer me other routings and/or the ADD-DUB/IAD flight the following day? I wouldn't totally mind the 24 hour stopover. I'm planning on crediting miles to TK. Obviously if I got rebooked, it's going to have to involve something other than ET metal. Do you think they'll still try to book me on ET as much of the route as they can? If they send me through Europe or something on other *A metal, I presume I'd have to take the mileage from those routes based on the fare class ET books me in? How much time am I likely to have to make decisions and will they be able to tell me about the fare classes? I can pre-plan some, but pulling up the TK website to check fare classes and mileage earning is probably not an option. However, I am kind of counting on the miles for my status upgrade.
If I misconnect, how likely is it that ET will provide me the complimentary transit visa, hotel, shuttle, etc?
Thanks!
Assuming the misconnect, will ET likely offer me other routings and/or the ADD-DUB/IAD flight the following day? I wouldn't totally mind the 24 hour stopover. I'm planning on crediting miles to TK. Obviously if I got rebooked, it's going to have to involve something other than ET metal. Do you think they'll still try to book me on ET as much of the route as they can? If they send me through Europe or something on other *A metal, I presume I'd have to take the mileage from those routes based on the fare class ET books me in? How much time am I likely to have to make decisions and will they be able to tell me about the fare classes? I can pre-plan some, but pulling up the TK website to check fare classes and mileage earning is probably not an option. However, I am kind of counting on the miles for my status upgrade.
If I misconnect, how likely is it that ET will provide me the complimentary transit visa, hotel, shuttle, etc?
Thanks!
In rebooking, ET was trying to get me to IAD, but when I mentioned my destination was IAH, they put me on an ET A350 to LHR (1st time to London and on an A350 so I was excited) a few hours later and then a BA 747 to IAH in full fare Y. I'd never been on a 747 so got to cross both types off my list! I didn't have a seat assignment on BA when I checked in at Heathrow. I was going to see about upfaring to W or J but they said they could get me an empty row of 3 in Y and with a few hours before takeoff I took the chance on poor man's first class to hold.
That was all fine, but I wondered whether my 2 checked bags would make the journey, despite assurances from the staff in ADD that they'd be pulled and retagged. They didn't show on the carousel in IAH, and even more strangely they showed up 2 and 3 days later via different routings. I think one took the original path through DUB and IAD and I can't remember how the other made it, but it was definitely a day later and starting to make me worry!
Oh well, a good story and glad to have made the journey and enjoyed the unknowns as they unraveled.
Reviewing this thread had me remembering how potentially concerned I too was about the yellow fever vaccination and hoping I didn't have an unplanned stopover in Ethiopia without it.
May 1, 2019, 12:54 pm
#30
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Washington, DC
Posts: 2
Thanks to everyone commenting on this thread, this was so helpful. We are looking at VFA-CAI on Ethiopian with a 35 minute stopover at ADD and I was going to chicken out, but reading this it sounds like we've got a pretty good chance of it all working out. Cheers!