Ethiopian Airlines Review – In Africa and Beyond

Ethiopian Airlines Review

Ethiopian Airlines, the national airline of Ethiopia, was established in 1945, and commenced operations in 1946. It began its journey with a modest fleet of five aircrafts, initially servicing routes between Addis Ababa and Cairo. Over the decades, Ethiopian Airlines has evolved into Africa’s largest airline, now serving 136 international destinations across five continents.

In December 2011, Ethiopian Airlines joined the Star Alliance. It has received numerous accolades for its service quality, including being named the “Best Airline in Africa” multiple times and achieving a Four-Star Airline Certification from Skytrax.

General reviews of Ethiopian Airlines

Scroll down for my personal experience

Ethiopian Airlines has gathered a mixed bag of reviews from passengers, reflecting a wide range of experiences, both positive and negative. Here is a summary of the key points derived from various reviews.

Positive Aspects

1. Affordability and Value: Many travellers appreciate Ethiopian Airlines for its competitive pricing, often significantly cheaper than other airlines. This has made it a preferred choice for budget-conscious travellers, especially for routes connecting to Africa.
2. In-Flight Service: Some passengers have reported positive experiences with the cabin crew, noting their friendliness and attentiveness.
3. Meal Quality: The airline is noted for providing multiple meals on long-haul flights, which many passengers found satisfactory, especially those who opted for meat dishes.
4. Direct Flights: Ethiopian Airlines offers several direct routes, particularly from Addis Ababa to various international destinations, which is convenient for travellers.

Meal on Ethiopian Airlines

Negative Aspects

1. Customer Service Issues: A significant number of reviews highlight severe shortcomings in customer service. Passengers have reported difficulties in reaching customer support, unhelpful staff, and a lack of responsiveness regarding lost luggage and flight changes.
2. Flight Reliability: Numerous complaints have been made about flight cancellations and delays, often without prior notification. This has led to frustration among travellers who felt inadequately informed about their travel plans.
3. Baggage Handling: There are frequent mentions of lost or delayed luggage, with some passengers experiencing long waits for their belongings to be returned. In some cases, luggage was reported as damaged or tampered with upon return.
4. Cabin Comfort: While some passengers enjoyed their business class experience, others found the general seating arrangements cramped and lacking privacy, particularly in older aircraft configurations.

My personal experience

I first flew Ethiopian Airlines in the early 2000’s. I was apprehensive at the time but when I boarded the plane, and saw South Africa’s Minister of Transport at the time, Dullah Omar, on the plane, I was somewhat relieved. Although he was in business class, and we were in Economy, we felt that If it was good enough for the Transport Minister, it was good enough for us. The journey was uneventful, apart from some turbulence.

More recently, I flew on Ethiopian Airlines from Johannesburg to Seychelles, as they had the best prices. A few days before the flights, they began emailing us, asking us to make offers for upgrades, however we did not take them up on it.

Take your chance and make us an offer for an upgrade to Cloud Nine Business Class at a price you decide.

Flying over Ethiopia at night

In-flight experience

Although it didn’t come close to airlines like Qatar Airways in terms of comfort, food and entertainment – the seating was a bit cramped, the entertainment was outdated and the food was average – none of these were dealbreakers considering how much we were saving by flying with them.  We didn’t have any serious complaints. although I do know people whose luggage went missing with them on another flight.

We spent some time on layovers at the Addis Ababa airport, and there was sufficient seating space, restrooms and restaurants at the airport. Free wi-fi was available.

See my review of Qatar Airways.

See how to make long flights with children easier.

Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 49 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.