Ethiopian Airlines

PNR-ADD-BOM. Pointe noire to Mumbai via Addis. Wrote to reservations for a special meal request the reply was prompt and helpful. At Pointe Noire airport requested a window seat was given aisle seats on both sectors instead. Leg room from PNR-ADD was terrible. I was given a fruit meal which was nothing but an apple and a few slices of watermelon. Some of the cabin crew on this sector was polite but some of them were rude and disinterested. 45-50 mins before landing in ADD I went to ask for a glass of water. While one of the crew was about to hand over a small bottle of mineral water she was told off by a colleague and asked to give a glass of water from one of the taps. The inflight magazine was missing from the seat pocket. The flight from ADD-BOM was better. Again I got the requested fruit meal and was identical to the earlier one. This time the aircraft and legroom was much better. Each seat had an inflight magazine headphones etc. Entertainment was from overhead screens. All flights were more or less on time. I am a frequent flier on ET and their service has remained the same over the years. You can never be sure of consistency it depends on the cabin crew.

Johannesburg to Rome. Cabin staff were friendly. Had a 30 minute transfer time and Ethiopian had procedures in place to make sure passengers made it to the next flight. The seats were comfortable and the food good.

Nairobi-Addis-Delhi. The planes are old and dirty. There was no personal inflight entertainment system on the seats and the common TV had nothing better to show but some boring documentary. Food was terrible but the cabin crew were attentive and polite. Our return flight Delhi to Nairobi was a prop aircraft very uncomfortable terrible food.

We checked in at Heathrow and had no problems check-in opened more than 3 hours early and the queue was short given 5 desks were open. We were however asked to sign a declaration that we knew we would be required to pay £10 per Kg above 7Kg of carried on baggage. Having read previous reviews of this 'scam' we were prepared and most things were sent as checked in luggage. On boarding we realised that the 7Kg limit including duty free was not a 'scam' but a bare necessity as the plane was so old it did not have the overhead locker space to deal with the modern traveller. There is no onboard entertainment. Transit in Addis was ok plane arrived on time and the connection was smooth. Overall we left on time and we arrived on time at a reasonable price.

We booked months in advance but Ethiopian cancelled that flight at the last-minute and charged an exorbitant last-minute fare to change to the next scheduled flight. They showed no interest in retrieving the luggage that they'd jettisoned nor in forwarding it to our hotel once they did arrive. Desk staff were reluctant to seat the two of us together preferring us to each sit between strangers. Ordered vegetarian meals were not provided. Avoid this outfit if possible. Cabin staff helpful and went out of their way to to provide alternative meals.

The domestic flights departed on schedule despite rather chaotic airports and ATRs were well kept and the crew friendly. ADD- IAD flight in Business also very nice and attendants was thoughtful and efficient. The seat in B777 but has fewer position adjustment than some others and took a bit of fiddling to get right but was comfortable. The food was tasty and served real style. The lounge in ADD is far too small for the evening traffic and by about 21.30 there was standing room only. The fact that we arrived in IAD almost 2 hours late was never mentioned.

RUH-ADD-RUH and domestic sectors (Gonder Lalibela). Cabin crew not particularly attentive or helpful. Check-in fast and efficient both RUH and ADD. Chaotic boarding on ADD-RUH due to two aircraft being laid on for the same flight/dep time. Inflight ok and as expected. Airfare competitive and convenient dep times. Domestic: on time efficient clean aircraft no hassles. Fares/seats available at very short notice.

ADD-IAD-ADD and ADD-NBI. I found it an enjoyable flight full of inflight services. Crews are very co-operative and providing all the necessary support when requested. There was enough information as to the status of the flight once it took off.

An awful experience from New Delhi to Lagos. No proper arrangement for entertainment seats are small and uncomfortable. Staff did not respond to call buttons. I will not recommend this airline.

International flight from Washington DC to Addis Ababa. Food exceeded expectations. Even in Economy class we were given 2 choices of food. The plane was delivered one month before and was brand new. The entertainment centre in front of you was touch screen and had a wide selection of popular movies music and more. A blanket was provided along with a sleeping mask amenities and a choice of magazines. Towards the middle of the flight flight attendants set up stations along the plane with different sodas and other drinks.