Addis Ababa Airport

✅ Trip Verified | We checked in 6 luggages, which we pre-weighed. We knew we could check in 5 kg extra on the account that my brother-in-law gave me a Sheba miles coupon. The clerk, a young man, insisted that I had 7 kg additional extra weight and need to give him $120 US. I told him that we had weighed all luggage and couldn’t have 7 kg extra, and I don’t have $US but Swiss Francs. He said, you either have to reduce by 7 kgs or pay 150 Swiss Francs. With my stressful situation, I succumbed to this scammer and said okay. He instructed me to give the cash to another clerk, who was standing nearby. He told him to accompany me, and the second clerk took me just away from the checking post and extended his hand. I handed over the money and the 1st clerk let my luggage pass. I feel terrible for succumbing to this extortion under stressful situation. I will try to do better next time. Nonetheless, I want to tell my experience even if it helps one more passenger avoid taken advantage of. In addition, I want to alert Ethiopian Airlines and Bole airport authorities about this type of extortion, which benefits few but leaves the reputation of the Airline, Bole airport and Ethiopia in tatters. I wish I was prepared or sage enough to take recording of this event or at least a picture of the clerk who swindled me.

✅ Trip Verified | This airport is just a disgrace to Ethiopia and its national carrier, Ethiopian Airlines. No decent shops, rather stalls which sell dirty items for crazy prices, and only one restaurant with absolutely indecent prices (nothing under 15 dollars), poor service, no possibility to pay by credit card and non-English speaking staff. The toilets are dirty and smelly. Ethiopian Airlines boasts about the newly opened expansion, but the design is the same as the old one, with no shops and chairs randomly scattered around the boarding area where each boarding process resembles a cattle ride. It is a real pity to have such a catastrophic infrastructure and I was hoping the expansion would help solve things, but it seems it's only emphasising them. Avoid at all costs - this is no Istanbul, Dubai or Doha.

Not Verified | The most dodgy airport I’ve ever seen. Didn’t think it was possible for an airport to be so bad. It has so many destinations you’d think it would be at least mediocre. Random cables some power are coming out from everywhere and no one seems to care to keep them even tidy or cover. The buffet in the satellite cafe was extremely disorganised; cable’s running through the middle which power appliances, high tables with no chairs blocking the way, the buffet bar area having only one exit and entrance in a very tight space - it’s hilarious. And the food ! Old, cold, dry and stale. Nothing is clean, everything greasy, sticky or breaking. Seriously Ethiopia! Fix this. It’s a disgrace. The actual planes aren’t bad at all, but this airport is just scary.

✅ Trip Verified | On March 26 returning to the USA, we stopped in Addis Ababa Airport from Abidjan, Ivory Coast. I just exited the plane to go to the washroom, a woman from housekeeping stared as I was an Alien. I waited for me to exit the washroom, as I went to the faucet to freshen up. I felt someone watching me and it was her. She asked if I'm finished? I replied no. The watched me put on makeup and comb my hair. I hurried up and left as I gave her an evil look. She watched me walk down the hall. I felt now that was so rude and on caused for.

✅ Trip Verified | The terminal at Addis Ababa is dingy and on this evening was particularly busy. As a result of a long layover, I was advised that I would be given transit hotel accommodations and this was confirmed by Ethiopian in writing before leaving my home. But on arrival at the transit desk, there was mass confusion and a crowd of more than 60 people. Tempers began to rise and there was shouting as the transit procedures were painfully slow and there was confusion between economy class lines and business class lines. It took about an hour to secure the pass and when I asked for the small piece of paper needed to obtain a transit visa, I was told it was not needed. That proved to be wrong and when I got down stairs at immigration, more confusion and long lines ensued. I finally had to demand a transit paper from an Ethiopian Airlines staff and then got my transit visa stamp. Following this signs indicated that my baggage would be on carousel 3 - that was wrong. And after that I had to go through another bureaucratic mess to get a stamp on my transit accommodation document allowing me to get transit. And then I was told to walk, bag and baggage, to the parking lot and find the transport to the hotel. This, again, proved to be a disaster as there was no order and no cue and worst of all, no control. When the small van arrived to collect passengers for the hotel, about 15 people rushed it - it could only carry 5-6, and thus more tempers flared as people threw luggage into the back of the van and attempted to squeeze into the seats - the van driver did nothing to help. I cannot complain about the staff at the airport, they were trying their best and trying to smile in very difficult circumstances. The problem is in the system, rather the lack of any system, and too much bureaucracy. Also, the signage is poor and a lot of staff have no idea what they are supposed to be doing. This airport is to be avoided and that is too bad because Ethiopian Airlines offers a reasonably good in flight product.

✅ Trip Verified | This is without doubt the worst airport I have used. It is chaotic, dirty and crowded. The staff are belligerent and unhelpful. Both business class lounges were full, the WiFi was pitiful and the toilets horrific. The staff were rude and unhelpful. This is the worst I have been treated as a Gold Star Alliance member by a participating airline. I will never use this airport again. A pity as the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft and crew are good.

✅ Trip Verified | I don't really mind the disorganisation or the lack of seating. What really annoyed me was the ridiculous price for food. $12 for an average cheese sandwich was the cheapest thing I could find. In my experience this makes it one of the most expensive airports in the world. If you wanted to have anything from the (average) buffet, this would cost you a cool $25. I just felt, after a lovely time in the country, that this was a bit cynical - considering there was no real choice once in the airport - especially if your flight was 6 hours late. I understand commercial reality and make a buck where you can etc. But this was over the top and will be people's last memory of a beautiful country. You should be trying to make people come back!

✅ Trip Verified | Dreadful, awful airport. Duty-free refuse to take their own currency and will take only dollars. Why? Do they feel their own currency is worthless or is there another reason to have dollars? The airport banks will not exchange their own currency for dollars, so no shopping or duty-free for me. Security took scissors from me that was under the legal 6cms for a carry-on. The TSA allows 10 cms! The staff just would not listen and her supervisor on the next conveyor who was absolutely useless and negligent at checking his x-ray screen, just nodded and she dumped it. I wrote twice to the airport and received no replies. They also have a useless web site.

✅ Trip Verified | The airport is under reconstruction and should be great once completed. Lounge facilities adequate for a transit stop. They do get crowded. Exception ET business class lounge. Passport control special line for business class, baggage delivery is on time. Special security lane for business class. Lucky if you get a jetty!

Not Verified | I specifically required wheelchair assistance on my flight, due to the fact that I am fitted with a brace, following a knee athroscopy three weeks ago. That instruction was only carried out in Cape Town, very professional airport. In Bole International airport however, it was another story, but I can cope with it. When it comes to their metal detector screening, I explained to the personnel of the airport at the main entrance that I cannot remove my brace, as it offers some firm support for my knee, yet they wanted me to remove it. I then asked the agent, would he carry me through the metal detector door, to which he replied no. I added removing the brace is useless, because I have two screws inside my body, due to the surgery, I will have them permanently. That did not make sense to him and his supervisor, who was adamant that I removed the brace. I was very tense, I ripped my brace off, and walked through the metal detector gate on one foot, and of course, the metal detector made a noise, because of the two screws inside my knee. They searched me and then let me go. Put my brace back in serious anger and told them this was unacceptable, that in Cape Town airport, they would search you thoroughly and will never ask you to remove the brace, because they know you need it to stand! What really annoys me is the level of carelessness of these people, that they would complicate life to people with disabilities. Because of that experience, I vow to never travel to that airport again, Ethiopian Airlines will no longer be on my list of airlines for sure.