Introduction
So, I was accompanying my wife on a work trip to Addis Ababa.
This was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up—firstly because I’d never been to Ethiopia, and secondly because we saved half the cost of the trip since her job is covering her expenses. And believe me, that’s a significant saving, considering a round-trip ticket for one person costs us Ksh 127,000 (about $1,000).
If you would prefer watching the video, you can find the trip video below:
Getting To The Airport
We had to order a van to come pick us up as we had 4 very large suitcases.
It was around 4:20 a.m., and we were exhausted and running on no sleep.
I slept through the drive to the airport till the main entrance to the airport where we had to leave the car for an unnecessary security check. The Uber driver had earlier suggested that we did not have to leave the car if we paid a small “fee” to one of the security agents. Technically, a bribe.
Checking In – A Bit of Confusion
We had already checked in online. However, while at the counter, the attendant requested to see my health declaration form. I stared at her with bewilderment as I was not aware one needed to present such a document.
I wish this was communicated to us a bit earlier when booking the flight.
So, as at the time of writing this article, one is required to fill in an Ethiopian Travel Health Declaration Form before being allowed entry into Ethiopia.
Just before boarding, I was able to fill in the online form and was set to board!
The Airport – Nothing Much to Do
Once checked in and passed through immigration, there was nothing exciting to do. The duty free shops are not all that compared to what other airports have to offer.
The cafe options are limited and during a busy time, it can feel a bit over crowded.
Kenya, however, are in talks to improve the airport in a controversial deal with Adani Holdings.
Kenya Airways impressed me with two standout services.
First, they provide regular WhatsApp messages to inform you about your flight. I have not experienced this level of communication before.
Secondly, I was treated as a business class flyer by one of the attendants. Her name is Theresa. Stellar service. She was the one that helped me fill in the health declaration form after a few failed attempts of finding the form online.
The Flight
We used an Embraer E190 which is a one isle aircraft with a 2-2 configuration in Economy which has 84 seats and 1-2 configuration in Business Class which has 12 seats.
Kenya Airways has 13 Embraer E190’s which is its largest aircraft type.
The Seats
The seats were quite comfortable to my surprise. In fact, I found it more comfortable than Qatar’s economy seat.
One of the drawbacks, especially for a tall person, is the leg room. I’m 6’1 and there was no room to move around. However, the seat itself is quite wide and the recline angle was amazing.
In-flight Entertainment
There was no digital entertainment. There were screens but they seemed to be for show. However, they provided magazines in the seat pocket to keep us entertained.
BUT
When going through the magazine pages, I came across a section that was guiding tourists on how to spend 48 hours in Nairobi.
One of the stops was Kibera or Kibra which the magazine states is a ‘tourist attraction‘. Having a slum labeled a tourist site is a shame in my opinion.
I went in-depth on this in a separate article.
Food
Let’s talk about the food, or should I say snacks.
If you pay $1,000 for a ticket, it is only logical to expect to be given food or a warm meal, no matter the distance nor the duration of the flight.
Kenya Airways, however, only provides snacks for such ‘short-haul’ trips.
The coffee was a solid 2 out of 10.
Getting into Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa
The landing was nothing to write about meaning it was great. So that’s a plus.
Even from the outside, Bole is quite beautiful. After landing and taxing towards exiting the plane, one could see the incredible fleet Ethiopian Airlines has.
We disembarked through the older terminal of Bole, which still looked great – much better than Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Conclusion
I would rate the flight a 7 out of 10.
The food and entertainment could be much better. The seat was very comfortable and landing was very smooth.
