Introduction

Ethiopian Airlines has a rather interesting operation on its European network. Only very few of its destinations in Europe are served with a dedicated direct service. Most are operated in combination with at least one other destination, such as:

• ADD – MXP – ZRH
• ADD – VIE – CPH / WAW
• ADD – FCO – IAD / JFK / ATL / YYZ
• ADD – ARN – OSL
• ADD – GVA – MAN
• ADD – MRS – MAD

Previously, they also operated ADD – VIE – ARN, which is a service I managed to try before it was eventually discontinued. What is also interesting about their European operation, is that the inbound arrives fairly early in the morning at its final destination, then spends the whole day on the ground, before returning to Addis Abeba in the evening with the same crew that did in the inbound, who are basically working a rather grueling split shift.

Getting to the Airport

Today I catch the 14h28 train from Lancaster back to Manchester Airport. The train is running six minutes late. However, by the time we reach the airport, we’re actually on time again.

I head one floor up from the platform to street level, and then from there up another level to access the footbridge to the terminal. From the station I walk past the Radisson Blu and keep on going in the direction of Terminal 2.

Check-In

Ethiopian Airlines checks in on row F in Terminal 2. I tried checking in online, but was only marginally successful. The check-in agent issues my boarding pass and then I’m on my way. On a side note, when you book online with Ethiopian, their reservation system will automatically generate a Sheeba Miles account and insert it in your PNR in the background to prevent you from collecting the miles with another Star carrier’s mileage programme, for which Ethiopian would have to pay.

In any case, the contrast between Terminal 2 and Terminals 1 and 3 could hardly be greater. Where the latter are old and tatty and, frankly, smell of old wet socks, Terminal 2 is bright and airy. To be fair, the facility is obviously right in the middle of a major upgrade that includes the construction of two new piers. I suspect there is room for the construction of a third.

The Escape 1903 Lounge in Terminal 2

Security is empty, and the security officers are obviously bored. They see my passport and start picking my brain about the best skiing spots in Switzerland. They’re quite funny.

The lounge is located one floor up from the main airside concourse. It’s an interesting concept. The main lounge is the Escape Lounge. At the back is a set of double doors that lead into the 1903 Lounge. I’m guessing the idea is to give airlines an option, depending on how much they’re willing to spend on their premium passengers.

Fortunately, funds don’t appear to be something Ethiopian seems overly concerned with, meaning that Business Class passengers have access to the swankier lounge.

And I really must say, this is one of the nicest lounges I’ve been to in a long time. The food selection is very good and there are plenty of seating options by the windows overlooking the apron. Of course, it helps that the place is not very full this afternoon.

In the distance, I can see my aircraft parked on a remote stand. At around 17h, the aircraft is towed to a hard stand in front of the A pier, where an airbridge is moved to the aircraft and the handlers start preparing the aircraft for her journey home.

Boarding

Boarding for the 18h30 departure starts at 17h35 and I’m not in a hurry. On my way to gate A 10, I pass a Lufthansa City aircraft getting ready to return to Munich, and I wonder how many more companies Lufthansa intends to set up to bring its staffing costs under control.

I arrive at the gate where boarding is still underway. I just love the A 350. She’s such an elegant bird. I think it would be a shame not to take the opportunity to take a few pictures of her before I step aboard.

The Cabin & Seat

The Business Class cabin is located between the L1 and L2 doors. There are five rows in a 2 + 2 + 2 configuration. Admittedly, it’s not what I would call state of the art, but it’s a comfortable seat. There is a pillow and a thick blanket at every seat when I arrive. Only two seats of thirty are occupied on this sector to Geneva. I overhear the purser discussing with the gate agent, and he confirms 124 passengers, with nine in Economy Class and just me in Business Class alighting in Geneva.

The Service & Crew

There’s already a bottle of still water at my seat when I arrive. The crew come to welcome me aboard and return shortly after with a hot towel and a tray with orange juice and champagne. They also hand out the menu for this leg of the flight.

The crew are lovely. They speak excellent English and they’re friendly and chatty. I also love listening to the Ethiopian language announcements. Some Amharic languages have clicking sounds in their phonemic inventory and it’s fascinating to listen to.

The Meal – Dinner

On the Manchester to Geneva leg a light supper is served. I also check out the menu for the leg from Geneva to Addis, for future reference. Just in case. For the main there’s a choice between a beef satay or a veg skewers. I go with the latter.

The meal service starts quickly. And they even bother to place a tablecloth down before delivering the tray straight from the galley. The veg skewers with pesto don’t look like much, but it’s quite a tasty meal. The Russian salad is a classic that used to be very popular when I was a kid. The cheesecake for dessert is nice, but it’s quite rich, so I only have a bite.

After the meal, the cabin crew serving the Business Class cabin clears my table and asks me if perhaps she could make me some Ethiopian coffee “to convince you to visit our beautiful country”, which I think is a nice gesture. And I must say, it really is very good coffee.

Visibility en route is excellent. Especially London and Heathrow airport are clearly visible, illuminating the aircraft from below.

Arrival in Geneva

Very soon our elegant giant dips her nose and we start the descent into Geneva. This has been such a pleasant flight that I’m thinking it would be nice to remain seated and continue to Addis. Another time, maybe.

Eventually, we land and taxi to our stand on the non-Schengen pier. The cabin crew announce that the ground time in Geneva will be one hour, and that passengers continuing to Addis are requested to remain on board. Passengers disembarking in Geneva are asked to present their boarding pass upon disembarking.

The non-Schengen pier is quite cleverly built, and well planned to make the best of the limited space available. It’s also very quiet, so that I’m landside within twelve minutes of landing. Not bad at all.

Conclusion

I very much enjoyed this short flight on Ethiopian. The crew was great and the seat was rather comfortable. Having the cabin more or less to myself was kind of cool. I wouldn’t mind taking a longer flight on Ethiopian one day. Although I think then I’d take a seat on the middle row of two, if travelling alone, to avoid having to climb over my neighbour. I always find that a bit undignified.