Trip Report: Ethiopian Airlines - Newark, NJ to Lome, Togo (December 2017)

Trip Report: Ethiopian Airlines - Newark to Lome, Togo

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I was connecting to Ethiopian Airlines as part of my journey from New Orleans to Lagos.  I was flying Ethiopian from Newark to Lomé.  Ethiopian had recently started this route as part of their connection to their Star Alliance partner United, which has a hub at Newark.  I have flown Ethiopian before (check out the review here) and had a pleasant experience so I was looking forward to this flight. 

Ethiopian Airlines is one of the major carriers serving Africa and have really integrated the

Dreamliner aircraft into their operations, especially from the U.S.  Even though they partner with Star Alliance members, you cannot book connections through Ethiopian’s website; instead you have to go through partner or third-party websites.  After you book through these websites, it is somewhat difficult to manage your booking through the website; instead you have to call the airline to request seat assignments, special meals, and adding frequent flyer numbers.  This part of the process is very inconvenient.  As I was connecting to Ethiopian from a partner airline, this is the process I had to follow.

The flight from Newark was scheduled to depart at 9:15p and arrive into Lomé at 12p for a scheduled flight time of 9h45m.  I was able to check-in online and receive my boarding pass, but because I was transferring from another airline I had to check-in again at the boarding gate to confirm my boarding pass and receive an Ethiopian Airlines boarding pass.  Boarding was scheduled to begin at 8:15p, an hour prior to the scheduled departure time, so I arrived at the gate around 8p.  The plane was already there, but the crew were still outside so it looked like we were not going to have an on-time departure.  Boarding started around 8:45p and passengers were supposed to board by groups.  It was extremely chaotic and slow process; in fact, each time I have boarded with Ethiopian it has been chaotic and slow process.  After a lengthy wait, in which the gate attendant threatened to discontinue boarding as passengers were not compliant, we finally boarded the plane.

The operating aircraft was a Boeing 787-900 Dreamliner with a small-ish business class and two sections of economy.  The economy seats were in a 3-3-3 layout which made the plane feel less dense.  As stated earlier, boarding was extremely slow and chaotic.  At 9:15p, our scheduled departure time, passengers were still boarding the plane.  Around 9:30p, all passengers had been boarded and we were finally able to push back; while the two economy sections were completely full, there were only two passengers in business class.  A safety video was shown, and after a slow taxi and wait, we finally took-off.

Even though it was a Dreamliner plane, it felt like an older version based on the PTV

screens and the seat comfort.  The seat width was decent but the seat comfort was extremely poor; it was uncomfortable from when you sat down and got even more uncomfortable as the flight progressed.  On the seatback was a PTV screen, with controls in the armrest (again, who thought that was a good idea?!?).  Underneath the PTV screen was a USB port and the headphone jack was located in the armrest.  Below the PTV screen was the tray table and below that was the seatback pocket which contained the duty free magazine, the airline magazine, and the safety card.  As you boarded, a blanket and pillow were already provided on each seat.  The PTVs were active from the moment you boarded, which is something I think all airlines should do.  This allows you to not only decide what you want to watch, but it also keeps most passengers occupied so they are not paying attention to delays.  The selection on Ethiopian was limited – while they had a decent selection of movies, their TV selection was extremely poor.  It was a struggle to find enough programs to watch.

As soon as we passed 10,000 feet, the attendants got up to start their service.  Headphones were passed out while we were still on the ground, and once in the air amenity kits were passed out.  It is a very nice touch that Ethiopian still provides amenity kits to all passengers – economy amenity kits include a pair of socks, an eye mask, tooth brush, and tooth paste.  About an hour later, specially requested meals were served and then the carts were brought out to serve dinner and drinks.  There was a choice of chicken or pasta, and complimentary drinks were served including soft drinks, juices, and alcohol.  The serving size for the food was good, but the quality and flavor was a bit lacking.  It wasn’t the worst meal, but definitely not the best either.  Afterwards, tea and coffee were provided and then the lights were dimmed so passengers could rest.

During the flight, the seatbelt sign was off so passengers to move freely as they wanted. 

Water and drinks were available throughout the flight in the galleys, but no snacks were available.  Attendants were always available in the galley, but they rarely passed through the cabin.  About two hours prior to landing, the lighting in the cabin changed to signal morning and to wake passengers up.  The attendants came by with their breakfast service – a meal and complimentary juice, tea, or coffee.  Again, the serving size was decent but the quality and flavor were lacking.  After the meal trays were cleared, we started our decent into Lomé.  As we departed late, we landed behind schedule.  Luckily it was a quick taxi to the gate, but it took some time for the door to be opened.  Those passengers who were continuing onto Addis were to stay onboard while those who were connecting to other flights in Lomé deplaned.

Overall, it was an average experience onboard Ethiopian.  The seat comfort was definitely poor so it made it hard to rest and sit for the flight period.  Other items that needed improvement were the boarding process, the meal quality, the meal flavor, and the entertainment selection.  Positives include access to USB ports, a less dense plane, traveling on a Dreamliner which provides a better overall service, access to Star Alliance partners, easy connections with Africa, and a general ease of traveling within Africa.  Ethiopian is on track to become the biggest airline within Africa, and while their service has slipped a bit, they still provide a good service and good connections.