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Inside Africa's No.1 carrier: A mystery shopper review of Ethiopian Airlines' A350 business class as it launches new routes to safari paradise Botswana, from 'bland' food to 'luxury' seats
Ethiopian Airlines isn't often put under the spotlight, but its time has come.
It's now the largest African airline and was voted best airline in Africa for 2023 in the Oscars of Aviation.
What's more, the carrier can facilitate wild times, with a vast network that travellers in America and Europe can use to reach safari destinations, such as Maun in Botswana, the jumping-off point for safaris in the Okavango Delta.
As of 9 June, it'll be flying thrice-weekly from London Heathrow to Maun and twice weekly from Manchester, via Addis Ababa.
With my phone in video mode, I put Ethiopian Airlines' Cloud9 business class to the test on a flight from Heathrow to Addis Ababa. My onward destination was Gaborone in Botswana for a conference, and no, the airline didn't know it was under scrutiny.
Carmen Roberts flies Cloud9, Ethiopian Airlines' business class, on an Airbus A350 from Heathrow to Addis Ababa
Pictured above is Carmen's window seat, which she said had a 'luxurious feel, despite the garish upholstery'. The cabin was in a 1-2-1 configuration
I couldn't fault the initial airport experience.
I breezed past check-in having done it online, then whizzed through Heathrow’s Terminal 2 fast-track security lanes offered to Star Alliance premium passengers with my hand luggage in tow.
(Yes, that’s right, I flew to Africa for a week, with only hand luggage.)
There’s a plethora of Star Alliance lounge options at Heathrow, including Singapore Airlines’ SilverKris Lounge, Air Canada’s Maple Leaf Lounge as well as the Lufthansa Lounge, but I opted for the United Club for a glass of Champagne at the extensive bar overlooking the runway.
My overnight flight to Addis Ababa was on the Airbus A350 plane. Cloud9 business class features 30 seats in a 1-2-1 seat configuration, allowing all passengers aisle access.
The newer Safran Optima seats have a luxurious feel, despite the garish red and green upholstery in Ethiopian's signature colours.
The cabin layout is staggered, so try and book an even numbered seat if you want to be closer to the window for that little bit more privacy.
The seat 'was spacious with generous legroom as well as a deep footwell', writes Carmen, who reveals that she 'slept well' in lie-flat mode
This still from Carmen's video shows the buttons for manoeuvring the seat
LEFT: Carmen with the amenity kit, which contained toothpaste, socks, lip balm and more. RIGHT: The inflight business-class menu
On my seat was a fully stocked amenities kit – packed with a hairbrush, toothbrush and generous sized Colgate toothpaste, socks, eye mask, lip balm, ear plugs and hand sanitiser. I could overlook the extensive plastic wrapping and bright green polyester case, as the contents made up for its less-than-luxurious exterior.
The seat itself was spacious with generous legroom as well as a deep footwell.
It measures 79in (200cm) when the seat is fully reclined and 21in (53cm) wide.
The TV screen was also sizeable - 17in (43cm).
The headphones were fairly basic for business class, but on an overnight flight I was happy to sleep after the obligatory five-course meal service.
Now, I’d heard a few complaints about the lengthy meal service, especially on overnight flights, but I was keen to try the traditional Ethiopian dishes on offer.
If you’ve been to Ethiopia you’ll be salivating at the mere thought.
I was therefore disappointed to learn that I’d have to wait for my onward flight to Gaborone to enjoy these delights.
The meal options were bland by comparison. I had a beef pastrami salad, skipped the soup and indulged in the Chicken Milanese, a nod to the Italian influence in Ethiopia.
After the meal service, I converted my spacious seat to a fully flat bed. The seat widens out towards the middle to accommodate side sleepers and the electronic controls were responsive. Although there was no door or screen, the cocoon-shaped seats gave it a more private feel.
Carmen reveals that she is disappointed with the Italian-inspired food, which she describes as 'bland' compared to the traditional Ethiopian fare that the carrier also offers on some legs. She had a beef pastrami salad and indulged in the Chicken Milanese
Ethiopian Airlines now serves Maun in Botswana, the jumping-off point for safaris in the Okavango Delta (above)
Overall, the experience was comfortable enough, and I slept well beneath the bright green, light duvet. Although, I would have liked a seat topper for a more cosy bed-like feel.
On the whole, I couldn’t fault the Ethiopian Airlines’ staff and their friendly, helpful demeanour. The seats were comfortable and comparable to other mainstream international airlines, especially if you are travelling on the newer A350 plane.
If you’re venturing to Africa, I’d recommend flying Ethiopian, as its network is vast – spanning more than 60 destinations on the continent and counting.
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