Initial Thoughts: Ethiopian Airlines A350-1000 Business Class Addis Ababa-London
- Konrad Tillman
- Mar 31
- 4 min read
Intro
After a lovely 3 weeks away from the States, it was finally time to head back to reality (sadly, of course). Well, on the way back I was lucky enough to get to try the brand spanking new A350-1000 that Ethiopian Airlines offers on very select routes (Washington, Abuja, London, and Lagos routinely).
Through the past few months I have had some excellent flights onboard Ethiopian Airlines, so heading into this flight I was overwhelmed with excitement. Unfortunately, Ethiopian Airlines left a lot to be desired…
For now, this is just my initial thoughts and I will have a review out in the coming weeks.
The Lounge
Ethiopian Airlines offers a couple of different lounges in Addis Ababa. If you happen to be flying in business class, you get access to the flagship lounge, while those who are Star Alliance Gold are sent to a different lounge.
The Business Class lounge is actually quite a nice lounge, and definitely the best lounge in Africa. With excellent food choices, showers, quiet areas for napping, and decadent champagne flutes, this is a nice place to spend a few hours.
The Seat/Cabin
Historically, Ethiopian Airlines has offered a very uncompetitive hard product. However, stepping on board I was excited to see that Ethiopian Airlines really took their business class seats up to the next level on the A35K.
Through 12 rows (11 window rows), the cabin features 46 business class seats laid out in a 1-2-1 configuration. Apart from a small sub-fleet of A350-900s, this is the only plane in the Ethiopian fleet that offers direct aisle access for business class customers.
Ok, so looking at the seat, it looks very good on paper. The storage, the nice dimming windows, and the colors all showcase a good product. However, I found the seat to be much firmer than the other products in the fleet, perhaps due to it being so new.
In addition, part of the seat was already showing signs of wear and tear. Very disappointing.
Amenities/Bedding
Most business classes these days feature extensive amenities and bedding. While Ethiopians amenities are good for a medium haul flight, offering a nice amenity kit, a blanket, and a pillow, I think Ethiopian falls short in this category.
For a flagship route and a late redeye departure, a mattress pad would be a nice addition. That’s all I am going to say. Also, no overhead vents on the A350-1000 meaning the cabin gets quite hot.
Meal Service
Okay, while the stuff before this is are very minor issues, the biggest problem of this flight for me was the meal service.
Let’s start with the menu. Flights departing after midnight feature a light snack menu instead of a full dinner course. For a 7-and-a-half-hour flight, I think that is absurd. Qatar Airways also does this, but at least they offer a more decadent selection of food compared to wraps… I mean in Business Class… really?
However, what really did me in was how long this service took for a redeye departing at 1:35 am. I had to ask three times to get a plate of cheese and crackers, and it wasn’t until 3:00 am local time (an hour and 20 minutes after takeoff) that it was brought out with an attitude. Really, the cabin is half full…
Service
Through the past 7 flights I have had with Ethiopian Airlines, the service has been nothing short of exceptional, but this time it was different.
Every time I asked for something, it felt like I was inconveniencing the staff. When the flight attendant presented me with my cheese plate (eventually), she slammed it down on the table and walked away. For business class? Are you serious?
The flight attendants barely checked in throughout the flight, and my cheese plate tray ended up sitting on top of the seat in front for about 25 minutes before someone picked it up.
There were some good aspects to the service which I’ll touch upon in the full review, but Ethiopian left a lot to be desired. Quite the contrary to the previous flight in economy which had exceptional service….
Final Thoughts
Look, while I did write about a lot of the negatives from this flight, there were also quite a few positives. Carriers in Africa aren’t quite as polished as carriers in Asia/Europe, and it still shows with Ethiopian Airlines.
However, the A350-1000 is a huge step up for Ethiopian Airlines as business class passengers are treated to direct aisle access at each seat. If only they could improve a few bits and bobs, it could be a great product. For now, the airline certainly has some work to do, especially on one of their flagship routes…
May I add: I really enjoy flying Ethiopian, and this isn’t a jab at the airline directly. I am simply sharing my experience on the flight on what occurred. It’s important to be honest in reviews so that consumers know what to expect going in…
Stay tuned for the full review soon!
Oh almost forgot: the wifi didn't work on the flight either, nor were we ever offered codes...
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