Ethiopian Airlines: Know About The Core Aspect of the Airline 

Introduction

Ethiopian Airlines is Ethiopia's flag carrier and Africa's leading aviation group, which was founded in December 1945. With its ongoing motto of "Bringing Africa Together and Beyond," Ethiopian Airlines has made efforts to create an Africa-wide and transcontinental air network connectivity, assisting in connecting Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's central hub, to the rest of the world. The airline joined the Star Alliance in December 2011, which assisted it in making a giant leap forward to make its journey more successful. To its credit, the airline has also won a myriad of recognitions and awards for its excellent performance, including 'US President's Lifetime Achievement Award,' APEX's 2025 Passenger Choice Awards 'Best Overall in Africa,' and 'Four-Star Airline ranking' of Skytrax. 

Types Of Cabins in Ethiopian Airlines

Instead of offering so many cabin classes, Ethiopian Airlines offers just two types, which combine the features of many cabins in these two classes, including: 

• Economy Class
• Business class or Cloud Nine

Services and Facilities Offered By Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines has been recognised as APEX's 2025 Passenger Choice Awards 'Best Overall in Africa' and offers many services and facilities for its passengers, whether they are waiting for their flight, flying in the air, tired of long-haul flights, or waiting for their connecting flight. 

Airport services and facilities offered by Ethiopian Airlines:

• Ethiopian Airlines has inaugurated an ultra-luxurious hotel at the Departure Terminal 2 of Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, consisting of 97 rooms, including restaurants, conference rooms, a gym and others. 

Onboard services and facilities provided by Ethiopian Airlines:

• Ethiopian Airlines offers high-quality in-flight catering and beverage services with various vegan options, including Italian, Chinese, Indian, Halal, and Kosher. 

Other services and facilities offered by Ethiopian Airlines:

• Ethiopian Airlines is the leading provider of cargo and logistics services throughout Africa, featuring 70 dedicated cargo routes. 

Ethiopian Airlines Main Hub

Ethiopian Airlines serves many domestic and international hubs by operating flights to various destinations. However, some of the popular and main hubs of the airline include: 

• Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Lome, Togo
• Lilongwe, Malawi
• Lusaka, Zambia
• Air Congo, DRC

Top International Destinations Of Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines serves over 140 international cargo and passenger destinations, 70 of which are on the African continent. As a well-known airline, it operates its flights across an extensive network of intra-African routes and offers more continental destinations than any other airline. However, the top international destinations of Ethiopian Airlines can be seen as: 

• Dulles International Airport, Washington D.C. (IAD)
• Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Harare (HRE)
• Hodeida International Airport, Al Hudaydah (HOD)
• Manchester Airport, Manchester (MAN)
• Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok (BKK)
• Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi (DEL)
• Beijing Capital International Airport, Beijing (PEK)

Ethiopian Airlines' Booking Process 

Booking an early ticket to your desired destination ensures you get cheap flight tickets and helps you travel within your budget. Thus, Ethiopian Airlines allows you to book your flight online up to 10 months ahead of your scheduled travel, in the following simple steps: 

• Visit the Ethiopian's official website at ethiopianairlines.com.
• On the home page, select your itinerary type, such as one-way, return trips, or multiple cities.
• Afterwards, select the total number of passengers travelling, your preferred cabin, your desired travel destinations and dates, and click "Search."
• Choose the flight that suits your timings from the options provided by the airline.
• You will be directed to a page showing some notes to you.
• Read the notes, and either click "log in" if you have joined their loyalty program or continue as a guest otherwise. 
• By clicking "Continue as guest," you provide them with your basic information and travel documents details while travelling internationally. Click "Continue."
• Fill in your phone number and email address in the provided column, and click "Continue."
• Select your seat and proceed further.
• Choose the extra services offered by the airline, including the excess baggage service and others.
• Follow the instructions further and provide them with payment information.
• Proceed to payment and receive your confirmed itinerary at your registered email. 

Note:

• Presently, you can reserve your online booking only for Ethiopian destinations.

• You must contact their customer service centre to reserve a flight that excludes Ethiopian destinations.  

Ethiopian Airlines' Cancellation Policy

Ethiopian Airlines acknowledges that it may be possible that you booked a flight months ago to stay within your budget. However, any unexpected circumstances can arise anytime, ruining your whole pre-planned trip and making you cancel your journey. But before cancelling your ticket, you must make yourself aware of the cancellation policy of Ethiopian Airlines, which can be seen as follows:  

• Ethiopian Airlines only allows you to cancel your flight ticket if you have booked through its official website or app. 
• You can cancel your Ethiopian flight, provided you haven't booked a multi-city booking. 
• If you cancel your reservation within 24 hours of booking, you only have to pay the cancellation fee. 
• You can cancel your Ethiopian Airlines flight without any penalty by contacting them at their local ticket office or Global call centre, provided that you have reserved your ticket through the official website of Ethiopian Airlines, cancelled your flight ticket within 24 hours of the booking, purchased it at least seven days before your flight's departure, and your itinerary includes either departing or arriving in the USA.   
• With Ethiopian Airlines, you can cancel your flight till the check-in of your first flight. However, you will be charged a no-show fee in addition to the cancellation charges.  
• You cannot cancel your flights after the first Ethiopian flight has departed. The airline's customer support team can be reached easily for such a request.  
• You can cancel your reservation by visiting the "Manage booking" section of Ethiopian Airlines.  
• Ethiopian Airlines' chatbot will assist you if you want to cancel a single-person booking. 
• You can't separate the sequence of your flight ticket, and thus, you can't cancel it separately. For instance, if you have booked a flight route with a stopover, you must cancel the whole flight and can't just cancel a segment. 
• A cancelled flight can't be undone, and you must go through the whole booking process again. 

Ethiopian Airlines' Cancellation Process

Though you are fully aware of Ethiopian Airlines' cancellation policy, it won't make any sense if you don't know the procedure for cancelling your ticket. Thus, to assist you in some unfavourable circumstances, you can cancel your Ethiopian flight by following the simple steps, which can be seen as follows: 

• Visit Ethiopian's official website at ethiopianairlines.com
• Go to "Manage booking."
• You can log in to your Ethiopian account by entering your booking reference number and last name in the provided columns. 
• Tap on the flight you want to cancel and select the option to "cancel flight."
• Read out the pop-up information and click "Continue."
• Review all the terms and conditions seen on the screen and mark a tick in the box at the bottom of the page. 
• Confirm your cancellation.

Ethiopian Airlines' Loyalty Program

By joining Ethiopian Airlines' loyalty program, you will become a member of ShebaMiles. After becoming a member, you will earn Status Miles by directly purchasing or using the different services offered by the airline. There are different tier levels in the program, which are distinguished  based on the miles earned and thus provide various benefits to you, including:

Blue member:

• Simply by joining Ethiopian Airlines' loyalty program, you become a Blue member of ShebaMiles

• You can bring 5 kg of extra luggage by joining their loyalty program. 

Silver member:

• By earning 25,000 Status Miles or 25 Qualifying Segments within one calendar year, you can become a ShebaMiles Silver member

• You can take one piece of 23 kg as extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown as pieces on your airfare. 
• Silver Members can bring 15 kg of extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown in weight on your airfare ticket. 
• You can access Addis Ababa Bole International Airport's ShebaMiles Silver Lounges at Ethiopian departure airports. 
• Your baggage will be considered in priority baggage handling and tagged as a priority delivery. 

Gold member:

• Upgrade from Silver to Gold membership with 50,000 Status Miles or 50 Qualifying Segments within one calendar year. 
• You can take one piece of 32 kg as extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown as pieces on your airfare.
• Gold Members can bring 20 kg of extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown in weight on your airfare ticket. 
• At Ethiopian Departure Airports, you can access business and first-class lounges and even invite one guest into them.   

Platinum  member:

• By collecting 80 Qualifying Segments or 100,000 Status Miles within one calendar year, you can earn the highest status of the ShebaMiles. 
• You can take two pieces of 23 kg as extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown as pieces on your airfare.
• Platinum Members can bring 32 kg of extra luggage, provided the standard baggage allowance is shown in weight on your airfare ticket. 
• You can access First and Business Class lounges at Ethiopian departure airports and can invite one guest into the lounges.  
• Ethiopian Airlines will offer you two complimentary upgrades per flight segment per calendar year, based on the availability of the seats at the time of the request. 
• You can get a refund without any cancellation fee, provided that your flight ticket is entirely unused and you cancel it within the ticket's validity period.  

Process To Join Ethiopian Airlines' Loyalty Program

You can join ShebaMiles for free with Ethiopian Airlines in the following simple and easy steps: 

• Visit Ethiopian Airlines' official website at ethiopianairlines.com
• Click on "Loyalty" from the quick links. 
• Tap on "Join ShebaMiles."
• Please provide them with your details, including your name, date of birth, contact information, address, and create your password.
• Click on the box "I'm not a robot" and tap "Submit."
• Follow the instructions further and become a member of Ethiopia's loyalty program.  

Refund Policy Of Ethiopian Airlines

You may have to cancel your Ethiopian flights willingly or unwillingly. But, it won't do any good if you are unaware of its refund policy and can't get a refund even if you are eligible. Thus, it is essential to have a basic understanding of Ethiopian's refund policy, so that your slightest negligence won't cause you any financial loss: 

• Ethiopian Airlines will automatically submit your refund form once you cancel your flight.
• You will receive your refund based on the type of your ticket and the cancellation fees charged. 
• On average, you will receive your Ethiopian refund within seven business days. 
• Ethiopian Airlines will deliver your refund using the original payment method you used while booking reservations with the airline.  

Seat Upgradation Policy Of Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines allows you to make a bid so that you have a fair and square chance of upgrading your seat after booking your flight ticket. However, you may be curious to know about some of the basic policies which help you ensure that you will get an upgraded seat by making a bid, or do you have to pay any charges to make such a request? Well, all of your queries will be solved in the following section, as you can see the seat upgradation policy of Ethiopian Airlines here:  

• Ethiopian Airlines will email you about seven days before your flight's scheduled departure, inviting you to offer a bid for your flight.
• Alternatively, you can visit the airline's official website's "Manage booking" section to learn how to submit your bid. 
• You can change your offer to a higher or lower bid until the deadline for submitting your bid. 
• Usually, the deadline for offering a bid is 50 hours before the scheduled departure date of the flight. 
• Ethiopian Airlines will email you between 50 and 24 hours before your scheduled departure to let you know whether it has accepted your upgrade bid. 
• You only have to pay for the upgrade of your seat if your bid is accepted by the airline. 
• While assessing your bid, the airline considers several factors, such as your offered value, other offers for the same cabin, your loyalty membership, and the availability of the seats in the higher cabin class. 
• After successfully upgrading your seat, it is neither non-refundable nor non-transferable.
• Your bid enhancement is applicable to the particular flights for which you have placed a bid and corresponds to the flight and date specified in the email. 
• If the airline does not accept your upgrade bid, you can't make another bid offering a higher value.  
• Ethiopian Airlines may prioritise seat upgrades for Gold and Silver members.

Ethiopian Airlines' Group Booking Policy

Won't you feel good while travelling with friends or family? It will help you feel joy and relief as a large group, and it will help you have more fun and share your burden of responsibility. Thus, you are required to know about the group booking policy of Ethiopian Airlines, which can be seen as follows:  

• You can't make any quota online for group booking with Ethiopian Airlines. 
• If you want to reserve a group booking, you have to contact the global contact centre or the local office of Ethiopian Airlines. 

Pet Policy Of Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian Airlines understands your attachment to your little furry friends, allowing you to travel with them on the aircraft. However, it follows some of its rules and regulations when it comes to taking your pet to the same destination as yours, which can be seen as follows:   

• Ethiopian Airlines only allows cats and dogs to travel in the cabin, provided each compartment carries a limited number of pets.
• The kennel for your pet shouldn't exceed 55 x 40 x 20 cm, and the combined weight of your pet and kennel should exceed 8 kgs while travelling in the cabin.
• You are allowed to check your pet if its container's prescribed dimensions are exceeded and its weight, including the container, is between 8 and 45 kg.  
• If your pet and the kennel exceed 45 kg, it should be transported as cargo. 
• If leading a visually or hearing impaired person, an assistant or service dog will be allowed in the cabin on all Ethiopian Airlines passenger flights without charge.  
• Ethiopian Airlines won't accept dogs and cats from snub-nosed breeds, as they may face breathing problems at high altitudes.  
• The charges for carrying a pet in your cabin or checked luggage will be similar to the excess baggage cost applied by Ethiopian Airlines. 

Flight and Other Change Policies of Ethiopian Airlines

It may be possible that you have to change the flight itinerary or your name with Ethiopian Airlines, but you aren't sure whether the airline allows you to do so. Check out the following policies of the airline, which will help you to become aware of the flight change and other change policies of Ethiopian Airlines:  

• The cost of changing your itinerary will depend on the airfare rules for your ticket type, availability, and the difference in the price of the two airfare tickets. 
• If you have already checked in for your flight, you must contact Ethiopian's customer service first, and after that, you can change your flight online. 
• You can't transfer your ticket to someone else. 
• If you make a typing error, you can make amendments by providing the airline with the justifiable documents and a service charge of USD 50. 
• For a directly purchased airline ticket, you can make corrections in your name at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your flight. 
• You are not entitled to change the typing error in your ticket if a travel agent has purchased it, and the request can be made only through the travel agent. 

Note: You are allowed to correct typo errors in your name in the following conditions by providing the required documents: 

• If you have made your reservation in your husband's name instead of your maiden name or vice versa.
• You have more than one given name, and you must provide the second name, as you entered only your first name during the reservation. 
• Ethiopian Airlines permits you to correct a typo in your first, middle, or last name, or to amend mistakes that involve up to three letters. 
• You can also amend your titles, such as from Mr. to Mrs. & Ms., from Mrs. to Ms., etc. 

FAQs

Can I reserve bookings for infants on Ethiopian Airlines?

Yes, Ethiopian Airlines permits the reservation of up to three infants without a seat, as long as there is an adult traveller with each infant. 

Do I have to change my name on the flight ticket if my name has been legally changed?

If your name has recently changed, you must change it only if the name on the ticket and your ID are different; otherwise, there is no need to make any amendments.  

Do Ethiopian Airlines allow me to make a bid for my upgrade if I forgot to make it before the window closed?

No, Ethiopian Airlines won't allow you to make a bid after the window has closed for making a bid. 

How will I be informed whether or not my bid for an upgrade has been accepted by Ethiopian Airlines?

If Ethiopian Airlines accepts your upgrade bid, you will receive an email confirming your upgrade between 50 and 24 hours before your flight's departure.  

Am I earning ShebaMiles on the tickets I booked with Ethiopian Airlines? 

Yes, all revenue Ethiopian tickets booked online are eligible for miles, provided that you mention your frequent flier number in the form while making reservations.