Ethiopian Airlines’ Free Transit Hotel Program: How It Works

I've used this twice in the past month, and it's great. Generally, they put economy passengers in a hotel about 40 minutes drive from the airport on the opposite side of town, while business-class passengers are put in the in-terminal hotel. Both are comfortable (by African standards) but the in-terminal hotel is quite nice.

One thing to note is that you don't have a reservation at the hotel, but rather a voucher. So when you show up, there is a small chance the hotel could be fully booked already. The line to get a room is also fairly chaotic (in true ADD fashion). Having said that, I had no problem getting into the Skylight Hotel during my multiple overnight layovers.

Addis is a great city if you get the chance to check it out at all!

In my previous stop over transit last month (Oct 2023), we were put on a pretty crappy hotel called Destiny Addis hotel near the airport. Hotel was decently clean but overall very basic amenities, they included food for both breakfast and dinner. For what’s worth, we were traveling on award ticket but with in the group that staying at the hotel, there were folks on paid tickets.

Will be interesting to see if they launch their own hotel chain. I suspect it would be a global success if so and potentially convert Addis Ababa into the next Dubai.

I did this in 2015 when I flew from Abuja to Maputo via Addis (economy) and they put me in an awful little hotel. I don’t remember the name. But it was really cheap and tacky.

If you don't get your voucher at your originating station, you need to go to the "Transfer & Layover Office" (located on the extreme left of the transfer security area before the security checkpoint) and NOT to the Transit Desk (which is located after security on the departure concourse level).

Also, even once you have your voucher, you need to get it stamped at the Ethiopian Airlines transport desk located immediately after exiting customs. If you don't get this stamp, you will be sent back to the airport from the hotel to get it.

Finally, keep in mind that Ethiopian Airlines requires you to declare if you are carrying >$3000 equivalent in cash and are taking advantage of this program (even though Ethiopian Customs permits up to $10000 cash). You have to sign a declaration to this effect before they stamp your voucher at the transport desk.

What's with the $3000 declaration?

So they can target people with money who would leave in a short time, too short to report or investigate?

Sarcasm, let have some fun.
Airlines and hotel chain. Historically that worked well.

You have Pan Am and InterContinental, Air France and Le Meridian, United and Westin, JAL and Nikko, Swissotel and Swiss, and a few more that I'm probably missing.

You forgot car rentals. Hertz was proudly owned by United.

You're not understanding my initial statement obviously as I never said that they should build a global hotel chain, rather a chain in Addis Ababa for their passengers. Going global would be a failure.

Plus, talk to Pan Am who sold InterContinental in the 1980s for $500 million in order to pay off their aircraft and own their fleet to become a more lean organization.

Sorry, Darryl, you're right about that.

If "convert Addis Ababa into the next Dubai." isn't sarcasm then what is?

While they seem like complemental businesses, they operate entirely different. Unless you're saying "a chain in Addis Ababa" is also sarcasm.
Even without seeing the numbers, it's easy to guess that they are better off paying bulk rates than running a hotel.

Please tell me this is a parody account?

I wouldn’t feel safe transiting that continent.

Let me guess!? American!?! Well guess what, dink, Africa as a continent has a 7.6% higher combined median HDI than the US, factor in the population of Africa being nearly the same as the United States, you are safer in Africa than at home.

@Français I didn't remember asking for your feelings.

We booked a flight on Thursday night to Addis Abba from Nairobi and then onwards to Cape Town Friday morning, all on one ticket. They said that because Friday morning had another flight from Nairobi, we didn’t qualify for the free service. So it does seem that you can’t actually book a later flight to self qualify for this.

Wait, never mind - I just figured out that it is actually required under African Continental Law.

Speaking of dinks, you really want to paint the entire country like that? I’m American. I spend as much time as anyone on here in Addis and flying ET.

Try reading the article. It’s called the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel.

"I spend as much time as anyone on here in Addis and flying ET"... how oddly unspecific.

And what are you talking about "paint the entire country like that"?

@Eskimo see, try reading the article?

Piss off. I read the article, and I'm explaining to Darryl (if you would read my above posts) that it isn't a chain like he is insinuating.

This. At the departure hall of check in area there are random dudes in uniform asking to show all the cash I was carrying in public space. Luckily I have spent most of the USD cash being the end of African trip so I was a bit relieved, bit it was not the most comfortable experience. This was May 2022.

From what I’ve been hearing Skylight is mostly for business class passengers only, together with Radisson and Hilton. Economy passengers seem to get a lot more cheaper options in town as many have commented here.

If you end up in a hotel that is outside of immigration (not the in terminal one) and traveling to Tanzania, would this trigger requirements to have yellow fever vaccines?

Ethiopian Airlines fulfilled what they promised, I was in long transit twice and both times enjoyed nice clean hotels with complimentary food and drink, transport and free Visa as well. Lovely
But, Qatar and Emirates both declined my long transit.
I was in Doha Airport transit for 12 Hours and in Dubai for 9 hours, both of them treated me badly and ignored me.
Don't trust Qatar airways and Emirates.
Viva Ethiopian Airlines.

It is fraud. They provide bed and food which even cats can not consume at the yransit hotel. I experienced personally. They ud why I changed the carrier to TK fir my travel which is more cheaper and good.

I did this in 2018 as an economy passenger. The hotel was a barely adequate African style hotel about a half an hour from the airport. The food was buffet style and also barely adequate. I would not have given the hotel even one star. However, I had never been to Ethiopia so I took advantage of the day and traveled to the city center and even had an Ethiopian guy end up inviting me to his restaurant/hotel so I have no complaints but I sure would not have wanted to spend the day in the hotel.

Since the Skylight extension has opened in May 2023 (increasing the room capacity there to 1000+ rooms), I have only been allocated Skylight for all my layovers in Economy.

Did this a few months ago, was travelling J MNL-ADD-FCO; was accommodated in the Skylight, nice hotel and good food options (included) though after 24 hrs or so you’ve had enough. Despite having no visa I went and visited the city (hired a driver, very cheap, have a look on Tripadvisor forums, there’s a super active British poster who has all the info & tips). The city is generally safe, though not much to write home about, and I didn’t bother visiting again on my flight back. Also note that despite promising me the Skylight hotel when booking, they tried to dump me in the in-terminal hotel when I arrived in ADD, which I pushed back against-seems there’s a lot of vagueness on the part of ET, you need to know your rights and not let them push you around. Hotel was literally 2 mins’ drive from airport, and even walkable to be honest.

I had a stopover flight and spent a night at the new Sky light hotel. Every thing went very smoothly excellent service friendly helpfull staff.

You are lucky they let you do, as for me being US citizen they didn't let me and clearly it was fact due to my ethnicity.

Yes.

Someone gave you bad information. If you are taking a flight in a city pair that has same day connections but you choose one that triggers an STPC instead, there is an automatic $70 "Q" surcharge built into your ticket to cover the costs of the stopover package. You can price this on the Ethiopian Airlines website and check for yourself. ET309/ET847 connection in the same fare buckets costs $70 less than the ET319/ET847 connection.

I once partook in this program, it was a Lagos / Dubai flight . It was a wonderful experience. Nice hotel, nice food, and good pick up arrangement.

David

Can those with recent experience to ADD confirm that transit Visa is free?

ET info only says "For those nationals/ citizens who are eligible for transit visa on arrival, interline desk will facilitate such transit visa."

Currently a normal e-visa is 82 USD.

It was free as of yesterday afternoon. 🙂

If you dont have a yellow fever vaccine dont cross past immigration.

It happened to me back in 2018, I was on my way to Thailand and had a free stopover in Addis (it was fine, ok hotel and ok food) but when I arrived in Bangkok and the health department guy saw my ethiopian stamp he wanted me to put me in quarentine for 7 days!!! (I was going for 9 days to thailand by the way)

Since I dont have a yellow fever vaccine I just lied through my teeth and told them I only left the airside of the airport for lunch and they fortunately let me in to Thailand.

So double and triple check the health requirements of your next destination after Ethiopia.

They don't stamp your passport anymore on the STPC transit.

In previous years, all arrivals from Africa into BKK had to go via Health Desk and fill out form. This is pre-immigration. So, no way of denying your inbound flight.

Hi,
Firstly i am regular traveller of ETHIOPIAN AIRLINE.
secondly very nice information.
thanks

Could it be because you’re *G?
I believe years ago they allocated already “better” hotels (harmony, friendship) to *G than to pax without status.

I enjoyed my stay and the rooms were very neat staff was very friendly will definitely have another stop over. Shuttle bus staff excellent friendly l really enjoyed my trip with a stop over. The hotel voucher l was issued boarding

Skylight also accommodates economy passengers me went there no questions were asked

No. They have been allocating Skylight to pretty much everyone on the flights I've been on.

Yes. You do not need a visa as an American. It is visa free. Did it a few weeks ago. Great experience. Hired a private tour guide to drive me around, they are very cheap. Definitely recommend, navigating a Addis by yourself is chaotic.

That is incorrect Simon.

You need a visa for entry into Ethiopia if you have a United States passport.

I really love the airline..my brother and I had a stop over at Addis Ababa and we re giving hotel voucher before leaving Nigeria and they lodged us there it was a very good memory for us..shuttle bus was excellent...friendly staffs at the skylight hotel.

Thanks Sean - that response came from the airline contact centre. I’ll drop them another note as it was indeed more expensive as you point out.

I will be travelling to ADD on Ethiopian from Singapore, in February 2024, and have a 16 hour layover, before continuing on to Toronto on an Aeroplan reward Business Class ticket. As a Canadian citizen, I can not find any info on the transfer program on the Ethiopian website. Does anyone have a link to specifics/details on the free transit visa/stopover program. I am just a bit concerned about just checking in with Ethiopian in Singapore and not having a visa. Any assistance is appreciated.
Thank you.
Bert

When you check inn for your flight in SIN, you will normally receive a transit voucher, and if not, when you land at ADD, go to the "Transfer & Layover Office." For any layover between 8-24 hrs, you will receive a free stay with the visa and meals, as long as it is an ET-ET connection. No need to pre-arrange any visa. This flyertalk forum is very helpful on this topic: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-middle-eastern-african-airlines/1877754-ethiopian-airlines-add-layover-18.html

Thank you very much GGZED. I appreciate your assistance, and yes, I should have mentioned my ticket is on ET from SIN and ET from ADD to YYZ.
Have a great day! and I am looking forward to experiencing ET and seeing ADD, even though it will be a brief visit. Bert

I have booked ET flights thru United Airlines using miles, and my ADD stay will be less than 24 hours next month (Dec 2023). Do I still get the free hotel stay as discussed here in this web? Please let me know your comments.

OMG, I am now staying at Skylight for tonight, as explained in the web. Still working so, regardless of my award mileage ticket thru United!

Do you get entry or exit stamp on your passport?

I collect passport stamps, I wonder if it is still possible to request for entry and exit stamps using the free transit hotel scheme? I happen to have yellow fever vaccine certificate.

Hello.. do we need to complete any formalities at the country of departure for this complimentary room? I need to know asap as I travel in 2 days and my halt is almost 9 hours..

I cannot confirm what is written here. Used the stopover program on about 20 flights in the last month and I have only once been put into the Skylight Hotel. All the other times I have been allocated for or less dodgy downtown hotels. Only Business Class gets a Skylight guarantee, not Economy

Will we get a voucher at check in if we booked our flights via an agency?

Dear Ethiopian Airlines Customer Service,

I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a serious issue that occurred during my recent flight with Ethiopian Airlines. I was a passenger on flight ET 644 from Addis Ababa bound to Hongkong on August 14,2024. During the flight, there was a significant engine malfunction that caused considerable concern among passengers, including myself.

It happened also in my Flight from Hongkong bound to Manila on August 15, 2024. The engine problem led to the delaytion of my arrival in Manila which caused me to missed my domestic flight from Manila to Cebu on the same date. This experience was extremely distressing, and I feel that it compromised the safety and well-being of everyone on board.

I believe that such incidents are unacceptable for an airline that prides itself on safety and reliability. I kindly request a thorough investigation into this matter and a detailed explanation of what caused the engine problem. Furthermore, I would appreciate information on the measures Ethiopian Airlines is taking to ensure that similar issues do not occur in the future.

As a loyal customer, I expect that Ethiopian Airlines will take this complaint seriously and provide appropriate compensation for the inconvenience and distress caused by this incident. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution to this matter.

Thank you for your attention to this serious issue.

Sincerely,

Rolando Ugdamina Montana

Can anyone confirm if the free Ethiopian airlines Addis Abbaba stopover package still applies? We have a 11 hour stopover July 2025.

I was given a 4.5 star hotel, however the ladies at the shuttle area changed it at the last minute to a one star hotel. The bathroom smells bad and the door can't close. No heating, had to ask for an extra blanket. Sheets and pillows are stained and ripped. No showergel, shampoo. Bath towel isnt white anymore. I have to spend 20 hours in this hotel. This is unacceptable.

Are there any secret criteria or hidden requirements that Ethiopian Airlines uses to determine who is eligible for their free stopover hotel program? Is there a way to increase your chances of being selected for this perk?",
"refusal

As of January 1st, 2025 they no longer require you to have your hotel transit form stamped. Just used this service Sunday - the Skylight hotel was great, and the operation was pretty well organized. The hotel concierge set us up with a car & driver for a 2 hour tour of the city and a walk through the Merkato central market.

Was your ticket business class or coach? Thanks for you help

Word of warning - would advise booking your own hotel (or better, avoid Ethiopian with a long layover).  It can get a lot worse than a Best Western (which I assume is just fine...)

Had a miserable experience with the free hotel stay with Ethiopian.  It was not a case of expectations being off --- I've traveled 2M+ miles, travel internationally many times each year, been to third world countries all around the world, traveled through Africa 5 times, etc...

Was traveling as a family of 6, all on awards, but split between economy and business (but with a star alliance gold in economy).  We got put at different hotels --- even though reservations were linked (not super-surprising, I guess).  After a 1hr+ runaround with no one at ADD even trying to get us all at the same hotel (begged to reassign the 2 of us initially assigned to the nicer hotel, Skylight, to the lesser hotel, Presidential), we all took the shuttle to the lesser "4 star" hotel (Presidential).

I had an idea of what to expect of a 4 star hotel in Addis, and although I was hoping I'd be wrong, it was spot on. A 20min wait for the hotel bus to depart when it was nearly full (and never added another person), along with a 15ft stretch of the walkway up to the hotel being dirt was the appetizer.

Check-in went fine until I asked if my daughter and I (the ones assigned to the skylight hotel) could stay with my wife at the hotel.  I offered to pay for the full cost of the room.  No dice.  Hotel check-in agent insisted I get back into the hotel bus with my daughter, and for the driver to take us to Skylight.  After I explained that my wife's clothes and my clothes were in a single bag, she said I could go upstairs, but only for 5 minutes. She was knocking on the door 5 minutes later.

No air conditioning, no fan, no water, horrific beds, hotel linens that did not appear cleaned, and generally dirty.  Had a desk and couch, but both looked to have ~30years of wear.  In line with what I'd expect for $20/nt.  Seemed like a converted dorm.

Although Skylight looks nice, I would never want to stay there again either.  4 outlets next to the bed --- all didn't work.  A bathroom with a window staring at the toilet. The toilet did have a sliding door, but it refused to stay closed (it would always roll back to being open ... and was out-of-reach when on the toilet).  A wake-up call (60 minutes before my alarm) that I didn't ask for, was the icing on the cake.  A 2nd wake up call (40 minutes before my alarm) was the cherry on top. Also, were at the non-in-terminal skylight (still pretty close to the airport), and airplane noise was still pretty loud.

Looking back, a lot of what made it miserable was the lack of any warm hospitality, or any care to try to help with a messy situation, by any of the airport or Ethiopian Airlines employees at the airport.  At least it's helped me better appreciate how much I've been spoiled with the consistently warm hospitality across Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Botswana, etc,

Also, try to enter Ethiopia with binoculars.  What a pain --- was stopped at customs, and spent an extra hour departing the airport, and then another extra hour in the morning when returning to get our connecting flight.  I had 3lbs and 4.5lbs camera lenses ($10K) that they were fine with, but $200 amazon binoculars were not OK.  (also, drones are not OK).  

The mantra of never checking luggage runs into a real problem if you are entering Ethiopia, even as an overnight passenger.

Did this about a year ago. I actually had an e-visa, so just wanted the hotel room to freshen up, use the gym etc and then explore Addis. When I tried to leave the hotel car park, I was stopped by security and told that 'it wasn't allowed for people on transit visas'. I explained that I had a full visa and just walked off - but it's an interesting point about whether the programme allows people to go outside into the city. They try to control everyone using the bus to the hotel etc and to deter people from walking to the hotel (which I also did).

So good programme, but would be great to know the actual transit visa rules if anyone knows.

I already used this stopover benefit and it was actually quite easier than everyone says... Desk here, desk there, at check-in, etc etc.
I just walked in the business lounge and asked about it. They took care of everything and gave me the vouchers for the in terminal hotel, and it was pretty easy and staff was very helpful. Ethiopian in general is very under rated in my opinion.

I wasn't aware of this. Definitely want to try as I haven't visited Ethiopia.

It has to be international to international - this needs to be fixed in the article (“you must be both arriving and departing on Ethiopian Airlines on a single ticket” is not fully accurate - intl to domestic or domestic to intl doesn’t give you access).

Long haul economy on Ethiopian airlines is a disaster as is connecting in Addis.
I flew them last year from Botswana to Washington, DC via a short stop in Addis. In Addis we had to clear security not once but twice and almost missed the connection due to the long lines. By the time we were arriving in DC, the bathroom was a complete disaster and the floor was completely full of used toilet paper. The flight attendants were all on their phones almost the entire phone and not once cleaned the toilets. I can honestly say it is the worst airline I have flown in a very long time, although flights to India even on US carriers are pretty close!
I did the layover back in 2019 and they sent me to a very basic hotel off the airport. I like wandering around cities where I have never been so I had a good time but the hotel was definitely very basic and the included food was just edible. I would do it again simply to see more of Addis but most would likely not be very happy with accomadation.