Duringmy quick trip to Paris and Cairo, I had the chance to check out the Ethiopian Airlines Sheba Cloud Nine Lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD). While that’s a mouthful, this is essentially the Star Alliance carrier’s primary hub business class lounge.
Continue reading: Review: Ethiopian Airlines Business Lounge Addis Ababa Airport (ADD)
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Looks like an all around solid flagship lounge. I can certainly name several that are far worse.
I agree with you Sam. Seems like for Africa this is quite good and based on pictures and description it is better than most standard USA lounges.
The traditional coffee ceremony is one of my all time favorite lounge experiences, it’s so unique! Sorry you didn’t get to experience it, we had to ask the front desk about it and they quickly had the presenter come out for our private experience.
@ Justin -- Well that's cool and good to know! It would be nice if they somehow made it obvious this was a thing, because there was no indication.
The reason why *G lounge exists isn't to "spread out traffic", that would be better achieved with one bigger lounge. It's to be able to charge other FFPs for access to a "better" lounge. This is the same reason why LHG runs Senator lounges even though they're virtually the same as business lounges nowadays 😉
Apparently, the government of Ethiopia needs $1.2 billion a year from US taxpayers via USAID or else their citizens will starve but they seem to ae enough cash to own a money-losing airline with a nice lounge.
If I recall correctly the *G lounge does not have a bar and the ceremony area. More importantly it does not have showers though. They escort you to the Business lounge if you want to take a shower. But only if you are flying with ET. I was flying ET connecting to TK and was not allowed to freshen up. Also the TK flight from ADD is apparently the worst zoo in the TK network according to some F/As.
@Maxi - No, the Star Gold side of the lounge has its own bar, coffee ceremony area and showers. The layout is just different but it's all there.
Ethiopian Airlines posted close to $1 billion profits on revenue of above $7 billion.
The airline is the largest forex earner for the country. It gets no direct support from Government and hasn't in decades.
Without the airline, arguably Ethiopia would have even higher need for foreign aid.
@Ben - the ceremony runs regularly during the morning and evening hub bank peaks but obviously not during the quiet day time. It can be really annoying because the nearby areas get quite smoky at times during the ceremony.
I vastly prefer the coffee at the ceremony to any 'batista made' coffee I've had in any other lounge.
You know they're taking it seriously when an coal fire and open flame is allowed in an aiprort next to a few billion $ worth of aircraft, just for a coffee experience
It does not lose money. It probably makes a bigger profit than all other African airlines combined.
You have a bit of a 1985 viewpoint on Ethiopia though you are correct that Trumps avtions on USAID. wil cause suffering here.
Not quite sure why the writer thinks the rest of the terminal is so bad.
Busy yes. But those of us using T2 since it's opening in 2003 would say it has hugely improved in size and quality.
Yes the hub system produces banks or rush hours but flights are convenient which is why Bole will overtake Joburg. this year as Africa's busiest airport.