Ethiopian Airways is Africa’s largest airline, providing a major quantity of each brief haul and lengthy haul capability. Whereas the Star Alliance service is usually fairly properly regarded, Ethiopian does have fairly the number of enterprise class seats.
Within the close to future I’m planning a visit on Ethiopian, so I’ve been researching the number of enterprise class seats that Ethiopian operates. I wished to take a better take a look at that on this submit, for anybody else who is likely to be . In any case, you’ll wish to be sure to’re in a snug seat, on condition that Ethiopian operates some 16+ hour flights to america (with a refueling cease in Rome).
Ethiopian Airways enterprise class seats by plane sort
Ethiopian Airways’ lengthy haul fleet presently consists of 59 huge physique plane, together with Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s. Throughout these plane, the airline has 5 completely different sorts of enterprise class seats, in order that’s fairly the range.
Let’s check out the enterprise class seats that you could count on on Ethiopian, damaged down by plane sort (due to this nice FlyerTalk wiki for breaking down particulars by tail quantity — and specifically, Sean M. has added so much to that).
Ethiopian Airways Airbus A350 enterprise class seats
Ethiopian Airways has a fleet of 20 Airbus A350-900 plane, that are considered by many as the very best planes in Ethiopian’s fleet. The excellent news is that each one Ethiopian A350 function flat beds and Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, there are two completely different type of enterprise class seats.
14 of Ethiopian’s A350s function Collins Aerospace Diamond seats, that are totally flat and in a 2-2-2 configuration (seat map right here). This isn’t a very spacious product, however a minimum of it’s totally flat. This product makes use of area very effectively as a result of the footwell for every seat is situated to the facet of the seat in entrance.
Ethiopian Airways’ six latest Airbus A350s function Safran Optima seats, that are totally flat and have direct aisle entry, in a 1-2-1 configuration (seat map right here). That is amongst Ethiopian’s greatest enterprise class merchandise, so if you may get on one among these plane, you’re in for a deal with.
Ethiopian Airways Boeing 777 enterprise class seats
Ethiopian Airways has a fleet of 10 Boeing 777s, comprised of six 777-200LRs and 4 777-300ERs. These are probably the most constant planes in Ethiopian’s fleet, as all of them function the identical totally flat beds and Wi-Fi. Nevertheless, that is in any other case not a lot to get enthusiastic about.
These planes have totally flat Zodiac Aura Lite seats, that are in a 2-3-2 configuration (777-200LR seat map right here, 777-300ER seat map right here). These are additionally the one planes in Ethiopian’s fleet to have center seats in enterprise class. A minimum of you realize precisely what to anticipate when flying Ethiopian’s 777 enterprise class.
Ethiopian Airways Boeing 787 enterprise class seats
Ethiopian Airways has a fleet of 29 Boeing 787s, comprised of 19 787-8s and 10 787-9s. Sadly these are the worst planes in Ethiopian’s lengthy haul fleet on the subject of consistency of enterprise class seating and availability of Wi-Fi.
Let’s begin with Ethiopian’s Boeing 787-8s. 10 of those function angled Zodiac Aura Lite seats, that are in a 2-2-2 configuration (seat map right here). These are the one Ethiopian lengthy haul jets with out totally flat beds. As you’ll be able to inform based mostly on the title, this is identical seat sort you’ll discover on 777s, besides there’s extra pitch on the 777s, so the seats are totally flat. These are the Ethiopian planes you’ll wish to keep away from if attainable.
The opposite 9 787-8s function Collins Aerospace Diamond seats, that are totally flat and in a 2-2-2 configuration (seat map right here), and so they’re the identical seats you’ll discover on most A350s. This isn’t a very spacious product, however a minimum of it’s totally flat.
Now let’s speak about Ethiopian’s Boeing 787-9s. Six of those function Collins Aerospace Diamond seats, that are in a 2-2-2 configuration (seat map right here), simply as you’ll discover on some A350s and 787-8s. These planes even have Wi-Fi.
Final however not least, the opposite 4 Boeing 787-9s function Collins Aerospace Tremendous Diamond seats, that are totally flat and in a 1-2-1 configuration (seat map right here). These planes even have Wi-Fi.
Greatest Ethiopian Airways enterprise class technique
In the event you’re pondering of reserving Ethiopian Airways enterprise class, what’s the very best technique to get nearly as good of an expertise as attainable?
The very first thing to know is that Ethiopian is infamous for plane swaps, so you’ll be able to by no means actually know what you’re going to get when reserving prematurely. That’s true to some extent between completely completely different plane varieties (like swapping an A350 for a 787), however it’s significantly true between variants of the identical plane sort (like swapping a 787-8 for a 787-9).
So to handle your expectations with Ethiopian, don’t ever assume that you just’ll be assured the plane sort that you just see on the time of reserving.
Additionally word that Ethiopian doesn’t assure the brand new configuration on any specific routes. Nevertheless, the airline does attempt to prioritize it on some routes. For instance, Ethiopian’s A350s with new enterprise class seats most incessantly fly to London and Toronto.
If reserving, how would I prioritize Ethiopian plane to get the all-around greatest enterprise class expertise?
- The Airbus A350 would most likely be my first alternative, as you’re assured flat beds and Wi-Fi, and also you even have respectable odds of getting on a airplane with Ethiopian’s new enterprise class
- The Boeing 777 could be my second alternative, as a result of the planes have totally flat enterprise class seats and Wi-Fi, and also you additionally know precisely what you’re going to get, so there’s no guessing recreation
- My third alternative could be the Boeing 787-9s, all of which have totally flat beds and Wi-Fi; the one catch is that plane swaps between 787-8s and 787-9s are frequent
- My final alternative could be the 787-8s, as most of them have angled seats with out Wi-Fi, which isn’t a terrific enterprise class expertise
To North America, Ethiopian usually flies Airbus A350s to Toronto and Boeing 777s to Washington, whereas the opposite routes are usually operated by Boeing 787s.
Backside line
Ethiopian Airways has fairly the various fleet, because the airline has 5 completely different sorts of enterprise class seats on its Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s. Amazingly sufficient, that is already an enchancment over Ethiopian’s previous fleet, because the airline used to have far more seating variants.
In the event you’re going to fly Ethiopian in enterprise class, I’d suggest reserving the Airbus A350 or Boeing 777, as these planes are assured to have flat beds and Wi-Fi. In the meantime the Boeing 787s are extra of a combined bag, resulting from a majority of 787-8s not having flat beds.
What has your expertise been with Ethiopian’s lengthy haul enterprise class?