Recap: Review of Ethiopian Airlines

So we flew Ethiopian Airlines getting to Ethiopia and on our way back. I'll go ahead and say it now...I wouldn't do it again. First off, we weren't aware of the 15lb carry on limit for our 2 bags. Some of us skirted this by having a laptop with us, but for the most part, we had to pay extra to check in our extra bags. I will say that Ethiopians are some of the most beautiful people in the world, so having an all Ethiopian crew wasn't too bad. However, when it comes to service, I was a little frustrated. Maybe it's just a cultural thing, but the flight attendants didn't really make an effort NOT to hit you when walking past. In fact, if you were sleeping, and it was time for a meal, they would actually shake you to wake you up and ask, "Chicken or beef?". Then they would unlock your track so that it comes down in front of you, all while you are trying to wake up and figure out what's going on.

I found out on the flight why they had the weight limit too: The overhead compartments couldn't hold much weight reliably. So my overhead would open up every so often if I didn't slam it shut. Maybe it's because my 'laptop bag' actually weighed about 40lbs. It was nice that each seat had its own screen for watching movies. However, you couldn't really select the movie you wanted to watch. They just streamed the movies on different channels, so if you didn't one of the 4 movies playing when it starts, you just have to wait until it's over to start from the beginning. Lastly, there weren't any personal air vents, at least on one of our flights. The whole cabin just had 1 temperature. So when someone complained that it was too cold, they turned off the A/C and we just sat through a stuffy, sweaty hour dealing with the heat. They eventually turned the A/C back on so that we could cool off, but it was pretty miserable. Maybe it was just our flights, and supposedly, EA just bought a new fleet of planes, but I don't know if I'd ever choose to fly with them again. I might reconsider that statement if I could be guaranteed not to be shaken awake when meals come by.

Disclaimer: I know I might sound a little whiny and entitled and spoiled. I probably am. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for the blessing it is to travel internationally. And I'm amazed that we can even fly. All I'm saying is that if I fly, I'd just rather not do it through Ethiopian Air. I supposed I've had worse experiences, like flying in an uncompressed 20-seater while having to sit on my own luggage. So I can't complain too much. At least my seats on Ethiopian Air came with seat belts and floatation devices. Someday, when my luggage has its own seat belt and can float, I might change my mind on that.