Ethiopian Airlines A350-900 business class
London Heathrow-Addis Ababa
BACKGROUND Star Alliance member Ethiopian Airlines has 14 A350s on order, of which the first is now on the London-Addis Ababa route. Benefits of the A350-900 include good cabin air quality, advanced air conditioning technology and control of humidity levels, which reduces passenger fatigue.
CHECK-IN I arrived at Heathrow T2 at 1815 for my 2100 departure on flight ET701. There was no queue at business class check-in in Zone D. I was invited to use the United lounge and fast-track security, which was quick.
THE LOUNGE United’s lounge is excellent, and was reviewed recently on our website – see businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested.
BOARDING There are no calls for boarding from the Star Alliance lounges, although there seem to be reminders when passengers forget to board, or even leave a phone charging unattended. We boarded at Gate 44, where there was no queue, the economy passengers having already got on. I was offered a glass of champagne (Canard Duchêne) or orange juice.
THE SEAT Ethiopian’s first A350-900 has 313 economy seats in a 3-3-3 configuration, with a 32inch (81cm) pitch and an 18-inch (46cm) width. The aircraft’s 56-metre fuselage from sidewall to sidewall is five inches (13cm) wider than Boeing’s B787 and is the “extra” that makes the difference (hence the name of the A350 XWB – extra wide body – series), allowing for a standard 18-inch wide seat.
In business class, which is called “Cloud Nine”, there are 30 seats across five rows in a 2-2-2 layout (A-C, D-G, J-K) – I was in 1J. Ethiopian has now retrofitted this seat on its B777 and B787 aircraft, and I was told it was retiring its B757s and B767s this year, which have angled lie-flat beds.
The seat was comfortable and spacious, although the roomiest seats are in the front row. Upholstered in deep red leather, it is 22.9 inches (58cm) wide and converts into a 78-inch (198cm) fully-flat bed when combined with the footstool in front. The seat has power for UK, EU and US plugs, which did not work at first, but once I had asked the flight attendants it was turned on. There is also USB charging and a handset for controlling the 17-inch IFE screen.
The aircraft is not wifi equipped, but I was told this was planned. There is a small adjustable reading lamp (also good for working) and preset options for reclining. The table comes out of the central armrest and slides in and out – it is a good size and easily strong enough to work on a laptop or dine with comfort. Noise-cancelling headphones and an amenity bag were provided.
WHICH SEAT TO CHOOSE? If you don’t want to be disturbed, it’s best to avoid rows one and five because of noise from the galleys (some of this might have been because the attendants were still getting used to the new aircraft). Having said that, row one offers the most foot space (and so sleep room
The seat was comfortable and spacious, with the roomiest seats being in the front row
if you want to shift around). If you are in a window seat you will have to step over the person next to the aisle. The centre seats have no overhead compartments so you have plenty of headroom. If you want to sleep undisturbed, go for a window seat or a centre seat with direct access to the aisle (D or G) so no one steps over you.
THE FLIGHT We pushed back on time but then queued, taking off at 2140. The captain made a loud announcement at about 2215, but after that the cabin was quiet. He warned of some bumps and an arrival of 0625 local time, slightly ahead of schedule, but as it happened the flight was smooth.
Menus weren’t given out until 2230 and there were no details of the drinks on offer, which seemed a shame since there was a choice of both white and red wines, including an Ethiopian white from the Rift Valley. The reds were from Spain and South Africa, as far as I could tell.
There was a choice of seasonal or chicken Caesar salad to start, followed by mains of pressed short rib of beef with braised liquor, pickled red cabbage, sugar snap peas and dauphinoise potatoes; fish pie with mash, fennel seed and parmesan topping; pan-fried gnocchi with green beans, roasted butternut squash and cherry tomato; and roasted red pepper with ratatouille, bulgur wheat and broccoli. Desserts and cheeses were also offered.
I had the starter but by then it was almost 0100 Ethiopian time (2300 UK time) so I reclined and slept for about four hours. (I enjoyed the food and drink on the day flight back – see my review online.) Shortly after I woke, breakfast was served. There was a choice of baked eggs with mushrooms or Belgian waffles with mixed berry marmalade, plus fruit and cereal.
I watched the IFE as we landed – there’s a good 3D map so you can track your progress along the journey.
ARRIVAL We landed on time, and disembarked on to a bus. I completed a form for a visa on arrival.
VERDICT It’s good that Ethiopian is continuing with its new deliveries, and having the new A350 on this route is a real boost. Service was friendly and the seat was good.