Ahead of our flight to Awassa, we spent about an hour in the Ethiopian Airlines Lounge in the Addis Ababa domestic terminal.
Ethiopian Airlines Domestic Lounge Review – Addis Ababa (ADD)
While Ethiopian operates two lounges, a Cloud 9 lounge for business class passengers and a Shebamiles Platinum Lounge for Star Alliance Gold members, in Terminal 2, it only operates a single lounge in the domestic terminal.
This lounge is accessible to Star Alliance Gold passengers and Cloud 9 (business class) passengers. It is located past security in the middle of the gate area (domestic flights in ADD depart from remote gates). Hours are not posted and the lounge is not even listed on the Ethiopian Airlines website or on the Star Alliance Lounge Finder tool.
When I got there, there wasn’t even anyone at the desk…we just walked in and sat down. About 10 minutes later, an agent showed up, came over, and collected our boarding passes, returning them presumably after scanning them.
The lounge itself included individual chairs with tables around them, many of which had plugs (universal plus USB-A). Wi-Fi was available and worked reasonably well.
A cafeteria-style buffet in the middle of the lounge had several hot items, but honestly, the food looked like it had been sitting out for days (and I could be totally wrong on that, but it did not look fresh and I did not eat anything):
I did have some cofeee..
Fruit juice, water, and soda was availbale, but no alochol.
The lounge also had restrooms:
CONCLSUION
While this is not a lounge I would ever show up early for, It was appreciated…it beat waiting in the gate area that lacked power outlets and comfortable chairs. I love oneworld emerald status, but I still think the single most important status is Star Allinace Gold, whch opens up lounge access in so many places around the world.
Thank you for sharing these reviews, Matt. I’m yet to try Ethiopian Airlines, but, honestly, when there’s a good redemption, I may consider it, in-part because you trailblazed here.
There are some really good Ethiopian restaurants in NYC and DC; it’s worth a try. Live a little.
And to the haters, because, inevitably, they will come… folks, it’s a travel blog; you’d think you’d be more open to new experiences… sheesh.
STFU Moron
Still better than the Swissport lounge at ORD…
STFU Aaron
Make me, you human equivalent of an ingrown toenail on a baboon.
“ it did not look fresh and I did not eat anything”
There truly is a first for everything.
To be fair the potatoes looked good and were probably safe.