Review of Ethiopian Airlines flight from Nosy Be to Addis Ababa in Economy

Intro

Ugh, sometimes I wonder about life when I have to leave Africa. Leaving Europe is one thing, but leaving Africa might be the worst feeling in the world, going back to places which have nowhere near the same amount of warmth and kindness. With that said, after an exceptional stay at Casa Faly, and Bonito galore the day before, it was time to begin the journey home on an Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max 8 in economy.

So, how was Ethiopian Airlines? Minus a large debacle over luggage allowance at Nosy Be airport, the entire onboard experience is exceptional. You get that friendly Ethiopian charm from the cabin crew, good personal streaming options, and free-flowing wine. Going in 3,2,1: Sold! For 22.5K Miles 

Routing

How I Booked

While I give credit to Ethiopian Airlines in a lot of different areas, the number one thing they do is release ample award space to Star Alliance partners. The day before departure, I stumbled across a fare for 22.5K United Miles+96$ in fees.

While more expensive than Aeroplan, I have plenty of UA miles from my travels… 

Driving to Nosy Be Airport

With our lovely driver picking us up around 11 am, hungover (I was supposed to go out with him), there was one thing I wanted before leaving Madagascar: one last Zebu filet. Because we were rushed, I had to settle on a local restaurant, which was even better than I could have imagined!!

Beer in hand, it was time to view the last of Africa until May (is there a thing called Africa withdrawals?? Maybe they should add this to the DSM-5). It was the perfect way to reel in the last of this trip, driving through the mountain ranges through small towns, listening to Afro beats, while enjoying beer. Gosh forbid I did that back in the USA. 

35 minutes later, we had arrived at the miniature airport of Nosy Be. 

Check-In

Bidding farewell to my mum and Stevio, I headed over to the Ethiopian Airlines check-in counters. Ordinarily, due to my Star Alliance Gold, I would have had access to “cloud nine” check-in, but sometimes you just have to realize when you are in an airport with a total of 8 check-in desks in rural Africa: these things don’t occur (wait until Juba, hilarious). 

A quick wait later, it began.

Here is me thinking that Ethiopian Airlines allows 1 carry-on and 1 personal item, but that isn’t the case unless you are in Business Class (my oblivion does get to me sometimes lol). Seeing as I had booked this flight separately to my onward booking in Business, they asked me to check a bag. Only one issue, they couldn’t interline the tickets.

Back and forth, push and pull, I eventually asked if I could speak to the supervisor, where I pleaded my case, saying that I would have to get a transit visa to pick up my bag in Addis, etc. He was very understanding, and very professional, and said Don’t worry, it is okay.

Heading back, the agent now asked me to weigh my bags: 13 kg. Great, since the allowance is 7 KG. Back to the supervisor we go.

I said to him, “I am really sorry my bag is overweight, can I pay a fee but still take it onboard, please?”

He responded, “It’s okay, I’ll waive it.”

What a nice man, and very kind. Thank you to Tadesh!

Back at the counter, it was fist bumps and laughs all around as I never hold anything against anyone, it’s the regulations and I was breaking them (although I do think the regulations should be raised). 

Nosy Be Airport

Similar to JFK, Nosy Be airport is a huge airport featuring 8 terminals and 200 gates. Just like how Santa comes every day of the year… There is a quick security check that puts you through to the one international gate featuring just enough space to hold a boatload of 737 MAX 8 passengers, a bathroom, and a small vendor to buy one last THB. Ahhh, a beer tastes better in Africa, just saying 🤷‍♂️. 

There were also some exceptional views as our inbound plane landed. That’s the nice thing about these smaller airports. 

Boarding

Around 2:50 local time (I only got through 30 mins prior due to all of the back and forth), boarding was called with “group 1” passengers. If group 1 meant the whole plane, then Nosy Be airport did a fantastic job here. In the US I care, here I couldn’t give a flying… It’s just part of life. 

Scanned boarding pass, it was a short walk out to the stairs leading up to this 1-year-old 737 Max 8 that was reflecting the African sun off its beautiful body. My gosh, as an Avgeek, does it get better than that???

See, this is what I love: you board the back of the plane through one set of stairs, and the front of the plane through the other set of stairs. Simplicity! 

The Seat/Cabin

Moving past the modern business class cabin featuring IFE screens (no champers for me yet), I came across the beautiful economy cabin.

The Ethiopian 737 Max 8 cabin is laid out in a 3-3 configuration and features great legroom for a narrowbody product. If you can secure an exit row seat (like I did with my *A Gold status), it’s the perfect way to spend 3 hours. 

Nice legroom

A lot of airlines have recently gone with newer versions of seats on their newly delivered aircraft. However, Ethiopian sticks by these beautifully provided seats, giving ample comfort for a flight.

I lucked out (not really, I monitored the seat maps) with a whole row to myself for this flight. Hence, I was able to lie down and get some rest later…

I did also get a glimpse of my inbound to London, which had arrived for Abuja. 

Departure

Boarding was efficient and all wrapped up by 3:10 pm local time, at which point the little screens dropped down to demonstrate the safety video. The captain also came on to announce our very short flight time of 3 hours and 10 minutes up to Addis, and that we should be landing quite early. 

We held for a little bit, probably due to slots at Addis Ababa, and ended up moving (no pushback tugs here) a minute ahead of schedule. Gosh, when you get on a new plane, it is just breathtaking. 

It was a very short back taxi, and we were wheels up out of Nosy Be ahead of schedule at 3:37 pm local time. 

IFE

Before heading to bed, I decided to check out the IFE that Ethiopian Airlines offers. Simply head over to the wifi section on your phone, and you will see Ethiopian Airlines pop up. Connect to it, head over to the internet, and you are golden! No, ET doesn’t have wifi on narrowbodies.

I’ve always found Ethiopian Airlines' IFE offerings to be decent if you fly them every so often. However, if you were to fly them often, there just isn’t enough content to keep you amused through the majority of the flights. We’ll label this as fine, not great. 

Alternatively, if authentic IFE is your thing, every flight I have been on with ET has had someone with their bare feet out, and this flight was no different. Much more entertaining in my opinion lol. Okay, so this is more normal outside of the West, and if you haven’t experienced it before, you may be a little taken aback 😅. 

Lavatories

Seeing as this was a 1-year-old aircraft, I was excited to check out the lavatories onboard. There were two lavatories located in the back of the aircraft, which both seemed to be modern and kept in good condition. However, one of them wouldn’t lock properly, so someone opened the door while I was using it (thankfully, I had just finished phewww). 

Onboard Service

Okay, okay, I am sorry. My main priority on this flight was to sleep so I could enjoy the A350-1000 on the next flight in Business (spoiler: a letdown soft product wise, and somewhat with the hard product). About 40 minutes into the flight, the cabin crew came around to offer meals (my eyes quickly lit up when I heard the word beef), but I was in a trance, so I fell right back asleep, sorry. 

However, I did head back to the galley to pick up some bottles of wine throughout the flight. Cabin crew had the supplies stocked so passengers could pour themselves a Fanta or so. Good thing the wine is locked up (FA has to get it), as last time I flew ET, someone got kicked off the flight. 

Service

Now, the service angle is where Ethiopian Airlines shines brightly. I mean, truly, they bring out a professional, yet African charm. I ended up chatting to two flight attendants for about an hour, and one told me how they originally wanted to become a doctor and were in school, but then changed to become a flight attendant.

They were just really nice people overall and made this flight even more enjoyable. Cabin crew make or break a flight, and they made this one for sure. 

Arrival

Around 6:40 pm local time, the captain came on to announce that we would be beginning our descent into Addis Ababa. He mentioned the weather was bad, and guess what, he wasn’t lying when he said that. 

We ended up touching down at 7:09 local time from South to North and had a quick taxi to a remote stand, passing by the same 737 that flew me to Mogadishu, SOMALIA!!!

Remember this review? Probably not haha

Deplaning was efficient, the cabin crew big us farewell, and we were off in a bus in no time to transit immigration.

Next stop: London Heathrow! 

CASA FALY

We stayed at a lovely villa in Madagascar, and here is my reflection on it: 

Casa Faly isn’t just a villa — it’s an experience that blurs the line between vacation and fantasy. From the jaw-dropping views to the staff that feel more like family, everything here operates on a level that’s hard to put into words (but I tried, okay, you get it, haha?). Whether you’re chasing sunsets, needing a digital detox, or just craving perfectly seared steak after a beach walk past lemurs (yep, this is real…), this place delivers in ways few destinations ever do. STAY HERE, and no, I do not get a commission! 500$ per night for everything is unreal, especially since luxury resorts are around the same price here. 

Would I go back? In a heartbeat.

Would I recommend it? Only if you’re ready to seriously reconsider your entire life trajectory.

talk about a view

Fishing

If you happen to be into gamefishing and visiting Nosy Be, this is a decent place to go out for the day. Look, fishing isn't the best in the world here, especially with the number of commercial fishermen. However, if you come during the right periods, you can easily get on 10+ sailfish per day, as well as unlimited Bonitos. Supposedly, the yellowfins have a run, but this year they didn't show up in numbers.

To book this, just head down to the beach and ask a local who looks like he fishes lol. 

No 1300 Pound Black Marlin like I caught in Mozambique, but it's always fun being out fishing. Fun fact: the only other country to catch a grander black marlin in Africa is Madagascar. Mauritius and stuff has landed blues, but no grander blacks from what I have been told. 

Side note: I had veered more away from my writing style to be more professional recently, but I love this kind of style more as it brings more culture and fun to a review. What do you think?