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Ethiopian will apply its own Denied Boarding Compensation scheme on all International flights on the basis of distance flown. However compensation given in MCO will be refunded at a 50% discounted price in cash.
Children between 2 and12 years of age are entitled to 50 % of the above Denied Boarding Compensation Scheme.
EU regulation shall apply for flights departing from Europe.
Dot rules
apply for flights originating from USA.
Denied Boarding Compensation (DBC) will be paid to a passenger who:
Volunteer – means a person who has a valid ticket, a confirmed reservation and presented himself/herself for check-in within the required time limit and who responds positively to a call for passengers to surrender their confirmed reservation in exchange for compensation.
Overbooked Flight means a flight where the number of passengers holding confirmed reservation and presented themselves for check-in within the required time limit exceeds the number of available seats on that flight/compartment.
Denied Boarding means refusal to accommodate passengers on a flight although they have valid ticket, a confirmed reservation on that flight and presented themselves for check-in within the required time limit due to an overbooking.
This program will not be availed for passengers if:
All paying passengers who have checked-in and already accepted for travel on a delayed flight are entitled for the compensation program regardless of their original reservation status and the following will be offered:
Protection plan shall be made immediately for passengers with connecting flights beyond to their final destination.
Unaccompanied minor shall be rerouted as quickly as possible even on ET flights that are overbooked.
Passenger should not be rerouted via countries for which he/she holds no proper travel documents such as (transit) visa.
Passengers shall be protected to fly to their destinations by the fastest means available.
Delayed flight is any scheduled passenger flight departing or arriving behind its original schedule because of mechanical, operational or other reasons. A delay, cancellation or disruption is beyond Ethiopian Airlines control when it is caused by circumstances such as weather, strike, sudden airport closure or political situation.
How does this upgrade opportunity work?
After you have booked your flight ticket you may be invited to make an offer to upgrade to a higher class than was booked. The invitation will link you to a website where you can indicate which flights you would like to make an offer to be upgraded on.
Step 1 – select how much money, per person, you wish to offer to be upgraded per flight
Step 2 – enter your payment card information that will only be used if you are selected to be upgraded. You should also confirm or enter an email address on this page, this is what we will use to communicate with you about your request
Step 3 – Review the details to ensure everything looks good, tick the box to agree to the terms and conditions, and submit your request
You will receive an email confirming your request. You can use this to modify or cancel your offer up until the deadline shown by clicking the included link.
In the days prior to your flight we will notify you via email if your request for an upgrade has been successful or not. If your upgrade offer has been accepted, your credit card will be billed with the amount you offered and your flight will be rebooked to the higher cabin. On the day of travel you should check-in as a passenger traveling in the business class. If your upgrade offer is not accepted, you pay nothing and travel in your original booked cabin.
How do I get invited?
There are a number of ways you can access the upgrade site:
How do I participate if I don’t get an email/ see an invite?
Passengers travelling on tickets purchased by miles, Infant Tickets may not be eligible to participate. If your booking fits the designated criteria yet you have not been invited to participate, you can contact us at upgrades@ethiopianairlines.com
How do I stop receiving the upgrade invite email?
At the bottom of the email you will see an “Unsubscribe” link. If you do not want to receive upgrade invite emails from us you can click this to be removed from our mailing list
What do I do if I accidentally clicked to unsubscribe?
You can contact us at upgrades@ethiopianairlines.com to be re-added to the mailing list
Ethiopian Airlines Plus Grade Current Available Routes
From | To |
---|---|
Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia | Abidjan (ABJ), Ivory Coast |
Abuja (ABV), Nigeria | |
Accra (ACC), Ghana | |
Stockholm Arlanda ( ARN), Sweden | |
Beirut ( BEY), Lebanon | |
Bujumbura ( BJM), Burundi | |
Bangkok Suvarnabh ( BKK), Thailand | |
Bamako ( BKO), Mali | |
Mumbai (BOM), India | |
Brussels (BRU), Belgium | |
Brazzaville (BZV), Congo Republic | |
Cairo (CAI), Egypt | |
Guangzhou (CAN), China | |
Paris De Gaulle (CDG), France | |
Cotonou (COO), Benin | |
Cape Town (CPT), South Africa | |
Dar Es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania | |
Delhi (DEL), India | |
Dakar (DKR), Senegal | |
Douala (DLA), Cameroon | |
Dammam (DMM), Saudi Arabia | |
Doha (DOH), Qatar | |
Dublin (DUB), Ireland | |
Dubai (DXB), United Arab Emi | |
Entebbe (EBB), Uganda | |
Enugu (ENU), Nigeria | |
Lubumbashi (FBM), Congo Dem Rep | |
Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Italy | |
Kinshasa Ndjili (FIH), Congo Dem Rep | |
Frankfurt (FRA), Germany | |
Gaborone (GBE), Botswana | |
Goma (GOM), Congo Dem Rep | |
Sao Paulo Guarulh (GRU), Brazil | |
Hargeisa (HGA), Somalia | |
Hong Kong (HKG), Hong Kong S A R | |
Harare (HRE), Zimbabwe | |
Washington Dulles (IAD), Dc | |
Seoul Incheon Int (ICN), Korea Republic | |
Jeddah (JED), Saudi Arabia | |
Djibouti (JIB), Djibouti | |
Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa | |
Kilimanjaro (JRO), Tanzania | |
Frankfurt (FRA), Germany | |
Kano (KAN), Nigeria | |
Kigali (KGL), Rwanda | |
Khartoum (KRT), Sudan | |
Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia | |
Kuwait (KWI), Kuwait | |
Luanda (LAD), Angola | |
Los Angeles (LAX), Ca | |
Libreville (LBV), Gabon | |
Lome (LFW), Togo | |
London Heathrow (LHR), United Kingdom | |
Lilongwe (LLW), Malawi | |
Lagos (LOS), Nigeria | |
Lusaka (LUN), Zambia | |
Madrid (MAD), Spain | |
Mombasa (MBA), Kenya | |
Muscat (MCT), Oman | |
Manila (MNL), Philippines | |
Maputo (MPM), Mozambique | |
Milan Malpensa (MXP), Italy | |
Nairobi Kenyatta (NBO), Kenya | |
Ndjamena (NDJ), Chad | |
Niamey (NIM), Niger | |
Ndola (NLA), Zambia | |
Tokyo Narita (NTR), Japan | |
Yaounde Nsimalen (NSI), Cameroon | |
Ouagadougou (OUA), Burkina Faso | |
Beijing (PEK), China | |
Pointe Noire (PNR), Congo Republic | |
Shanghai Pudong (PVG), China | |
Riyadh (RUH), Saudi Arabia | |
Mahe Island (SEZ), Seychelles | |
Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guin | |
Tel Aviv Tlv (TLV), Israel | |
Vienna (VIE), Austria | |
Toronto On (YYZ), Canada | |
Abidjan (ABJ), Ivory Coast | Addis Ababa (ADD), Ethiopia |
Abuja (ABV), Nigeria | |
Accra (ACC), Ghana | |
Stockholm Arlanda ( ARN), Sweden | |
Beirut ( BEY), Lebanon | |
Bujumbura ( BJM), Burundi | |
Bangkok Suvarnabh ( BKK), Thailand | |
Bamako ( BKO), Mali | |
Mumbai (BOM), India | |
Brussels (BRU), Belgium | |
Brazzaville (BZV), Congo Republic | |
Cairo (CAI), Egypt | |
Guangzhou (CAN), China | |
Paris De Gaulle (CDG), France | |
Cotonou (COO), Benin | |
Cape Town (CPT), South Africa | |
Dar Es Salaam (DAR), Tanzania | |
Delhi (DEL), India | |
Dakar (DKR), Senegal | |
Douala (DLA), Cameroon | |
Dammam (DMM), Saudi Arabia | |
Doha (DOH), Qatar | |
Dublin (DUB), Ireland | |
Dubai (DXB), United Arab Emi | |
Entebbe (EBB), Uganda | |
Enugu (ENU), Nigeria | |
Lubumbashi (FBM), Congo Dem Rep | |
Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Italy | |
Kinshasa Ndjili (FIH), Congo Dem Rep | |
Frankfurt (FRA), Germany | |
Gaborone (GBE), Botswana | |
Goma (GOM), Congo Dem Rep | |
Sao Paulo Guarulh (GRU), Brazil | |
Hargeisa (HGA), Somalia | |
Hong Kong (HKG), Hong Kong S A R | |
Harare (HRE), Zimbabwe | |
Washington Dulles (IAD), Dc | |
Seoul Incheon Int (ICN), Korea Republic | |
Jeddah (JED), Saudi Arabia | |
Djibouti (JIB), Djibouti | |
Johannesburg (JNB), South Africa | |
Kilimanjaro (JRO), Tanzania | |
Frankfurt (FRA), Germany | |
Kano (KAN), Nigeria | |
Kigali (KGL), Rwanda | |
Khartoum (KRT), Sudan | |
Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia | |
Kuwait (KWI), Kuwait | |
Luanda (LAD), Angola | |
Los Angeles (LAX), Ca | |
Libreville (LBV), Gabon | |
Lome (LFW), Togo | |
London Heathrow (LHR), United Kingdom | |
Lilongwe (LLW), Malawi | |
Lagos (LOS), Nigeria | |
Lusaka (LUN), Zambia | |
Madrid (MAD), Spain | |
Mombasa (MBA), Kenya | |
Muscat (MCT), Oman | |
Manila (MNL), Philippines | |
Maputo (MPM), Mozambique | |
Milan Malpensa (MXP), Italy | |
Nairobi Kenyatta (NBO), Kenya | |
Ndjamena (NDJ), Chad | |
Niamey (NIM), Niger | |
Ndola (NLA), Zambia | |
Tokyo Narita (NTR), Japan | |
Yaounde Nsimalen (NSI), Cameroon | |
Ouagadougou (OUA), Burkina Faso | |
Beijing (PEK), China | |
Pointe Noire (PNR), Congo Republic | |
Shanghai Pudong (PVG), China | |
Riyadh (RUH), Saudi Arabia | |
Mahe Island (SEZ), Seychelles | |
Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guin | |
Tel Aviv Tlv (TLV), Israel | |
Vienna (VIE), Austria | |
Toronto On (YYZ), Canada | |
Stockholm Arlanda ( ARN), Sweden | Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Italy |
Vienna (VIE), Austria | |
Bujumbura ( BJM), Burundi | Kigali (KGL), Rwanda |
Bangkok Suvarnabh ( BKK), Thailand | Kuala Lumpur (KUL), Malaysia |
Bamako ( BKO), Mali | Dakar (DKR), Senegal |
Paris De Gaulle (CDG), France | Brussels (BRU), Belgium |
Cape Town (CPT), South Africa | Gaborone (GBE), Botswana |
Dakar (DKR), Senegal | Bamako ( BKO), Mali |
Douala (DLA), Cameroon | Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guin |
Dublin (DUB), Ireland | Los Angeles (LAX), Ca |
Entebbe (EBB), Uganda | Juba (JUB), South Sudan |
Kigali (KGL), Rwanda | |
Rome Fiumicino (FCO), Italy | Stockholm Arlanda ( ARN), Sweden |
Gaborone (GBE), Botswana | Cape Town (CPT), South Africa |
Hong Kong (HKG), Hong Kong S A R | Tokyo Narita (NTR), Japan |
Seoul Incheon Int (ICN), Korea Republic | Hong Kong (HKG), Hong Kong S A R |
Juba (JUB), South Sudan | Entebbe (EBB), Uganda |
Kigali (KGL), Rwanda | Bujumbura ( BJM), Burundi |
Bangkok Suvarnabh ( BKK), Thailand | Bangkok Suvarnabh ( BKK), Thailand |
Los Angeles (LAX), Ca | Dublin (DUB), Ireland |
Libreville (LBV), Gabon | Yaounde Nsimalen (NSI), Cameroon |
Lusaka (LUN), Zambia | H Harare (HRE), Zimbabwe |
Tokyo Narita (NTR), Japan | Hong Kong (HKG), Hong Kong S A R |
Yaounde Nsimalen (NSI), Cameroon | Libreville (LBV), Gabon |
Malabo (SSG), Equatorial Guin | Douala (DLA), Cameroon |
Vienna (VIE), Austria | Stockholm Arlanda ( ARN), Sweden |
Are all of my flights eligible to upgrade?
Only those flights mentioned in the email or indicated after clicking the invite are eligible for an upgrade. The identification of eligible flights is made sole by the airline’s discretion.
How do I know if my flight is eligible?
You can verify your eligibility by providing your last name and booking reference in the Manage My Booking Section on our website (www.ethiopianairlines.com). Alternatively, we may send an email to all eligible passengers and invite them to make an offer 7 days prior to departure of the first sector of the booking. Please ensure that you provide your email address when making your reservation. Passenger can also check eligibility on the marketing page.
Are there only certain destinations that the upgrade is applicable for?
The following are list of destinations that are eligible for an upgrade. However, we are constantly adding destinations to the program. So, we encourage you to check always your eligibility on our marketing page: Addis Ababa- Dubai, Addis Ababa - Cairo, Addis Ababa – Paris De Gaulle, Addis Ababa –Cape town, Addis Ababa - Dublin, Addis Ababa - Frankfurt, Addis Ababa - London Heathrow, Addis Ababa- Kuala Lumpur, Addis Ababa- Hong Kong, Addis Ababa- Seoul, Addis Ababa- Shanghai, Addis Ababa- Sao Paulo, Addis Ababa- Nairobi, Addis Ababa- Toronto, Addis Ababa-Los Angeles, Addis Ababa-Madrid, Addis Ababa-Dammam, Addis Ababa-Doha, Addis Ababa-Kuwait, Addis Ababa-Muscat, Addis Ababa-Mumbai, Addis Ababa-Stockholm and Addis Ababa-Milan.
Are there any specific reasons why I might not be eligible to make an upgrade offer?
There are several different factors that may impact your eligibility to make an offer to upgrade, these include:
Can I upgrade on partner airline flights?
Right now only flights operated by Ethiopian airlines are eligible.
Why is there a price range and not just one price?
The program is a bid-based system built on the willingness of the passenger to pay for an upgrade. When submitting a bid, by moving the slider on the strength meter on the offer page, you see an indicator of how strong the bid is
How do I select the upgrade amount I want to pay?
Move the slider to show how much you would like to pay for each flight shown on the page
Why do I need to pay per segment?
Bids are accepted per flight segment, you may not be able to be upgraded on all segments.
How much should I offer?
All flights have a range from which you can select the value you want to offer. The strength meter, found on the offer page, can help you determine the strength or your offer. The gauge is to be used as a guide, not confirmation that your offer will be successful
Is there a minimum amount I must offer for an upgrade?
Each flight has minimum and maximum assigned offer value and your offer must lie between these two values.
Can I choose any amount I want?
The system has a default minimum and maximum bid amount set. It will not accept any offer lower than the minimum amount or higher than the maximum amount.
What do I do if the price I want to offer isn’t shown on the slider?
If you do not wish to offer at least the minimum value you will not be able to participate in this program. There may be other upgrade options available to you, can contact us upgrades@ethiopianairlines.com
Why is there a minimum amount?
We have set a minimum amount per person to ensure that all offers are within the range we are able to consider to be upgraded.
What is the strength meter for?
This will let you know how strong the offer amount selected is. Offer amount is not the only indicator of the likelihood your upgrade will be accepted however it is an important component. Upgrades are selected at the discretion of the airline, based on availability; as such there is no guarantee that your offer will be accepted, even at the highest permitted offer amount.
What does it mean if I make an offer amount that is at the top end of the dial?
The strength meter is a guide that shows the strength of your offer amount. An offer in the green section means that the offer amount is strong but does not guarantee a successful bid.
Can I select different upgrade amounts for different flights on my itinerary?
Yes, simply use the slider to set how much you would like to pay for each flight shown on the page
How can I increase my chances of being upgraded?
There are many factors that determine whether or not an offer for an upgrade will be accepted. The main factors are the participation of other passengers booked on the same flight, the amount the passenger is willing to pay for the upgrade and the status of the airline’s Frequent Flyer Program.
Can I make an offer to upgrade if I am travelling with a child?
Yes, as long as the child is not an infant and the offer amount for the child is the same as the offer amount for the adult in the same booking.
Is the amount per person or for my whole group?
Your bid is per passenger on your booking reference, and all passengers on the same booking must participate.
Can I bid for everyone in my group or just me?
If there are multiple passengers in your booking you must bid to upgrade all of the passengers.
How do I make an offer just for me, not my travel companion?
You need to split your booking so you and your travel companion will have a separate booking reference each. If you have booked via the airline, you can contact the reservation office and ask the agent to split your booking. If you have booked via travel trade, you can ask your travel agent to split your booking. Request for booking split should be done 3 days prior to the departure date to avoid the expiry of offer submission.
What do I do if I have multiple flights on my itinerary?
Offers are made for each sector of a journey so if you are travelling on more than one sector you will need to choose which you wish to upgrade on and make an offer for each.
What do I do if the segment I want an upgrade on isn’t eligible?
With this program, you can only place a bid on flight segments that are eligible to request an upgrade.
What do I do if I don’t want to make an offer for a particular flight?
If you do not wish to make an offer to upgrade on any flight, you can just ignore the invite you have received to make an offer. If you wish to make an offer on some segments but not others, you should move the bidding slider to the far left until you see “No Offer”. This means you do not wish to make an offer on this segment and won’t be considered to be upgraded.
How do I know how many passengers are included in the offer?
When you are going through the offer process, you will see how many passengers are included under “Your Offer” section. This should match the count of passengers booked together on your booking reference.
How do I know which passengers are included in the offer?
The offer is for all passengers on your booking reference.
Is there a time limit to make an offer?
The offer window closes 50 hours prior to the departure date of each flight. You can also make changes up until this time.
Is there another way to make an offer?
No, you can only make an offer through the invite email you have received or by login in to the Manage My Booking Section on the website.
Can I make an offer if I don’t have a ticket yet?
No, you must have made a reservation in order to request an upgrade
What are the steps I need to follow to submit an offer?
You may receive an email 7 days prior to the departure of your trip, inviting you to make an offer. Alternative, you can login to Manage My Booking online using your booking reference.
What do I need to review?
Please review the offer amounts and totals for each sector of your trip to ensure that each matches your intention. Please also verify you have entered the correct payment & contact information. You should also review and agree to the program Terms & Conditions.
What are the terms & conditions?
The terms and conditions are the full program details. They can be found on the “Review & Submit” page or on under the program section on our website. The terms & conditions must be agreed to before submitting your bid.
Why do I need to agree to the terms & conditions?
The terms & conditions spell out the full rules of the program and we cannot process your request until you indicate you have read and agree to these.
What do I do if I don’t agree to the terms & conditions?
If you do not agree to the terms & conditions you won’t be able to participate in the program.
What do I do if I get an error when clicking to submit my request?
Go back through the offer process and check that you have entered all details correctly. If you are still receiving an error message, you can contact us at upgrades@ethiopianairlines.com
What do I do if I didn’t get any email after submitting my request?
Please wait [4 hours] as it may take time for the email to be generated. Also please check your spam folder on your email account.
Can I call the airline to place a bid?
No, this service is currently only available online.
Can I change my offer to a higher or lower amount?
Yes, you can change the amount up until the deadline noted in your upgrade requested email or up until your offer is accepted, whichever happens sooner. All you need to do to change your offer is click the link in the upgrade offer email and use the slider to select your new offer amount.
What do I do if I need to change my payment card after I have submitted my offer?
To change the credit card information, you must first cancel your request and then re-submit the offer via the button on the cancel confirmation screen or e-mail you receive.
What do I do if I need to cancel my offer?
You can cancel your offer by clicking on the cancel link in the upgrade requested e-mail you received when you submitted your bid.
How do I change the amount offered?
You can modify your offer by clicking on the modify link in the upgrade requested e-mail you received after submitting your bid.
I forgot to make my offer before offer window closed. Can I still submit an offer?
No, once the offer window has closed you are no longer able to submit an offer. All offers must be made at least [50 hours] prior to the departure date of each flight segment.
When will I be charged?
As part of the upgrade selection process we may authorize your card for the offered amount, we will only take payment after your upgrade has been confirmed. This will happen when your bid is accepted, which can be anytime between 50 hours and 24 hours prior to your scheduled departure time.
Do I pay now for the upgrade?
No, you only pay for the upgrade at the time when your bid is accepted. This can be anytime 50 hours and 24 hours to the scheduled departure time of each segment.
Can I pay with two different cards?
No, each upgrade for your booking reference can only be paid for in one transaction by the same credit card.
What if I don’t have a credit card?
In order to make a bid, a valid credit card is needed.
Why do I have to give you my credit card information?
Credit card information is needed to process your upgrade in the event your offer is accepted. We collect this now and it is stored securely with the payment processor to be used only in the case you are selected to be upgraded.
Can I pay with points/ miles?
Payment for [Cloud Nine Upgrade Program] must be paid for with a credit card. You may also be eligible to request an upgrade with miles; more information can be found www.ethiopianairlines.com
Are there any taxes or fees to be paid when bidding for an Upgrade?
The total amount shown on the offer confirmation screen includes all pre-payable airline taxes and fees. Excepted from this are any fees or charges your financial institution may impose for transactions with your payment card, please contact your card issuer for more information.
Does it cost anything to make an offer to upgrade?
We do not charge any booking fees or sign up fees for making an offer to be upgraded.
When do you decide who gets upgraded?
We will take a decision on upgrades [b/n 50 hours and 24 hours ] before departure. You will be notified by email as to whether your offer has been accepted or not.
How do you assess my offer?
We take several criteria into consideration when assessing upgrade requests. These include the value of your offer and the value of other offers for the same cabin class, your frequent flyer member status, the number of seats available in the higher cabin class and the number of passengers in the booking. Once our assessments have been made you will receive an email indicating whether your Upgrade request was successful or not.
How can I increase my chances of being upgraded?
You should submit the best offer price you are willing to pay. The only way to guarantee you travel in the higher cabin is to purchase a full ticket for travel there.
How do I know if I’ve been upgraded?
If your bid is successful, you will be notified by email b/n 50 and 24 hours before the scheduled departure of each flight.
Would you be sending me a confirmation SMS in the event my offer is successful?
All communications around your request will be via email. You may however receive an SMS from your bank, if you have requested these, to advice of activity on your credit card, which is normal as we start the upgrade evaluation process.
When will I know if I’ve been upgraded?
If your offer has been accepted, you will receive an email confirming your upgrade within b/n 50 and 24 hours before the scheduled departure of your flight.
How can I find out the current status of my request?
In the email we sent confirming that we received your request there is a link to View the details, if you click this and select the appropriate flight you will see the status of your request in the top right corner of the display.
What does it mean if I see an authorization for the upgrade amount on my card?
As part of the upgrade decision process we may validate if the payment card provided has sufficient funds available. This is not a guarantee that you will be upgraded however is a step in the acceptance process.
What happens if there is an authorization that’s declined by my bank?
As part of the upgrade decision process we may validate if the payment card provided has sufficient funds available. If funds are not available, we will not proceed with the upgrade acceptance.
If this happens, you will receive an email from us with two options to make funds available for the upgrade:
1) Call your bank to approve the transaction and ensure funds are available, then click the email link to let us know
2) Click the link to provide us with new card details
Once notified we will re-try the upgrade acceptance if there are seats available and if there is sufficient time to fulfill the upgrade prior to departure.
What happens if I am not upgraded?
You will receive an email around 24 hours prior to departure informing you that your offer was unsuccessful. No amount will be deducted from your card and you can travel in your booked cabin.
If my offer is unsuccessful, will I be told why?
No. Numerous factors impact the selection process and therefore we cannot specify why certain offers are unsuccessful.
Can I transfer the upgrade to another flight if my bid is successful?
Successful upgrades are non-transferable, non-refundable, and are valid only on the flight and date shown.
Can I increase my offer after I find out I was not upgraded?
No, if your offer has been unsuccessful, another offer cannot be made. It’s important to put your best offer forward initially for the best chance of being upgraded.
How will my Frequent Flyer Status be recognized?
We may recognize your loyalty by giving higher priority to requests made by [Gold and Silver] members.
What do I do now I’m upgraded?
There’s nothing more you need to do. Remember that the upgrade only applies for the flight segment indicated. The fare conditions of the original ticket, including cancellation policies, change fees and frequent flyer miles earned will continue to apply.
What are the documents that I need to present at the airport?
You should bring your new itinerary that was issued when your upgrade was successful.
Do I have more baggage allowance?
You will have additional baggage allowance for the sector that has been upgraded. Note that this applies only on the segment that has been upgraded.
Can I check-in later than usual?
You will follow the check-in rules of the cabin you have been upgraded to, find more about check-in times www.ethiopianairlines.com
Can I use the lounge?
Where we have a lounge available you can enjoy the available benefits of the cabin you have been upgraded to.
Where is the lounge?
Please visit our website to locate the lounge available for your trip. Alternatively, please ask a member of the staff at the airport for the location.
Is there a limousine service?
There is no limousine transfer included with the upgrade.
Do I get a better meal?
You will enjoy the services onboard of the cabin you have been upgraded to.
Will my pre-ordered meal request be transferred to my upgraded cabin?
All special requests recorded for the original flight ticket in will be transferred when you are upgraded to the next cabin, including special meals.
Can I pick my seat?
You cannot select a seat at the time of requesting an upgrade, however after your offer is accepted, you can login in to My Booking online using your booking reference, and pick your seat from the seat map.
What do I do if the seat I want isn’t available?
You can request your preferred seat during check-in or at the airport. Unfortunately we are not able to guarantee the availability of any specific seat or location in the cabin.
What are the fare rules of the upgraded ticket?
If your upgrade request is accepted, the ticket conditions of travel of your original ticket reservation (before the service class upgrade), will remain in force, including the conditions for minimum and maximum stay, cancellation, and changes.
Why am I being offered an upgrade?
From time to time, we have unsold seats in our Business class. Instead of flying them empty, we offer our passengers booked in Economy class the opportunity to make us an offer to upgrade to that premium seat. If you see an invitation to request an upgrade, your booking has one or more flights that are eligible to participate. The invite does not mean that you are guaranteed to be upgraded.
Why should I upgrade?
Each of our cabins offers you a different level of service. Although you have purchased a ticket in your current cabin, you may wish to experience a higher level of service and comfort. You can find more information about each of our cabins here:
How is this different to the other options for upgrading my ticket?
If you were to adjust your ticket today to rebook your trip to a Business class on all segments, you would be charged the difference between the fare you have paid and the fare for the business class. Our upgrade program does not change the rules or cabin of your original ticket; it provides you the opportunity to experience a higher class of travel and is charged as a cost in addition to the fare you have already paid per segment upgraded.
How is this different to buying a ticket outright in a Business class?
When purchasing a ticket in business class your ticket will carry all of the rules of the business class and you will have a confirmed seat in that cabin. This is the only way to guarantee that you will travel in business class. This upgrade program uses unsold seats, if they are available in the days prior to departure of each flight sector, selecting the best offer/s for those seats to give you the experience of an upgrade.
What do I get if I am selected to be upgraded? What is included in the upgrade?
If you are upgraded, you will have the experience of flying in the higher cabin for that flight. This includes:
What isn’t included in the upgrade?
The fare conditions of your original ticket remain unchanged, including cancellation policies, change fees and earned frequent flyer miles.
Will I earn additional business class bonus miles for the upgraded flight sector?
No. You will earn miles according to the type of fare you purchased for the economy class ticket and no additional bonus miles will be granted for the upgrade. This applies both for Sheba Miles members and Frequent Flyer members of Partner Airlines within Star Alliance.
Customers who make their booking through https://www.ethiopianairlines.com/AA/EN/ may cancel their reservation without penalty by contacting Global call center or local ticket office up to 24 hours after the reservation is made, if the reservation was made seven days or more prior to the flight’s departure. This rule applies for passengers departing from US only.
Yes , Ethiopian accept Mobile payment from Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
Yes, Ethiopian accept local debit card from Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Togo, Niger, Benin, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mali and Burkina Faso
For security reasons, the holder of the credit card may be contacted by email to verify the credit card used at the airport or at nearby Ethiopian ticket office for in person verification.
Yes, except passengers originating from Sudan all passengers are allowed to make online payment. Passengers originating from Sudan are required to purchase their ticket at the nearest Ethiopian city ticket office after completing their booking online.
When you purchase your ticket online, your booking is confirmed at the time of purchase and you will receive a confirmation on your screen and also by email indicating that your transaction was successful.
You cannot lose an e-ticket as it is electronically generated and stored in our reservation system.
While booking online, you will be provided with a link to 'Fare Rules'. Please ensure you read the rules in detail and contact Ethiopian airlines offices for any clarifications.
Online customers, who break their journey for more than 72 hours, need to reconfirm their flight by contacting the nearest Ethiopian Airlines office. This can be done either by using telephone or by directly contacting the nearest Ethiopian office in person.
In the case of expense account reporting, you can use your boarding card stub, which was issued at check-in and/or the Ethiopian airlines issued Electronic ticket itinerary/receipt.
Yes. We offer selected special requests which can be selected from a pre-defined dropdown on the booking page.
Currently, we cannot accept any credits or vouchers for online purchases.
You can choose seat type at the time of booking on “Seat selection Page” or during online check-in.
Yes, you can book online for anyone provided you will be one of the travelers and use your valid credit card and provide correct passenger details while booking.
Payment with a credit card for another
person is alternatively possible if you choose ‘Pay at Agency’ option to make a booking online and contact the nearest Ethiopian Airlines office to complete the payment using your card.
You can book a flight up to 10 months in advance provided the applicable fares are available.
Yes, you can select "Pay at agency" option to book your reservation online and pay in cash at Ethiopian airlines office.
For passengers selecting hold reservation and pay latter option the below ticket time table is applicable:-
If Departure time is | Booking will be cancelled after |
Less than 48 hours | 12 hours |
Between 48 and 72 hours | 24 hours |
Between 72 hours and 3 month | 48 hours |
Above 3 month | 3days |
Yes, you can hold your reservation and pay later with credit card at our call center or at any local Ethiopian ticket office.
Before finalizing the booking or making payment, you can modify your cities, travel dates & times along with your connection preference.
You can book one-way ,return trips or multiple cities in Economy and Business class. Bookings can be made only for adults, children and infants.
To obtain only our flight schedules, select "Flight Schedules" at the home page, insert the sector and date of travel and click on the "Find Schedule" Button.
To enter the airport and for check-in, you must present the itinerary receipt along with valid photo identification: Passport (for international passengers).
E-tickets will be issued for all bookings made online at www.ethiopianairlines.com
On a successful purchase the system will generate an Electronic Ticket
and a printable itinerary receipt will be displayed. The itinerary receipt is your confirmation of travel. You will also receive an email with the status of your booking. You can print the confirmation shown on
your screen or print the email.
Then all you have to do is walk in to the airport and check-in with valid photo identification and printed itinerary receipt. Your boarding pass will be issued against
the itinerary receipt.
Ethiopian airlines is committed to the safety and security of the online transactions. Customer's credit card is as safe as possible when booked onwww.ethiopianairlines.com.
Information exchanged with us online is treated securely and protected by using the internationally accepted and industry standard powerful encryption technology (secure socket layer, SSL). This software
encrypts customer's personal data as it is sent between the browser and our systems.
The web booking engine is directly connected to Sabre Reservation System & payment gateway(s) for credit card processing.
Debit card is also accepted if it is branded with Master, visa and American express
Note: Local debit cards are acceptable from few African countries.
Payment for online booking can be made through credit card/debit card, mobile or in cash at Ethiopian airlines offices. Ethiopian accepts VISA,MASTER,AMERICAN EXPRESS , DINERS CLUB, union pay & UATP cards and PayPal.
Please note: The credit card used to pay for tickets is required at check-in or during refund processing for verification.
Once you have confirmed your booking online, we will immediately debit your credit. This applies even if you decide to change your travel plans right after. Please contact the nearest Ethiopian office should you like to rearrange your travel plans or would like to seek a refund. Please note that refund and/or cancellation charges may apply according to applicable fare conditions.
All revenue tickets booked online will earn miles. Please ensure that the frequent flier number is provided in the form while booking.
Yes, you will see a confirmation page after making a successful booking. If you do not see one, please contact us at onlinebooking@ethiopianairlines.com.
Currently, we can only handle new bookings made directly online. If you already have a ticket, please contact your travel agent or Ethiopian airlines ticket/reservations office to confirm your travel dates.
You can book a maximum of 9 seats at a time (adults and children included).
The facility to waitlist bookings is not currently available while booking online onwww.ethiopianairlines.com. However, you can contact our reservations office, and we will be glad to help you.
After you issue ticket online (https://www.ethiopianairlines.com), it is possible to refund (cancel) and rebook your ticket using “Manage Your Booking” option.
If you meet the date, time and eligibility criteria, you can book the advance purchase fares online.
Currently you can book only Ethiopian airlines flights.
You can make booking for up to three infants (ages 0-23 months) without seat. However, each infant must be accompanied by an adult passenger.
Yes, you can request for your Electronic tickets regardless if you have baggage to check or not.
Currently, online booking service is available for all Ethiopian destinations.
Please contact Reservation@ethiopianairlines.com for
your travel plan on destinations which are not available online.
Although you do not receive a conventional paper ticket, you will receive an itinerary/receipt confirming your booking on your screen. This itinerary/receipt will also be sent to you by email either of which can be printer and used to enter the airport and also for check-in.
E-Ticket is a convenient, fast and safe option to the regular physical paper ticket.
Now no more worries about losing or having the ticket stolen. You can book a confirmed ticket on www.ethiopianairlines.com up to 48 hours prior to departure.
It's convenient: you can buy and print your Electronic Ticket online in your home / office.
It's safe:
the Electronic Ticket cannot be lost or stolen.
It's fast: you no longer have to collect the ticket from our office or rush to the airport to meet ticketing deadlines.
Electronic Ticket is ticket less travel service. It is a way of issuing air tickets electronically which eliminates traditional paper tickets and creates an electronically held record (ticket) of the transaction. This electronic image of the ticket is stored in the Ethiopian Airlines reservation system.
Ethiopian airlines web sales engine allows booking one way and return in 5 simple steps with features such as interactive calendar, low fare option, flexible schedule options etc.
The reservation has to be
made online at www.ethiopainairlines.com at least 48 hours before departure.
You will need to pay online through your credit card or can pay in
cash at Ethiopian ticket offices.
On purchase, the system will generate your itinerary receipt which is confirmation for your confirmed reservation and e-ticket issuance and display the same on the screen.
On it, you will find the key information about your reservation and flights. You will need to print the page and produce it along with valid photo identification in order to enter the airport and for check-in.
Also, an email will be sent to the passengers email address which can also be printed and used to enter the airport and for check-in.
Go directly to the check-in counter. Your boarding pass will
be issued against this itinerary receipt and the valid identification
Simply log on to www.ethiopianairlines.com and the online booking feature is available on the home page.
Currently, we have partners ranging from hotels, restaurants, car rentals, shopping centers, spas, pharmacy, insurance companies, fitness center, language school, gas station, magazine, mobile roaming service, handicrafts and cruise service.
By using the services of our non-airline partners, you will be able to accumulate bonus miles which you can exchange for award tickets and upgrades.
To see the list of our Hotel partners and their services in detail, please visit here.
To see the list of our Dining partners and their services in detail, please visit here.
To see the list of our other partners and their services in detail, please visit here.
SAUA is an acronym of Star Alliance Upgrade Awards.
With Star Alliance Upgrade Awards you can use your miles to upgrade your entire journey across all Star Alliance member airlines to the next one higher class by giving you more choice than any other alliance.
How to upgrade:
i)You'll need to first have a confirmed and ticketed reservation on the airline that you would like to have your upgrade award.
ii)Since all tickets purchased on any booking class are not eligible for upgrades please click here.
iii)Once the above two requirements are fulfilled please click here to process your upgrade. Please note that upgrade awards are based on availability where your will get the right response while processing the upgrade through the link provided.
iv)Once the process is successfully processed through the link and if you have the required miles in your account it will then be automatically deducted from your account.
Application for SAUA is allowed only through the Ethiopian Airlines website at this link which requires you to log-in to your membership account online and you can process SAUA through your Frequent Flyer Program only.
Star Alliance Upgrade Award Miles are applicable for one-way and one flight segment. Any other routing will require combining two or more Awards in order to fulfill a redemption request. Please click on this link in order to know the required miles for your upgrade.
Application submitted between 56 days (8 weeks) and 24 hours before the departure time of the flight for which upgrading is requested is acceptable. Upon completion of an upgrade, the reservation made in the lower class flight that has been initially made will be automatically cancelled.
Exception:
You can log on line to view your latest registered flight, non-flight and award redemption activities in your account. Quarterly ShebaMiles statements which you can view online in your account or sent as e-statements provide a convenient record of the miles you have flown and the Award Miles you have accrued. If you have redeemed any award miles during the statement period, this will also be indicated, and your Award Miles balance as at the statement date will be shown.
Please click here.
To preserve the security of your ShebaMiles account, both award requests and account enquires must be made by the account holder only. Awards may be transferred to any award nominee or beneficiary by fulfilling the required online or physical requests and/or documentation by the member.
All award travel is subject to availability at the time of booking. Availability can vary according to flight, destination, day of travel and season. Ethiopian Airlines reserves the right to impose limitations and/or embargo periods on award travel.
Application for an Award Ticket is open from 365 days to 2 days before flight departure. Application confirmed more than 96 hours before scheduled flight departure should be ticketed before 72 hours before scheduled departure. Applications confirmed within 96 hours should be ticketed within 24 hours of the scheduled departure.
Awards, that are ticketed, are valid for 12 months or 1 year from the date of award mile redemption and ticketing.
You can enjoy a higher class of service when you have paid for the immediate lower cabin eligible class on Ethiopian Airlines and Star Alliance Member Airlines and if the desired seats are available.
You should order Upgrade Award at Ethiopian Airlines ticket office for a higher cabin on advance reservation. Upgrade Award can also be completed at check-in and boarding process using a purchased ticket and confirmed boarding pass on the actual boarding date. Please log on to your membership account and click here. However, for upgrade applications on Star Alliance member airlines is allowed only through the Ethiopian Airlines website. Please log on to your membership account to process your Star Alliance upgrade award.
Miles cannot be pooled between two or more accounts for single award utilization.
You can purchase minimum of 1,000 miles and maximum of 20,000 miles to issue an award ticket in 12 consecutive months and if you are on Blue, Silver or Gold membership Tier levels.
You can log in and apply on-line through thislink or contact the nearest Ethiopian Airlines Ticket office for assisted award redemption.
You are permitted one voluntary stopover enroute to/from your turn-around destination.
Yes. ShebaMiles members can transfer their award ticket to their spouses, friends or any other person if the required formalities are fulfilled. However, it is not possible to combine or transfer miles between accounts.
Once your selected award travel has been ticketed, it is possible to change for a nominal administration fee. All award travel changes must be notified not later than 48 hours prior to the originally scheduled departure.
Unused portions of award travel tickets cannot be re-credited to your account. Also, please keep in mind that ticket coupons for award flights involving connecting flights or stopovers must be used in the correct sequence.
If your name, email address, as well as mailing address are identical on both accounts, you may request to merge together the duplicate accounts by sending the request to shebamiles@ethiopianairlines.com along with the copy of your valid passport.
It is not possible to merge accounts that belong to another person.
As per ShebaMiles Program Terms and Conditions, Miles are not transferable and cannot be combined with the Miles of any other Frequent Flyer Program.
No, it is not possible to earn miles from the upgraded business class using your award miles. You will earn the applicable economy class miles according to the purchased ticket fare.
Members cannot add miles flown by their family members into their accounts as the ShebaMiles program is not currently running a Family Program.
Miles cannot be transferred between two or more accounts. However, for exceptional cases such as death of the account holder you may contact us through shebamiles@ethiopianairlines.com.
The miles earned are valid for 3 years as of the date they are credited to your account. The information regarding the expiring miles(if any) is indicated on your mileage statement which is sent to your email address as well as displayed online after logging in to your account using this link The validity of expiring miles will be extended for one more calendar year if you travel on full fare tickets, purchase miles or register eligible activities from services taken with our Non-Airline Partners during the year when your miles are due for expiry. Please note that activities such as award mile refunds and flights taken on ShebaMiles award tickets will not extend the validity of your expiring miles.
ShebaMiles Program Members can earn miles through flying on Ethiopian Airlines, ASKY, Malawian Airlines and other Star Alliance member airlines and using the services of Non-Airline Partners.
Miles
cannot be accrued unless you actually travel and complete your flights or use the services of our non-airline Partners.
Base/Status Miles mean Miles accrued by a member under ShebaMiles in respect to basic consumption of qualifying goods and services. Base/Status miles are the actual flown distance between two cities that you earn on Ethiopian and other Star Alliance member airlines flights.
Bonus Miles are additional promotional miles such as Tier Bonus, enrollment bonus, online enrollment bonus, etc. or miles that you earn from the Program partner hotels, car rental companies and through the Program Promotional offers.
All flights operated by Ethiopian Airlines, ASKY Airlines, Malawian Airlines and Star Alliance member airlines are eligible except charter flights and flights specifically restricted from mile earning which is advised during booking.
Please click on this link, so as to refer to the detailed booking class classification and mileage earning percentages for each Airline Partner.
To receive automatic mileage credit, the name on your ShebaMiles membership account needs to match the name on your ticket. It is always important to have your tickets issued under the name that appears on your ShebaMiles membership account. However, if the name on passport does not match with that of your name on your ShebaMiles account please use the name that appears on your passport and send us copy of your passport along with your membership account number so that we may amend your name accordingly.
Retroactive Registration for miles you have earned 90 days before signing up for ShebaMiles membership is possible as long as retroactive mile registration formalities are completed within 12 months from the date of travel.
Yes. You will earn miles according to the Upgrade type:
If your ShebaMiles membership number is provided while making your reservation and at check-in and upon completion of your journey, miles will be credited automatically to your account within 72 hours following your flight.
Your miles may not get registered due to one of the following reasons:
You can request missing mile credit online using your membership number as log-in ID and password. For flights completed with Ethiopian, please follow this link and fill out the necessary self-explanatory requests:
For flights completed with Star Alliance member carriers as well as ASKY Airlines and Malawian Airlines, please forward the scanned copy of your tickets and boarding passes to :shebamiles@ethiopianairlines.com. Retroactive Credit requests on ShebaMiles Service Partner Airlines (ASKY, Malawian, and Star Alliance Member Airlines) reflect in membership account within 14 to 30 days from the date request is received at any of the Retroactive Registration contact points.
If you are a member of Star Alliance member Airline Frequent Flyer Program and in order to receive credit for missing flights, you will need to send a copy of your ticket receipt and original boarding passes to your Loyalty program service center. For such situations, it is always advisable to retain your original boarding passes and a copy of the tickets until the miles appear in your account statement.
Your ShebaMiles membership card will be sent to your address once you achieve Silver and the next higher Tier levels.
You can use your membership number or temporary card until you receive your permanent card. You can also log in to your ShebaMiles account online to download your digital card for all Tier levels and use it to receive services according to your Tier status.
Please make sure that you have provided a standard physical mailing address so that you can receive your card within four weeks.
There could be multiple reasons that you have not yet received your permanent membership card. The following could be the reasons:
1. The physical mailing address you provided when registering to the program may not be correct. Please log-in and check your address.
2. You have not yet qualified for a permanent ShebaMiles card. Click here for the requirement.
Please log in and check the mailing address in your profile and as per the mailing address standard of your country of residence and if it is complete, please click on 'Lost Card Replacement Request' here
For more information on membership benefits for each status, please click here
No. When you travel on any Star Alliance partner carrier, you may enjoy from the below benefits with your Blue, Silver and Gold membership status.
Silver Tier level in ShebaMiles is equivalent to Star Alliance Silver status. Gold Tier level is equivalent to Star Alliance Gold.
Star Alliance Silver Benefits
Star Alliance Gold Benefits
Just look for the 'Star Alliance Gold' sign outside the lounge and present the ticket for your same-day Star Alliance flight, your boarding pass and your Frequent Flyer Program card featuring the Star Alliance Gold logo. Guests must enter the lounges with an eligible Star Alliance Gold member and must depart on a Star Alliance member airline, but may travel on a different flight.
Please refer to the benefits offered in detail here.
There are four membership statuses in the ShebaMiles Program. These are Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum membership statuses.
For more information on membership status qualification, please click here
Membership Tier level is not upgraded based on total mileage balance. A member’s Tier status is determined by the accrual of qualifying miles/segments within one calendar year (Jan1st-Dec 31st).
Blue membership has an effective date that represents the qualification month and year and has no end date. Silver & Gold memberships have at least 12 months of validity when a member has qualified for the membership not involving Retroactive Mile registration. Platinum membership has at least 24 months of validity when a member has qualified for the membership not involving Retroactive Mile registration. Retroactive Mile registration affects the qualification date, which may also affect the validity period.
A Password is required in order to allow access your ShebaMiles membership account via our website. By accessing your account online, you can update your personal information; such as your mailing address, email address, phone numbers, fax numbers, claim your missing flights, view your registered miles, track your card, and so much more.
You shall have your unique, personal and valid email address in your ShebaMiles profile to generate your password. If you do not have an email address or if you are not using the email address found in your profile anymore, please send us the scanned copy of your current passport with your email address to ShebaMiles@ethiopianairlines.com.
To retrieve your password on your already existing email address in your profile, please click here. Your password will be sent to this email address.
To change your Password, please click log in to access your account online and click here
Please click here
It is not possible to merge accounts that belong to another person.
ShebaMiles is the Frequent Flyer Program of Ethiopian Airlines. ShebaMiles Program Members can earn miles through flying on Ethiopian Airlines, ASKY Airlines, Malawian Airlines and Star Alliance Partner airlines and using the services of Non-Airline Partners. Once enough miles are accumulated, they can be redeemed for Award Tickets and Class Upgrades on Ethiopian Airlines and its partners.
To join the Program click herePlease read the Program Terms and Conditions here
You shall fill the form by filling your Last name (Grand Father's Name/Surname) and First Name (Your Name) + Middle Name (Your Father's Name) must be written exactly as it appears on your passport. You need to complete and submit the online application form by clicking here
Any person aged 2 years and above can become a member. Children between 2-18 years of age can become members through the signature of their parents/guardian on the ShebaMiles application form (hard copy) only; i.e. it is not possible to enroll through the website. Furthermore, no subscription/membership fee is charged.
No. The number on your Temporary card will be retained as the Permanent membership number.
Simply click here to log in to your ShebaMiles membership account using your membership number and password.