Booking FAQ

This error will be displayed when invalid booking request is sent to our online booking system. For example if the combination of the origin and destination city is not correct or if the flight departure and arrival date is not correct. This error usually happen when the onward and return flight date is on the same date. Please review your flight date on the calendar very carefully.

This error happen when the booking session time out and you need to refresh the website and start again.

This error happen when your flight has a connecting flight and the connection time between your first flight and the next onward flight is very small.

Please check you have enough time to connect the next flight. If not better to book on another date.

This error will be displayed when the selected fare type is no longer available or it is sold out while you are making your booking.

Sometimes the seat available on a given flight can be very limited and other peoples might be making similar booking simultaneously. As a result, the seat might be sold out before you finished making your booking.

If you experience an issue with a page loading, a Pay Now button being greyed out or the page being slow to respond, it is likely that there is a problem with the version of the Browser you are using or there may be a build-up of internet files (Cache/Cookies) that need to be deleted.

To overcome general website errors, we recommend the below steps.

• Use the latest browser Google Chrome;
• Switch to incognito mode after browsing history and cookies were removed;
• Use the latest version of the Ethiopian airlines application. If you already have the Ethiopian airlines App installed, you may just need to update to the latest version through Play Store (Android) or App Store (iOS) – if not, you can download the latest version;
• Please check your connection if you are using a Home, Corporate or public Wi-Fi, Fixed wire network i.e., Corp. LAN, 3G/4G mobile etc. You may need to fix these connection issues or attempt using a different device or more reliable connection type after following the above steps (1 - 3).

This can happen when you select flight that we no longer operate or  a destination that we do not fly.

Sometimes it happen when the flight date is not correct. Therefore, please make sure you are searching for the correct destination and flight date.

A duplicate booking refers to  more than one booking created for the same passenger name, for the same flight itinerary  and same travel date. Duplicate booking can be made when a passenger intentionally or unintentionally book the same journey through different agencies or booking platforms such website, mobile application or with call center agents.

Duplicate bookings can lead to a reduction in seat availability for the airline and an increase in unnecessary waitlists.

If passengers share the same name, adding their middle name and title to the booking will prevent a duplicate booking warning message. If you notice a duplicate warning message on your booking please contact your local Ethiopian airlines office.

Child passengers who are over 2 years old and under 12 years old as of the date of commencement of travel may be accompanied by their parents, or an adult aged 18 and over.

You can make online booking for children traveling with adult but it is not possible to book online for child traveling alone.

• Passengers aged 2 years and over must travel in their own seats. They cannot travel on the lap of a parent or adult companion.
• Child passengers must have their own flight documents (passport, ID, ticket, etc.)

Passengers travelling with an infant are able to select a bassinet seat with a charge on a first-come, first–served basis. The baby should be under 11 kg in weight and 67 cm in length. For more information, please contact Ethiopian call canter or local office.

You can find information on travel rights and processes for unaccompanied child passengers on our website here.

Child passengers must be over the age of 2 and under the age of 12 as of the date of the start of the trip.

Accompanied minor passenger: Passengers aged 2 and under 7 years old may be accompanied by a cabin crew member (for a fee) during the flight at the request of their parent or the person authorized by their parent.

Unaccompanied minor passenger: Passengers aged 7 and under 12 years old may travel alone if a written authorization is provided by their parent or legal representative (Unaccompanied Minor Passenger Carriage Authorization). The parent or legal representative must wait at the airport until the flight has departed. During the check-in process, the staff in charge will request that the legal representative of the child passenger sign the necessary documents and provide information regarding the process.

A Passenger Name Record (PNR) is typically purged after the last flight segment is flown, cancelled, or expired. The purge usually happens within 24–72 hours after the last segment date.

After that, only limited historical data may remain.

The ticket record itself may remain accessible longer for auditing, accounting, and regulatory purposes. Commonly up to 12 months, but some systems keep them for up to 2 years.

 Here's a general overview of when and why a booking might get purged:

1. Time Limit Expiry (Ticketing Time Limit - TTL)

      If a reservation is not ticketed (paid for) before the TTL, it will automatically cancel or purge.

 2. No Activity (Inactive PNRs)

      A PNR with no updates or changes for an extended period (often 72 hours to 14 days) may be purged automatically. 

3. After Flight Departure

     Once all flight segments in a booking have departed and been flown, the PNR will be archived, then purged after a set retention period (often 3–7 days post-departure in GDS systems).

 4. Cancelled Bookings

      If all segments in a booking are cancelled, the PNR will purge: Immediately or After a short retention window (e.g., 24–72 hours).

 5. Auto-Purge Policy of GDS

    Each GDS has a default auto-purge setting:

• Amadeus: Typically purges PNRs 4 days after the last flight segment.
• Sabre: Usually 24–72 hours after the final segment or cancellation.
• Galileo (Travelport): May purge 24–72 hours after ticketed segment flown or cancelled.

6. Unpaid Itineraries from Online Travel Agencies (OTAs)

      If you start a booking and don’t complete payment, the reservation may be held for a few minutes to a few hours, then automatically cancelled and purged.

When duplicate bookings exist an auto warning message is sent to the 'oldest' booking or the flight booking that does not have a ticket number. The auto message will notify the agency or the passenger that there is a possible duplicate booking and  request them to clear the duplicate within  a certain period of time. If no action is taken on the duplicate booking by the passenger during the given time period, our system will check if the booking has been ticketed or not. If it has not been ticketed, the duplicate booking will be cancelled as per the original warning message.

You can book other airline flight together with Ethiopian Airlines flights. However it is not possible to book pure other airline operated flight on Ethiopianairlines.com

When duplicate bookings exist an auto warning message is sent to the 'oldest' booking or the flight booking that does not have a ticket number. The auto message will notify the agency or the passenger that there is a possible duplicate booking and  request them to clear the duplicate within  a certain period of time. If no action is taken on the duplicate booking by the passenger during the given time period, our system will check if the booking has been ticketed or not. If it has not been ticketed, the duplicate booking will be cancelled as per the original warning message.

You can book one-way ,return trips or multiple cities in Economy and Business class. Bookings can be made for adults, children and infants.

Yes. We offer selected special requests which can be selected from a pre-defined dropdown on the booking page.

Simply log on to www.ethiopianairlines.com and the online booking feature is available on the home page. Online booking facility can be accessed by downloading Ethiopian airlines mobile application or by using Ethiopian airlines chat bot service.

Yes, you can hold your reservation for 24 hours and pay later with credit card on ethiopian airlines website or on the mobile application. Please note that the booking will be active only for 24 hours and it will be cancelled afterwards.

You can get our flight schedules by inserting the sector and date of travel and click on the "check flight Schedule" Button.

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.

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.

If you need to update the name on your flight ticket due to marriage, divorce, or other legal name changes, you need to supply proof to our local ticket office. If your name has recently changed and the name on your ticket and your I.D. are different (or will be different by the time of your trip), bring documentation of the change (e.g., a marriage certificate or court order).” Just be sure to arrive at the airport with enough time for airport officials to review the paperwork. If you haven’t updated your driver’s license or passport with your new name, you don’t have to change it on your ticket. The name just needs to match the one on your travel documents.

No you cannot. Your name must be exactly the same as your passport or any other travel document. If you’ve misspelled name or have changed your name after you made your booking, there might be a need to change the names that were initially filled in while booking. 

Yes there is. Name change is allowed, provided justifiable document like copy of marriage certificate &/or passport is presented with service charge of USD50.

Since our tickets are non-transferable complete name change is not allowed on Ethiopian. However, you can correct the name on your ticket (subject to fees) if your  middle  or first name is misspelled on the ticket. This must be done before the first flight of your itinerary. We may request further evidence from you in respect of any request to change the name on your ticket.

For direct bookings, this must be done at least 24 hours before the departure of your flight. Passengers are required to visit Ethiopian airlines website,  contact our contact center or visit one of our ticket offices.

For bookings made through a travel agent, you will need to make the request with the travel agent.

Before finalizing the booking or making payment, you can modify your cities, travel dates & times along with your connection preference on Manage my booking page.

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 or contact us via email to confirm your travel dates.

 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.

 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.

 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.

 If your bid is successful, you will be notified by email b/n 50 and 24 hours  before the scheduled departure of each flight.

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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.

 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.

 No. Numerous factors impact the selection process and therefore we cannot specify why certain offers are unsuccessful.

 Successful upgrades are non-transferable, non-refundable, and are valid only on the flight and date shown.

 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.

Please go to Manage my trip section and insert your booking reference and your last name and click continue.  This time the booking will be retrieved so please go to the last icon at the top right corner. You will find a pen and paper sign and when you click on it you will get the applicable fare rule. You can also scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on Fare rule button. Please read the fare rule thoroughly before trying to cancel or change your flight.

It depends on the rules of your ticket type, availability and possible fees. If no seats were available in the original booking class, you would have to pay the price difference.

Because of the different variables always review the change and its price carefully before confirming.

This can happen when your ticket was issued by a travel agency or its form of payment is in cash or any other offline form of payment which cannot be refunded online. If your ticket was issued online and paid by credit/debit  card you are eligible to cancel the ticket online. If you face any other technical problem to refund it online please contact our local office or submit your refund request to our global call center Here. Sometimes you will not able to refund if there is no refundable amount on your ticket and this time the system will show “No amount due Error”.

Yes, it is possible! You can start the ticket cancellation or flight change process and see the amount you get if you cancel the ticket or the amount you are going to pay if you change the ticket. Please abort the process if you did not decide to change or to cancel the flight. You can also check the cancellation and change fee from the ticket fare rule.

Please go to Manage my trip section and insert your booking reference and your last name and click continue. This time the booking will be retrieved and please select change flight option among the list of option listed on the top of the screen. After that if your ticket is a round trip the system will ask you which flight to change so please select the flight your are going to change. Normally it is better to select both going and return. After that you will be asked to select the new flight date, please select the new travel date from the Calander and click continue. The next screen will show you the new flight together with the ticket amount so please select accordingly. Once you select the flight you will see the change fee at the right top corner of your screen and you can continue if you accept the change fee. Normally the change fee includes the penalty for change and the fare difference.  After that the system will ask you to review and update  your contact detail such as email and telephone address.  Next , you will be asked to select seat and purchase ancillary. If you are not interested you can click continue without selecting. Finally, you can make payment by using credit or debit card and the ticket will be changed. You will receive the new ticket and booking detail by email. If the ticket failed to be changed after making payment please contact our local office or our global call center immediately.

You can cancel your ticket in three easy steps. First please go to Manage my trip section and insert your booking reference and your last name and click continue. This time the booking will be retrieved and please select Cancel flight option among six list of option listed on the top of the screen. When you click on Cancel flight option you will be asked to review the flights to be canceled and click continue button. The next screen will show you the refund details such as the refundable amount  and ask you to complete  refund by tick the check box and click continue. Once you click on continue button the ticket will be canceled and amount will be refunded. Normally, credit card refund will take from four to five days to be reflected in your account. Please contact our local office or global call center  if the refund is not reflected in your account after 6 days.

This can happen when your ticket was issued by a travel agency or if your ticket is a multi-city booking or if it is issued by another airline system. If your ticket was issued online or by any local Ethiopian office and if it has no multicity flight  it is eligible to be changed online. If you face any other technical problem to change your ticket online, please contact our local office or submit your refund request to our global call center here. Sometimes you will not able to change the ticket if it is changed multiple times, and you will need to contact our local office to change such type of tickets.

You can cancel your flight on ethiopianairlines.com and get a refund in the following cases.

Important to know before cancelling

• You booked through Ethiopian airlines.com or our app.
• Your booking is not a multi city booking.
• You can cancel your flight online 24 hours before departure and you will pay only cancelation fee
• You can cancel the flight until the check-in for your first flight but you will be charged no-show fee in addition to the cancellation fee.
• You cannot cancel flight after the  first flight is departed. Please contact our customer support for such request.
• In Manage booking, you can only cancel the whole reservation. If you and your travel companion have the same booking and need to cancel the flights for one of you, our chatbot will gladly help. You will find the chat in the bottom right corner.
• Flights on the same ticket can't be used out of sequence and, therefore, can't be separately cancelled. For example, if you booked London–Entebbe flights via Addis Ababa, then you cannot cancel only the London –Addis Ababa flight.
• Once you have cancelled your booking, it cannot be undone.

Step-by-step guide for online cancellation

1. Go to Manage booking. Look up your booking by inserting your booking reference and last name.
2. Select cancelling flights.
3. Review the information on the window that pops up.
4. Click Continue (don't worry, you won't cancel your booking just yet).
5. Review the flights to be cancelled. Currently, it's only possible to cancel the whole booking for all passengers.
6. Go through the terms and conditions and check the box at the bottom of the page.
7. Confirm the cancellation.
8. We will now automatically submit a refund request on your behalf. Refunds will be calculated based on your ticket type and fees. Our average refund handling time is seven business days. The refund is delivered to your original payment method.

If you have already checked in, please contact our customer care  and cancel it. After that, you can change the flight online.

1. Go to Manage booking. Look up your booking by inserting your booking reference and last name.
2. Select changing flights.
3. Select the flights to change. You are changing the flights for all passengers in your booking.
4. Choose the new available dates and flights. You are guided through the selection.
5. Review your flight changes.
6. If there is no price difference, all you have left to do is confirm the change.
• If the new ticket costs more than the original, the price difference and the change fee will be collected. The payment confirms the change.
• If the new ticket costs the same us the original ticket, only the applicable change fee will be collected.

You can change your flight's date and time in the Manage booking self-service if the following applies to you*.

• You booked through Ethiopianairlines.com or our app.
• Your booking is not a multi-city booking.
• You have not booked an award flight or upgraded your flight using Sheba Miles.
• It is not possible to make changes in self-service if: you are travelling with your pet in cabin; bookings with unaccompanied minor service; your booking includes a waitlisted flight.

Please contact our customer care to change award flights and flights you have upgraded. Get in touch with your travel agency to change group bookings or bookings made through travel agencies.

How much does the change cost?

It depends on the rules of your ticket type, availability and possible fees. If no seats were available in the original booking class, you would have to pay the price difference.

Because of the different variables always review the change and its price carefully before confirming.

 Step-by-step guide for online changes

If you have already checked in, please contact our customer care  and cancel it. After that, you can change the flight online.

1. Go to Manage booking. Look up your booking by inserting your booking reference and last name.
2. Select changing flights.
3. Select the flights to change. You are changing the flights for all passengers in your booking.
4. Choose the new available dates and flights. You are guided through the selection.
5. Review your flight changes.
6. If there is no price difference, all you have left to do is confirm the change.
• If the new ticket costs more than the original, the price difference and the change fee will be collected. The payment confirms the change.
• If the new ticket costs the same us the original ticket, only the applicable change fee will be collected.

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.

 You can cancel your offer by clicking on the cancel link in the upgrade requested e-mail you received when you submitted your bid.

As the flight date approaches, fewer seats remain. We often increase prices to maximize revenue from last-minute travelers.

Airline fares are dynamic and adjust based on demand, seat availability, seasonality and market conditions. Prices can rise or fall multiple times a day.

Airline fares are dynamic and may go up or down depending on demand and availability.

The fare you purchased was the best available at the time. While prices may decrease later, airlines do not adjust tickets retroactively.

To secure the best deal, we recommend booking early and monitoring fares if your travel dates are flexible.”

Once a ticket is purchased, the fare is locked in. We do not refund the difference if prices drop later, unless a specific “best fare guarantee” policy applies.

Passengers may purchase tickets at different times, under different fare classes or with varying restrictions. This can result in different prices for the same flight.

In some regions (like the U.S.), you can cancel within 24 hours of booking for a full refund and rebook at the lower fare. Outside of that window, cancellation and rebooking may incur fees depending on your fare type.

• Book early when travel dates are fixed.
• Use fare alerts to monitor price changes.
• Consider flexible travel dates and times.
• Join our loyalty programs for exclusive offers.