A Continental Detour: Ethiopian A350 Business Class to London

Welcome back. If part one was a warm introduction, part two is where Ethiopian Airlines should truly reveals its personality, and where my own journey took an unexpected turn.

The trip had started the earlier with a hop from Dubai, making this trip an intentional continental detour to make my way back to London. The things some of us AvGeeks do to fly on new airlines !

London holds an interesting place in Ethiopian’s network hierarchy. That debate of “flagship vs. prestige” could go on for hours (and probably does, in airline boardrooms), but one thing is certain: London was the first destination Ethiopian deployed its brand-new Airbus A350-1000.

Except my flight… was not on it.

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Transfer in Addis Ababa & Lounge

The arrival experience at Addis Ababa Bole Airport was seamless.

Ethiopian rolled out the Gold Track for premium passengers, a literal not just metaphorical red carpet!

This meant fast-tracked security and a calm exhale after the during the connection. 

These small moments of efficiency make a huge difference, especially when navigating a hub airport for the first time.

Ethiopian has several lounges at Addis Ababa airport. 

I made a beeline for Sheba Cloud Nine Business Lounge, the flagship.

The food, in particular, was the winner here.

The lounge itself was pleasant — spacious, functional, calm. But it didn’t quite deliver that electric “hub prestige” feeling you get in Doha, Dubai or Istanbul. 

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A Seat Map Swap

Three days before departure, I opened the Ethiopian app and noticed something curious: my seat selection had changed automatically.

A little further digging revealed the reason: The sparkling new A350-1000 had been swapped for an A350-900.

While Ethiopian uses the same Zodiac Optima Business seat on both jets, the size difference between the aircraft changes the entire premium math. The -1000 houses 46 Business seats. The -900, just 30.

I originally chose 8L which auto-changed to 5J, can’t be much of a change you might think, but they absolutely changed the experience.

More on that later.

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Boarding: Order in a Chaotic World

Addis Ababa airport seems to deploy security at the gate before boarding, something I didn’t expect but quickly appreciated.

I’m unsure if this is airport wide or specific destination flights, however. But I did not notice this on the gates I walked past above..

The departure gate area was buzzing, but it was big. Blessedly big…

Passengers weren’t packed shoulder-to-shoulder like budget sardines. There was room to breathe, observe aircraft movements outside, and mentally prepare for the night ahead.

Priority was clearly respected. Business Class had its own lane. The chaos stayed polite. The pace stayed steady. 

Then came the reveal of the aircraft itself, glowing softly under apron lights, dressed in full Star Alliance livery…

Even if this wasn’t the jet I had expected, seeing an A350 at a global hub always sparks a little joy.

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Inside the Cabin: Fresh but the worst windows in the house

Stepping onboard, the colours, lighting, and tech all delivered that “new generation fleet” feeling.

Ethiopian invested in upgrading the digital touchpoints of this seat, using the same shell as United and some Air France 350s, but pairing it with more modern IFE hardware and controllers. It’s familiar enough to instantly understand, but modern enough to enjoy exploring.

But then I sat down.

Seat Features

• 20″ wide and convert into a 6′-7″ fully flat bed
• 16″ HD touchscreen display

• Two armrests

• USB port beneath the IFE screen

• Closed storage unit with mirror

• Physical seat control buttons in the centre

• Coat hook

• Small literature pocket

There were some noticeable wear and tear but that’s not it..

Seat 5J ( and perhaps most odd row seats on Ethiopian 350s ) might possibly be some of the worst “window” seats out there in the skies, it deserves a public naming and shaming..

This seat is positioned so awkwardly that the side console ( for your storage ) completely blocks the window you were supposed to have. Not only did I lose my second window, I barely even got a full view from the one. It felt borderline criminal !

Seat 7J seemed to face a similar fate.

For a window seat with actual windows you can see out of, you need to select the even numbered rows..

At that moment, I looked across the cabin at the other Business seats, hoping there will be a no-show/empty true window seat.

Business Amenities

Placed in each seat was a bedding pack, with branded slippers and an amenity kit that contained all essentials; was the same as my earlier Dubai flight.

Noise cancelling headphones where also available.

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Crew Impression: Where the Brand Comes Alive

If this review has a main character (besides me and my cursed lack of windows), it’s the crew.

Much like my earlier flight, Ethiopian Airlines cabin crew feel more like ambassadors that don’t just deliver service, they create atmosphere. Their uniforms were gorgeous, traditional, cultural, memorable. Their demeanour graceful. Their English polished. Their warmth natural without being rehearsed.

It was one of those moments where you feel the airline speaking through its people.

Upon boarding, they greeted passengers, offered hot towels, followed quickly by a choice between Champagne or juice for welcome drinks..

These rituals are standard in Business, but the Ethiopian version felt sincere and grounded, not procedural.

They also took dinner and breakfast orders right after boarding — a system that already hinted this crew managed service seriously, even if luck didn’t always follow it.

I asked them to wake me for breakfast “as late as possible” — a phrase I use often on night departures, knowing full well airlines tend to serve early on approach. They nodded with confidence.

I nodded back with misplaced trust.

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Into the Night: Sleep Over Snacks

With departure scheduled just after midnight, the menu offered only light snacks rather than a full dinner service.

For completeness, here is the full menu, which includes the LHR-ADD sector meal options too!

Rather than sample a sandwich universe I wasn’t ready to emotionally explore, I prepped the seat for sleep mode.

Ethiopian doesn’t provide mattress pads on the A350, so I requested a second duvet instead. The crew happily obliged.

Doubling up the duvet added a layer of cushioning that made the lie-flat bed surprisingly comfortable.

It wasn’t the most cocooned sleep experience I’ve ever had, but draped with Ethiopian’s signature green quilt and matching slippers, it felt cozy enough to drift off without protest.

The pillows provided could be a little more plumb but they were sufficient.

In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) — Sharp, Crisp, Responsive

Whilst I did not have an abundance of time to enjoy, I did scroll through the entertainment selection, it felt decent, not massive choice wise. As you’d expect for a major carrier, there were strong representation across multiple regions:

• • Western cinema

  • African movies

  • Bollywood

  • Bollywood had its own dedicated category,

• The screen was crisp and extremely responsive, a major improvement on older hardware on the 777s and older A350s.

Business Class Restroom

On this A350-900 there are just 2 dedicated restrooms for Business Class at the front of the cabin.

They were fairly standard and kept clean..

The amenities were ok. I did appreciate they had sanitizing wipes stocked !

After I brushed my teeth, most of the cabin turned in.

Lights dimmed. A quiet calm settled over the aisles.

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Breakfast: The Save That Deserves the Replay

I woke not to a gentle crew tap, but to the smell of food and movement as trays shuffled past. I checked the flight map and sat upright, too upright. We were just 40 minutes from landing and I’d never been woken.

We were well over the English Channel at that point..

I had missed the breakfast window, unlike the one by my seat.

Accepting the situation, I tried to catch someone for a coffee. But here is where Ethiopian Airlines surprised me. Before I could even request coffee, the crew asked simply:

“Would you still like breakfast?”

And then they delivered one — fast, attentive, and meticulously set.

First came the fruits, yogurts and choice of cereal..

Admittedly, the state of that croissant did not justify me even touching it, but I enjoyed the fruit and yogurt..

Then the main, for which I selected the Spinach, feta and Sundried tomato baked egg..

In my mind, this sounded better than it looked. It was just about edible and pretty average. 

Aware of the timing, and wanting to make the crews lives easier, I’ve never eaten faster at altitude.

They cleared the table 20 minutes before landing, impressively efficient. It didn’t feel like service recovery. It felt like service personality of a whole new kind in my years of flying!

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A Homecoming Glow, But One Missing Dish

We descended into London into partially clear autumn skies, but not without the standard holding patterns off-course..

Seeing these incredible views of London/home never gets old. Each time, you notice something you didn’t know about a city you’ve lived all your life in !

Overall Thoughts

In many ways, this flight delivered exactly what Ethiopian Airlines is praised for: a proud crew, a solid seat, and a brand identity rooted in hospitality rather than flash. But I still haven’t experienced traditional Ethiopian catering. Twice onboard, and twice the menu avoided its own cultural strengths due to timing and direction.

Which only leaves me with one conclusion I’m happy enough to accept:

I now have to fly Ethiopian Airlines again — on a flight that departs Addis Ababa before midnight.

The onboard product offering is decent, if not leading ( they have recently announced their partnership with Collins Aerospace, marking the A350s for new Collins Elevations Suite, a product Collins Aerospace formalised from the enhancement of the Super Diamond product with doors ( initially done for BA Club Suites ).

Until then, enjoy your journeys. And if you try their food at altitude before I do — please brag in the comments so I can live vicariously through your tray table.