A Look Inside Ethiopian Airlines' A350-900 XWB
Ethiopian Airlines is currently the only African operator of the Airbus A350-900 XWB, an aircraft the carrier first took delivery of last summer. The A350 operates from Ethiopian's hub, Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD), on flights to London Heathrow (LHR), Dubai (DXB) and Dar es Salaam (DAR). The airline will add the A350 to its Kinshasa (FIH) and Frankfurt (FRA) routes later this month, as well as to Johannesburg (JNB) later this year.
The Aircraft
Ethiopian Airlines' A350-900 is arranged in a two-class configuration, with 30 Cloud Nine business-class seats and 313 economy seats.
The Cockpit and Galley
First up is the cockpit, equipped with the latest state-of-the-art technology.
Wider, more spacious galleys on the A350-900 will enable cabin crew members to conduct a more efficient food and beverage service during the flight.
Next, a peek at the crew rest area, featuring bunks and a seat for those who are off-duty.
Business Class
Business class is arranged in a six-abreast, 2-2-2 configuration, with 30 fully-flat seats — seats are 22.9 inches wide while the pitch is 78 inches.
The seats are upholstered in a red fabric, with a grey, leather, moveable headrest.
Each seat comes with a universal power socket and a USB port, as well as a lamp and in-flight entertainment remote control. The cabin itself feels very spacious, mainly due to the absence of the central overhead lockers, as you can see below.
While the seats are very comfortably padded and recline to a fully-flat position, I found the foot rest area to be incredibly narrow — you'll likely have to position yourself at a bit of an angle when it's time to get some sleep.
There is one noticeable disadvantage to most of these business-class seats: like Lufthansa A350 and Air Caraïbes A350, these don't offer direct aisle access. With this in mind, I would sacrifice having a nice view out the window by choosing to sit in the middle block of seats, as these do have access to the aisle and you won't have to worry about climbing over or having another passenger climb over you when the seat is fully reclined.
Ethiopian Airlines decided not to opt for colorful LED mood lighting aboard this aircraft, something that seems very unusual for an A350 operator. The carrier has also decided against installing Wi-Fi capabilities, although it's a feature that's supposedly coming soon.
Economy Class
The economy cabin is arranged in a nine-abreast, 3-3-3 configuration with 313 seats. The seat pitch is 32 inches and each is 18 inches wide.
Economy seats come with a moveable headrest, pillow, blanket and headphones, while on-demand in-flight entertainment is provided for all. Unfortunately for those who love the onboard cameras usually featured on aircraft such as the A350 — which display outside views from the plane's tail, belly and nose — Ethiopian Airlines did not choose this particular add-on, so you won't find it as an option on the in-flight entertainment.
Row 11 seats AC, and HK (picture above) are twin seats and have more space due to the exit row. There's also a huge amount of legroom available in Row 33 seats ABC & HJK, where there is no row in front because of the nearby exit.
Overall Impression
It's good to see African airlines flying some of the latest aircraft in the skies, with even smaller airlines such as RwandAir recently taking delivery of its first wide-body aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines' A350-900 is comfortable due to its extra-wide cabin and the fresher air that's introduced every 2-3 minutes. While it's a shame the airline didn't opt for direct-aisle-access seats in business class — I would have also liked to see it include LED mood lighting to help reduce jet lag — the aircraft is still a huge upgrade from its previous fleet.
Have you ever flown on Ethiopian Airlines' A350-900? Tell us about your experience, below.
All images by the author.
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.