Fast forward a few months, Ethiopian starts flying from Oslo (to Addis via Stockholm) and the fare is actually honoured. So I began planning the trip out, booking hotels and a visit to other islands in the Seychelles with local carrier Air Seychelles. This is our overall routing – 6 legs on ET and 2 on HM:
Maps generated by the Great Circle Mapper – copyright Karl L. Swartz
And eventually July arrives and we start the trip at OSL
Waiting for Check-In to open. Once open, we only had 3 other passengers in front of us but it took about 30mins until we had our boarding passes as the lady behind the counter was not the quickest. We were also only given the boarding passes for the first leg and told to obtain the next leg at ADD, whilst the passengers at other counters were given boarding passes for all legs.
Fast track did not work but nevertheless security checks were fairly swift and so we headed through the shops to the SAS lounge (1st floor in the picture)
Waiting to scan the boarding pass at the automatic lounge gates
Seating area SAS lounge OSL
There was also a small room for kids to play
Late afternoon buffet at SAS lounge OSL
The ‘bar’ – it did not only have beer & soft drinks on tap, but also wine!
We spent some time in the lounge and then made our way to the gate, passing passport control on the way as the lounge was in the Schengen part of the terminal.
A Norwegian Dreamliner, most likely heading to the US
Our Dreamliner was already waiting at the gate. ET-ARF was delivered to ET in October 2014 and was the 10th 787 operated by the airline (today they operate 19)
Boarding to ARN started on time
But the load was pretty light – oly 89 pax in total across both, Y and C
A peak into Eco during boarding, the seats were quite comfy and seat pitch not too bad
In the front, this B787-8 featured an updated Business Class cabin but seats where still angled flat
The C cabin featured 24 seats in total
There were no overhead bins in the middle row, creating a more open cabin feel
Ethiopian refers to the Business Class product as Cloud Nine
Storage space was OK from row 2 onwards but the bulkhead seats had next to no storage space
After we sat down, the crew offered PDB’s including champagne (ET serves Jacquart, won´t become my favourite). My wife & daughter had to move seats as their seat wouldn´t recline (which is not idal for a night flight) and the technician couldn´t get it fixed. Fortunately the cabin was not fully so they were just moved to the seats nearby
The all-yellow amenity kit contained all your basics in a handy pouch, only the plastic wrapping was disturbing
The sound quality of the head-phones was OK
Sitting in row 1, the TV screens were stowed in the arm rest, so could not be used during take-off and landing
The upside – there´s ample space for your feet
Plenty of inflight reading
We pushed back 7mins before scheduled departure time, passing a Norwegian 737-800 which celebrates Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland who designed the Nobel Peace Prize medals
10mins later we were airborne
Climbing out of OSL
Flight time was just 40mins, block time 56mins
Reaching the gate in ARN in the last light of the day
We had a planed stop of 1h in ARN which I used to explore the aircraft a bit – lightly populated C cabin
Y cabin, similarly empty at this stage
Time to look at the IFE options which featured several recent movies…
… music including a nice selection of Ethiopian and African tunes
And an information section which however was pretty basic. The fleet overview was interesting, Airbus has done a pretty good job selling their A350 to ET…
A high level drink menu was also part of the IFE
The seat in sleep mode – row 1 had the benefit of more space to stretch your legs when sleeping (important for me as I´m >6 ft). As you can see it´s not lie flat but with a slight angle (though not as bad as LH’s old C seat)
As the sun was setting, this SAS B737 in special livery taxied by
Estonian carrier Nordica with their CRJ operates flights to Tallin for LOT
Eventually we pushed back and taxied to RWY 08 where we sat for a few minutes, waiting for take-off clearance
Safety briefing
Up in the air, the sun was eventually gone
The menu was handed out and we were given the option to pre-order breakfast (which I skipped to maximize sleep)
The starters of the kids menu. The three jars on the right were ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise and accompanied every (!) meal served onboard ET’s flights
Salmon with shrimp salad was my starter (the other two options would have been a soup)
Kids menu main meal (chicken)
My main: beef with lyonnaise potatos and green asparagus, quite good
Cake & cheese as dessert
I then went to bed..
… whilst we made our way to Africa
I woke about about an hour prior to landing
We had a slight delay of 6mins when we reached our stand and were picked up by busses (with business class and *A Gold members getting a separate Cloud Nine bus)
Stepping outside the aircraft, watching the sun rise and breathing African air was just a wonderful moment
Saying good-bye to ET-ARF
Driving to the terminal, plenty of 787 and 777 parked at the apron
ET-AUA, one of five A350 ET operate currently
The newest A350, ET-AUB, not even a month old, arriving at ADD
The bus offloaded us in front of terminal 2
A 777 being catered
Inside ADD terminal 2. The little red house to the left is the Chinese transfer counter, illustrating the importance the People’s Republic has to the African continent these days
We made our way to the Cloud Nine lounge where we were quickly handed the boarding passes for our connecting flight to SEZ
The lounge was packed and we only just found space
The bar was not open but at least offered some further seating options
As I had skipped breakfast on the plane, I went to the buffet
Of course it featured the national dish, Injera (fermented bread which replaces cutlery as you just pick up meat and gravy with the bread)
We had a three hour layover which was spent with eating Injera and trying to sleep
After a quick security check we went to the bus gate downstairs and pretty much got onto the bus straight away. The jetbridge leading to this Dreamliner would be for a different flight today
Instead we were taken to this B737-700 (ET-ALM)
Boarding. The lion logo is featured on every ET aircraft
The business cabin featured 4 rows of old-style recliner seats in a 2-2 layout
Nothing to complain about seat pitch here
The three PDB options: champagne, orange juice or water
No personal IFE screen as expected
As we pushed back (5mins ahead of schedule), this Dreamliner taxied past – runway and taxiways are slightly elevated compared to the apron (last time I saw this was in CAI)
Safety video
The windows of this 13-year-old bird were pretty scratched
Apparently these two Dakotas (ET-AJG / ET-AHS) have been sitting at ADD for ages
A Triple Seven followed us as we lined up on RWY 25L
Climbing out of ADD
After take-off, instead of just nuts Kolo (roasted barley grains) was served, I loved it
There was no choice for starter but the smoked salmon was absolutely fine
The benefit of a day flight out of ADD: ET serves Injera with as much as five different dishes to choose from
I opted for four of them (skipping the chicken with bones), it was lovely
The kids menu featured chicken & mashed potato
After lunch, I had dessert (cake & cheese), afterwards these pralines were handed out
The flight over the Indian Ocean was very bumpy, not very heavy turbulences but pretty much constant shakes which was somewhat annoying (knowing there´s nothing one can do about it)
Passing Eden Island on the approach to SEZ
The sky was a bit cloudy but the colour of the water nevertheless promising
We reached the stand with a minor delay of 8mins and then walked to the terminal building
EK is the only ME3 carrier sending a widebody, in this case even a 77W
After swiftly clearing immigration, picking up our baggage (which not only was the last to arrive but one suitcase was actually broken, requiring us to make a report to the ground handler), we stepped outside into the open-air arrivals hall
Only a short walk away was the tiny domestic terminal where we checked in for our flight to PRI. Normally we would have had to wait over an hour for our booked flight but after paying a moderate change fee of EU 10,- we were allowed to get on the next flight (flights leave every 10-15mins)
For their inter-island services, Air Seychelles operates a fleet of 6 DHC-6 Twin Otters
3 of these were currently at SEZ, including this beautiful special livery ‘Isle of Curieuse’
The small waiting area of the domestic terminal
When boarding was called, everyone gathered at the exit to watch the safety video – never had watched it inside the terminal so far but it was an experience
S7-FAR ‘Isle of Farquhar’ would carry us to PRI today, piloted by a South African pilot
View from seat 4C, right under the wing as the engines were started
Great for the avgeek – the Twin Otter has an open cockpit
Let´s go
Climbing out of SEZ
Half-way through the 15min flight
Reaching PRI, you can see the airfield in the upper left corner
After landing, I took a quick picture of the cockpit
The terminal building on Praslin
We spend a few very relaxing days on Praslin, also visiting neighbouring La Digue and Curieuse islands.
I also returned to the airport to take a few pictures of traffic there (which consists just of the HM service to SEZ)
After a few days were returned to the airport to fly over to the main island again where we would spend the second part of our vacation
Air Seychelles check-in counter. On the outbound we had to pay EUR 10,- to change to an earlier flight, when we showed up at PRI we were rebooked to a flight 45mins earlier without asking
The airside waiting area at PRI
I had brief hope that we would be flying the special livery back to SEZ as we saw our bags being loaded into S7-CUR – but the plane departed ahead of our flight, apparently it is normal that passengers and bags fly separately here due to weight restrictions
S7-CUR departing
Leaving Praslin with S7-PRN, the ‘Isle of Praslin’
Similar to SEZ, the safety video was shown inside the terminal building
Boarding was called after the agent had overwritten the previous flight number in PowerPoint
Entering the empty cabin
The last row featured 3 seats with extra leg room (not surcharge for these – yet)
Window view from seat 1C
Highlight of the flight was that I had asked for row 1 during check-in which did work as you can see
Flaps and thrust levers
Not sure this warning sign needs to be obeyed in the Seychelles
S7-FAR arrived as we taxied out
Backtracking the runway as there is no separate taxiway
Off we go – great view from the ‘jump seat in the cabin’
During the 15min flight were didn´t climb past 2,000ft
Traffic to the left
Approaching Mahe Island
After an easy approach with a left-turn and smooth touchdown, we quickly reached the stand
HM A330 which is used for flights to Europe
A Gulfstream G550 parked at SEZ
Condor B767 waiting for their late night departure to FRA – I didn´t realize DE leaves the aircraft on the ground in SEZ for ~36h
From the airport, we drove south to Anse Forbans and enjoyed our time on Mahe
But eventually it was time to return home, so we queued at the ET check-in for the flight back to OSL via ADD and ARN
Not much international activity at SEZ that day
We were issued an invite for the Air Seychelles lounge
Airside waiting area at SEZ
Upstairs was the entrance to the Air Seychelles Premium Lounge
And we were pleasantly surprised by the design and comfortable seating in the Salon Vallée De Mai, EY as co-owner of HM had done a very good job
Plenty of food and drink options
International spirits as well as Seychelles rum from Takamaka
Snacks with Seybrew, the local beer
Rest rooms were spotless
The lounge offered runway view, so we could watch this Kenya Airways E190 arriving from NBO
Out 12-year-old B737-700 (ET-ALN) had also already arrived
As had EK with a B777-200LR today
When boarding was announced, we walked to the plane and boarded through stairs from the apron
ET 737 Business Class cabin. After we had boarded, a good-humoured captain (Nigerian) came on the PA and introduced his flight crew, also informing us that as captain, he had the powers to conduct a marriage on board if anyone felt that´s what they´d like to do. After a short pause, he added ‘However this kind offer does not include anyone of my cabin crew!’
Next to us QR with their A320 began boarding
PDB’s were swiftly served after we sat down
Menus were also distributed now
We pushed back on time but had to wait for the delayed Kenya Airways to take off, so despite a very short taxi (in terms of distance) we were airborne only 15mins after going off-block
Climbing out of SEZ
The next hour or so we had golden light in the cabin, I really like this atmosphere
ET B737 winglet in evening light
The sun began to set as we left the Seychelles behind us
Kolo was served along with drinks
The starter (no choice) – horribly dry beef, only the butternut salad was edible
For my main, I had skipped the lamb, chicken and ravioli and opted for ‘eggplant lasagne’. It turned out to be a very loose interpretation of the dish – I could not taste any eggplant and also never had a lasagne which was in fact just spaghetti
When the dessert trolley came through the cabin…
… I just went for the cheese and port. It was the best part of the whole meal service which was sad.
Sme ginger tea and pralines to finish it off
The rest of the flight was uneventful, we arrived at ADD on time and were bussed to the terminal. As it was dark, I didn´t take any pictures (somewhat funny story: during deplaning, I briefly stepped into the cockpit at the invitation of the captain and had a small chat. When I left the aircraft, the Business Class bus with my family was just driving off, so much to the confusion of the ground staff, they suddenly saw me chasing the bus on the apron – fortunately the driver stopped after a few metres and I was able to get onboard).
Inside the terminal, there were long queues everywhere and signs urging Europe-bound passengers to queue at the central security checks almost 1,5h before departure
The queues ran across the terminal and were only slow-moving
We went to the lounge first where we waiting for the departure gate to show up
As you are in Ethiopia, the lounge offers a very nice seating area where fresh coffee is brewed
When it was time to go to the gate, we queued at the priority security check which we cleared after some 15mins waiting time. At the gate, lines just began to form and boarding was commenced about 5mins after we arrived
A look at our ride to ARN and OSL, ET-ATJ was one of the Terrible Teens (LN 13) and only delivered to ET in September 2016
After boarding started, we walked into the jetbridge but couldn´t enter the plane due to this locked door. It took another 10mins to get it unlocked and we were eventually welcomed onboard
Walking into the cabin and a pleasant surprise – a new layout. The middle row now also had overhead bins which didn´t impact the airy feel of the cabin though
The 24 C seats were slightly facing sideways
And even row 1 now had a foot rest and plenty of storage space
I sat down on 1J, amenity kits and water bottles had already been distributed
View from 1J
Some bubbly as PDB
I really liked the traditional dresses of the ET cabin crew
The new IFE screens very huge
The IFE system did have touchscreens but I usually prefer ordinary remote controls
The IFE content was comprehensive
Pushback was almost on time and we were airborne shortly after midnight. Most passengers went to sleep straight away but I opted for a late dinner, also hoping Injera would be served (which was not the case, presumably due to the late departure).
Meal service started very late and one hour after departure I was able to enjoy the salmon starter with hummus
There were three options for the main and two of those were pasta – so I went for the chicken with asparagus and potato gratin. Unfortunately the latter was the only edible part of the meal, very disappointing.
Some cheese at the end, then I went to sleep and did enjoy the lie flat seats (though these were pretty narrow compared to the angled flat seats on the outbound leg)
When I woke up, the sun was already up and we were approaching ARN
The route we took
We touched down in rainy ARN some 10mins ahead of time and again had to kill an hour on the ground as most passengers left the flight in ARN
A SAS CR9 parked next to us (Irish registration as leased from Cityjet)
I had asked not to be woken up for breakfast in the air but instead be served my choice on the ground in ARN during our waiting time. When I asked for the breakfast however, I was told the crew would not be allowed to serve the food on the ground and they would serve it on the flight to OSL. So I was just offered an orange juice.
The Trent 1000
A significantly emptier C cabin
The Y cabin also had larger IFE screens
After 1:10h on the ground, we began our short 40min flight to OSL. The flights was operated by the same crew that flew the ADD-ARN leg (with 7,5h block time)
Climbing out of ARN
Above the clouds again
The crew hastily prepared breakfast and served it not even 10mins after take-off (which also meant it was mostly cold). This is the kids breakfast, an interesting combination: pan cake with croquettes
Despite the odd combination, it was still miles better than my breakfast option which consisted of an egg muffin (tasteless) with potatoes and chicken sausage (cold). Not a great breakfast but I still do appreciate the flexibility of the crew, after all it was me who had asked to sleep through the regular meal service
The sun was getting bright so we activated the electronic shades which turned the outside world into a blue tone
The divider between the two seats is fixed is a bit of an odd design element as it doesn´t really give much privacy when an adult is next to you but also when you don´t want the privacy makes interaction with your neighbour difficult
Through the clouds again as we approach OSL
Timely arrival into OSL
We thanked the crew and deplaned through the jetbridge which allowed for a last look back at Tango Juliet
TG flies BKK-OSL with Triple Seven
Whilst we waiting for our connecting flight to MUC, I was able to take some apron shots of interesting aircraft – this one being the most interesting one as it was used by Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign trail
A Dash 8-100 of Norwegian regional carrier Wideroe (the airline which offers the 2 week unlimited flights air pass)
And another Norwegian B738 (under Irish registration of Norwegian Air International)
OSL is also a long haul hub for the pan-Scandinavian carrier SAS who flies A330 to EWR
The last picture of this report is our 787 being pushed back, as the return flight only leaves in the afternoon it was parked at a remote stand
This brings our trip to the island paradise of the Seychelles to an end. It was an interesting trip with two new airlines for me. Overall ET has a solid product, most crews were committed (all were friendly), food was a bit hit&miss and the only real downside is having to connect through ADD which is not really a pleasant experience. HM and the Twin Otters were a nice reminder of how easy and enjoyable flying can be and if they continue to operate routes to Europe I hope to try them long haul one day.
Thank you for reading this trip report. If you did like it, here are the links to my other trip reports, sorted by year:
2017
First Class East Coast Easter with LH and BA 747
Lufthansa A350 Inaugural Flight MUC-HAM-MUC
2016
European Regionals (incl. CS100)
Round the world (Part 3): Arabic A380 Apogee (Etihad Apartment)
Round the world (Part 2): Skipping a day
Round the world (Part 1): a First Class start
Air Berlin across the pond – AB Y+ & C on DUS-MIA-DUS
A South American Teaser – LAN C 787 on FRA-MAD
Testing The Swiss Triple Seven In C FRA-ZRH-GVA
2015
Tudo Bom! - To Brazil In BA First & Club World
Lost In India – BOM-DEL-DOH-DME In AI+QR C
Meeting The Singapore Girls – ZRH-SIN-BOM In SQ C
At Putin’s Show Room - Maks Airshow 2015
New, Newer, Qatar Airways – A350, A380 & B788 In C
Siam Birds - Nokair & Bangkok Airways
2014
Quick Trip Across The Pond To NYC (SN & UA In C)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P3)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P2)
The Kim-Dom Calling-avgeek Heaven North Korea (P1)
Beijing And Back In C: LH A346 Vs. CA B773
A visit To Kingman & Mojave Boneyards With LX & LH
Northwest In Style - FRA-SEA-FRA In LH F (old)
Living The Dream(liner) – LAN FRA-MAD-FRA In Y
2013
Sleep Like An Egyptian:BRU-CAI-BKK-CAI-FRA In MS C
Endangered Species - A Weekend Trip To Russia (P2)
Endangered Species - A Weekend Trip To Russia (P1)
2008
The True Berlin Airport - Last Trip To THF
