Plan trips, manage bookings, check in, track baggage, and access loyalty rewards in one app
Plan trips, manage bookings, check in, track baggage, and access loyalty rewards in one app
Vote (1 votes)
Program license Free
Version 6.4.2
Works under Android
Vote
(1 votes)
Works under
Android
Program license
Free
Version
6.4.2
Pros
- Clear, user friendly layout for core travel tasks
- Integrated flight search, booking, and reservation management
- Mobile check in with digital boarding passes
- Seat selection using an aircraft layout view
- Baggage information and tracking in the same app
- Support for purchasing services and extras, including excess luggage
- Access to customer support contact details from within the app
- Potential discounts of up to 10 percent on some app bookings
Cons
- Booking sessions can time out quickly, causing reservations to be canceled mid process
- ShebaMiles section may show errors, hiding miles balance and digital loyalty card
- Profile updates and some loyalty services can be unavailable due to these ShebaMiles issues
The Ethiopian Airlines app is a mobile companion for planning and managing trips with the airline, bringing flight search, booking, check in, baggage tools, and loyalty account access into one place. It aims to make the entire journey easier to handle from a phone, from choosing flights to receiving a digital boarding pass.
It is best suited to travelers who frequently fly with Ethiopian Airlines, especially those who want to manage bookings on the go, handle check in without using a desktop browser, and keep track of ShebaMiles rewards from their device.
Interface and overall experience
The app presents its features in a clear, approachable way. Navigation focuses on practical travel tasks like searching flights, checking existing reservations, and viewing baggage rules, rather than hiding these options behind complex menus. That straightforward layout makes routine actions such as booking and check in feel quick to reach and understand.
Language options and accessibility features are built in, so passengers can adjust the experience to their preferred language and needs. This focus on clarity and inclusivity helps the app work for a wide range of travelers.
Booking and managing reservations
The booking section lets you search for flights and compare available options, then purchase tickets directly in the app. Ethiopian Airlines also promotes discounts of up to 10 percent on some bookings made through the mobile app, which gives regular travelers an extra reason to use it.
Reservations are not fixed once created. You can revisit your trips to review details, make changes, or cancel when your plans shift. Payments cover flights, services, and extras, with support for different payment methods, so you are not limited to a single way to pay.
There is, however, a notable usability issue around timing. If you take too long while working through the booking flow, for example when adding excess baggage, the app may cancel the reservation and ask you to restart. This short time window can make the process feel rushed and discourages completing a booking at a relaxed pace. Extending that timeout would improve the overall experience significantly.
Check in, boarding passes, and seats
Check in is one of the strongest aspects of the app. You can complete online check in from your phone, then receive a digital boarding pass on the device. That helps avoid long lines at airport counters and keeps your pass available without printing.
Seat selection is handled visually. The app shows the aircraft layout and allows you to choose a preferred seat before you reach the airport. Having the seat map available during booking or before departure provides better control over where you sit, whether you are trying to stay with family or avoid middle seats.
Baggage information and tracking
The baggage tools cover both preparation and follow up. You can look up baggage allowances and fees ahead of time, which reduces surprises at the airport. The app also lets you track baggage status, giving extra peace of mind once you have checked your bags.
In addition, the booking flow supports the purchase of excess luggage. This works well when the timing issue mentioned earlier does not intervene, and it is convenient to handle extra baggage within the same app where you manage the rest of your trip.
ShebaMiles loyalty features
The app includes direct access to ShebaMiles, the airline’s frequent flyer program. In theory, this should allow members to log in, check their miles, view a digital membership card, and update profile information without leaving the app.
In practice, this area is currently the weakest part of the experience. The app can fail to display the correct ShebaMiles balance and may show an error when you try to open the loyalty section, even if you successfully receive a one time authentication code by email. When this happens, your digital ShebaMiles card does not appear, and profile updates and other account services are blocked. Since the web version of ShebaMiles works fine in this scenario, the problem appears to be specific to the mobile app and will need attention from the developer.
Customer support and assistance
Help is close at hand inside the app. You can find contact details for customer support when you run into questions before or during a trip. This centralizes key information in one place, which is especially useful during disruptions or schedule changes.
Combined with the other travel tools, this makes the app a practical central hub for most interactions with the airline.
Verdict
Ethiopian Airlines’ Android app brings together the core actions travelers expect from an airline: searching and booking flights, managing reservations, checking in, choosing seats, handling baggage, and accessing loyalty rewards. The interface feels approachable and efficient, and the ability to receive mobile boarding passes and buy extras like additional luggage directly in the app adds real convenience.
However, the current implementation has two clear drawbacks. Booking sessions can expire too quickly, which interrupts reservations and forces you to start again, and the ShebaMiles section suffers from reliability issues that block access to miles, digital cards, and profile management. If these problems are addressed, the app would more fully match its promise as a complete travel companion for Ethiopian Airlines passengers.
Pros
- Clear, user friendly layout for core travel tasks
- Integrated flight search, booking, and reservation management
- Mobile check in with digital boarding passes
- Seat selection using an aircraft layout view
- Baggage information and tracking in the same app
- Support for purchasing services and extras, including excess luggage
- Access to customer support contact details from within the app
- Potential discounts of up to 10 percent on some app bookings
Cons
- Booking sessions can time out quickly, causing reservations to be canceled mid process
- ShebaMiles section may show errors, hiding miles balance and digital loyalty card
- Profile updates and some loyalty services can be unavailable due to these ShebaMiles issues