TheCable

BY OPE ADETOLA

This is my experience with the Ethiopian Airlines. I have flown this airline twice now. I flew them in May 2019 from Prague to Lagos and back to Prague and also in August 2019. My first experience with them wasn’t a good one. Really horrible hostesses and poor service. But my second experience flying with them was the worst. Here is my story.

I flew from Prague the 30th of August to arrive Lagos the 31st of August 2019. To start with, the seat I was assigned to was completely broken and the hostess saw me struggling with fixing it then she looked around and changed my seat number. Not to mention their horrible food. Fast forward to when I was to return to Prague. I was to fly back the 10th of September, 2019.

On getting to the airport, I was told the connecting flight from Vienna, Austria to Prague was cancelled and the next available flight was in 26 hours. So I was advised to fly the next day which I agreed to. Next day, the 11th of September, I flew from Lagos and almost an hour to landing in Addis Ababa, we were told they’d have to land in Djbouti to gas the airplane as there wasn’t sufficient gas to take us to Addis Ababa. Ridiculous! We landed in Djbouti for them to gas the airplane which took an additional 45 mins before we took off to Addis Ababa. On getting there, my connecting flight had left. There were over a hundred people who had missed their connecting flights. The queue was insane. The Ethiopian airlines customer service was not professional. They had no remorse, no sense of reasoning. They felt it wasn’t their fault but ours. One guy told one of the customer service ladies that I’d sue your company. With so much nonchalant attitude, the lady responded: “Sue us, ok. Sue us!”

I said to myself, this is inhumane.  I was stood up for 4 long hours until it got to my turn and I asked to get on the next available flight as I have a scheduled surgery the next morning. The guy said “Ma’am, there is nothing I can do about that. The next flight is in 26 hours”. He asked me to wait to see the hotel they could put me in.

I have never seen a horrible service as this all my life. Especially when you’re paying for the service. This is absolutely ridiculous to say the least. I really wish and hope that they will be fined heavily and made to pay for damages. They should be made to pay for this. I have vowed NEVER to fly with them again.