Ethiopia
Full service airline, Addis Ababa Bole hub Ethiopian Airlines baggage allowance
Ethiopian Airlines is the Ethiopian flag carrier and a Star Alliance member, known for being Africa's largest airline by passengers, revenue, and fleet size with an extensive pan-African and intercontinental network hubbed at Addis Ababa Bole.
| Allowance | Economy | Business |
|---|---|---|
| Carry-on bagPlus one personal item under the seat | 7 kg55 x 40 x 23 cm | 2 x 7 kg55 x 40 x 23 cm |
| Checked bagMaximum weight per bag | 23 kgUp to 158 cm | 23 kgUp to 158 cm |
Cabin baggage
What you keep with you on board. The carry-on bag goes in the overhead bin, the personal item goes under the seat in front of you.
Carry-on bag
- Size
- 55 x 40 x 23 cm
- Weight
- 7 kg
- Pieces
- One bag
1 piece in Economy; 2 pieces in Business (Cloud Nine), each up to 7 kg.
Personal item
- Size
- Not separately specified
- Weight
- Combined personal accessories up to 5 kg (handbag, laptop, coat, camera, reading material, infant items, duty-free)
- Examples
- In addition to the carry-on allowance.
Liquids: containers of 100 ml or less, all inside one transparent resealable 1 litre bag. Baby food, medication and sealed duty free purchases are exempt.
Power banks and batteries
Lithium batteries travel in the cabin, never in the hold. Since 2025 most carriers also ban using or charging a power bank during the flight.
| Item | Cabin | Checked | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power bank up to 100 WhAbout 27,000 mAh at 3.7 V | Allowed | Not allowed | One per passenger, under the seat, not in the overhead bin. Do not use or charge it on board. |
| Power bank 100 to 160 Wh | Approval needed | Not allowed | Maximum two, with airline approval before the flight. |
| Power bank over 160 Wh | Not allowed | Not allowed | Cannot travel on Ethiopian Airlines in any form. |
| Spare laptop and camera batteries | Allowed | Not allowed | Terminals taped or in original packaging, up to 100 Wh each. |
| Devices with built-in batteriesLaptops, phones, cameras, tablets | Allowed | Switched off | Better in the cabin. If checked, fully switched off and protected from accidental activation. |
| E-cigarettes and vapes | Allowed | Not allowed | Cabin only, never used on board. |
Checked baggage
Ethiopian counts pieces. Economy carries two bags of 23 kg, and Cloud Nine, its business cabin, carries three of 23 kg or two of 32 kg depending on the route. A bag over 23 kg but under 32 costs USD 100 in Economy rather than being refused.
| Cabin | First bag | Second bag | Max weight per bag | Max size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy | Included | Included | 23 kg | 158 cm |
| Business (Cloud Nine) | Included | Included | 23 kg | 158 cm |
Economy: Piece concept: 2 x 23 kg. Weight concept routes: 2 pieces totaling 32 kg. Up to 6 extra pieces available for purchase.
Business (Cloud Nine): Cloud Nine: 3 pieces x 23 kg (piece concept) or 2 pieces x 32 kg (weight concept). Star Alliance Gold members get +1 piece or +20 kg. Allowances change by route, fare family and booking date, so confirm on the official Ethiopian Airlines baggage page before you pack.
Checked bags by cabin
Ethiopian sets the allowance by cabin and by route rather than by fare brand, so the number of bags is the thing to check before you pack.
| Economy | 2 bags, 23 kg each | |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Nine | 3 bags, 23 kg each |
On some routes Cloud Nine carries two bags of 32 kg instead of three of 23. Each piece measures up to 158 cm. In the cabin, Economy carries one bag of 7 kg and Cloud Nine two, and both cabins add a personal accessory of up to 3 kg on top, which is a laptop, a book, a purse and a phone or tablet.
Excess baggage fees
What Ethiopian charges beyond the pieces your cabin includes.
| Situation | What you pay | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Economy bag over 23 kg, under 32 kg | USD 100 per bag | Within your piece count, so the bag still flies |
| Extra piece | Charged per piece | Priced by route |
| Piece over 158 cm total | Oversize charge | Length plus width plus height |
| Personal accessory | Free in both cabins | Up to 3 kg, on top of the cabin bag |
The allowance depends on the route as much as the cabin, and Ethiopian points to its baggage calculator for the exact figure. A journey on an interline or partner ticket follows a separate policy again.
Before you pack
Six habits that keep you out of the excess baggage queue.
- Weigh bags at homeA luggage scale costs less than a single overweight bag fee, and it settles the argument at home rather than at the counter.
- Prepay extra weight onlineBuying through ethiopianairlines.com is 10 to 20 percent cheaper than paying at the counter.
- Wear the heavy itemsBoots, coats and jackets on your body do not count toward any limit.
- Use compression bagsVacuum bags cut clothing volume by up to 75 percent, which helps with the 158 cm size rule.
- Check your credit card perksSome premium cards include extra baggage or refund fees on selected airlines.
- Check your loyalty statusFrequent flyer tiers often add extra weight or an extra bag on top of the fare allowance.
Sports equipment, instruments and infants
Special items travel with conditions. Every one of them needs advance reservation, and acceptance at the airport is not guaranteed without it.
| Item | Conditions |
|---|---|
| Sports equipment | Free as a second checked bag if within 158 cm and 23 kg; charged as special baggage up to 280 cm; over 280 cm must ship as cargo. Advance notice required for domestic Ethiopia flights. |
| Musical instruments | Allowed as carry-on if within 55 x 40 x 23 cm; larger or fragile instruments require Block Seat Baggage Service (extra seat purchase). |
| Infant baggage | Standard free baggage allowance applies; infant carrier basket and food permitted as personal accessories. |
Book special items online before travel. Airport prices are higher than the same allowance bought online, and hold space is first come, first served.
Check-in and bag drop deadlines
Counted back from scheduled departure. Miss the bag drop cut-off and the bag does not fly, even if you do.
Ethiopian Airlines sets its check-in and bag drop deadlines by airport rather than publishing one timeline. Check the times on your booking, and allow longer if you have bags to drop.
If your bag does not arrive
Delayed and damaged bags follow a strict clock. Most claims fail because the report was made after leaving the airport.
Report before you leave the hall
Go to the Ethiopian Airlines baggage services desk in the arrivals baggage hall. You get a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) with a 10 character reference. Without it there is no claim.
Track with the PIR reference
Use the reference and your surname on the Ethiopian Airlines baggage tracing page. Most delayed bags arrive within 48 hours and are delivered to your address free of charge.
Track a bagKeep receipts, mind the deadlines
Essentials bought while the bag is missing can be claimed. Damage must be reported within 7 days, delayed bag expenses within 21 days of delivery, under the Montreal Convention.
How Ethiopian Airlines compares
Benchmark these limits against the rest of the industry before you decide which bag to bring.
Turkey
Singapore
Japan
Taiwan