I took 2 of the longest economy flights of my life on Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines. I'd only book one again.

Business Insider

13-05-2025

Traveling to East Africa involved a 13-hour Ethiopian Airlines flight and a 16-hour Qatar Airways ride.
For both of these long-haul flights in economy, I sat in window seats at the back of the plane.
Ultimately, small differences like seat width are why I'd book Qatar again.
The small details make the biggest difference on a long-haul flight in economy.
It might be one extra inch of seat space or snack service between meals. It could be a clean bathroom or a complimentary eye mask.
Those differences were a game changer for me on the longest flights of my life. I was heading to East Africa. To get there, I took a 13-hour flight on Ethiopian Airlines. Getting home involved a 16-hour flight on Qatar Airways.
Small details are why I'm booking Qatar again in the future.
I embarked on the longest journey of my life, heading to Tanzania from Denver on Ethiopian Airlines.
My 33-hour travel day began at Denver International Airport. By the end of it, I would be in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Getting there involved a three-and-a-half-hour flight to Washington, DC; a 13-hour flight between DC and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; a three-hour flight from Ethiopia to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and a final flight to Zanzibar.
My ticket on Ethiopian Airlines cost $975, and I sat in economy for every leg of the long-haul journey.
Naturally, the flight I dreaded the most was the longest: 13 hours, cramped next to strangers.
For the 13-hour flight, I boarded an Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which initially felt a bit outdated.
While Ethiopian operates a range of aircraft for long-haul flights, I was on an Airbus A350-900XWB.
I don't think I've ever boarded a flight so bright. While most airlines stick to navy blue, black, and dark colors for seats, Ethiopian Airlines embraced color with an unexpected green.
While it wouldn't have been my choice, it didn't impact the flight, though I did think it gave the cabin an outdated look.
The plane itself had 30 lie-flat business-class seats and 313 economy seats. The economy cabin had three rows of three seats, with two bathrooms in the middle and two in the back.
After my boarding group was called, I headed to the back of the plane and cozied into my window seat.
My window seat felt more spacious than what I've experienced on short-haul flights.
I rarely take a 13-hour flight. Instead, I'm more familiar with shorter flights, where economy seats tend to be smaller.
For this aircraft, my seat was 18 inches wide with a 32-inch seat pitch. The seats could also recline.
While it was only a few more inches than seats I've sat in for short-haul flights, I did notice the difference. My seat felt roomier, and my legs could stretch a bit farther.
I had a screen with media options and a USB port to charge my phone.
As for amenities at the seat, I was greeted with a standard airplane pillow and blanket.
Flight attendants came around with headphones, and in front of me was a touchscreen entertainment system with a USB port for charging.
The airline had plenty of media options, from TV shows to music and movies. While I thought it was missing major US blockbusters, I loved eyeing the international movie choices. I could also buy WiFi for $25.
I was served dinner and breakfast during the flight.
A few hours after taking off, flight attendants arrived with dinner.
I was surprised when there wasn't an entrée option. Instead, I was handed a tray with rice, carrots, chicken curry, bread, a grain salad, and dessert. It was delicious.
After dinner, I fell asleep and believe I missed a sandwich snack during the nighttime service.
Toward the end of the flight, flight attendants arrived with breakfast. This time, I was served a tray with mushrooms, baked beans, eggs, and a hash brown.
Overall, I was shocked by how much I enjoyed the meal. Airline food tends to be a hit or miss, and Ethiopian Airlines' food was a hit by my standards.
The bathrooms seemed to be standard compared to most airlines.
Whether in business class or economy on a long-haul or short-haul flight, I've never noticed drastic differences in airplane bathrooms.
The Ethiopian Airlines bathroom felt typical. It had a small changing table, a toilet, a sink, and tissues.
Three weeks later, I was flying home on an even longer flight with Qatar Airways.
To get home, I left Entebbe, Uganda, and flew five and a half hours to Doha, Qatar. From there, I had a 16-hour flight to Dallas before my final two-hour flight home.
This flight, also in economy, cost $900.
The 16-hour, long-haul journey was on a Boeing 777-200LR.
Qatar uses four aircraft for flights to and from the US. I was on a Boeing 777-200LR for this flight.
This plane was a bit smaller than my Ethiopian Airlines flight. There were 42 business-class seats and 217 economy seats, with two rows of three seats and a middle row of four. Passengers had access to five bathrooms, an extra one compared to Ethiopian.
The decor felt standard, with dark-gray seats and red accents.
I also sat at a window seat in the back of the plane.
The seat was nearly one inch wider than Ethiopian, at 18.9 inches, and had an inch bigger pitch at 33 inches with reclining capabilities.
I'm always surprised at how much a single inch can make a difference, but for a 16-hour flight, it helped. I could stretch out my legs and didn't constantly feel like my knees were pressed against the seat in front of me.
However, I didn't like that there wasn't a barrier between the leg area of my row's middle and the window seats. My seatmate could easily encroach on my personal space.
The entertainment system felt outdated.
A typical airplane pillow, blanket, and headphones were waiting for me in my seat. I was also surprised to see a small complimentary toiletry kit — an amenity I've only received in business class. The paper pouch held an eye mask, earplugs, a toothbrush, and socks.
I found an outlet below my seat, and near the screen was a USB port to charge my phone.
The entertainment system felt a touch outdated with a retro remote control. However, there were plenty of movies and shows to choose from, and WiFi cost $15 with an option to upgrade to high speed for $20.
As for food, this is where I made an error. I mistakenly marked raw vegetarian instead of vegetarian as my meal preference.
On trips home, I typically opt for a vegetarian meal. It's a way for me to reset and, ideally, eat something a bit healthier after a trip filled with dining out.
I did that for my Qatar flight, but instead of marking vegetarian, I accidentally marked raw vegetarian.
During the flight, I was served three trays of raw vegetables. Thankfully, I had enough snacks to last me the whole flight.
Beyond that, Qatar had pros and cons to its food service.
The meals felt slightly elevated with metal cutlery, and I received more food during this long-haul flight. In addition to two meals, passengers were given a spinach-and-feta hot pocket, plus chocolate and water at the end of the flight.
The con was that drink service was much more limited. I wasn't offered complimentary wine, beer, or soda, and my free options were limited to juice, tea, coffee, and water.
The bathroom felt practically identical to the one on my Ethiopian Airlines flight.
Again, there was not much to say about the airplane bathroom. There was a room spray and scented soap, which I appreciated.
If the prices were similar, I'd book Qatar Airways again.
I'm eager to fly Qatar Airways at least one more time to experience a full meal service. Even without factoring in food, the bigger seat and complimentary toiletries made for a better overall experience.