When it is finally time to book airfare, your head can be in such a whirl that the little details can be hard to remember. Here are a few reminders. First of all, if you check prices at a website like Expedia.com or other popular sites to book travel, you will probably find prices to be quite a bit higher than if you get tickets through a travel agent who specializes in travel to Africa. It is possible to get tickets in the range of $1400-$2500 for a flight from the U.S. to Ethiopia, including connecting flights. In general, airfare is highest in summer, and as far as airlines go, Ethiopian Airlines usually has the lowest prices.
One of the perks of using a travel agent who is experienced in adoption travel is that he or she will be familiar with the process of booking the one way ticket for the child to be coming home with you. Also he or she will be able to help you choose layovers that are family-friendly. For example, you don’t want a measly one hour layover on your port of entry into the U.S. when you will also need to stand in line to get your new child through immigration. Running through the airport with 10 minutes to get to your gate is a nightmare you want to avoid. Ideally the travel agency will be familiar with the various airports and regulations so he/she can work intelligently for you.
You might be wise to book tickets that are changeable without a fee.
Sometimes a family will need to change their travel plans at the last minute, due to illness or a glitch in paperwork. Make sure you won’t be charged a high fee, and ask the travel agent if there is a way to contact him or her in an emergency. On one of my trips to Ethiopia, we ended up being able to come home a couple days sooner than planned, and I was grateful that our travel agent was on top of things, checked her email frequently and able to change our tickets.
One final thing to keep in mind: traveling to Ethiopia will rack up a lot of frequent flyer miles. Flying Ethiopian will get you ShebaMiles, which are not valid on any other airlines. Lufthansa on the other hand is a partner for United Mileage Plus, which gives you some options for using those miles once you’ve racked them up. Do keep in mind, however, that you need to SAVE the stubs to your boarding passes after your trip. If your miles are not credited correctly, they will need to see your boarding passes to fix any errors and give you the credit you have earned.
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