Ethiopian offering £380 economy tickets from Dublin to Los Angeles (vs BA’s £1,100)

Back in October I wrote about the new Dublin to Los Angeles service to be operated by Star Alliance member Ethiopian Airlines.

Starting in June, Ethiopian will fly the route three times per week using a brand new Boeing 787.

Until April 30, for travel between June 20 and November 31 (except July 11 to August 14, it seems, when you pay a bit more), Ethiopian is selling economy return flights for just €499. You can fly to either Addis Ababa or Los Angeles for that price.

You can check pricing on the Ethiopian Airlines website here.

Over the summer this is an astonishing deal if you can find the seats.  British Airways wants over £1,100 for Heathrow to Los Angeles on many days over the Summer.  You can save £750 by taking the Ethiopian service!

The first bit of bad news is that the flight times are terrible. Ethiopian leaves Dublin at 6am so you would need to stay in the city overnight. The return is OK, landing at 18.30 in Ireland.

The second bit of bad news is that, according to this Business Traveller article, passengers will not clear US immigration in Dublin.  This means that they will need to go through the often lengthy immigration process in Los Angeles.

The €499 price which is promoted in this press release I was sent is not available for all dates. It is out there, though – Expedia quotes £380 including its fees for 12-19 October for example. More digging may bring it up for peak dates. The lowest business class fare I found was a very unbargain price of £2,450.

The airline website is here if you want to learn more.

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How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (January 2025)

None of the Star Alliance airlines currently have a UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn Star Alliance miles from a UK credit card. 

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to over 40 airlines at the rate of 3:1.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 airline miles per £1 spent on the card.

There is a preferential conversion rate to United Airlines – which is a Star Alliance member – of 2 : 1 if you convert 60,000 Bonvoy points at once.

The Star Alliance members which are Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners are: Aegean, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

You can apply here.

Marriott Bonvoy American Express

20,000 points for signing up and 15 elite night credits each year Read our full review