Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
PROGRAMME PROFILE
Ethiopian Airlines Cloud Nine Lounge
Lounge access at Ethiopian Airlines is written as a ShebaMiles tier benefit rather than a cabin entitlement: Platinum and Gold members may use First and Business Class lounges across the Ethiopian network even when they travel in economy, and Silver members may use the ShebaMiles Silver Lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport when flying Ethiopian. [3] Cloud Nine is the airline's premium cabin, named alongside Business class in the programme's mileage terms, [3] and complimentary upgrades to Cloud Nine are listed among Platinum benefits. [6]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- Platinum and Gold members may use First and Business Class lounges across the Ethiopian network, even when flying economy, provided the member is travelling on an Ethiopian or Star Alliance member carrier flight. [3]
- Silver members are handled separately: their benefit is the ShebaMiles Silver Lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, and only when they travel on Ethiopian Airlines flights. [3]
- A Platinum or Gold member may invite one guest, who must be flying Ethiopian the same day from the same airport terminal and must enter the lounge with the member. [3]
- Showers are covered inside the programme's own lounge rules: registration on a first-come, first-served list, a 15-minute limit, and entry at least 60 minutes before departure. [3]
Which lounge, for which tier
The lounge section of the ShebaMiles terms opens with a general statement that premium members can access executive lounges from all Ethiopian Airlines departure airports, then splits the benefit by tier. [3]
Platinum and Gold. These members may access First and Business Class lounges across the Ethiopian network even when they fly Ethiopian in economy class. [3] The benefit applies only when the member is travelling on an Ethiopian or Star Alliance member carrier flight. [3] Platinum sits at the top of the programme and is reached with 100,000 Status Miles or 80 Qualifying Segments in a tracking year, while Gold follows Silver at 50,000 Status Miles or 50 Qualifying Segments. [5] [6] The Platinum page lists access to executive lounges at more than 1,000 airports among the tier's benefits. [6]
Silver. Silver members receive the ShebaMiles Silver Lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, available only when they travel on Ethiopian Airlines flights. [3] Silver is the Star Alliance Silver equivalent, not Gold, and it is earned with 25,000 Status Miles or 25 Qualifying Segments in a calendar year. [5]
Cabin. The terms describe the class of the lounge, First and Business Class, and state that the tier benefit applies even in economy, rather than tying admission to the member's ticket. [3]
At Addis Ababa: departing and connecting passengers
Access is tied to departure. The benefit applies at Ethiopian's departure airports, and the guest condition is same-day travel on an Ethiopian flight from the same airport and the same terminal as the member. [3]
The one time-based condition written into the lounge rules belongs to the showers. A member needs at least 60 minutes before departure to enter the shower room, use is not recommended with less than 60 minutes remaining, and the boarding pass is left with reception so that boarding time can be monitored. [3] The terms state that 60-minute minimum in relation to flight departure without distinguishing a passenger's first flight of the day from an onward connection. [3] Because a connecting passenger's onward boarding pass is the document held at reception, the timing that matters for a shower is the departure time on that pass. [3]
Showers and house rules
The shower facility appears in the conduct section of the ShebaMiles terms, written as conditions of use rather than as a service promise. Service is on a first-come, first-served basis and a member must register for it. [3] Members use the shower by turn and only while holding the next number on the list, and using the facility may be disallowed if attempts are made to bypass the queue. [3] The maximum permitted time in the shower is 15 minutes, members must keep the shower clean, water-insoluble items must not be disposed of in it, and towels are to be hung on the hangers rather than left on the floor. [3]
The same section sets rules that apply across the lounges: no food brought in unless a justified reason is agreed with the lounge supervisor on duty; no removing food, beverages or periodicals; no unpacking or repacking of bags; no baggage carts; cabin animals kept in locked cages except properly documented service animals; smoking only in designated areas, electronic cigarettes included; no musical instruments or loud media, with headphones recommended for calls. [3] Children must be accompanied by an adult, alcohol is limited to those aged 21 and over and staff may refuse to serve anyone who appears intoxicated, night clothing and bare feet are not allowed, and members may not lie on floors or sofas or rest feet on tables. [3] Ethiopian reserves the right to ask anyone who breaches these rules to leave, and says it may act up to permanent termination of membership for a breach of the lounge access policy. [3]
Star Alliance Gold and partner lounges
ShebaMiles Platinum is the programme's Star Alliance Gold equivalent and ShebaMiles Silver its Star Alliance Silver equivalent, which is what the membership cards carry. [5] [6] For a Platinum or Gold member flying an Ethiopian-operated flight and entering a Star Alliance branded lounge, the terms allow only one guest to accompany the member. [3]
Star Alliance also sells lounge entry as a separate product. A reservation admits the holder only to the lounge booked, the traveller must be flying a Star Alliance member carrier, a booking may cover up to nine people including the purchaser, and the reservation provides for a maximum three-hour stay unless the access document or the lounge states otherwise. [2] That channel is separate from ShebaMiles tier access and does not depend on holding frequent flyer status. [2]
One dated limit applies to the alliance side of the benefit: ShebaMiles Platinum and Gold members keep Star Alliance Gold benefits on Asiana Airlines-operated flights only until 16 December 2026, when Asiana leaves Star Alliance and the ShebaMiles partnership with Asiana Club ends. [4]
Exceptions and limits
- The terms carry a note that the one-guest privilege for Platinum and Gold members is temporarily suspended at lounges located at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport as a Covid-19 precaution. [3]
- A guest must be travelling on an Ethiopian flight on the same day from the same airport terminal as the member, and must be accompanied by the inviting member when entering. [3]
- Inside a Star Alliance branded lounge, a Platinum or Gold member is limited to one guest even when flying Ethiopian. [3]
- Silver access is limited to one named lounge, the ShebaMiles Silver Lounge at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, and to travel on Ethiopian Airlines flights. [3]
- Failure to comply with the lounge rules can lead to removal from the lounge and, at the extreme, termination of ShebaMiles membership. [3]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers ShebaMiles and Ethiopian Airlines' lounges; the access rules of other Star Alliance member programmes, and the lounges those programmes use at other airports, are not covered here. [3] [6]
- Star Alliance paid lounge access and frequently asked questions, checked 18 October 2026
- ShebaMiles terms and conditions, checked 18 October 2026
- ShebaMiles program updates, checked 18 October 2026
- ShebaMiles Silver tier benefits, checked 18 October 2026
- ShebaMiles Platinum tier benefits, checked 18 October 2026