Recently I have learned more about a new airline option from the U.S. to Ethiopia. In the past I have blogged about Ethiopian, Lufthansa and British Airways. But these days some families are opting for Emirates Air.

Emirates is a really top notch airline. Families say that it is luxurious even in coach, and does a great job of accommodating babies and children. There are baby kits with bibs, bulkhead bassinets and baby food.

Older children get a little backpack with books and toys. Whether you're traveling with children or not, you'll probably enjoy the individual video/TV/game screens as well as the laptop plug-ins at every seat. Families report that the food is excellent as well.

Emirates flies out of two cities in the U.S., New York City and Houston. Prices seem to be fairly reasonable. One traveling family says their tickets booked through Susan Parr Travel were comparable to the prices charged by Ethiopian Airlines -- several hundred dollars less than Lufthansa. (Do keep in mind that going through a travel agent like Susan Parr who does a lot of African bookings will probably get you lower prices than are quoted on the airline website.)

The only down side that people mention is that the layover on the way to Ethiopia is about 9 hours, long enough that you may want to consider getting a hotel room for the night. However there is a nice hotel conveniently located right in the airport that rents rooms by the hour. Someone was really thinking there!

A friend who brought a child home recently was able to get a room for 6 hours, which allowed them a nice nap before that final flight on to Ethiopia-- not a bad thing at all in my mind. On the way home the flight schedule has a shorter layover, so no hotel room is needed going that direction. I've heard enough good about this airline that I will be seriously considering it the next time we go to Ethiopia.