It was my first experience with Kenya Airways. We traveled from Lagos, Nigeria to Nairobi, Kenya, from Nairobi, Kenya to Mahe, Seychelles and back to Nairobi, then from Nairobi to Lagos, Nigeria.
Lagos to Nairobi:
First, the aircraft was old and screamed “change”. Our seats had no viewing screens and we were entertained by a drop-down screen where they selected the channels they wanted us to watch.
Our flight included a 50mins stop in Cotonou, Benin Republic from Lagos. Flight time to Nairobi was 4:50hrs (excluding the stop in Cotonou).
Despite the old aircraft, the service on board Kenya Airways was good. I find them to be very hospitable and they displayed this throughout the journey.
We arrived Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and made our way to Passport Control. We paid $20 for a 72hr Transit Visa and proceeded to baggage claim to pick up our bags.
Now, when we checked in at Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, the staff erroneously checked our bags directly to Seychelles despite our overnight stay in Nairobi. By the time we realized this, it was too late to fix this in Lagos (well, so they said) and we were advised to request for our bags once we obtain our visa in Kenya, and we did.
When our bags were brought to us, we discovered that some bags had been tampered with. The locks had been broken and some completely removed. We reported this incident at the counter and we were only advised to go through our luggage and confirm if anything was missing. We are still going through the luggage.
We were given hotel vouchers and the shuttle bus conveyed us to town. We checked into The Meridian Hotel, freshened up and headed for dinner.
Nairobi to Seychelles:
Our flight was delayed for 1:30 hr and we were notified of this change on time. We boarded the aircraft and it was a nicer and newer carrier compared to the one used for the Lagos- Nairobi journey. Flight time to Mahe, Seychelles was 3hrs.
Again, the service was spot on.
We arrived Seychelles International Airport, Mahe Island about 5pm. We were required to present a yellow fever vaccination card upon arrival before we got stamped in for the duration of our stay in Seychelles.
Seychelles to Nairobi:
Our flight from Mahe, Seychelles to Nairobi was delayed for 4hrs and we did not receive this information until we got to the airport. We were given meal vouchers worth SR. 150 (approx. $12) which we utilized during our wait.
The flight from Seychelles to Nairobi was the best part of this journey. Exhausted from the wait, we just slept and only woke up when the pilot announced our descend into Jomo Kenyatta Airport.
Again, the aircraft was a newer one and the service was good.
On arrival, we paid $20 for a 72hr Transit Visa and proceeded to baggage claim to pick up our bags. We were given hotel vouchers and we checked into the Weston Hotel.
Nairobi to Lagos
Our flight was on time, the aircraft was small but new, and we had a lovely female pilot. 🙂
We landed Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, by 11:27am.
My overall experience on board Kenya Airways was fairly good. As a frequent traveler, i do take hospitality seriously and this airline made a good impression with that. We opted for Kenya Airways not only because it was one of the shortest routes to connect Seychelles, it was also a good opportunity to see Nairobi, Kenya.
By the way, Nairobi, Kenya is beautiful.
Will i fly Kenya Airways again? Maybe!
Read More: My Review of Flying with RwandAir
