Trip Report: Kenya Airways, Lagos to Dar Es Salaam, Kigali to Lagos via Nairobi (April 2018)

Trip Report: Kenya Airways - Lagos to Dar Es Salaam, Kigali to Lagos via Nairobi

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Traveling around Africa generally can cost a lot, both in time and money.  The ticket price will be high, the travel time long, be very expensive, and most times you have to leave the continent to travel from one country to the other.  Luckily, there are African companies that are making travel within Africa more affordable and convenient; both Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.  Both are the flag carriers of their respective countries, both seem to have updated fleets, good schedules, and both seem reliable.  I was looking to travel from Nigeria to Tanzania, and return from Rwanda back to Nigeria and in looking at my options both Ethiopian and Kenyan came up in the search.  Both were competitive in price and both had about the same overall travel time, but I choose Kenya Airways for a couple of options: 1) I had flown Ethiopian on my way into Nigeria so wanted to try another airline; 2) it had been about 4 years since I had flown Kenyan so wanted to see what updates were available; 3) the departure timings for Kenyan were better; and 4) Kenya had more options in terms of flight scheduling.

Booking travel with Kenya was very easy through the website.  The site was easy to book and manage your reservation.  I had to make some modifications to my reservation and that could not be accomplished online, so they either have a chat function available or a call center; both of which were helpful.  Another good feature about Kenya is that they offer refunds on your ticket – if your schedule changes and you need to cancel your ticket, you can ask for a refund instead of travel credit.  The refund amount depends on your ticket and class of service, but everything is available online and usually the refund is processed within 4-6 weeks.  A great service from Kenya.

After booking my flight, I managed my reservation through the Kenya Airways app.  Through the app and website I was able to preselect my seats for free, request a special meal, and add my Skyteam frequent flyer number.  I was also able to check-in and print my boarding pass directly from the website 24-hours prior to my departure.  My first flight was from Lagos to Dar Es Salaam via Nairobi.  The Lagos to Nairobi sector was scheduled to depart Lagos at 10:45p and arrive into Nairobi at 6:05am, and then I had 45 minutes to connect to my other flight which was scheduled to depart Nairobi at 6:55am and arrive into Dar Es Salaam at 8:20am.  This was a tight connection, but this is what Kenya Airways provided me and everything was booked on one ticket so I went ahead with it and hoped for the best. 

The first flight was operated by a Boeing 737-800 with a 3-3 seat configuration.  The aircraft operates the Nairobi to Lagos sector, and the same planes brings passengers back to Nairobi.  The incoming aircraft arrived late, and the turnaround time was slow, thus boarding began well past the 10pm which was listed on the boarding pass.  Boarding was done by groups and the groups were strictly enforced; this made for a lengthy and delayed boarding to an already delayed flight.  First impressions upon entering the aircraft were good, as it looked like a new-ish plane with updated seats and personal PTV for each seat.  Each seat also contained a blanket, a pillow, and headphones on them.  The seat pitch was decent, not too tight but not too generous either (I am 6’1 and while my knees were not hitting the back seat, there wasn’t tons of room either) and the seat comfort was also average (it was fine for a 3hr flight but there needed to be more comfort for the longer flights).  Each seat contained a PTV with a USB port and headphone jack, a tray table, and then a seatback pocket with the airline magazine, the duty free, and an airsickness bag.  The doors finally closed, we pushed back for the gate, and headed to the runway for the 5hr 20mi flight to Nairobi.

Kenya Airways is a full service airline so complimentary meals and drinks are provided.  Once we reached cruising altitude, the meal and drink service commenced.  The special meals were delivered at the same time as the regular meal, and for the regular meal there was an option between two choices.  I had ordered a special meal and while I appreciate being served a meal (as these days meals are disappearing from economy), the quality of the meal was not that good.  It was a decent quantity, not too much food but not too light either (perfect for a 4hr flight) but the quality of the food definitely need to be improved.  Complimentary soft drinks, tea, and coffee were also provided.  Once the meal service ended, passengers sat back and watched their screens.  The PTV screens were already on once you sat down, so most passengers just watched the entertainment program the entire flight.  There was a decent selection of TV shows and movies, again good enough for a 3-4 hour flight but you would get bored on longer flights.    

Even though we departed late, we landed roughly on time and taxied to the gate.  There is a separate line for transferring passengers, but because Kenya is starting new flights to the U.S. they have modified the transit so all passengers must go through enhanced screening.  While I understand the security of this, it adds time to the transit process and this needs to be factored into the connection time they provide to customers.  There was a HUGE line of passengers in the transiting security line and it looked like I was going to miss my connection when the airline itself started to call out passengers for my flight.  A representative was pulling passengers and putting them ahead of the security line as I only had a total of 25 minutes to make my connection.  Since I was moved to the front, I went through security and ran to my gate in time to make it to my flight.

The second flight was operated by an Embraer 190 with a 2-2 seat configuration.  While the plane size was small, the seat pitch and comfort were nice and each seat had its own PTV screen as well as USB port.  The plane was only half full so the doors closed and we pushed back for an on-time departure.  Since there were not that many passengers, I was able to move up and stretch out to a row unto myself.  Even though the flight time was 1hr30min, a light breakfast was served just after take-off.  The breakfast consisted of a fresh croissant which was nice, warm and fresh.  It was small but it was nice and that is something I appreciated from Kenyan, especially on this short flight.  Tea, coffee, and complimentary drinks were also served with the meal.  Once the meal service end, most passengers either slept or watched the entertainment system.  The system was not as extensive as the system of my Lagos to Nairobi flight, but there was a decent selection of TV shows to pass the short flight time.  We soon landed in Dar Es Salaam and luckily my bags also made the tight connection in Nairobi.

My return flight was scheduled differently than my outbound flight.  I was returning from Kigali to Lagos via Nairobi, and I had scheduled a long layover in Nairobi.  My flight was scheduled to depart Kigali at 8:30am and arrive into Nairobi 12:35pm, and I was then going to connect to my flight departing Nairobi at 6:35p and arriving back into Lagos at 9:50pm.  The first flight was operated by an Embraer 190 and has a stop in Bujumbura.  The flight was supposed to board at 7:45am, but that came and went without any announcements.  Finally, the announcement was made and we boarded the plane.  This plane looked similar to the plane that I had taken from Nairobi to Dar Es Salaam, with the same legroom, the same individual PTV’s on each screen, and the same 2-2 configuration.  The flight time from Kigali to Bujumbura was only 45 minutes so most passengers past the time watching their screens.  The passengers on the plane consisted of passengers flying from Nairobi to Bujumbura (who stopped in Kigali); passengers flying from Kigali to Bujumbura; passengers flying from Bujumbura to Nairobi; and passengers flying from Kigali to Nairobi (who stopped in Bujumbura).  We landed at Bujumbura, where some passengers got off while others got on, and set off for Nairobi.  Since this was a longer flight, at 1h55m, both a beverage service and a meal service were provided.  The flight was uneventful and we landed in Nairobi close to on-time.

After a scheduled delay, I fought my way through Nairobi traffic to connect to my 6:35p flight to Lagos.  Even though we had boarding groups assigned to us, these were not enforced and everyone boarded as they pleased.  The operating aircraft was a Boeing 737-800, the same aircraft that brought me from Lagos to Nairobi.  The layout was the same, the seat pitch and seat comfort were the same, and again each seat had their own PTV screen.  As this was my fourth flight with Kenyan in the span of two weeks, I had basically exhausted the entertainment options by this point.  As the flight time was 5hr15m, after takeoff a meal and beverage service were provided.  For the rest of the flight, the attendants were not present at all until it was time to get the aircraft ready for landing.  They attendants did not come by with water or to pass through the cabin to collect trash; the attendants just sat in the back talking.  After a bit of a delay, we finally landed in Lagos a bit behind schedule.

Overall, it was a decent experience with Kenya Airways.  Since my last experience with them, some aspects have improved while others have stayed the same.  They definitely have a better on-board product versus what they previously had, and that makes for a better inflight experience.  The food quality still is average, and the overall customer service still needs to be improved.  I had some great flight attendants and great customer service, and I had some really apathetic ones.  I would not hesitate to fly them again, but I would just keep my expectations manageable. 

Stay Report: Kigali Marriott Hotel (Kigali, Rwanda - April 2018)

Stay Report: Kigali Marriott Hotel
comment below and let me know your thoughts :)

I was planning a trip to Kigali and when looking for a place to stay, many individuals recommended the Marriott hotel.  I looked online and they had some good reward stays so I went ahead and booked my rewards stay at the hotel.  It was very easy to book the hotel through the Marriott’s website, and very easy to manage the reservation either through the app or through the website.  The only thing I found difficult was trying to contact the hotel – as I was out of the country I could not call the hotel, and trying to find an email of the hotel was almost impossible.  I contacted the hotel through social media, and from there I received an email address.  While the hotel responded somewhat quickly through social media, to me it was an unnecessary step as other hotel brands put their email directly on their website.  From the outside, the hotel looks grand and newly built, and the grandeur and new look continues inside the hotel. 

As you enter the hotel through the main entrance, you enter into a massive lobby which covers three floors, has an open terrace, and huge windows which look onto the outside gardens.  All of these design elements make the hotel feel bigger but also makes it more open.  The lobby contains a lot of facilities across many floors including the check-in desks, a waiting area, a coffee shop, and shops on the main level; the restaurant and access to the outdoor space on the lower level; and windows from the executive lounge looking down from the top level.  As I had booked with points, I was asked if I wanted to access the lounge for an additional daily fee; I took them up on the offer as in the lounge you could obtain breakfast, a private business lounge, and snacks in the evening.  Check-in was relatively quick and efficient and I received the key to my room.

My room was located towards the end of the hallway, and the hallway décor looked calm, nice, and new; the room also looked nice as well.  As you entered in the room, on the left was the bathroom while on the right was the closet.  The closet contained a mirror on the outside and storage, a safe, and a robe inside; the closets provided plenty of storage space.  Across from the closet was the bathroom which contained a sink, a shower, a toilet, a sink, as well as additional storage space.  The bathroom was nice, a bit compact, and contained nice toiletries but the major problem was the design of the shower.  The showerhead was pointed one way but the drain for the shower was on the opposite side.  Unfortunately the shower was not designed for efficient water drainage; therefore, every time you took a shower the bottom flooded before it drained.  Since the shower door was not sealed properly, this meant that every time the shower flooded so did the bathroom floor making all the mats and towels wet.  Taking a shower was a real pain.

Further into the room, on the left hand side was the bed with a nightstand on each side.  The bed was the updated Marriott bed and provided a comfortable night’s sleep.  Across from the bed, all along the wall, was a desk/ledge.  The ledge started on one side of the wall and continued further down to the other side of the wall, where it got bigger and turned into a desk.  The ledge was storage space as well as contained books on Kigali and Rwanda, contained the welcome tray that the hotel provided, and contained the desk.  On one side of the ledge was the space for a luggage rack and on the other side of the ledge was the window.  The room also contained a lounge sofa next to the window.  The windows were large and bright and let in natural light when they were opened – the hotel opened the curtains when they would tidy the room during the day, and closed the curtains during their turn-down service.  Overall, the room was spacious and provided a lot of nice amenities.  There were also USB ports available in the room, but the direction of the USB port was such that it made plugging items in very difficult; like the shower it was a great idea but poor execution.

The hotel is a full service hotel meaning there are a lot of amenities for the guests to enjoy.  These include a fitness center, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, a spa, business center, executive lounge, complimentary wifi, and concierge service.  As I said, I had access to the executive lounge so I went there for breakfast and evening snacks.  The lounge was nice and spacious, provided small but filling food items, contained a computer and printer, and had huge windows which overlooked the lobby.  The service in the lounge was also spectacular as well.  I also experienced the wifi, which was complimentary to everybody in the lobby and login access in your room – decent speeds and strong enough to check emails and stream videos.  The hotel also provides airport shuttle for a fee, and I used the hotel shuttle on my departure as my flight was early in the morning; the shuttle was confirmed 24-hours prior to my departure and everything went smoothly.

Overall, it was a nice stay at the Marriott Kigali.  It’s a grand and modern hotel with lots of amenities and lots of space for the guests to enjoy.  The rooms are spacious and comfortable.  The only negatives are the bathroom design, but other than that it’s a nice hotel that is centrally located and comfortable.   

Trip Report: RwandAir - Nairobi to Kigali (April 2018)

Trip Report: RwandAir - Nairobi to Kigali

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I was flying from Nairobi to Kigali and on this route I could choose to fly with either Kenya Airways or RwandAir.  I was already flying on Kenya Airways on other sectors (check out the reviews here), and had heard a lot about RwandAir so wanted to try their product; so decided to book a flight with them.  On the route I was flying, there was no price difference between the two carriers so there was no real incentive to fly them other than time preferences and trying new airlines.  Booking the ticket was easy and quick on the RwandAir website, as it was very user friendly and efficient.  On the website, I was only able to book the flight and request a special meal, but I was not able to pre-select my seat.  I completed my booking and received the confirmation in email.

I wanted to confirm the special meal request as well as request a seat assignment, so I emailed the airline.  The airline got back to me a couple of days later and said that my meal request had been confirmed but that they could not confirm seat assignments until the day of the flight.  My flight departed Nairobi at 3:35p and was scheduled to arrive into Kigali at 4pm (the flight had originated from Entebbe and was stopping off in Nairobi before heading to Kigali).  The day before my flight, I was able to check-in online and during this process I was able to preselect my seat and receive my boarding pass.  On the day of my flight, I was stuck in Nairobi traffic so I reached out to the airline via social media to see what would happen if I missed my flight (as RwandAir has an afternoon and evening flight departure).  To this day I still have not received a response from them, but luckily I made it to the airport in time.  RwandAir provides two checked bags for free, but I only had one bag so check-in was very easy and efficient; my luggage was tagged and I received my boarding pass.

The operating aircraft for this flight was a CRJ aircraft, which generally are small and tiny.  The aircraft was parked on an aircraft stand so boarding passes were collected in the airport and then we walked to the aircraft.  The aircraft was laid out in a 2-2 seat layout and generally the seats were comfortable and the legroom was extremely good (I am tall and I had more than enough legroom).  Boarding a bit chaotic as there was no order to the process, with everyone trying to board at once and people having difficulty finding their seats.  The attendants on board were not particularly interested in helping any of the passengers nor in speeding up the boarding process.  Boarding finally completed, the door was closed, manual safety demonstrations were conducted, and we taxied to the runway.  This is another instance where the attendants were not really paying attention as the passenger sitting next to me did not understand the safety demonstrations, did not understand English, and was sitting without her seatbelt on.  I motioned twice for the flight attendants but they seemed least bothered.  It was only while doing their final safety checks did I repeat the information to the flight attendant and they finally paid attention. While the plane is taxing to the runway I was made to switch to a bulkhead seat – and even here most airlines make you put your hand-carry in the overhead compartment to keep the aisle clear.  On this flight, the attendants seemed least bothered.  After waiting for a while we finally took off for the 1hr 25m flight time.

Once we reached cruising altitude, the inflight service commenced.  The attendants came by with a drink cart and a meal cart.  Even though I had ordered a special meal and the special meal was delivered onboard, it was not marked for a particular seat assignment nor with my name.  Another passenger, who had not pre-ordered a special meal but requested one onboard was given my special meal.  When I asked for the meal, they said they only had one and it had been given away so the option was to give me the regular tray of the sides without the main meal; I passed on that option.  When the drink cart came, it was limited as it only had juice, water, and alcohol.  I asked for a soft drink and they said they did not have it nor could they get it for me so I ended just taking water.  In both the drink and meal service, the attendants attitude was a ‘take it or leave it’; they couldn’t care less. 

After the service concluded, there was not much to do for the remainder of the flight.  There were no PTV screens nor any inflight entertainment system.  The seats had compartment up top which held the airline magazine, the airsickness bag, as well as the duty free catalog.  There was also a tray table below and another holder beneath that to store other items.  There were no USB ports and I could not find any electrical outlets either.   We started our descent into Kigali and the attendants came by to do their last safety checks, and again they really did not pay attention to seatbacks being upright nor to ensure everyone had their seatbelts on.

We landed into Kigali generally on time and taxied to a stand (there are no airline bridges at Kigali International) and deplaned via the stairs.  The stairs on the plane are very narrow and can be slippery, especially when it is raining as it was in Nairobi, and because of that three passengers slipped and fell coming down the stairs.  For this reason, the airline made the passengers go down the stairs very slowly so deplaning took a while.  After deplaning we boarded the bus which took us to the arrivals hall.

 

Overall, I was disappointed with my RwandAir flight.  I was really looking forward to their flight, as I was told by others about their good service and I see how active they are on social media.  Despite my high expectations, everything the flight was a miss.  The customer service was lacking, the inflight service was poor, and the overall experience was lacking.  The only positives about the experience was the ease of booking the flight and the generous legroom.  Given this experience, I would not choose to fly RwandAir again.