KQ112

If you’re interested on seeing what domestic and international business class is like on Kenya Airways, sit back, relax, get ready for another flight review.

While I head to the airport, let me tell you what’s in store for today’s video. I’ll first provide you my experience on Kenya Airways domestic class product aboard one of their E190s departing from Kisumu headed to the capital city of Nairobi. Before exploring the airport in Nairobi, I’ll give you a recommendation for a travel guide in Kisumu if you ever have the opportunity to visit. While in Nairobi, we’ll visit both the Plaza Premium and Simba lounges. Finally, we’ll board one of KQs Dreamliners headed to Paris in business class.

Let’s take a better look at the business class seat. It’s a very familiar product to what you’d find on Domestic first class tickets in the states. KQs E190s are configured with 12 business class seats in the front of the cabin and 84 in the aft. A universal power socket is available on the forward facing lower seat post as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack? Legroom was ample and each arm rest contain a slide-out cup holder. An IFE system is provided for each passenger, which we will look a little closer at on the next flight. If you were blindfolded and brought onboard, the only features inside of KQs E190 cabin that may indicate what airline you are on would be the Swahili in certain places and the KQ headrests. I do appreciate the “turn off electronic devices” sign, but the in-flight safety video implies that ALL devices must be turned off, which I don’t think the flight crew enforces or any of the passengers would listen to, me included. If you’re on the left side of the aircraft, you benefit from not only no seat partners, but also two reading lights and two air vents.

Well, not much out the window would give away that I’m in Africa right now, but if you fly into or out of Nairobi, you can sometimes see Mt. Kilimanjaro if the weather cooperates. On my flight to Kisumu, I was lucky enough to spot it out the window. 

 The domestic arrivals terminal in Nairobi consists of a single baggage belt. If you thought Disney made up the term “Hakuna Matata” when making Lion King, it is a phrase used in Swahili that actually translates to “no trouble” or “no worries”. 

Before we walk over to check in at the international terminal, here is some of that natural beauty I witnessed while in Kisumu. 

KISUMU

When traveling to an international destination, I prefer more immersive experiences that will give me a better idea of what life truly is like in the land I am visiting. Large cities across the world are very similar, and for good reason, but I’m not the type of person who travels just to tick a box of my list or say that I’ve been somewhere. To truly experience local customs and get a feel for what life is like, you need to venture outside the tourist districts. This sort of tourist activity inherently involves risks, so finding a reputable company or tour guide is essential. Being guided by someone or a group of people who know the area can not only prevent you and your group from getting ripped off, scammed, or let down, it could also mean the difference between life and death. Enter Daniel Palicon, a local who’s lived in the Kisumu area his entire life and provided nature excursions, bird-watching adventures, tours of Lake Victoria, and more as a guide. Daniel took myself and a couple of colleagues on a wonderful tour of Lake Victoria where we witnessed hippos in the wild, various native bird species, customs of the local people, a local fishing village, and more, all while Daniel narrated along the ride. Because of his knowledge, there is no script that Daniel follows during the excursion, ensuring a unique experience on a small group tour. I told him while I was in country, and I’ll reiterate through this video, the next time I’m in Kisumu, I plan to contact him for a more extensive tour. If you are visiting anywhere within the Kisumu, Kenya region, I strongly encourage you to get in contact with Daniel and plan an amazing adventure.

Back at the airport, there were lines out the door. Literally. In Kenya, you not only need to pass through a security check when you drive onto airport property, but you must also go through a primary security screen before entering the primary airport building. Business class allows you to utilize the SkyPriority lane, which was around 10-20% the length of the normal line. This was possibly the most hectic security screening I’ve been through and was constantly checking my pockets and bag to ensure valuables remained on my person. Once through, it was time to plead my case to the ticketing agent as instructed by staff in Kisumu.

To get airside, an additional security screening is required. I’d say it’s pretty similar to TSA screening in the states with respect to requirements for  what you must remove from your person and bag, although I didn’t get the feeling that all the security staff were looking at me as if I were guilty of or about to commit some crime. Like many international airports, you must walk through the duty free shop immediately after security. Knowing there probably isn’t anything unique within duty free I couldn’t get elsewhere, I was eager to explore the airport, and that I did. If you’re interested in seeing what Jomo Kenyatta looks like from the inside, check out my Rollaboard Diaries series where I you can experience the atmosphere inside Kenya’s capital city airport. Onto the obligatory lounge review though. 

I also had a piece of cheese cake, which was excellent, but I didn’t want to fill up too much because I needed to make the most of my time at Jomo Kenyatta. The bathrooms within Plaza Premium were clean and tidy. I didn’t check out the shower, but there is apparently one available. Trekking back to the opposite end of the airport, I wanted to check out the Simba lounge, which is where I spent the remainder of my time before boarding tonight’s flight. This lounge is located on the second level. If you end up taking the elevator, it is in the opposite direction as the food court. 

Welcome to the Simba lounge. As a business class passenger, access is included with your ticket, but Priority Pass should also get you in. After checking in, the food and beverage area is immediately on your right. You will pass two rooms on the left as you walk straight towards the windows, and a narrow sliver of space hosts a handful of high tables. The lounge was well-furnished, had a decent variety of seating options, and of course food. While the lounge lacks a traditional bar, there are plenty of self-serve drink options available. A bonus to me was that they had bottled water in the refrigerator AND at room temperature. There is a made-to-order where they were preparing pasta. Food was acceptable and passed my three main requirements, so no complaints. The bathroom was clean, and the shower suites looked refreshing.

Finally, boarding time was nearing, so let’s get to the gate.

Once the doors were shut, I experienced my first gassing.  I think this deserves some attention because if you’re not paying attention to what is being spoken over the intercom and you’re not familiar with the process, I can imagine some people freak the fuck out. Some countries require flights arriving from certain destinations be treated with insecticides to prevent the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria or dengue virus. The flight attendants walk down the aisle of the plane spraying an aerosolized pyrethroid, most likely permethrin, resmethrin, or d-phenothrin, which kill adult insects. To-date, the WHO has been unable to identify any potential hazard to passengers onboard.

Before getting completely settled in for departure, let’s take a look at the food menu. Three options were available for dinner on tonight’s flight; Spicy meatballs and vegetable spring roll, chicken brochette and vegetable cutlet, and vegetable samosa and vegetable cutlet. An almond and lemon cream tart was served for dinner. A variety of alcoholic drinks are available to help wash down the meal. While in hindsight I regret not at least trying one of the meals to appreciate the presentation, sleep was a priority on this night.

Before we get airborne, let’s take a look at tonights flight. Flying us north tonight is 5Y-KZH, named The Aberdare Range, which was delivered new to Kenya Airways in 2015. The 4,035 mile journey will take 8 hours 42 minutes and we will pass over multiple countries into the morning, including Uganda, Sudan, Chad, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria before cutting across the Mediterranean and on to France. 

Let’s go over the seat itself while past me tries to sleep. Awaiting passengers at each seat were a pad for the seat, duvet and pillow. As you sit down, you’ll notice the extensive legroom available. I was in a bulkhead seat, which had a screen displaying the flight map throughout the entire duration of tonights flight. Depending on which seat you are at, the center console is where you’ll find your seat controls. I didn’t pay much attention when the lead FA provided a demonstration, so moving the seat into a full lay flat position took a bit of troubleshooting. Not sure why they are included, but I’m pretty sure the M+ and MR are for memory positions. Underneath the armrest are where you’ll find a cup holder, the IFE remote, a universal power outlet and a USB plug. The two silver buttons opposite the power outlets are used to release the latch holding the tray table or TV. There is a minor privacy divider that slides up out of the center console. If you’re feeling self conscious about someone watching you sleep, you’ll just have to get over it. I do own other dress socks for work, but why wouldn’t I wear Delta-branded socks on a plane? The tray table slides up out of the forward part of the console and I found it was quite sturdy. The table can rotate 90 degrees allowing passengers with a small enough waste line the ability to get out of their seat without having to clear off the tray table. The IFE system is pulled out from the console, swivels 90 degrees and then rotates up allowing you to interact with it. If you watched my recent video in economy class with Kenya Airways, you’ll know I’m not a fan of these out-dated resistive touch screens. KQs media catalogue is relatively small, the inflight map was disappointing, and the IFE games and shopping options were unavailable. My priority on tonight’s flight was sleep though, and my time over in dreamland was ending, so let’s see how I slept.

The KQ Business class lavs are, well… just like every other lav on the plane. Hand-soap, tissues, hand-towels, and butt roll is where the toiletry amenities end. I do find the lack of distinction between business class and economy lavs disappointing and the fact that an empty plastic tray of some sort exists suggests that at a time KQ provided additional products in the forward lavs. I wonder what happened.

As the cabin began to illuminate and the smell of breakfast filled the air, FAs passed out hot towels to business class passengers, confirmed meal requests, and took drink orders. I had ordered the grilled beef sausage an a cappuccino. Shortly thereafter, I pulled out my tray table for the FA to lay out the fitted table cloth, which was followed by the cappuccino I ordered. Up until this point, my experience with KQs business class product had been lackluster and underwhelming, but here is where my flight took a turn. The red embroidery on the table cloth, stencil on the china, and branded spoon each indicated food service was a focal point of the business class product. 

The sunrise always gives me a new burst of energy after an overnight flight, and today was no different as we descended over central France into Paris. I like to let my thoughts marinate a bit in my brain before providing summaries, so as the clouds give way to the Parisian green below, allow me to elaborate on tonights journey. A bid-to-upgrade program has been growing in popularity across the aviation industry. These programs allow the airline to sell unsold premium seats to the highest bidder and give passengers the chance to fly in a more forward cabin for much less than the sticker price. I took advantage of this scheme and paid an additional $60 for the flight from Kisumu to Nairobi, and $525 for the flight from Nairobi to Paris. Now that I know what the business class product is like on both aircraft, I’d avoid bidding to upgrade on a short flight with KQ. The long-haul is another question though. If you’re shorter than me, less than 193 cm, the lie flat seat is long enough to lay fully extended. Just be aware that the pad provided to cushion the seat could be a little thicker. The FAs on tonight’s flight were helpful and polite when I did interact with them, and I’d say this crew was better than the one I interacted with on the economy flight from London. Where KQ stood out to me was with food, and no, I don’t mean the taste. I’ve made a point on this channel to let you know that I’m not a foodie and the requirements to pass my food standards are very low. That being said, the meal served did pass all three of my requirements. Where KQ impresses though is the presentation. The Kenyan flag carrier has nailed this aspect of the business class product in my opinion. For KQ’s business class product to compete with other airlines, more resources need to be devoted to improve the rest of the airline’s premium products. I’m not an airline exec, but small improvements to the business class lavatories or the amenity kit can’t cut that much into the profit/seat mile. 

Regardless of my critiques, I’m still happy I had the chance to fly in KQs business class and enjoyed the experience. I said this in my last video reviewing their economy class, but I really think that KQ has a lot of potential, and expect the see the airline grow significantly as we enter the latter half of the 2020s. The pandemic is over, tourism is returning, Africa in general is economically strengthening and growing, and the interconnectedness of today’s world make traveling easier than ever. Here’s to many more years of flying with the SkyTeam Alliance KQ, and many more years as Kenya’s national flag carrier. Until next time, thanks for watching, C’ya.