Kenya Airways

✅ Trip Verified | I had an issue with my Covid test (did it too early so it would have expired by the time I got to Ghana). The whole situation was such a mess, I was certain that I would not be able to fly. Lydia advised me that there was a quick testing station outside (which obviously required me to pay an arm and a leg because these Covid test fees are a scam. I digress). She waited for me until the last minute to get my results so she could get my bag checked-in. When I was running between the testing station and the check-in counter, she decided that I could leave my bag there (I was literally the only remaining customer, so she was just being kind) and took my number so I could run downstairs to go check on my results and she could call me once it was absolutely necessary for them to close the counter. She did call me, and while I was running a few minutes late, she spoke to her superiors who agreed that the time was negligible and I could therefore run back upstairs with my results while she waited to quickly send my bag through. Lydia was probably the most helpful airport person I'd ever met. While some of her colleagues were annoyed with my situation and essentially had given up on me, she endeavoured to help me well beyond her call of duty. This is the kind of South Africa I know - one filled with ubuntu, while acting within the confines of professional conduct. Lydia didn't break any rules or try to cut be some slack because that would have been unethical and against her professional conduct. She was both kind and professional. We need more Lydia's at the airport!!!

✅ Trip Verified | I never thought I would experience the worst customer care from an airline which boast itself as “the Pride of Africa”. Trouble started during COVID-19 test verification at the check in desk. My family of six (2 adults and 4 kids) were supposed to travel to JFK via London on 24/8/21. Three of my kids had negative test results while the rest of us had turned positive earlier in the month but had been cleared by a health official to end the mandatory isolation on 13/8/21. As required by CDC, in order to travel to the US, a passenger needs to have either a negative test result or proof of recovery (positive test certificate and a discharge letter from a health official) if they were COVID positive within the last 90 days. We presented our fully compliant documents to the check in clerk, but instead of taking their time to confirm that indeed those were the documents that were required at our final destination, she automatically rejected them and said we all had to have negative test results, otherwise we would have to go back and wait until we all tested negative! They didn’t have any reference sheet or document to base their decision on, the only reference was to pretend that they had called an office “who deals with this sort of thing” to confirm. Then enter a “supervisor “ who didn’t even take time to understand what the problem was and said without a care in the world right to our faces “oh, we deal with this sort of thing every single day. We send people home “. They never realized the agony we were going through. Never at any point did they produced any document to support their decision, in fact at one point the “supervisor “ disappeared to go retrieve an internal document that supposedly has the latest updates but returned 10 minutes later empty handed. They absolutely had no clue about what they were saying and could not even take a moment to check the requirements for our country of destination and the CDC website. What a total customer care failure and a huge embarrassment to the company! To say we were deeply disappointed is an understatement. It is a fact once one has tested COVID positive, it is not advisable to retest until after at least 90 days because chances are high that they can still test positive even though they are not contagious. This fact doesn’t seem to make sense to KQ check in clerks, or at least the two I was dealing with. The whole experience caused a lot of emotional distress especially to my kids not to mention financial loss and delay to get back to work.

✅ Trip Verified | It's our first time booking an all round trip with Kenya Airways, our journey to Nairobi and Johannesburg was outstanding, we thought that was all until we experienced a hospitality at its very best when we were returning from Johannesburg to Nairobi and Nairobi to Lagos. Kudos to the pilots in KQ766, very professional in dealings with turbulent, as a flight simulator gamer, I could feel the way the plane was calmed. We connected to KQ532 to Lagos at past 8am on the 12th of June, the hospitality gestures given by the air hostesses was superb and second to none. It is very usual for air hostesses to see and treat you as guests but it's unusual to see them treat to as family. We felt welcomed like home away from home. Bevlyne, one of the hostesses in KQ532, very friendly, calm, jovial and quick to response to passengers request. These trips is unforgettable and forever worthwhile. Will love to travel via Kenya Airways again and again, truly it's the pride of Africa.

✅ Trip Verified | I think the worst airline I have ever travelled. Do not use them unless you have to. Business class is the worst I have flown - uncomfortable seats, poor quality food and the worst entertainment I have seen on an airline. To cap it all they have lost my baggage which is where they unravel even further with customer service that is completely non-existent. They don't answer the phone, don't respond to emails and their online chat means waiting for 30 minutes and then realising that they actually have no one there at any time of day. It's a novel way of taking responsibility for their failings - just don't answer. I cannot understand how Sky Team can associate with this airline. I will not fly with them again and nor will anyone in my business.

✅ Trip Verified | Business passengers went on last because the economy passengers would have walked past two business rows. This was, obviously, for covid-19 reasons but given that every passenger had had a negative PCR test it seemed a little pointless. There was a noticeable degree of irritation among those who had been made to wait until last especially as it is branded ‘Sky Priority’. The seats seemed slightly worn and although the dimmable windows are a nice touch in the 787 they are not as effective as pull-down blinds. We were offered soft drinks before take-off but they produced a glass of champagne when I asked. Breakfast was served before the lights went out. For the main meal the choice was beef, chicken or vegetarian. The cabin crew were polite and efficient although with so much protective equipment it felt more like being in an operating theatre rather than a plane. The food seemed bland and uninspiring. There were no major issues with this flight but if Kenya Airways wants to attract premium passengers post-covid it needs to offer a better and more memorable service.

✅ Trip Verified | This was not my first time flying business with Kenya Airways but it was definitely not the best. The Plaza lounge at LHR was not serving alcohol on the basis that the food was not ‘substantial’. Boarding was chaotic – although there was a business line everyone was using it. After eventually getting on the aircraft, and after a long wait, I was offered a small glass of champagne. Seating was old-style parallel pair, business was about half full and there were signs of ageing. It then took an inordinate amount of time for the meal to be served – choice was “meat or chicken”. It was probably the first time ever that the starter and main course were both rice. The flight was uneventful and although not fully flat-bed I did manage to sleep. No bottle of water was provided. Breakfast was a small dry croissant, yogurt and a small bowl of fruit. I know airlines are struggling but given how much I paid for the ticket to have a service which was not as good as premium economy on some other airlines was frustrating. If Kenya Airways wants to compete with its rivals it needs to stop penny-pinching and offer its business customers a level of service which justifies what they have paid.

✅ Trip Verified | Entebbe to Johannesburg via Nairobi. The crew was very hospitable and polite. Good time management as well. However the crew responsible for announcements should stop eating the words and try to be more audible.

✅ Trip Verified | Horrible, they canceled our flight 3 days before it was meant to happen. They told us we could fly only 2 weeks later which was impossible for us. As a result, we had to spend over 1000 USD to get to our destination. When we asked for compensation, they offered us a 150 USD travel voucher even if we told them that we won't be able to travel in the next two years. They refused to convert it to a compensation refund. Really bad service. Never again! We don't recommend this airline at all!

✅ Trip Verified | I am more than disappointed with Kenya Airways which not only misplaced my luggage but has till this moment not been able to give me any response despite the numerous attempts I made either in writing to their headquarter or personally visiting their Dubai airport terminal 1 office since August 18th 2020 that I arrived Dubai till date. Given this present circumstance, I doubt if I can recommend this airlines to someone else if nothing is done to prevent such occurrences in future because I'm not an isolated example.

Not Verified | Extremely unsatisfied customers. We have been trying to rebook our flights to Kenya for the last 6 months with only one response which was on Christmas Eve of 2020 and we haven't heard anything from them ever since. We have a booked and paid for trip which we had to rebook due to covid-19 in 2020. Our trip is expected to be this April (2021), and we had supposedly received our cancelled flights in the form of a refunded 'voucher' which was never ever received from the airline. We then received (on Christmas Eve) a link to our supposedly 'new flights' which had a time frame to a payment portal from 15h00-17h30/18h00 roughly... let me reiterate, on Christmas Eve, who is checking their emails to rebook flights in such a short time frame? We then tried to access the portal that night at 19h00 and we could not access it to pay an additional fee (when this was supposed to be fully refunded I might add) for our flights in April. I have sent roughly 50 emails to the airline, and that doesn't include my partners emails to Kenya Airways. We have heard nothing back from them, and they have about R35 000 of our money in promised refunded tickets which we do not have and cannot get hold of anybody from Kenya Airways. This is beyond unprofessional and I have literally tried to contact any/everyone I possibly could from Kenya Airway.