roadwarriorafrica

As you will be collecting luggage, you will not be able to stay airside. There is a Java Coffee Shop near the check in area for T1B, where you could spend some time. you need to be at Wilson by 7 am.

You could take a taxi to Ole Sereni Hotel, and just hang out in the lobby area from 3.30 - 6.00 am, and get your driver to collect you from there. At least you will be sheltered, and have access to toilets, and coffee's, etc.

gemdigital

And the Ole Sereni is a very warm and inviting hotel. It is about 15km from NBO. Also very close to Wilson.

BangkokTraveler

I am flying LHR-NBO on BA, landing at 20:45. A little less than 4 hours later, I will fly NBO-KGL (Kigali, Rwanda) on KQ, departing at 00:25. So plenty of time for the connection. The BA and the KQ flights are on separate tickets. As I will be also going to Uganda and to Kenya on this trip, I would like to apply for an East African Visa, which is issued by the country where I enter Africa. That would be Rwanda if I can transit NBO airport without going through immigration. Two questions:

1. Will BA in LHR tag my checked bag through to KGL when I show them the separate ticket from KQ?

2. If BA does not tag my bag through to KGL, will KQ staff be able to retrieve it and get it on the flight to KGL?

I know nothing is 100% but I'd like to be sure of this before applying with Rwanda for the East African visa. If there is any doubt about it, I certainly could apply for the visa with Kenya and then take the time to go through immigration, retrieve my bag, check in with KQ then go through immigration again. I'd rather not do that if I can be sure I won't have to enter Kenya in NBO.

Thanks for any thoughts.

symphonicman

The airside transfer at NBO is definitely possible at this point, I think, but I wouldn't count on interlining baggage on separate PNRs.

You should be able to clear Kenyan immigration and baggage in well under an hour and have plenty of time to visit Java House airside in Terminal 1A.

BangkokTraveler

So I guess that I will need to clear immigration in NBO in order to get my checked bag from BA to KA. That means getting the East African Visa from Kenya, not Rwanda.

Thanks for the feedback.

DrewBach

I am coming in to NBO on a SAA flight with a four hour connection to a separately ticketed KQ flight to Mombasa. Is it possible for me to take a paid stay in the Simba/Pride lounge and then walk from Terminal 1A to Terminal 1D for my domestic flight? I'd really love to take a shower between flights. I realize upon landing I will have to exit immigration and then come back through security, but can I get to 1A with a ticket to 1D.

Also noticed that Turkish Airlines just opened a new lounge in Nairobi, hard to find much info on it, anyone been there yet?

http://www.skylife.com/en/2016-07/th...unge-in-africa

roadwarriorafrica

Once you clear immigration, you won't be able to enter 1A, as 1D is a domestic departure. There is a Pride Lounge for domestic departures, smaller with no showers.

Turkish use the Aspire Lounge in Nairobi.

DrewBach

Thanks, that is what I was afraid of. What do you make of that link if Turkish didn't open a lounge there in July?

roadwarriorafrica

Actually further Googling does show Turkish has opened a lounge at JKIA. However the Star Alliance Lounge Finder App has not been updated.

Speaking to a travel agent friend, she advises that it is above the new International arrivals in Terminal E. But TK are concerned that JKIA might be demolishing the building as they are not happy with T1E.

DrewBach

Cool, thanks. Very little info online about that lounge oddly enough. I will be flying out with SAA and hoped to maybe stop by on my way home. I guess I will just go showerless until I get to Mombasa.

BangkokTraveler

An additional followup to this. On the return, I will have no checked luggage. I am flying:
- Kigali-Nairobi on Rwanda Air landing at 3:40pm
- then I have a NBO-LHR flight on BA at 11:00pm.

These above flights are on two separate tickets.

This is a long time so I am undecided as to whether to go into the city or not. If I decide not to go into the city and stay at the airport, I think the issue is:

- Can I get my BA boarding pass late-afternoon for an 11:00pm departure without clearing immigration? Is the BA transit desk open this many hours in advance of the flight?
- Also, if I can't get a BA boarding pass, is there any way I can get to the KA Pride lounge (and pay $40 to enter) or get to a BA lounge (I am OneWorld Emerald) in transit?

I do not want to have to wait around many hours for a counter to open if I am not in a lounge of some kind.

roadwarriorafrica

Best thing to do is check in online, and have a soft copy of your boarding pass. The BA transfer desks airside will not open till 3 hours prior to the flight.

BA does not have a lounge at JKIA. What they do from 2 hours prior to the flight is set up a temporary lounge at one the departure gates - post security. The KQ Pride Lounge can only be paid accessed if you are on a Skyteam flight.

The only lounge you can access for a fee is the Aspire Lounge.

DrewBach

Went to the Turkish Lounge in Nairobi, quite nice between gates 3 and 4. They were letting people in for $45 if you don't have status. Food was okay, nothing special, some fruits and vegetables, one soup, rice and something with chicken. Decent selection of drinks and nice seating. They had showers as well. Below, some pictures I took.

roadwarriorafrica

Could passengers on non Turkish or non Star Alliance pay to access the lounge?

DrewBach

I overheard someone saying $45 (which I think only gets you 3 hours from what I overheard) which I think is a bit expensive for what you get, but could be worth it for a long layover or if you want a shower.