Originally Posted by
oruvin
Hi, we're looking for xmass holiday in Dubai and there are pretty cheap flights with Kuwait Airways (LHR-KWI-DXB return). Flights are 24.12.2017 LHR-KWI-DXB KU102/KU671 and return 04.01.2018 DXB-KWI-LHR KU676/KU103, if booked with OTA, the price is about £350 in Y. All 4 flight legs seems to be served by new Boeing 777-300ER. So I've got few questions, maybe someone can advice...
- I can't find any flights past October on Kuwait Airways official website (they don't answer e-mails, or phone calls), flights for December are available through OTA only. I've read some bad reports about this airline (cancels flights, long delays etc). Should I book with OTA, won't I face some issues later on?
- Those flights have long layover in Kuwait (7/8 hours), both in the night. I've read somewhere that in Kuwait airport foreign citizens can't stay for more than 3 hours. What options will we have? Book a hotel/taxi for couple hours?
- Lastly... Does it worth the possible trouble? Maybe add some extra £150-200 and fly with more reliable company, and without booking hotels for layover?
Hi there -
I live in Kuwait/am a Kuwait Airways veteran and have seen/experienced them at their best and worst. While they definitely have made great strides in updating their dilapidated fleet with their beautiful new 773s, their overall product is still very patchy with inconsistent staff, irregular scheduling and frequent delays. To try to answer your questions:
- KU just shifted to a new reservations system so they might be ironing out some kinks. Don't waste your time writing to or calling them - their customer service is truly pathetic and if you're lucky to get a response, it'll most likely be extremely rude or misinformed. Booking with your OTA will probably be a safe bet, delays on flight day notwithstanding.
- KWI has an onsite airport hotel for passengers with layovers around your length, but I've never met anyone who actually stayed there nor do I know how you get access to it since it's located by the hangars and isn't directly connected to the terminal. If you are a national of several countries, you can get a visa on arrival and walk out of the airport, but be warned that while the city's hotels are very good, there is nothing to do in Kuwait in the night, people drive dangerously, traffic is unpredictable and jumping in one of the airport cabs will probably see you painfully ripped off [those drivers really take the mickey out of foreigners, unfortunately].
- Given all of this, I'd honestly recommend booking with a more consistent carrier like EK or BA to get you to DXB without the hassle of a nighttime stopover.
Hope this helps. Happy to answer any questions you may have.
khabah