Replacement BA Lounge at NBO???
 

Does anyone know if BA are intending to provide a temporary lounge at NBO to replace the one destroyed in the recent fire? BA UK are totally disinterested & the BA NBO telephone appears to have gone the same way as the lounge!

I think BA are still using a tent, with no lounge facilities.

No Tent, at least not last month. A dire departure gate area with 3 xray/wtmds to get there

From what I heard the lounge before the fire was also rubbish.

At least call it a marquee :)

I am flying from NBO tomorrow and will provide an update. I'm not expecting champagne!

Thanks imarks. Would you please be kind enough to ask them if they've anything planned by mid Jan when we return from 3 weeks at Tijara Beach hotel?

If there's nothing then I'll delay my return from MBA.

Yes, the old lounge was nothing special although they did do a refurb. a couple of years ago. It was still far better than the rest of this cr*p airport.

It's still a tent, and no lounge facilities. Apparently there will be a lounge by the end of the year but I'm not sure how reliable this info is. I was in transit at NBO and found the experience pretty dire and chaotic. Understandably, everyone was preoccupied by yesterday's horrific terrorist attack and glued to the screens in the airport building. There was even a TV in the tent. There is a reserved seating area at the far (departure) end of the tent for business/first (no mention of gold/silver) but it didn't appear to be enforced. Business/first passengers also get to board first.

Just an update on arrangements for BA flights at Nairobi:

Departures - They are no longer using a tent thankfully. The waiting area at the gate offers a separate area for premium passengers with snack boxes and tea and coffee available. Certainly not a lounge, but better than nothing. Direct boarding to the aircraft with priority boarding available.

Arrivals - All international flights now get bussed to a converted parking garage, which houses immigration and baggage collection. It seems to work well.

this is good news. Thanks for the update. I am off the NBO tomorrow and back in December. will report any changes to the departure side of things then :D

Just returned from NBO. Imark is "spot on" with arrival arrangements. The jetways are no longer operational; stairs are the only option to/from the aircraft. Int'l departures from "Term 3" are pretty much the same as they have been for years. Business class flyers can use the hastily established Simba Lounge near gate 6. FF with status get a coupon for two beers or one wine at the restaurant near gate 4.

I thought the Kenyan Airways Simba Lounge was only open for use by Kenyan Airways or their partners. Are you saying that BA customers are being provided access to that lounge?

Good question re: Simba Lounge access. Qatar (One World alliance like BA) passengers were in the lounge, but that doesn't mean much these days as people get in for any number of reasons.

Actually since I am flying Qatar that would be great if they had access. I guess I will find out next month.

Hi,

I'll be flying back to LHR from NBO in a couple of weeks time. Given the state of the lounge, how much time before the flight would you recommend us turning up at the airport to check in. Is the airport pretty inefficient at processing people?

We're flying CW and have luggage. Not sure if we'll be able to online check in (depends on internet access)

Any recommendations on airport transfers?

Thanks

Jon

You queue outside to get through the security scanning to enter the terminal. Then you queue at the check-in desks for the airline. Then you queue for the passport check out, then you head into the terminal for your wait for the aircraft. When I did it last week for my EK flight it took about 30 mins, 15 mins, and 15 mins respectively. So about an hour before I could hang around with negligible facilities. The times may vary at different times of the day, but it seemed fairly normal for NBO ;)