Malawian Airlines - 1hr 15min layover in Lilongwe
Feb 3, 2018, 1:41 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
Malawian Airlines - 1hr 15min layover in Lilongwe
Will 1hr 5min in Lilongwe be too short of a transfer time? Am thinking of booking the below flights (BLZ stop is on same flight so no worries about that one).
Will they put me on the next flight if I miss the flight to Nairobi?
Will they put me on the next flight if I miss the flight to Nairobi?
Feb 3, 2018, 3:39 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,652
The same aircraft does the JNB and NBO flights so no chance of missed connection. 
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Feb 3, 2018, 10:18 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
The same aircraft does the JNB and NBO flights so no chance of missed connection.
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Feb 4, 2018, 4:34 am
#4
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YSJ, IAD, LLW/KGL
Programs: Aeroplan, ShebaMiles, SkyMiles
Posts: 123
The same aircraft does the JNB and NBO flights so no chance of missed connection.
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Malawian has 2 planes - the 737 does NBO-LLW-BLZ-JNB vv and the Dash 8 does DAR-BLZ-LLW-LUN/HRE vv
That aside, 1h05m is about 1h04m longer than you need to make a connecting flight in Lilongwe. It isn't a particularly large airport.
Feb 4, 2018, 6:23 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Stockholm
Programs: SQ, SK, QR
Posts: 386
Do you think there is a large chance that the flight times change or the route is cancelled? I am considering purchasing the ticket for August, but am a bit wary given they only have 2 planes.
Feb 4, 2018, 4:03 pm
#6
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,626
(OP, no concern for you, it's to check if people are leaving the country with Malawian currency as it's highly restricted, foreign currency is fine)
Feb 5, 2018, 12:44 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YSJ, IAD, LLW/KGL
Programs: Aeroplan, ShebaMiles, SkyMiles
Posts: 123
This is interesting, so assume then even transit passengers have to go through the currency check shakedown even they didn't enter Malawi?
(OP, no concern for you, it's to check if people are leaving the country with Malawian currency as it's highly restricted, foreign currency is fine)
(OP, no concern for you, it's to check if people are leaving the country with Malawian currency as it's highly restricted, foreign currency is fine)
Feb 5, 2018, 4:56 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,652
Feb 6, 2018, 2:13 am
#9
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,626
Feb 6, 2018, 2:39 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,652
The catch is that Malawi customs doesn't actually know what to do if you declare the currency. I had an issue where I was carrying $14000 cash in transit through Malawi to Zimbabwe last year and I spent the better part of an hour while they tried to figure out how to document it as being declared. Eventually, my lawyer (wife) contacted a senior manager at MRA who called the head of customs and they found a form that was repurposed for currency declaration by scratching out the heading and re-writing "Currency Declaration Form" in pen.
Feb 23, 2018, 11:10 pm
#12
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YSJ, IAD, LLW/KGL
Programs: Aeroplan, ShebaMiles, SkyMiles
Posts: 123
You will be herded over to a separate immigration desk for transit passengers where they will check your onward boarding pass and passport (and possibly stamp it?), and then you'll go directly up to the transit lounge. Nothing that you should have to pay for or worry about before-hand.
Feb 24, 2018, 5:04 am
#13
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,652
You will be herded over to a separate immigration desk for transit passengers where they will check your onward boarding pass and passport (and possibly stamp it?), and then you'll go directly up to the transit lounge. Nothing that you should have to pay for or worry about before-hand.
Feb 25, 2018, 4:46 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Exile
Posts: 15,652
Just to clarify, you WILL be required to obtain either a visa or a transit clearance letter in advance if you hold a passport issued by Libya, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Egypt or Russia.
