Kenya Airways from CDG/AMS to NBO
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 175
Kenya Airways from CDG/AMS to NBO
I have the option of flying AMS-NBO on a 747-400 or CDG-NBO on a 767-300
What should I do?
Anything else (timing, lounges, connection at airport) is irrelevent, I want to decide purely on the quality of the airplane experience.
What should I do?
Anything else (timing, lounges, connection at airport) is irrelevent, I want to decide purely on the quality of the airplane experience.
#2
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,672
You didn't mention what class? Economy or Business?
For economy, not much difference it seems. KQ doesn't fly a 744, so the flight you're looking at must be a KL codeshare. The KQ 763 from CDG only has 1 inch more in terms of seat pitch so no difference, however I tend to prefer the 763 if traveling with a companion due to the 2-3-2 seating.
If you're talking business class, then that's a totally different story. I haven't flown in them, but KQs new seats look nice and I would choose them over the old KL WBC seats anyday.
For economy, not much difference it seems. KQ doesn't fly a 744, so the flight you're looking at must be a KL codeshare. The KQ 763 from CDG only has 1 inch more in terms of seat pitch so no difference, however I tend to prefer the 763 if traveling with a companion due to the 2-3-2 seating.
If you're talking business class, then that's a totally different story. I haven't flown in them, but KQs new seats look nice and I would choose them over the old KL WBC seats anyday.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 175
You didn't mention what class? Economy or Business?
For economy, not much difference it seems. KQ doesn't fly a 744, so the flight you're looking at must be a KL codeshare. The KQ 763 from CDG only has 1 inch more in terms of seat pitch so no difference, however I tend to prefer the 763 if traveling with a companion due to the 2-3-2 seating.
If you're talking business class, then that's a totally different story. I haven't flown in them, but KQs new seats look nice and I would choose them over the old KL WBC seats anyday.
For economy, not much difference it seems. KQ doesn't fly a 744, so the flight you're looking at must be a KL codeshare. The KQ 763 from CDG only has 1 inch more in terms of seat pitch so no difference, however I tend to prefer the 763 if traveling with a companion due to the 2-3-2 seating.
If you're talking business class, then that's a totally different story. I haven't flown in them, but KQs new seats look nice and I would choose them over the old KL WBC seats anyday.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: NRT / HND
Programs: AA EXP, NH Plat, Former UA 1K
Posts: 5,672
Sounds like it's pretty much a flip of a coin. No huge difference. Is CDG or AMS closer to where you're coming from or is it a connecting flight? Which one is a more convenient schedule?
I personally would take KQ if all other points were equal, smaller plane and likely far fewer people to deal with at immigration if you end up near the back of the plane.
I personally would take KQ if all other points were equal, smaller plane and likely far fewer people to deal with at immigration if you end up near the back of the plane.
#5
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KQ might be fun just to experience a different and less usual airline. However I would strongly prefer to connect through AMS rather than CDG, so for me this would be the deciding factor.
#6
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: FB Platinum for Life
Posts: 1,019
There is a recent discussion of KQ and KLM in Business in this thread: Kenya Airways Premier World Business Class: Information, some of which (eg: IFE) is also relevant in economy.
Briefly:
- Seat pitch: I think (although I can't immediately confirm) that KQ has an inch or so more than KLM in regular Y, although these days KLM also has the Economy Comfort option, which has even more.
- Seat arrangements: KQ's 763 is 2-3-2, while the KL 747 is 3-4-3.
- IFE: KLM has full AVOD with a wide selection of movies, while the KQ 763 only has PTV, with about 12-16 channels running concurrently
- Catering: I normally take the overnight flights, so I'm not sure what the daytime offering is on these routes.
I'm not sure that needs to be a deciding factor. It seems KLM sometimes use a 747-combi on the AMS-NBO route (although it appears to be timetabled as a full 747 currently), which I think has roughly the same number of pax as a KQ 763. And even on a full 747, quite a few people will be connecting to other flights, so a bigger question is probably whether other long-haul flights have just deposited arriving pax in NBO at the same time...