Kenya Airways 787 Dreamliner Review, KQ113 CDG-NBO
Jul 26, 2014, 11:33 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA EP, Delta Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 79
Kenya Airways 787 Dreamliner Review, KQ113 CDG-NBO
Hi all. A few weeks ago I posted asking about any tips people had for the new Kenya Airways Dreamliner flight between CDG and NBO. I couldn't find much online so I thought I would do my first flight review!
We were flying BLQ>CDG>NBO and paid for the trip using Flying Blue miles transferred from American Express Membership Rewards. For two people it was 125,000 Miles & €378.42 of fuel & other surcharges. This was our first time on a Dreamliner but we have flown First/Business on a variety of US, European and Asian airlines so I hope I can give a good overview.
Connecting at CDG
We arrived on an Air France flight from BLQ into Terminal 2G which is the satellite terminal for regional flights. We had 2hrs to make our connection. We took a shuttle bus to 2F and then walked to 2C. You then have to walk through the very long check-in area at 2C (which was packed) to get to the immigration counters. Once through immigration you go through security again. It took us around 50 mins from deplaning to clearing security at 2C and we move at a pretty quick pace. We were lucky that a bus was waiting when we arrived but offsetting this was immigration taking 15-20 mins due to only one agent being on duty. We didn't find CDG a pleasant airport to connect at and would avoid it if possible in future.
Salon Paris Business Lounge, Terminal 2C
Kenya Airways uses the Salon Paris Business Lounge near to its C87 departure gate.
These are the other airlines that use the lounge:
The lounge had ample seating and an open bar.
The food selection was somewhat limited. When we arrived breakfast was still out, which was basically croissants and yoghurt. By time we left, lunch, in the form of finger sandwiches, had been laid out which were actually pretty tasty!
WiFi is free but you have to ask for an access code at the counter. After about 30 mins in the lounge it was time to board!
KQ113 CDG-NBO
We could see the plane from the gate and boarding was smooth, with a separate line for business class / Sky Priority.
The seats are laid out in a 2x2x2 configuration. The first three rows are in the forward cabin (turn left on boarding) and rows 4 and 5 are the other side of a small galley (turn right on boarding). This photo is taken from row 3 looking forward to rows 1 and 2.
We were in row 1 but I would recommend rows 2 or 3. Row 1 has a smaller pull out screen (due to no seat in front) and is close to the food preparation and main crew area so can be noisy. If you choose rows 4 or 5 everyone in economy has to walk past you.
The seats are fully lie flat and were very comfortable.
2x2 configuration:
Good amount of space:
Fully lie flat bed. Comfortable, but I'm 6'2" and wished it had been a few inches longer.
Seat controls:
Pull-out versus seat back TV. It's a bit hard to tell from these pics but it seemed the pull-out TV was a bit smaller (avoid row 1!):
We were offered drinks upon boarding and then again (with some cold nuts) once in the air.
In terms of amenities then special mention goes to the hot towels Kenya Airways uses. They were awesome: thick, large and really hot! Very refreshing!
The blanket is also really good. Its soft, large and very high quality. The amenities kit was in line with what I'd expect for a business class flight and came in a stylish black case. Nothing special for the headphones, just simple black overheads. The entertainment system was pretty good, with plenty of movies and TV shows to choose from.
Meal service commenced around an hour or so after take off. Throughout the flight the crew were eager to please and very friendly.
Menu:
We had the duck and the salad to start, and the salmon and the veal for the entree. Dessert was via a dessert trolley and you could pick what you wanted (sorry, forgot to take a pic of this in my rush to pick the chocolate cake!). Overall the food was very tasty and compares well to other business class offerings.
Duck starter:
Salad starter (shrink wrapped which was a bit weird):
Veal entree:
Salmon entree:
Chocolate dessert (minus two bites before I remembered to take a picture
)
During the flight there is an open bar available near the aircraft door with a decent selection of liquors.
Around 2 hours before landing afternoon tea was served. You can choose from a selection of sandwiches and cakes which were pretty good.
After around 8 hours it was time to arrive in Nairobi. Due to the 2013 fire at the arrivals terminal you deplane via stairs and then walk to a temporary terminal. I had a chance to snap a couple of more pics of the plane on the way.
There was no line at immigration and the luggage took around 10 mins.
Overall, I was very impressed by Kenya Airways' business class offering on the 787 and would definitely fly it again. It compares well to European and US carriers and the crew were very friendly. As for the 787, maybe its psychological but I definitely felt more refreshed and less dry than I normally would be after a long flight so I give a thumbs up to the Dreamliner as well!
We were flying BLQ>CDG>NBO and paid for the trip using Flying Blue miles transferred from American Express Membership Rewards. For two people it was 125,000 Miles & €378.42 of fuel & other surcharges. This was our first time on a Dreamliner but we have flown First/Business on a variety of US, European and Asian airlines so I hope I can give a good overview.
Connecting at CDG
We arrived on an Air France flight from BLQ into Terminal 2G which is the satellite terminal for regional flights. We had 2hrs to make our connection. We took a shuttle bus to 2F and then walked to 2C. You then have to walk through the very long check-in area at 2C (which was packed) to get to the immigration counters. Once through immigration you go through security again. It took us around 50 mins from deplaning to clearing security at 2C and we move at a pretty quick pace. We were lucky that a bus was waiting when we arrived but offsetting this was immigration taking 15-20 mins due to only one agent being on duty. We didn't find CDG a pleasant airport to connect at and would avoid it if possible in future.
Salon Paris Business Lounge, Terminal 2C
Kenya Airways uses the Salon Paris Business Lounge near to its C87 departure gate.
These are the other airlines that use the lounge:
The lounge had ample seating and an open bar.
The food selection was somewhat limited. When we arrived breakfast was still out, which was basically croissants and yoghurt. By time we left, lunch, in the form of finger sandwiches, had been laid out which were actually pretty tasty!
WiFi is free but you have to ask for an access code at the counter. After about 30 mins in the lounge it was time to board!
KQ113 CDG-NBO
We could see the plane from the gate and boarding was smooth, with a separate line for business class / Sky Priority.
The seats are laid out in a 2x2x2 configuration. The first three rows are in the forward cabin (turn left on boarding) and rows 4 and 5 are the other side of a small galley (turn right on boarding). This photo is taken from row 3 looking forward to rows 1 and 2.
We were in row 1 but I would recommend rows 2 or 3. Row 1 has a smaller pull out screen (due to no seat in front) and is close to the food preparation and main crew area so can be noisy. If you choose rows 4 or 5 everyone in economy has to walk past you.
The seats are fully lie flat and were very comfortable.
2x2 configuration:
Good amount of space:
Fully lie flat bed. Comfortable, but I'm 6'2" and wished it had been a few inches longer.
Seat controls:
Pull-out versus seat back TV. It's a bit hard to tell from these pics but it seemed the pull-out TV was a bit smaller (avoid row 1!):
We were offered drinks upon boarding and then again (with some cold nuts) once in the air.
In terms of amenities then special mention goes to the hot towels Kenya Airways uses. They were awesome: thick, large and really hot! Very refreshing!
The blanket is also really good. Its soft, large and very high quality. The amenities kit was in line with what I'd expect for a business class flight and came in a stylish black case. Nothing special for the headphones, just simple black overheads. The entertainment system was pretty good, with plenty of movies and TV shows to choose from.
Meal service commenced around an hour or so after take off. Throughout the flight the crew were eager to please and very friendly.
Menu:
We had the duck and the salad to start, and the salmon and the veal for the entree. Dessert was via a dessert trolley and you could pick what you wanted (sorry, forgot to take a pic of this in my rush to pick the chocolate cake!). Overall the food was very tasty and compares well to other business class offerings.
Duck starter:
Salad starter (shrink wrapped which was a bit weird):
Veal entree:
Salmon entree:
Chocolate dessert (minus two bites before I remembered to take a picture
) During the flight there is an open bar available near the aircraft door with a decent selection of liquors.
Around 2 hours before landing afternoon tea was served. You can choose from a selection of sandwiches and cakes which were pretty good.
After around 8 hours it was time to arrive in Nairobi. Due to the 2013 fire at the arrivals terminal you deplane via stairs and then walk to a temporary terminal. I had a chance to snap a couple of more pics of the plane on the way.
There was no line at immigration and the luggage took around 10 mins.
Overall, I was very impressed by Kenya Airways' business class offering on the 787 and would definitely fly it again. It compares well to European and US carriers and the crew were very friendly. As for the 787, maybe its psychological but I definitely felt more refreshed and less dry than I normally would be after a long flight so I give a thumbs up to the Dreamliner as well!
Jul 26, 2014, 4:15 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA EP, Delta Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 79
Jul 26, 2014, 4:17 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: AA EP, Delta Diamond, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 79
Jul 29, 2014, 7:41 am
#15
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,769
Nice report! Food looks good.
Idk why it jumps out at me but I really like the coordinated and overt branding on all of the towels/blankets, tableware, and disposables. Makes it seem like they are really trying to create a unique feel.
Idk why it jumps out at me but I really like the coordinated and overt branding on all of the towels/blankets, tableware, and disposables. Makes it seem like they are really trying to create a unique feel.
