Photos: My experience with Kenya Airways! Know this before booking your flight so you don't regret anything

I honestly don't know why I did what I did!

I don't know what made me book Kenya Airways round trip Dubai-Lagos via Nairobi! 

The first time I travelled home to Nigeria after a long while was last year. 

And I used Qatar Airways and had zero regrets. 

I wanted to fly Qatar Airways again to Lagos, Nigeria for my mum's 1 year remembrance this year but it was at the 11th hour I changed my mind and opted for Kenya Airways (And it's not as if they were wayyyyy cheaper than Qatar Airways, they were not), and I had one of the greatest regrets of my life.

So, a few days before my trip, I bought my ticket and was really happy flying an African Airline! 

I was scheduled to fly from Dubai to Lagos via Nairobi on the 19th of June, 2024.

The first shocker I got was on the 7th of June, a WhatsApp message from Kenya Airways, saying I was scheduled to depart Dubai on Thursday 20 June 2024 at 01:30 hours instead of 00:55 hours. 

Since it was just a few minutes difference, I did not fret or feel so bad. 

On Wednesday 19th of June 2024, I left my house and got to the airport around 8pm. 

I was the first person to check-in and had enough time to relax before boarding. 

We boarded and had a safe flight to Nairobi. 

The flight from Nairobi to Lagos was timely and smooth. 

In Lagos, Nigeria, I did what I went there to do: to celebrate my mum's 1 year remembrance with my beautiful and blessed family and had a wonderful time. 

Before I left Nigeria, I was almost coming down with the flu and I took some medications and was getting better before leaving for the airport.

I was scheduled to fly back from Lagos to Nairobi on the 1st of July at 12:25 and from Nairobi to Dubai on the same day at 22:20. 

On getting to Nairobi, Kenya at 19:45, I got a WhatsApp message from the airline that my flight from Nairobi to Dubai had been rescheduled to depart the next day (Tuesday 02 July 2024 at 17:10hrs)!

WHAT? 

Almost 23 hours lay-over? 

HOW? 

WHY? 

The airline had sent the message with no remorse, no apology, no explanation and no empathy! 

The message they sent was a systematic one, with a standard response. 

It lacked emotions.

It was almost as if they were even doing me a favour!! 

The nerve!!!! 

At that point I got the message, the flu that was almost gone before I left Nigeria, came back with a severe headache and fever. 

My nose was completely blocked and I was breathing through my mouth. 

My voice too became cracked and inaudible and this usually happens when I'm stressed. 

My body ached and all I wanted to do was just relax somewhere. Anywhere.

As soon as I got the flight change message, I went to their Customer Care desk to ask what I needed to do. 

The queue there was long, with very irate passengers and very confused staff. 

After about an hour of waiting on the line, I was eventually told to go somewhere else (another customer service desk on another floor), that I would be assisted in getting a hotel and all. 

That was when my temperature rose. 

At this point, I could barely walk or talk but I managed to go where I was directed. 

This new Customer Service desk I got to was HELL. 

The staff there was unprofessional, rude, confused and kind of racist, especially the lady and man that attended to me. 

Apparently, the right step was to scan a QR code on the wall that would take you to their ETA site, where you can apply for their Entry Visa to be able to go out of the airport and into any hotel in town. The queue here was super long and there was chaos everywhere. 

However, the lady there was telling the black people, especially the Africans, that they needed to pay for the ETA entry visa (about $35), just to discourage them, and she would leave them to fill their forms on their phones by themselves without rendering any assistance. 

Whereas, this same lady was telling the Asians and Caucasians on the line that the ETA entry visa and hotel fee were free and was also assisting them to fill their forms on their phones. 

When I noticed this, I was livid! 

I told them what they were doing was totally unfair and not right and also informed them that I was very ill and needed assistance. 

The entire staff ignored me and some other Africans on the queue and continued assisting other people of other races. 

Infact, many Africans had left for the airport lounge, where they went to sleep until it was time for their various flights.

And I am not joking here! 

This Kenya Airways Customer Care lady would look through me like I was a ghost and attend to the other people BEHIND me.

These people were mostly Indians and Europeans.

I was 'ghosted' by an African on an African soil!!!

A fellow African discriminating against Africans in Nairobi, Kenya.

What a shame!!!!

This particular lady ignored all the black people there (including me) and attended to everyone else.

To think that this lady I am talking about is actually very dark skinned herself. 

But she was not nice at all. 

Including their male manager on duty that evening. 

Honestly, I had never felt so humiliated like this in my entire life.

After eventually getting my ETA Entry Visa filled on my phone, I presented the screenshot to the agent at the desk when it got to my turn and then I was given a sheet of paper to present at the immigration. 

Las las (finally), it was this same racist lady that filled my form for me after I used my last strength to yell at her that I was ill and needed help too!!! 

At a point, I sat down on one of their official chairs and was not doing anything. I was too weak. The male manager asked me to get up and look for somewhere else to sit!!!

Very unempathetic set of people. 

This was already around midnight. 

Recall we touched down Nairobi at 7.45pm. 

On getting to the immigration, I was told that the ETA Entry Visa was not yet approved and that I had to go to the immigration office to have it approved by their boss. 

This took another 45 minutes! 

When the ETA Entry Visa was eventually approved and the immigration gave me the green flag, I got to another counter where I had to queue and get the details of the hotel they were putting me in. 

This was almost 1.30am. 

Around 2am, we eventually got the hotel details and left the airport in a shuttle bus and we were taken to our various hotels. 

Five other passengers and my humble self were dropped in HillPark Hotels Nairobi. 

I don't know how many stars this hotel has, but it is a pretty cool hotel with very lovely staff, good food and nice room. 

The warm reception I received in this hotel almost made up for the stress I received at the airport. 

Anyhow, we got to our various rooms around 2.30am, rushed downstairs to get something to eat (luckily the kitchen was still opened and there were a few other people in the restaurant), then afterwards, I went back to my room to shower and sleep. 

I actually enquired about their Safari which I had always wanted to do and could have paid and done at 7am the next day, but the fear of the ongoing protest made me cancel and change my mind. 

I did not wanna get stuck on the street and miss my flight. 

At 9am on the 2nd of July, I woke up in my hotel room, showered and went down to the restaurant to have breakfast. 

I then returned to my room to sleep and then woke up at 1.30pm to shower again and get ready to leave. I did not have lunch as I was not hungry. 

Around 2pm, the shuttle bus driver came to pick us for the airport as our flight to Dubai was slated for 17:10hrs. 

We made it on time and had a smooth flight to Dubai, thankfully. 

Oh... 

Did I mention that on 2 or 3 of the 4 flights, I had to ask the stewardess for headphones and blankets? They did not make provisions for them in the aircraft. 

Very anyhow airline, this Kenya Airways, I have never seen.

Touched down DXB Airport on Tuesday 02 July 2024 at 23:25 hours, got home 1am ish, showered, slept and woke up at 8am and went straight to the hospital because at this time, I was really VERY ill. 

I got some medications and chilled indoors for a week before I recuperated. 

It was after everything I went to the Kenya Airways social media pages (Instagram especially) and saw people's reviews and feedbacks. 

And they were negative. 

99.9% of them. 

All negative and sad and heartbreaking comments left by the irate passengers who had also experienced and are still experiencing horrid things from Kenya Airways. 

Apparently, Kenya Airways is synonymous with cancelling and rescheduling flights and losing customers' luggages.

The mistake I made was not checking for reviews before booking this airline. 

I got an Email from another irate passenger, Tina who narrated her ordeal with the nasty Kenya Airways!

A Dubai based Nigerian friend, Yetunde also told me how terrible her experience with the airline was, flying to Nigeria recently.

This traumatic experience at the airport almost made me not want to visit Kenya again, but when I think about how I have always wanted to experience their safari, the great hospitality given to me/us at HillPark Hotel, the lovely Kenyan friends I have in Dubai, I don't have a choice but to forgive them. 

How Kenyan Airways is treating their passengers is enough to cancel Kenya Airways. 

Just go to their Instagram page (@officialkenyaairways) and see. 

Your heart will be broken.

And the worst thing is that they totally ignore their customers' cry for help! 

They don't mollify their disgruntled customers online and offline.

I am not cancelling Kenya but I am cancelling Kenya Airways!  

I am not gonna fly them again even when I am travelling to Kenya. 

I will use another airline. 

Finito.

Did Kenya Airways say they are 'The Pride of Africa'?

The Pride of Africa ko, the Crap of Africa ni!!!

Very nonsense airline.

Don't ever fly KA/KQ or you do so at your own risk.

My initial Qatar Airways enquiry:

Automated or not, they still had the effrontery to send me a WhatsApp message asking for my feedback! 

THE AUDACITY. 

My details that they should have removed from their data base! 

LOL.

When my ETA form was filled on my phone:

In my HillPark Hotel Room, Nairobi, Kenya.

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A post shared by Oluwatoyin Balogun (@toyeenbsworld)