Kenya Airways Connecting Flights

This is Kenya Airways connecting flights guide.

The guide covers everything from how to book connecting flights with Kenya Airways to baggage rules and air passengers rights. Kenya Airways is the flag carrier airline of Kenya. With its headquarters and hub in Nairobi, the airline operates flights to more than 50 destinations in Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States.

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Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.

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1. Kenya Airways Connecting Flights

Kenya Airways is a full-service traditional airline.

Full-service airlines offer a checked bag allowance, allocated seat, in-flight entertainment, free meals or snacks and multiple seating classes (economy, business, first class).

In addition to these services, full-service traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. On such flights, passengers are protected in case of flight delay, cancellation or denied boarding. If you miss your connection because of that, the airline will provide you with a new flight ticket. 

That’s why airline-protected connecting flights are better than self transfers.

Airline-protected connecting flights are:

• Safer. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
• More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
• Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.

Yes, Kenya Airways sells airline-protected connecting flights.

1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline

In some situations you will fly only with Kenya Airways.

You will have two or more flights, and all of them will be operated by Kenya Airways. These will be Kenya Airways airplanes and Kenya Airways staff. However, it’s not the case with every single connecting flight booked from Kenya Airways — connecting flights aren’t all the same.

1.2 Kenya Airways Codeshare Partners

Sometimes airlines share their flights.

It is done to widen the flight network. Thanks to this, airlines can offer flights to destinations they wouldn’t normally service. So, you may have a connecting flight booked from Kenya Airways, but it might be operated by another airline (Kenya Airways partner). In this case, you will fly with another airline, on their airplane.

Connecting flights with different airlines are very common in the aviation industry. These kind of flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners.

What you should know is that:

• If you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, don’t worry. The airline will find you an alternative flight. As long as it’s a Kenya Airways connection booked from Kenya Airways — they are called marketing airline — they are responsible for finding solutions. Even if a part of your flight (or even whole flight) was operated by Kenya Airways partner.
• If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not Kenya Airways, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.

See a list of Kenya Airways codeshare partners here.

2. What If Kenya Airways Cancels a Flight?

Why is Kenya Airways cancelling flights?

This could happen due a number of different reasons. The most common are: bad weather, strikes, staff shortage, airport congestion, security issues and various technical problems.

2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled

Kenya Airways is an airline registered in Kenya.

It’s not a European airline. But still, on some of its flights, you are protected by European regulations. If your Kenya Airways flight (departing from Europe) is cancelled or delayed, you can expect assistance from the airline.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:

• Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
• Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).

This applies to all their flights departing from Europe.

If your Kenya Airways flight (departing from Europe) is cancelled, and as a result you miss your connection, it’s the airline’s responsibility to offer you a new flight, or a full refund. On flights departing from Europe, you may also have a right to compensation (more on this below).

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Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.

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2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled

Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, Kenya Airways must:

• Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
• Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).

This applies to all their flights departing from Europe.

Refund must be paid within seven days.

You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.

2.3 Kenya Airways Refund for Cancellation

For flights departing from Europe, you can request a refund.

If your Kenya Airways cancelled flight was scheduled to depart from Europe, you can opt for a refund. Request a refund if you don’t wish to travel anymore or if the alternate flight does not fit your travel plans. This refund must be paid in full, within 7 days. It has to be paid by bank transfer. You don’t have to accept any vouchers or miles.

3. Kenya Airways Missed Connecting Flight

Why do people miss connecting flights?

There are a number of reasons. It could be due to a silly mistake, like confusing am with pm. You could miss your connecting flight because your previous flight was delayed or cancelled. Or it can be due to airport congestion or long queues.

3.1 What Happens If You Miss Kenya Airways Connection?

If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.

If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from Kenya Airways, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by Kenya Airways or not, you should contact Kenya Airways. In this case, it’s their responsibility to find a solution.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:

• Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
• Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).

Again, the last two points apply only to flights from Europe.

On other routes, the airline still has to offer you a new flight.

Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay 

3.2 Right to Compensation from Kenya Airways

Sometimes you have a right to compensation.

If your Kenya Airways flight:

• Departs from the EU, EEA or UK
• Is 3+ hours late and
• Is delayed or cancelled due to the fault of the airline

Then you may be entitled to compensation from Kenya Airways. Don’t forget that this applies only to Kenya Airways flights departing from Europe.

Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?

You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.

3.3 Right to Care from Kenya Airways

On all Kenya Airways flights from Europe you have a right to care.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:

• Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
• Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary.
• Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
• Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails.

In case of Kenya Airways, the regulation applies only to flights departing from European airports. With European airlines (such as KLM, Lufthansa, SAS, etc.) it applies to all their flights both to and from Europe.

4. How to Book Connecting Flights with Kenya Airways?

You can do it directly from Kenya Airways or via a third-party.

The best way is to book directly from the airline. But it’s not the only option. You can book via a third-party booking website such as kiwi.com or edreams.com. 

Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?

5. Kenya Airways Connecting Flights: Baggage

Since Kenya Airways is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.

Baggage rules on connecting flights with Kenya Airways are simple.

In short, Kenya Airways takes care of your baggage. In most cases, you’ll have to check in your bag once — before the first flight. Your bag will be sent to your final destination. Unless you have a self-transfer flight (separately booked flights). Or you are traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (US is one such exception).

If you aren’t sure, ask staff at the check in counter.

5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines

What happens if there are several airlines?

What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not Kenya Airways? As we already talked, you may experience this, because Kenya Airways does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. In most situations you won’t have to worry about it.

Read more: 

• Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
• Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
• Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
• What is Checked Baggage?

5.2 Kenya Airways Free Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.

It depends on the airline, destination, ticket type and travel class.

Check your booking confirmation to see your baggage allowance.

When you are booking your flight, baggage allowance is shown when you choose your travel class and ticket type.

5.3 Economy Light

This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.

Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.

We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).

Kenya Airways doesn’t have an “Economy Light” travel class (for now). All passengers get free baggage allowance on flights operated by Kenya Airways. However, airline baggage policy can change. Make sure you check the baggage allowance when you are making a booking.

Read more: What Is Carry-on Bag / Baggage?

6. Connecting Flight Examples

Here are two connecting flight examples with Kenya Airways.

6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with Kenya Airways (Most Common)

Let’s assume that you want to fly from Barcelona to Nairobi (Kenya).

For this example, let’s use the website of Kenya Airways.

You have found flights for October 3, and these are the options:

On their website Kenya Airways sells only protected connecting flights. However, as we can see, not all of the flights are operated by Kenya Airways. Parts of connecting flights are operated by Kenya Airways partners: Air France and KLM.

For example, the first option is operated by Air France (the first leg) and Kenya Airways (the second leg). There’s a layover at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Also pay attention to total flight duration, number of stops and price.

These are different for every connecting flight.

6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with Kenya Airways

Now, let’s assume, that your itinerary is slightly more complex.

Your final destination is not Nairobi. You want to fly from Barcelona to Nairobi, and then from Nairobi to Amboseli, where you have booked a stay at a safari lodge. But before that you want to spend a day in Nairobi, to explore the country’s capital.

1. You book a connecting flight to Nairobi, like in the example above. For example, you’re taking the cheapest option, the third one, which arrives in Nairobi at 6:25 am. 
2. And then you go to kiwi.com, skyscanner.net or some other flight booking website, or to the airline’s website, and book a flight from Nairobi to Amboseli. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 30 hours in Nairobi (a 30-hour stopover in Nairobi, Kenya).

Your flight from Barcelona to Nairobi is an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, Kenya Airways will assist you. Most likely the airline will put you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Nairobi – Amboseli flight, is a self-transfer with a self-planned layover (a stopover). You will need to check in for this flight separately. If you have a checked bag, you will need to collect and recheck it, too. 

Take this into account and leave yourself plenty of time for layover. Know that short layovers can be very risky.

What is your experience with Kenya Airways? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with Kenya Airways? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from Kenya Airways?

Featured photo by Kelly