Options
Nairobi airport concerns
I’d love to hear from anyone recently returned from Kenya about the situation at the airport. Any issues bc of the rioting in Kenya? I am comfortable with the idea that Tauck will cancel if they feel it’s not safe but I am anxious to hear from recently returned travelers about their experience. Thanks
0
Comments
I have not been to the Nairobi airport in ten years, and it is not an experience I am anxious to repeat. That being said, Tauck will NEVER put its guests in harm’s way.
I just got back a little over two weeks ago. The Nairobi airport experience was not memorable after being dropped off at the curb by our driver and facilitator. Security at the curb and again inside. Check in was uneventful. Then off to the lounge before the gate. No issues that I recall other than walking quite a bit for the lounge. ;-)
More aggravating was the late night delay, lack of communication, and multiple security checks when changing from one QA plane to another in Qatar after leaving Nairobi.
As we were all gathered in the Nairobi hotel at the very end of the trip, our TD mentioned that he had checked on the local situation and there didn’t appear to be any problems for us getting to the airport.Trust Tauck, your TD, and your local guides. It’s why I have no concerns traveling solo with Tauck. They know what they are doing.
I hope you have a great tour.
Yes, indeed, coming back thru the security at Doha is indeed very thorough because the plane is heading back to the US and they take it very seriously. If you want to experience a smoother transition, and possibly shorter route through the airport, you can get a concierge service for $100 each and someone will escort you from the plane door, take you through a priority security lane, if time they will escort you to a lounging which might also be a nicer quieter one than the big one and then come back and escort you to your gate at the appropriate time for your flight.
We have used this twice now, once when we had a short layover and once last year when we had our family with us. There were nine of us. It cost $400. My husband and I were in business class, the family were in economy…we could not afford to pay for business class for them too….two escorts came to the plane, they knew our family were at the back of the plane. One stayed with us and the other went onto the plane and called the family forward and they exited the plans before everyone else….we had no ideas that would happen. Boy, did they enjoy that experience even though they felt guilty by passing everyone who wondered who the heck they were. We were all whizzed through the airport to a quiet lounge, we ate gourmet food and they came back and escorted us to security and the gate. Worth every penny,
I also used the concierge service in Doha last September. Same cost, around $100 each. We had a short layover coming home and after seeing the size of the Doha airport and the fact many planes disembark into buses on the tarmac, I quickly signed up. Best investment outside of Global Entry. Highly recommend if you have a short layover or require/want assistance.
Although in a very different part of the world, I have used private concierge services at LAX because I became very dissatisfied with the airport’s wheelchair service. Upon one arrival, we had to wait six (6) different times in staging areas for yet another person to take us a few yards, only to stop again and wait again.
I have since hired a private service—unrelated to LAX—and have been very pleased. They pick us up curbside, handle the luggage, escort us to the ticket counter, through security in a separate line, to the lounge and to the gate. My husband has some mobility issues and I was tired of having people bump into him and practically push him over.
I thought the service was well worth the pittance of money charged. Just be diligent when researching to make sure you understand the different services offered. I also used a concierge service upon landing at JFK last fall for a personal holiday.
I offer this as a community service for those who might not know what is available out there.
@British Thanks for the info on Doha. We had a reasonable connection time--not long enough to get to the lounge but plenty of time to avoid the stress of a missed connection, so while I had heard of the concierge service at the airport, I didn't see the need. Had I known then what I know now.... We were quite surprised to have so much security between flights on the same airline. Next time!
@kfnknfzk Good info to share!
For the Doha airport concierge service, it appears that it includes the Al Maha lounge. Is that supposed to be superior to the Qatar Airways lounge?
I don’t know how many lounges there are, but I think they take you to a convenient and quiet one. I think we have been in three different ones. But last time they came and collected us at the appropriate time for our flight.
Nice to know about that service- thanks British for explaining it. I've been through that airport 4 times and I still get confused, especially when looking for the lounges. As for lounges, the Al Mourjan lounge is the best Business Class lounge, but there are others that are good too. Sometimes it makes the most sense to go to the nearest because you can get a day's worth of steps in just going from one gate to the other.
Thanks all, but my concern is with the unrest in Nairobi and whether it causes a problem at/to the airport. Any recent returnees care to comment?