Kenya’s Best Local Airline? Jambojet Flight Review!

Hello! 😀 Are you planning to travel any time soon? With the holiday season nearly upon us, now’s the best time to start making those travel arrangements… In this Jambojet Flight Review, I share all you need to know before booking your trip!

 

Can you remember the first time you flew on a plane? Or perhaps you’re looking forward to your first flight?

As a kid, I often dreamed of flying… Our family home was relatively close to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or at least in its general ‘flight path’… Whenever I’d hear the sound a plane flying over our house, my heart skipped a beat!

My siblings and I would run out and naively wave at the people on the plane. And in my heart, I promised myself- ‘that will be me on a plane someday’. 🙂

My dream would get realized years later when I flew to Kigali…

Yet, my most memorable trip to date, was when my entire family flew to Malindi for our first family holiday, with Jambojet.

The plane was noisy, kind of like how it would feel to sit on a huge, running engine… We could barely hear one another above the noise, but it didn’t really matter. Because we were together and happy. 🙂

 

Jambojet Bombardier Q400 Flight Review

Since then, I’ve traveled with Jambojet a couple of times. And thankfully their planes are much quieter now.

This Flight review is like a culmination of all these experiences… I will, however, focus on my most recent flight to Malindi on the Jambojet Bombardier Q400.

 

Jambojet Pre-Flight Experience: Booking Your Flight

The Jambojet booking process is simple and direct thanks to their website… With your travel dates and cash on MPESA or Debit Card, you should be good to go.

Since we were traveling as a group, our booking was done by one person. We later received the flight itinerary and booking reference number.

Travel Tips>>

• Endeavor to book your flight well in advance, as you’re more likely to get cheaper prices if you do.
• Jambojet doesn’t issue tickets for payments made. Instead, they provide a flight itinerary and reference number.
• In case you’ll have a connecting flight, you need to book each trip separately.

 

Online Check-in

I always prefer to check-in online, to be on the safe side… However, this time I hit a snag with the online check-in due to the nature of group bookings.

Their system usually picks the phone number of the person who made the booking. So in my efforts to pay for extra luggage, I could not proceed with my phone number.

When I tried contacting Customer Care, the lines went unanswered. I tried again early the next day, and only their landline 020 3274545 went through. Thankfully, the lady on the line was helpful and sorted me out promptly!

Travel Tips>>

• Jambojet charges extra for checked-in luggage.
• Checking in your luggage online, costs half the amount it would cost at the counter.
• You can do the online check-in between 30 hours and 2 hours before your flight.
• Seats are assigned randomly. There’s an extra charge for choosing a specific seat.
• Ensure you arrive at least 40 minutes before your flight, as the counter is closed after this.
• Jambojet does not give refunds for any flights missed.

 

The Airport Experience…

I’ve learned that the trick to not losing your marbles at JKIA, is to arrive hours before your departure time. Arriving about 2 hours early, I found my way to Terminal 1D that’s specific to domestic flights.

There were hardly any queues, and after producing my National ID at the Jambojet Counter, I got my boarding pass.

The checks at Terminal 1D are not as extensive, so I was soon in the waiting area. My travel companions streamed in a short while later.

I was glad when the call to board came right on schedule, because those Airport seats are not the most comfortable…

 

The In-flight Experience on Bombardier Q400

We were directed to the plane after confirming our boarding passes. On the plane, a Jambojet flight attendant welcomed us with a smile…

Bombardier Q400 has a 2:2 seat configuration, with sufficiently wide overhead cabin space. I was thrilled to get a window seat! 😀

 

The plane seats are quite comfortable, for the approximately 1hr 10 minutes’ flight. I’d say the legroom is fine, though it may feel a little tight for taller people .

After a quick Safety brief, the pilot gave us a rundown of what to expect on the flight.

Apparently the Q in the name Bombardier Q400 means Quiet. And I can attest to the fact that this flight was less noisy than my first Jambojet flight. 🙂

 

In the front-seat pocket, I found an inflight menu, safety manual and a products catalogue. Being such a short flight, I opted to forego the snacks.

 

Travel Tips>>

• There’s no in-flight entertainment provided, so you may want to bring a book to read.
• Jambojet doesn’t provide meals on their flights, but you can purchase snacks.

 

Effortless Landing in Malindi..

We encountered some shaky weather at one point, but the pilot expertly maneuvered through it… And the landing at Malindi International Airport went smoothly.

 

The flight attendants were patient, giving us time to take some quick pictures of the empty plane, after everyone had disembarked.

The Malindi International Airport is small, but it has nice breezy feeling to it… We had an easy time finding our luggage on the sizeable conveyor belt, marking yet another successful trip with Jambojet!

 

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I acknowledge that we’re living in troubling times, when choosing your local flight carrier well, is of the essence. And that our own definitions of ‘the best’ can be subjective…

It is my hope that all Local Flight Carriers in Kenya will uphold the highest standards of safety and maintenance.

 

P.S… This is NOT a sponsored post.

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Thank you for reading! Did you enjoy this post? I would love to hear back from you. Leave a comment down below… 🙂

 

P.S.S… Don’t keep this to yourself… Share with all your friends and Remember to Subscribe to the Blog! 😀

 

 

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