Nairobi Airport Services: Meet and Assist – Is it Worth it?
Arriving at an airport for the first time in a foreign country can be daunting. Therefore, sometimes you need a friendly face to welcome you.
Before my first trip to Kenya, the team who organised my safari asked if I wanted to arrange any Nairobi airport services, including a meet and assist service at Jomo Kenyatta International airport (JKIA).
Initially, I was unsure what it included, and then I was curious to learn if the meet and greet services at JKIA by Swissport Kenya were worth it.
Therefore, this article will explain what VIP airport concierge services are and whether it is worth the cost to have airport assistance in Nairobi.
After navigating the Nairobi International airport several times with and without airport assistance, I learnt when it is worth arranging these services and when it is not.
Check out these other articles on travel to Kenya for more advice and recommendations.
- What Should I Expect on a Typical Day on Safari in Kenya?
- Packing List for a Kenya Safari
- What to Wear in Kenya on Safari?
- Is a Nairobi National Park Tour Worth it?
- What to Expect When Visiting Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage?
What Services are Available for Arrivals at Nairobi Airport?
The most basic option is a meet and greet service, which includes meeting you with your name on a sign after baggage retrieval or outside the JKIA arrivals. This service will generally include a private airport transfer.
There is also a meet and assist service, where you are escorted through various airport procedures (where possible) and then guided to your onward travel arrangements.
Finally, there is the option of booking “celebrity” level arrival services where you are met directly off the airport and escorted through the airport and to your onward journey.
Ensure you choose the correct arrival services out of these options for your requirements.
Personal Experience Arriving in Nairobi Airport with Meet and Assist
I opted for the meet and assist service for my family of five. We used the fast track service two times when arriving at Nairobi International airport.
The first time using the service was for my British Airways flight from London to Nairobi, arriving at 9:00 PM.
In this circumstance, the arrival services started once I disembarked the plane, took the shuttle bus to the terminal, and then you will be met before or after the immigration desk.
On this occasion, airport officials advised the airport concierges to wait on the other side of the immigration desk rather than being able to help by ensuring we had the correct documents and fast-tracking us through the line.
Therefore, our allocated Kenya airport representative met us after we had shown our covid vaccination certificates and visa documents to airport officials and had the visa stamped with approval.
Then, our Swissport agent helped us collect our luggage from the belt and coordinated with our Nairobi airport hotel representative for the shuttle service.
The second time I landed in Nairobi and booked meet assist services, our agent found us at an earlier stage of the arrivals process, after we had shown our covid vaccination.
We were then escorted through immigration and taken to a shorter line than we would have been able to use had we not booked the Nairobi airport VIP service.
Finally, our agent helped us carry our luggage on a baggage cart and connected us to our Nairobi hotel transfer service.
We used the complimentary airport shuttle from our airport hotel. Nonetheless, it is possible to book private airport transfers too.
Are VIP Arrival Services Worth it at Nairobi Airport?
Finding your Nairobi hotel representative at the airport can be overwhelming because many people are waiting with signs.
Therefore, you may feel more comfortable having someone meet you at the airport and guide you to the correct meeting point.
Particularly after enduring a long-haul flight and crossing several time zones – it is good to have someone local to assist you when you first arrive in Nairobi.
As a result, some of the people that would benefit the most from the Nairobi arrivals assistance would be:
- Nairobi airport first-time visitors – it will ease your mind to have someone who can guide you through the process.
- Families with young children – your agent will be able to take care of some of your luggage so you can look after your children.
- Passengers with reduced mobility – if you cannot lift your luggage on your own, it will be beneficial to have someone to help with the heavy lifting.
- Passengers with many suitcases – it will be handy to have an extra pair of hands.
Book your arrival service online for your travels in Kenya.
You can also check reviews for Nairobi airport services here.
Alternatively, you could ask your safari consultant to arrange a meet and assist or other VIP services.
The cost seems reasonable and is not too steep for these services, but paying for a service in some circumstances may be unnecessary.
What Service is Available for Nairobi International Airport Departures?
You can arrange departure services that include pick-up from your hotel, or you can arrange the departure services to start once you have reached the airport.
For example, if you take an airport hotel shuttle, the agent will meet you from the bus and escort you.
Once at the airport, the service includes assistance with luggage, check-in, security and guiding you to your gate.
Personal Experience of Nairobi International Departures with Meet and Assist
I booked the JKIA VIP departure service once for my flight from Nairobi to Livingstone, Zambia, which was an early morning flight.
The departure assistance started upon arrival at Nairobi airport in the airport hotel’s shuttle bus.
Our Swissport agent met us directly off the shuttle bus, which was helpful because I was curious to see how the agent would be able to find us.
Our airport agent grabbed some luggage carts and helped us load the bags onto the trolley.
There is an initial security screening service as you enter the international airport in Nairobi.
Our airport representative guided us through the security line, helped to gather our luggage, and then pushed one of our luggage carts to our check-in desk.
We had booked economy tickets for our Kenya Airways flight to Livingstone; however, we could use the priority lane for business class travellers with this service.
The next stop was at passport check and then to security. Given that it was 5:00 AM, there were no long lines in security, so we could go to any line.
Finally, our departure assistant escorted us to our gate. If we had business class tickets or booked access to a Nairobi Airport Lounge, we would have been taken there instead.
Are VIP Departure Services Worth it at Nairobi Airport?
Whether or not you need the departure service depends on the airline you are flying with, the class of travel, plus the time of day.
Time of Day
For early morning flights, where you are at the airport at 5:00 or 6:00 AM and your flight departs before 8:00 AM, the airport may not be busy at this time.
This knowledge comes from my experience travelling with Kenya Airways on a 7:30 AM flight to Livingstone, Zambia.
On reflection, although it was nice to have the departure assistance, it was unnecessary, and we could have managed ourselves.
It is important to note that the cost is per person. Thus, when travelling as a family of 5, the cost can add up. However, given that we were five people, we had a few members who could help us with any heavy lifting.
However, when we were departing JKIA airport on an 11:50 PM flight to London with British Airways, it was much busier at the airport at 8:00 – 9:00 PM.
The line to enter the airport for the arrival security screening was relatively long, so we had to arrive early to get through this queue.
Class of Service
The next consideration for if you should book this service or not is if you have booked an economy or business ticket.
Within the Nairobi International Airport, there is a business class fast lane. Therefore, if you wanted to skip some lines and you have booked economy tickets, the departure assistance would come in handy.
Conversely, if you have booked departure assistance and you booked business class, you will be in the same priority queue for luggage and security as those with VIP services.
You will not gain as much value from the service as those in economy class.
Airline
The final aspect that will impact whether you need Nairobi airport services for departing the airport is which airline you are flying with.
British Airways has a separate desk within the international terminal of Nairobi airport. Thus, the lines to check in your luggage are not too long.
However, if you fly with KLM or Air France, you may experience longer lines. These two airlines share a desk, so it is much slower and busier to check in luggage.
Once you have weighed the pros and cons and have decided that the departure service would be beneficial to you, you can book the meet and assist service here.
