Best Airline/Route from US to Rwanda & Kenya
 

Looking ahead to next summer... need best route (fewest stops, best price) from US (Chicago or Atlanta) to Kigali as this will be the start of our time in Africa (Rwanda). Will then go to Kenya for safari and fly back home from there. I know one option is British Air through London to Nairobi, then another airline such as Kenya Air to Kigali and back to Nairobi. Appreciate recommendations as I know many Fodorites have taken the same general trip that I am currently planning.

KLM flies from Amsterdam to Kigali so that's an option without routing via Nairobi on the way there. I don't know how it compares price wise.

Thanks Patty - I'll check out KLM.

We flew United from Washington D.C with a stop/connection in Belgium directly into Kigali. Check on this forum as I believe there are now flights from Kigali directly into the Mara, although they only operate certain days of the week.

Check a site as Kayak, www.kayak.com for flights/schedules/fares from your departing city (ORD or ATL)to KGL, KGL to NBO and NBO to ORD or ATL.

Select multi-city vs round trip. Or can do multi-city, arriving KGL and departing NBO (an 'open-jaw' ticket... in one city, out from another city... believe KLM can do this), only and maybe your tour operator can get a special fare between KGL/NBO. There are many options so you have to figure out what works best in your circumstance.

While there are currently flights from KGL into the Serengeti in Tanzania, do NOT believe the same applies from KGL to the Masai Mara in Kenya.

I'm currently scheduled to fly via Brussels. My experience has been that pricing depends mostly on luck rather than a single carrier.

Hi Femi - what airline is that? Are you flying into Kigali from Brussels?

It's a wild bunch of connections, layovers, and prices out there. It may make me change the trip slightly and stay in Kenya first, fly second into Kigali from Nairobi after safari...

It's Brussels Airlines from Brussels.

I forgot to mention earlier that the KLM flight isn't daily and neither is the Brussels Airlines flight. If you're not getting it to come up, try a different day.

Patty's correct, I'm flying on Brussels Airlines (LAX-IAD-BRU-KGL). I originally planned to visit just Uganda. Then I found that Brussels Airlines had a stop in Kigali before proceeding to Entebbe and I decided to get off in Kigali and proceed to Entebbe (for the return trip) by road.Flying 'open-jaw' did not change the price of the ticket.

I've booked an open jaw for an intercontinental trip before, and combined it with a one-way flight within Africa. So, you might consider a ticket to fly into Kigali and out of Nairobi along with a one way ticket from Kigali to Nairobi.

If you're able to use frequent flyer miles, you can book a trip that includes a stopover in Kigali (USA-KGL-NBO & NBO-USA)for the same miles as a regular roundtrip ticket.

Try Turkish Airlines. They fly ORD to KGL with one stop in Istanbul and from NBO to ORD with one stop in Istanbul. They also seem to have the best price on the Kayak search site.

You could fly on a one way from Rwanda to where ever in Kenya your Kenya Safari begins.

As Sandi said, search "mulitple destinations"on one of the sites like kayak, vayama, mobissimo, or expedia. Arrive into Kigali, departing from Nairobi.

From Kigali you can take Rwandair to Nairobi. i just checked, fares for next summer are $128 one way . There are three flight options, all same price as of now.

Incidentally, the airport at Kigali is much more modern than the one in Nairobi.

If I recall correctly reading last week or two.... Coastal Air that currently flies between KGL and the Serengeti (various airstrips) and JRO, will soon be flying KGL to the Masai Mara. If so, a nice option. Know, however, the Coastal fares are rather high for the short route.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. The best deal I've been able to find so far - both for cost and times of flights - is KLM from ORD to NBO and back. Then a _separate_ itinerary of Kenya Air (even though KLM also uses KA - the cost is MUCH MUCH higher for a multi-city itinerary) from NBO to KGL and back. This entire itinerary is less than $2000.

Best way to do it is use KLM to Nbo, then at JKIA they have daily flights to Kigali via KQ and some other small carriers. Cheaper than using KLM to book the 'inside Africa' flights.

Turkish Air now flies from the U.S. to Istanbul and then on to Kigali. Fare was less than KLM or anything else going through Europe; the service was great; and the food was outstanding. HIghly recommended.

Harriet -- why are you topping these really old threads (here and on the US board)?