Kenya Airways' Business Class Did Almost Everything Wrong, Except the One Thing That Mattered

I flew Kenya Airways' 787-8 business class overnight from Paris to Nairobi on KQ 115, and it was one of the strangest business class flights I've reviewed. Kenya Airways is Kenya's national airline and a member of SkyTeam, the alliance that includes Air France, KLM and Delta. Its Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner is a long-range jet it flies to Europe, and its business class cabin is clearly from another era. Somehow it still gave me one of the best nights of sleep I've ever had in the air.

Check-In and the Lounge

Check-in at Charles de Gaulle was chaos, though not because of Kenya Airways. The neighboring Air Senegal counters were surrounded by police and furious passengers, and when I asked airport staff what was going on, they told me a flight had just been canceled.

Kenya Airways' business class line moved quickly anyway, and the agent who helped me was genuinely kind. That stood out, since in my experience, check-in agents at Charles de Gaulle aren't known for their warmth.

Passport control was another story. Only two of the 10 to 15 automated passport gates seemed to be working, and everyone in line was fed up by the time they got through. Security went faster after that, though I've never warmed to this airport's industrial feel and confusing layout, and this visit didn't help.

The lounge was the next puzzle, because although our flight left from the A gates, Kenya Airways sends its business class passengers to one over on the C side. I struggled to find it tucked underneath the terminal, and once inside it wasn't much nicer than the gate area. It was somewhat relaxing and never crowded, but it was very dark, and a surprising number of people had their phone notifications turned all the way up.

The flight left an hour late because the incoming plane from Nairobi arrived late, which seems to be a pattern. Over the previous 60 days, flight tracking data showed this flight running late 64% of the time.

Illustrated for Contrail

Kenya Airways Boeing 787-8 · 5Y-KZJ

Drawn by Caleb St. John · Caleb's Aviation

Every Contrail review carries an original drawing of the aircraft flown, made for us by Caleb St. John, who draws aircraft to raise awareness for young people in aviation living with health conditions.

Boarding

The gate had a few fun moments, including an announcement asking for anyone who spoke Swahili to help translate. Boarding itself was orderly until the usual wait on the jet bridge.

The welcome onboard was cold, starting with a flight attendant in the galley who just stared at me when I said hello. Crew members in the aisles didn't seem much warmer during boarding, which wasn't the start I'd hoped for in business class.

The atmosphere made up for some of that once the crew dimmed the cabin lights after boarding, and the boarding music was a calming mix of birdsong and nature sounds that played again in the bathroom. It's the best boarding music I've heard on any airline, because it pulls you toward the destination before you've even left Paris. Every seat in business class was taken.

Seat and Cabin

The cabin is laid out in pairs of two across each row, with 30 seats in total, and that means there's no privacy at all. There's nothing tall between seats or around them, so I'd argue it feels less private than economy, where at least the seat backs block your view of everyone else.

The center console is the only thing separating you from your neighbor, where some airlines would add at least a small partition. The armrest between seats rises about six to eight inches for privacy while sleeping, which helps a little, though it's uncomfortable and awkward when you're sitting up. In a pair like mine at 2J, the window passenger also has to step past their neighbor to reach the aisle.

Storage is a real weakness, with a small space between the screens that's nearly impossible to reach, a compartment in the center armrest and a spot under the footrest that you can't get to once the seat is a bed. That last one ended up holding the bedding anyway, so I crammed my things in next to me.

The seat wasn't dirty, but it wasn't spotless either, and the cabin showed clear signs of wear. Its controls were finicky and didn't always respond, and the screens felt small because you sit so far back from them, even though they're a decent size. The directed reading light between seats was a nice touch, but to compete in 2026, Kenya Airways needs new seats.

Sleeping

Then I lay down, and everything changed. Because the seat has no narrow footwell, the space for your feet in bed mode is wide and open, which matters more than almost anything else for sleep. The footrest itself is hard, but I barely noticed, because I slept shockingly well in what I'd call a legendary bed.

The bedding deserves a lot of the credit, since Kenya Airways gives you a mattress cover and a fleece comforter that's the coziest airline blanket I can remember. My pillow was the weak link, flattening into nothing the moment I put any weight on it.

Amenities and Entertainment

Waiting at the seat were headphones, an amenity kit, the comforter and the mattress cover. The headphones felt cheap and plasticky, there were no slippers, and menus only came out after boarding with no separate drink list.

My entertainment screen didn't work at first but was fixed shortly after boarding, and the bathroom was a typical Dreamliner bathroom apart from the bird and nature soundtrack.

Kenya Airways' personality really shows in the details, from the crew's stunning bright red uniforms to the boarding music and safety video.

Dinner

Before takeoff, the crew offered orange juice and sparkling wine, and that orange juice was the worst I've had on a plane. It tasted like cough syrup mixed with sugar. Things picked up with the hot towel that started the meal service, the hottest one I've ever been handed.

The menu was basic and listed no starter, and none came. Service was slow to start, which was frustrating when all I wanted was to sleep. Meals came from a cart like in economy, yet the crew still laid out tablecloths, so it felt like business class with random corners cut.

I ordered the beef, and it arrived sitting in a dish full of a mysterious liquid. The beef itself was soft and fine, if not very flavorful, but the dish looked deeply unappetizing. The woman next to me poked hers with a fork like it was radioactive sludge, then gave up and handed her tray back. To the crew's credit, they cleared everything quickly afterward.

I slept through breakfast, and after that dinner I didn't feel I'd missed much.

Service

The crew warmed up as the flight went on and started smiling more after the meal. About two hours before landing, they turned the cabin lights back on, though they didn't seem to be doing much.

In the last quarter of the flight, the crew made a big announcement congratulating a couple on their 50th anniversary. It was a sweet, thoughtful message and another sign of the airline's character. It was also a big interruption in a dark cabin full of people trying to sleep.

Waking up with 15 minutes to go, I went to the galley to ask for a coffee. I was told service was suspended, and then a flight attendant made me one almost immediately anyway. The service had a somewhat militant edge with real warmth mixed in, and I can't think of another airline that feels quite like it, in a way that wasn't bad so much as different.

We landed in Nairobi 47 minutes late, after a journey of about eight and a half hours.

Worth Booking?

If sleep is your priority on the overnight flight from Paris to Nairobi, Kenya Airways' business class delivers where it counts most. The bed and bedding beat what the tired cabin suggests, and the airline's warmth and personality come through by the end.

Everything else feels behind the times. The open seating, poor storage and worn cabin don't hold up against what other airlines fly to Africa today, and the dinner was the weakest part of the trip. I'd eat before boarding and plan to sleep as much as possible, because that's when Kenya Airways is at its best.

You can see how Kenya Airways compares with every other airline I've reviewed in the Contrail Index.