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Here’s my recent experience flying Kenya Airways’ fifth-freedom route from Guangzhou (CAN), China, to Bangkok (BKK), Thailand, in Economy Class. This late-night 2.5-hour flight serves as a technical stop before continuing to Nairobi (NBO). I took this flight as part of my ambitious challenge to earn one million EuroBonus points with SAS and SkyTeam by flying 23 flights across 16 SkyTeam airlines in just 14 days.
| Route | CAN-BKK |
| Flight | KQ887 |
| Cabin | Economy Class |
| Equipment | Boeing 787-8 |
| Aircraft | 5Y-KZE |
| Flight Time | 2h 30m |
How I Booked This Flight
This flight was part of my SAS EuroBonus Millionaire challenge. Kenya Airways operates this fifth-freedom route between Guangzhou and Bangkok, which provides a unique opportunity to fly this airline without going to Kenya. I paid $129 USD for this flight (no miles/points used).
Check In
That day, I woke up at Shanghai Airport, and I started flying early with Xiamen Air from SHA to Guangzhou CAN via Xiamen XMN. I arrived in Guangzhou on time and had a long layover before hopping on Kenya Airways. I arrived at the domestic terminal and had to cross to the international airside. As I received my boarding pass online after checking in through the website, I thought I could go through immigration and security as soon as I landed. However, I was stopped at immigration, and they explained that they wanted a ‘physical’ boarding pass, which was very strange.
I insisted for a few minutes, but things got worse, so I was escorted out of the airport and told to try to get a physical boarding pass printed by the airline agents. As the flight departed late, there was no staff from Kenya Airways at the check-in counters. The self-service machines were also not working. I had to wait for about 6 hours before the staff arrived.
The queue before check-in started was huge and chaotic. There were lots and lots of groups with a ton of stuff, bags, and pieces of luggage. The scene was loud, and most passengers were rude, shouting at the staff or airport personnel.
I was flying economy but I could leverage my SkyTeam Elite status to go through the SkyPriority lane. In spite of that, it took more than 20 minutes to get my boarding pass. As soon as I finished, I went through security which was relatively quick, and later immigration which took another 10 minutes. I had 1.5 hour before boarding time, so I went to a Dragonpass lounge to shower and get some food.
Boarding
About 15 minutes before boarding, I headed to the gate. The plane was in a remote position, so we were taken by bus. The boarding was a chaotic experience too. The gate area was crowded, noisy, and poorly organized. The bus felt like a party bus. Despite the announcement of priority boarding, the process quickly became free for all, with people rushing to the gate. It was certainly not the most relaxing start to the flight.
Cabin and Seat
The Boeing 787-8 was 10 years old, and you could tell it was dated and poorly treated. The Economy Class cabin had a 3-3-3 seat layout. My 23K seat was a window seat with a decent amount of legroom. However, the seats showed wear and tear, and the overhead bins filled quickly due to the crowded flight. The ambiance was further disrupted by the chaotic atmosphere. Passengers were loud, and the cabin crew struggled to maintain order.
Lavatory
The lavatories were standard for a Dreamliner. They were clean at the start of the flight.
IFE
The IFE system featured a large touch screen with a reasonable selection of movies, TV shows, and music. However, the interface was a bit outdated, and the responsiveness left much to be desired. The headphones provided were of low quality, so it might be worth bringing your own.
Safety Video, Pushback and Takeoff
The safety video was nice, as they used several Africa touches. After it played on the IFE screens, followed by a prompt pushback. Despite the chaos during boarding, the flight departed on time.
We took off smoothly from Guangzhou with the cabin lights dimmed, which helped create a more relaxing atmosphere for a brief moment. The 787’s quiet engines were a welcome feature on an otherwise hectic flight.
Meal Service
About an hour into the flight, the crew served a light meal: a chicken sandwich and a soft drink. It looked cheap and plastic and felt a bit like KFC. The sandwich was average at best. Given the late-hour departure, it’s reasonable that they want something quick and easy, but I was hoping for a warm meal, especially after trying the service from all other Asian carriers.
Approach, Landing and Immigration
Our approach into Bangkok was smooth. The city lights below were a beautiful sight as we descended. The landing itself was uneventful, and we arrived on time. Not all passengers disembarked here, but a big chunk (40% of the plane). We were blocked at the gate for passport control, which took about 15 minutes and was slow. Later on, at immigration, I spent about 1 hour before I could go through. The queues were quick, but also long.
Video Review
Summary
Flying Kenya Airways on this fifth-freedom route was an experience I won’t soon forget, though not entirely for the right reasons. The chaotic boarding process, noisy cabin, and mediocre meal made it a tiring journey. That said, the on-time performance, and reasonable IFE selection were positives.
If you’re flying this route, I’d recommend setting your expectations accordingly. It’s a functional option for connecting between Guangzhou and Bangkok but far from a premium experience.