Flying from Nairobi to Mombasa or Diani (Ukunda) or Malindi is becoming more commonplace among Kenyans. Mombasa is Kenya’s most popular tourist destination with its picturesque beaches and world-class resorts. While flying this route is now more affordable than ever, a lot of Kenyans still feel priced out of their dream to fly. This does not have to be the case. There are a few tips and tricks anyone can use to find Nairobi to Mombasa cheap flights.
1. Buy Your Ticket Early
As a rule of thumb, the closer to one’s date of travel one purchases a ticket, the pricier the ticket will be. Conversely, the earlier one buys their ticket, the more economical it will be. The price difference between buying early and buying at the last minute is nothing to be scoffed at. The price increases by leaps and bounds. One passenger could be paying a fraction of what another passenger is paying for essentially the same service. While many factors go into determining the final price of an air ticket, one among them is the fact that different seat categories have different prices. This has nothing to do with flying first-class, business, or economy. Seats in the same class could still be priced differently. Booking early allows one to book the cheapest seats before they are sold out.
Anyway, trying to make heads or tails of how and why air tickets are priced the way they are is a futile endeavor. The takeaway here is to book as early as possible for the lowest priced tickets. Months in advance if possible.
2. Shop Around For The Best Deal
Competition in the marketplace is always good for the consumer. There are several airlines that fly the Nairobi – Mombasa/Ukunda/Malindi route. Therefore, to remain competitive and attract passengers the airlines try to beat each other on price. Thus it is always advisable to see what airfares different airlines are offering for one’s dates of travel. A few of the airlines include Kenya Airways, Jambo Jet, East African Air, Skyward Express among others.
3. Fly During Odd Hours
Airlines try and offer several flights a day to popular destinations. As such, especially on weekends, one can find flights from Nairobi to the Kenyan coast departing at different times from early morning to late evening. Prime departure times from Nairobi such as mid to late morning and early afternoon will usually have relatively more expensive airfares. Early morning and evening departure times will have slightly more affordable airfares. If early or late departure times are not too much of an inconvenience then they present an opportunity to save on flying costs.
4. Fly During Less Popular Days
As with departure times, days of the week matter as well. A flight from Nairobi to Mombasa on a Friday is likely to be more expensive than one on a Wednesday or Thursday. This is because most people will probably have planned a short vacation for the weekend and one is even lucky to find a flight on such days as they are likely to be fully booked. Similarly, leaving Mombasa for Nairobi on a Sunday is bound to be costlier than on a weekday. As you probably guessed, Sundays are when people who were vacationing in Mombasa are returning to Nairobi. Avoiding public holidays is also a smart move as airlines know that people will be looking to travel to Mombasa on such days especially if the holidays fall around the weekend.
5. Travel Light
Airlines charge extra for excess baggage. For example, luggage above 10 kg on Jambo Jet attracts an extra charge of KES 750 per way (at least at the time of writing this). If possible, carry only essential items in a light carry-on bag or suitcase that can be brought along into the cabin of the airplane. This not only saves one some money but also makes traveling a breeze as luggage can sometimes be unnecessarily cumbersome.
In Conclusion
Booking early, shopping around, traveling during odd hours and off days, and traveling light are the best ways to find Nairobi to Mombasa cheap flights. Also, see some of the best resorts in Mombasa and their rates here and get the best deal for flying packages to the resorts.
