Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Booking a flight on Egypt Air

I wasn't sure where to post this question but here goes:

I am going to Egypt this summer and was considering booking a couple of internal flights on Egypt Air. I noticed that if I put it that I lived in Egypt- a flight from Cairo to Luxor was $40 but if I put in the US that same flight was $110.

Does anybody know what happens if I put in that I live in Egypt when booking the flight? Will it be honored when I go to fly and I then have my US passport etc....??

Sorry if this is in the wrong post but I really need some feedback on this!

Thanks so much for all of your help.

This is not a residency requirement, only the country of ticketing requirement. I've bought from the Egyptair site and chose Egypt as the country. I thoroughly read the rules and there wasn't a residency requirement. We had no problems at all.

FWIW, I had a lot of trouble booking flights on Egyptair's website - it rejected my card (twice, two different bookings). When I called Egyptair in the US, they said that I would have to fax in a signature, accompanied by a copy of my passport and that they would email me a form for this, which they never bothered to do. I wasn't about to send them a copy of my passport, so I ended up booking the flights through Expedia (which allowed me to use my Amex - Egyptair's website only takes MC and Visa). I didn't realize I was going to get charged twice as much as if I elected "Egyptian resident" - but at least I managed to secure tickets.

Another option you could consider is just waiting and buying the tickets for the internal flight once you get to Egypt - even doing it on arrival. I've done this before for internal flights in Spain and saved about 50% of the ticket cost compared to booking online from North America before departure.

Whatever you do, if you are buying excursions please make sure you are getting flights with Egypt Air and not Air Memphis. Air Memphis flies a seriously dodgy old DC9 about the place, doing tourist excursions to Abu Simbel and the like.

Thanks for all of the great tips and advice. I really do appreciate it. I definitely feel more comfortable now booking on Egypt Air when selecting Egypt as the home area....

If anyone wants to share any advice on touring Egypt or some itineraries, I would also love that info. We have 12 days for our trip & plan to do 9 days in Egypt and 3 in Jordan. You can just send me a private message if you want to share any more tips etc...

Happy Travels and deal finding to all!

Travel tips for Egypt:

don't go anywhere near a cruise boat - they spend most of their time tied up sandwiched between other cruise boats

everyone expects tips and even someone in a museum who shows you something will expect payment; if you don't want to pay, make it clear right at the outset that you don't need help

low denomination notes are useful for tips but you'll run out of them; try to get change whenever possible (although many shops won't have change) and don't give out low notes unless you have to

you can travel between Aswan and Luxor by taxi in part of an early morning convoy that will stop at Kom Ombo and Edfu

you can do overnight sleeper trains between Cairo and Luxor/Aswan

caleche drivers will quote you low prices, take you to high pressure sales rooms and tell you a much higher price at the end - pay what you agreed plus tip and walk away

although you will remember all the thieves and conmen, most people you meet will be nice but less memorable

Egypt is hot so cover up and drink lots of bottled water

the food is not great

Abu Simbel is a great daytrip but make sure to go with Egypt Air and not Air Memphis

unless you are an expert, don't buy anything as an investment

if you travel through Israel, remember that it's not just Israeli stamps that may cause you difficulty in the future, but also the corresponding Egyptian and Jordanian ones

you cannot go into a shop without getting hassle, so manage your expectations accordingly

"la shoukran" and a flick of the hand means no thankyou

pack a sense of humour

Eqyptair is NOT an easy airline to flight from their website under most circumstances. I wonder why they do not improve it? I wanted to fly from LHR-JNB on them, and was having trouble booking online, so I called their New York office and they said they could not book that flight, I had to call the London office to book. I cannot figure it out. It is too bad, I would use them for the C fares, but not if I have to call London from the US

I would use them for the C fares, but not if I have to call London from the US
Do you not have cheap numbers to call through? If I want to call the US, for example, I just go to Cherrycall or Planetnumbers or some such site and dial through a penny-a-minute site.

Thanks again for the tips.

-Would you say that it is safe to wait until we arrive in Egypt to book our flights?
-So when you say don;'t take a cruise, do you also mean not to take a felucca?
-How do you think it is best to divide up our 9 full days in Egypt?

MLW20

Feluccas are fine, although they may well quote you a low price and then try to make it higher when you get off. The cruise ships to avoid are the 3 day Luxor to Aswan luxury ones. The journey takes a couple of hours by car, so the boats spend most of their time tied up in rows up to 10 deep. Your upper deck cabin window will mostly just have a view of the upper deck cabin in the next ship. When they so sail, remember that there are hundreds of them going backwards and forwards. You won't ever get a stretch of water where you can't see other cruise ships. And when they pull in to the historic sights, you will arrive at exactly the same time as a shipload of other people (your fellow passengers). And probably at the same time as half a dozen other ships all doing the same itinerary.

Luxor and Aswan are the interesting places, although Luxor in particular is tourist savvy. Giza has the pyramids and not much else to recommend it. Cairo (as distinct from Giza) is an interesting, human city where I wish I'd spent a couple of days. Its attractions are much more in line with other modern, bustling Middle Eastern cities that have a historic quarter, although there is also the Egyptian Museum.

If you split your time between Luxor, Aswan and Cairo/Giza roughly equally you might not be far wrong although you'll probably prefer one place over the others and wish you'd spent longer there. Travel overland between the cities is an adventure. Get a Lonely Planet - it has all the tips.

And remember, Egypt is a surprisingly poor country and you will see poverty head on, especially if you travel overland.

Aswan, Cairo and Alexandria get my vote.

Feluccas are fun, but perhaps only for an hour or so off Aswan: there are many of them, so make sure you get the captain you want, bargain the rate and make sure both parties understand what is expected. For felucca travel between Aswan and Luxor you'd need to be flexible in terms of time and reasonably hardy!

No problem booking as an Egypt resident. But you could consider the overnight train Cairo/Aswan. The Cairo Alex service is great.

bargain the rate and make sure both parties understand what is expected.
Needless to sday, hefty tips will then be expected by anyone on board the felucca and anyone who helps you on and off the boat, over and above what you will have negotiated.

Thanks again for all of the great help! I am going to work on my itinerary over the next few days and will post it here for feedback when we are done!

All of your help has been really great and helpful!

Travel tips for Egypt:

if you travel through Israel, remember that it's not just Israeli stamps that may cause you difficulty in the future, but also the corresponding Egyptian and Jordanian ones



I'd do the ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba and avoid Israel. Amazing country where I just spent a great time but the hassle with the Jordanian stamp on the Israeli side (and both when I got back to the US) isn't worth it if you're just transiting.

Thanks again for the tips.

-Would you say that it is safe to wait until we arrive in Egypt to book our flights?
-So when you say don;'t take a cruise, do you also mean not to take a felucca?
-How do you think it is best to divide up our 9 full days in Egypt?

MLW20


I just returned a couple months ago from a few weeks touring Egypt.

I noticed that the EGP price was much lower than the USD price, so I chose to ticket all my flights locally. I didn't mess around with anything online - I walked into an EgyptAir office and was quoted the EGP rate identical to the one on the internet. No problems or hassles at all.

Felluccas are great - but be firm on your price. They'll often approach you with puppy-dog eyes and ask for a tip afterwards or inflate the original price. Just pay what was agreed to. You should pay no more than 20 EGP for a half hour Felucca ride, and 30 EGP for an hour. Your best bet is to agree on 15, then surprise him with an extra 5 EGP when disembarking. Never let them get the upper hand.

Also, with taxis - never pay the quoted price. Always get a sense of the going tourist rate, then offer 20-30% less. For example, my guidebook stated a taxi from Aswan to the airport should be only $7 USD (35 EGP). I was immediately quoted 50 EGP by many taxi drivers. So, I walked over to a taxi driver and said "Take me to the airport - 25 EGP". He laughed, but we eventually bargained for 30 EGP. Don't feel bad about bargaining with these people - a local would be paying a mere 5-10 EGP, so they are taking you for a ride either way. Just be firm, and try to counter their inflated price quotes with deflated price quotes. It works. I LOVE Egypt now that I know how to travel in it, on a bargain. I spent a mere $350 USD in 14 days (not including hotels and airfare).

9 Days in Egypt.....Spend 2 days in Cairo, and be sure to WALK to see the city. Start at Ramses Station, and walk east to Khan El-Khalili. Stop at Fishawi's Coffeehouse (continuously operated for 200 years) and then continue south to the Citadel. From here, head back west towards Tahrir Square. Skip Cairo Tower - the views are lacklustre at best. Spend 2 days in Luxor (or more if you like Egyptian history). There is much to see and do here - don't miss Karnak Temple and the temple of Hatshepsut. I'd recommend at least 2 days in Aswan, which is the best place to take a felucca ride (there are interesting rock formations along the Nile here). It's also the least hassling city in Egypt outside of Cairo in my opinion. Eat at the excellent Panorama Restaurant on the waterfront. Oh, and in Luxor, seek out Maxime's Restaurant near the Sheraton Hotel.

I spent 5 days on the Sinai Peninsula - I can recommend everything but Sharm El Sheikh. I loved Dahab, which is as laid back as you can get, focused on diving and enjoying the beach, and prices are cheap as chips. A meal in a traditional Egyptian restaurant will set you back a mere $3.00 here. If you go here, head to the Dahab Plaza Hotel, where you'll meet a man named Emad. He'll set you up with tickets to Mount Sinai & the St. Katherine's Monastery for a mere 70 EGP - half the price of competing companies all around the Sinai. I took his tour, which surprisingly was just a seat on the 150 EGP tour (but I only paid 70). Emad is a great guy and looks out for the well-being of tourists. I paid a mere $16 per night for my room, which featured balcony, air conditioning, satellite TV, free high speed internet, and breakfast each day in a local restaurant. No hassle whatsoever.

PM me if you have any more questions about Egypt.

One more thing:

NEVER ACCEPT WRINKLED MONEY

I was handed a torn-and-taped note as change and no one would accept it as payment - not even a bank. I ended up giving it as a donation in a church offering box.

roadtripman - I'm glad you had such fun having an inexpensive time in Egypt. I'm just not sure your advice would apply to all visitors. Personally, I found some of the prices in Egypt were considerably more than you quote, even with bargaining, walking away, etc. Your tips sound unreasonably low given that people rely on them for a living. But most of all, I and many other travellers don't enjoy making every small transaction a battle. The quotes of ridiculous prices, counter offer of ridiculously low price, walking away, having clothing tugged, more bargaining, eventually agreeing on a price just gets so wearing. Time, after time, a f t e r ... t i m e . . .

I was handed a torn-and-taped note as change and no one would accept it as payment - not even a bank. I ended up giving it as a donation in a church offering box.
Classy

I am going to Egypt this summer and was considering booking a couple of internal flights on Egypt Air. I noticed that if I put it that I lived in Egypt- a flight from Cairo to Luxor was $40 but if I put in the US that same flight was $110.

The power of FlyerTalk's 'search' function:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-middle-east-africa-frequent-flyer-programs/960040-egyptair-price-difference-help.html

One thing I can't see raised in this thread is whether you should visit Luxor in the summer at all. It is seriously hot (albeit not very humid) at this time of year. I worked for four years near ABS and the maximum daytime temperature in the shade would regularly exceed 50C (122F). Even today here in CAI (much cooler than Upper Egypt) we're hitting 40C.

The power of FlyerTalk's 'search' function:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other-middle-east-africa-frequent-flyer-programs/960040-egyptair-price-difference-help.html

One thing I can't see raised in this thread is whether you should visit Luxor in the summer at all. It is seriously hot (albeit not very humid) at this time of year. I worked for four years near ABS and the maximum daytime temperature in the shade would regularly exceed 50C (122F). Even today here in CAI (much cooler than Upper Egypt) we're hitting 40C.

Literally just returned from Cairo, Luxor & Aswan (internal flights with Egyptiar, international with AF) & it was regularly hitting 52 Celsius in the shade, but with near zero humidity in Luxor.

I always visit Upper Egypt at this time of year &, provided you give yourself a couple of days to acclimatise & don't try to do anything too strenuous during the full heat of the day (about noon - 5 pm) it's not too bad. I've found the trick to be wearing long, loose fitting clothes, a hat & always having at least one 2 litre bottle of mineral water with you at all times; whilst slowing down the pace at which you try to do things.

Seriously, if you are going to visit Egypt & have the time to fit it in, there's just so much to see that you really should try to spend at least 2 - 3 days in Luxor.

The internal flights were fine; only about 1 - 1.5 hours each, plenty of legroom in Y, non-alcoholic drinks provided & Cairo's new T3 domestic arrivals & departure halls were a vast improvement on the old facilities.

An ongoing trip report, with photos, can be found here:

http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/trip_reports/read.main/152309/

Luxor & Aswan also have good, but small, airports.

I've found the trick to be wearing long, loose fitting clothes, a hat & always having at least one 2 litre bottle of mineral water with you at all times
I offered the OP identical advice in a private message. When I was there you did feel sorry for the package tourists who went around in flocks wearing next to nothing and sipping gingerly at their nearly empty 0.5 litre bottles to try to make them last the day.

Arabs, who have quite a lot of experience of living in hot places, tend to wear long clothes, show little skin and can find shade even from a lamp post.

I offered the OP identical advice in a private message. When I was there you did feel sorry for the package tourists who went around in flocks wearing next to nothing and sipping gingerly at their nearly empty 0.5 litre bottles to try to make them last the day.

Arabs, who have quite a lot of experience of living in hot places, tend to wear long clothes, show little skin and can find shade even from a lamp post.

Oh you do get them: string vests/spaghetti tops, short shorts & flip-flops, all paired with lobster red skin & profuse sweat, making a mad dash for every opportunity to get their hands on fizzy drinks, because water is too expensive at LE15 or about £1.50 for 2 litres at the West Bank sites:rolleyes:.

Seriously, though, within 2 days or so of arriving in Luxor, I find that the heat becomes far less noticeable & it's possible to walk around town in the late afternoon whilst hardly breaking a sweat.

I have been trying to book flight on Egypt Air's website using Egypt as my country of residence as suggested in many travel forums. I keep getting the payment denied at the end and have to start over. Any tips or tricks to make this work from the USA? I appreciate any advice.

I had this same problem at first. The problem is with the bank your card is through. Try other cards until it works... I know for me any card issued by Citi would not work.

I had this same problem at first. The problem is with the bank your card is through. Try other cards until it works... I know for me any card issued by Citi would not work.

Do you mind if I ask which bank you were able to get to work? I tried Citi, Chase, and BofA....

Do you mind if I ask which bank you were able to get to work? I tried Citi, Chase, and BofA....
I actually got this to work! I tried cards from every bank and ended up getting tickets booked with a Paypal Debit Mastercard. Thanks to those that have posted helpful advice on FT.

I paid with a Bank of America card.

Good luck- it was a real pain at first until I got the booking to go through.

i may have posted this in another thread, but this thread is getting more attention, so here it goes.

anyone fly the JFK-CAI leg? looking at doing egypt air JFK-CAI-JNB for the world cup, and it's a 12.5 hour layover in CAI. so, i was wondering what to expect on the flights.

second, is 12.5 hours long enough to cab it to the pyramids? figured i'd take advantage while i was there. and i hear the pyramids are incredible. thanks!

I'd say that you have a good shot at having time to see the pyramids. It all depends on how long it takes at customs and of course traffic from the airport and back etc...

I just got back from the middle east a couple of weeks ago. The pyramids are more amazing from a distance than up close in my opinion. I was much more impressed with the Step Pyramid and Red Pyramid.

Good luck with your visit.

I'd say that you have a good shot at having time to see the pyramids. It all depends on how long it takes at customs and of course traffic from the airport and back etc...

I just got back from the middle east a couple of weeks ago. The pyramids are more amazing from a distance than up close in my opinion. I was much more impressed with the Step Pyramid and Red Pyramid.

Good luck with your visit.

thanks, still trying to figure out the trip to JNB and whether i want to take SA straight from IAD or go up to JFK and have a side trip out of it. i want to keep it within *A so i get my miles on UA. we'll see. thanks for the advice.

how much you think the cab ride would be there and back?