Other Middle East and Africa Frequent Flyer Programs - Cairo via Egypt Air - Advice?

This spring I'm on a tour. JFK - CAI via Egypt Air. Last time I visited Cairo (also via Egypt Air) was 15 years ago. I will bet much has changed.

Don't see much about Egypt Air on this site. Most of my FF points are with AA. DO they partner? Or must we ride in steerage?

Last time our hosts had hired an expediter who whisked us around the hour-long pasport and customs lines. How does it work now?

I pretty much know the sights to see. I am drooling over the new museum. Yes, I'm that kind of geek. But resturants? I still remember the Indian meal we had in the Oberoi last time.

I know to carry a wad of small bills for baksheesh.

Just returned from a trip that included Cairo and we flew on Egyptair. Just some advice.. DON'T FLY EGYPTAIR!! Horrible horrible horrible. Egyptair is a new entrant to StarAlliance, so your AA points won't do you any good there, but you can earn UA or US points. My advice, go back and cancel those Egyptair tickets and rebook on another airline, if possible. With the new Terminal 3, you buy the visa sticker at any of the 6 or 7 banks located right before immigrations, then just stand in line. It's less chaotic than before and the lines move pretty fast. You won't need any escorts or helpers in the new terminal.

Does this still apply? I'm looking at a flight from CMH-CAI and then CAI to BKK. If it's still that horrible maybe I should go with Eithead

Does this still apply? I'm looking at a flight from CMH-CAI and then CAI to BKK. If it's still that horrible maybe I should go with Eithead

It seems unlikely that much will have changed in two weeks. You may have misread the date. TravellinHusker reports that they just returned on Egypt Air.

Plus they're a "dry" airline.

No booze. No way.

It seems unlikely that much will have changed in two weeks. You may have misread the date. TravellinHusker reports that they just returned on Egypt Air.

You're right; I was looking at the "member since" date. My bad.

Husker, care to elaborate on what was so bad? For the route I'm looking, it's the cheapest, and as a Peace Corps volunteer, cheap is important.

I don't drink, either, so dry doesn't matter to me.

It's a discount airline, what can you expect? It's also a new member of *A, so it shouldn't be ranked in quality compared to the other airlines.

If you have the opportunity, fly Etihad. It's great for leaving from JFK. For me, since I fly out of ORD, I take BA (ORD-LHR-CAI) and it's sometimes even cheaper than Delta/EgyptAir (ORD-IAD-CAI).

If you need any help once you're in Cairo, let me know. I'm here until late Nov. :)

If you are flying from JFK and want to go non-stop then you have two choices: Delta and Egypt Air. If you are willing to connect more options open up. I would fly Lufthansa and connect in Frankurt if you are looking for a quality airline.

I would fly Lufthansa and connect in Frankurt if you are looking for a quality airline.

I'd still rank Etihad above Lufthansa, but Abu Dhabi doesn't have a lot to do compared to Frankfurt. Luckily the connections on Etihad are quite short.

MS uses an ancient B777 on CAI-BKK.
It reminded me of an SU IL-96-300 in the early 2000.
If you intend to fly C on MS, just forget it.
Although the price is tempting, the product is a failure.



Does this still apply? I'm looking at a flight from CMH-CAI and then CAI to BKK. If it's still that horrible maybe I should go with Eithead

I'd still rank Etihad above Lufthansa, but Abu Dhabi doesn't have a lot to do compared to Frankfurt. Luckily the connections on Etihad are quite short.

I have never flown Etihad, so you may be right. I was comparing Lufthansa with Delta and Egypt Air. I think I may look at flying Etihad sometime do to your recommendation.

Thanks for the insight on this airline. I was getting ready to book a C ticket - LHR-JNB via Cairo. It is a 777 from London to Cairo and than a 330 to JNB. I will go with another. I am surprised that *A allowed them in.

I'm based in Cairo and have flown them about 20 times over the last 18 months. They are definitely a budget airline with older, sometimes worn aircraft. The passengers are frequently pushy and rude. The food is nothing you'd choose to eat if given an option. They are dry. Flights can be expected to board late and be delayed with no explanations. The business class is something you'd see from the 80s. Their telephone and internet support is truly embarassing and for some basic transactions (like upgrading tickets with their frequent flyer program) you have to visit their ticket office in person. However - the safety record is pretty good, they are sometimes the best option for travel in the region in terms of schedule, they aren't expensive, and the new terminals are an improvement. So, I wouldn't say absolutely no - just have realistic expectations and don't expect anything approaching luxury. An aside - flying on them last night their entertainment included commercials for an auto manufacturer. I wonder if after the airlines have milked us dry with fees, surcharges, etc the next trend will be commercials on their entertainment systems.

When I did BEY-CAI-JNB on MS last year the entertainment on the overhead screens was adverts for MS - nothing else. The MS code is derived from the Arabic for Egypt, which is Misrab-al. Probably.

From my previous visit, I know to carry a wad of Egyptian pounds, because everybody expects a tip. Here's a question. I have been doing the US dollar coins for CC points deal. Would it fly in Egypt if I reserved a few rolls of George Washingtons to hand out as baksheesh? We will be strictly in tourist locations. No back-country, no wandering off on our own.

Dollar coins have little circulation here in the US. Would waiters, porters, washroom attendants, and the myriad others who live on baksheesh recognize the coins?

Pity there's no Obama coin yet. I'm sure THAT would be recognized.:D

They would NOT appreciate coins because they wouldn't know what it was and might have a hard time exchanging it. Bills, possibly - if you want to tip that much, perhaps at a nice tourist hotel, but at more out of the way places they'd prefer local currency.

They would NOT appreciate coins because they wouldn't know what it was and might have a hard time exchanging it.

.. or they'd join the queue trying to convince me to buy back GB£1 coins for EGP.

From my previous visit, I know to carry a wad of Egyptian pounds, because everybody expects a tip. Here's a question. I have been doing the US dollar coins for CC points deal. Would it fly in Egypt if I reserved a few rolls of George Washingtons to hand out as baksheesh? We will be strictly in tourist locations. No back-country, no wandering off on our own.

Dollar coins have little circulation here in the US. Would waiters, porters, washroom attendants, and the myriad others who live on baksheesh recognize the coins?

Pity there's no Obama coin yet. I'm sure THAT would be recognized.:D

I don't know of any places in Cairo that except coins for currency exchange. Some of the workers might takethem, but they wouldn't be able to do anything with them.

.. or they'd join the queue trying to convince me to buy back GB£1 coins for EGP.
... for an unbelievable exchange rate. Then a few minutes later they'd return with more people saying that they want to "undo" the exchange because the rate was unfair, and they give you back your LEs, except that some of the LEs have turned into 50 piastres ...

The MS code derives from the Arabic name-Misr lil Tayaran.

Honestly, MS isn't terrible for domestic and regional routes. But for something like JFK-CAI. No. Hell no. A 772 with no PTVs would be too much. But at least they'll get 77Ws with new interiors next year....

Would it fly in Egypt if I reserved a few rolls of George Washingtons to hand out as baksheesh? We will be strictly in tourist locations. No back-country, no wandering off on our own.

Dollar coins have little circulation here in the US. Would waiters, porters, washroom attendants, and the myriad others who live on baksheesh recognize the coins?



:D This is a joke right?

If it's not a joke it would be the same as someone tipping a NY waiter with a handful of foreign coins.

Imagine how that would go down.

3rd world doesn't mean the people are of any less intelligence, or would be any less offended than Americans.

As other posters have pointed out, foreign coins cannot usually be exchanged in any country.

Any advice on best options from Boston to Cairo in J? Considering BA, Lufthansa or Air France?
thanks

Personally my favorite is BA.. or at least it was before they came up with this insane practice of making you pay for advanced seat selection - after they swore on their website they'd 'never think' of doing so.

Any advice on best options from Boston to Cairo in J? Considering BA, Lufthansa or Air France?
thanks
If you were willing to go by coach to LHR, I'd suggest BD. Their business class service on the A330 is supposed to be excellent and their flights are times at social hours. If you have to fly from EMA then I'd suggest BD to BRU and MS to CAI, just for ease of through ticketing.

I'm flying AUH-CAI-AUH in C on MS next year.

I didn't know they were dry. Why should they be? Egypt isn't that devout.

I guess I'll just have to have a few drinks before and after the flights.

And how about their business class lounges. I don't suppose you can get a drink there either. Maybe I should just switch to another airline.

:rolleyes:

I didn't know they were dry. Why should they be? Egypt isn't that devout.


What the government does rarely ever reflects the people here. There may be no Islamic law government-wise, but an overwhelming majority of Egyptians live by it anyway. Hence, tourists are advised to 'act/dress/talk/etc. conservatively' when they come out here.

-aq

I once was forced to give up 2 micro bottles of alcohol (less than 100ml) at the security check getting onto my Egyptair flight because the screening guard refused to let me take it on board. But if you have a bottle from duty free in the sealed bag no problem. Egypt is trending conservative these days and you can't get alcohol in their nice new lounge in terminal 3 but can get coffee. But if you step just outside there is a bar selling drinks just down the hall. Even their codeshares where they are the operating company will be dry.

Another interesting story... a Saudi prince bought the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Cairo a year or so ago. He decided it was going to be dry and they dumped tens of thousands of dollars of alcohol into the Nile. Upshot was that he was then informed that the hotel would lose a star and no longer be listed as 5 star as they didn't serve alcohol. Interestingly they then started serving it at one of the hotel restaurants again. I guess money trumps morals if the price is high enough.