CAI Cairo flight connections
Dec 18, 2014, 9:17 pm
#62
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: East or West
Posts: 388
Cairo: Exit Airport During Transit Without Visa?
I found something interesting in Timatic when looking at an upcoming itinerary that I hadn't seen mentioned before, or at least not that I was able to find.
FYI, I have a US passport and a 9-hour layover at CAI (connecting QR to RJ) and am hoping to see the pyramids.
Timatic says:
Egypt - Transit Visa
Visa required.
Transiting without a visa is possible for:
Holders of onward tickets for a max. transit time of 12 hours.
Leaving the airport is permitted for passengers with transit time between 6 and 12 hours. Passengers with transit time of less than 6 hours may leave the transit area but not the airport. (No hotel accommodation available at Cairo Airport).
Has anyone ever successfully left the airport without a visa? Everything I've read about leaving the airport during a layover involves paying the $25 visa on arrival fee.
FYI, I have a US passport and a 9-hour layover at CAI (connecting QR to RJ) and am hoping to see the pyramids.
Timatic says:
Egypt - Transit Visa
Visa required.
Transiting without a visa is possible for:
Holders of onward tickets for a max. transit time of 12 hours.
Leaving the airport is permitted for passengers with transit time between 6 and 12 hours. Passengers with transit time of less than 6 hours may leave the transit area but not the airport. (No hotel accommodation available at Cairo Airport).
Has anyone ever successfully left the airport without a visa? Everything I've read about leaving the airport during a layover involves paying the $25 visa on arrival fee.
Last edited by MahiMahi524; Dec 18, 2014 at 9:28 pm
Dec 19, 2014, 7:50 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 306
Cairo: Exit Airport During Transit Without Visa?
It is not very likely, unless you are on the Egyptair stopover. You would have to go past the immigration desks which check for the Visa. It is a pain, but of seeing the pyramids is important to you $25 is not a lot in the grand scheme of things.
Dec 19, 2014, 10:35 am
#64
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Location: London
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What you can do is simply try out the visa-free entry into Egypt: if it doesn't work, then spend a couple of minutes and a few dollars to arrange the visa at the airport.
Though I think the "TWOV and leaving the airport" option is to cover the MS and other TA tours. My understanding is that you need to surrender your passport.
Don't know what the "no hotel at the airport" is about. There're a couple of old standby places within the airport and a spanking new Méridien connected directly to T3.
Though I think the "TWOV and leaving the airport" option is to cover the MS and other TA tours. My understanding is that you need to surrender your passport.
Don't know what the "no hotel at the airport" is about. There're a couple of old standby places within the airport and a spanking new Méridien connected directly to T3.
Feb 19, 2015, 12:25 pm
#65
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: BKK
Programs: QR-G, TK-E , WY-G
Posts: 142
Cairo T3-T1 Intnl Transit: TK to QR with 4hrs connect time?
Arriving CAI on TK-T3 ,departing on QR-T1 to Doha, A class, about 4 hours between the flights,I will have the QR BP printed.
I had before T3-T3 transfers,any advice on this kind of connection?
Thanks in advance
I had before T3-T3 transfers,any advice on this kind of connection?
Thanks in advance
Feb 26, 2015, 5:23 pm
#68
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If your incoming flight is on schedule, you have plenty time, even if you have to enter Egypt to collect bags. Otherwise, with hand baggage and a BP, it's a well trod path. Though CAI appears chaotic it works well enough, and people are helpful.
A bit of a gamble on TK sticking to schedule when travelling on two tickets.
A bit of a gamble on TK sticking to schedule when travelling on two tickets.
Feb 27, 2015, 3:02 am
#69
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Jz completed this airside TWOV, transfer from T3 to T1, be prepared to wait and wait amd wait again. We landed frm Istanbul on TK690 in J at about 9am, abt 4.30 hours before QR1304 in A, the J and A makes no difference in the process.At T3 proceed to the one and only transfer desk manned by egypt air who will look at your itinerary and ask you to wait.Eventually abt an hour later and after a few more visits to remind them of our flight, a driver will appear to take you to T1. Its a bit of a distance,8kms according to the driver. On arrival at Terminal 1, turn left and through transfers and then you pass the transfer security and then hand in your passports and itinerary to the one police official manning it. He will call the airline staff who will take your passports and then eventually bring back your boarding passes and lounge invite. Some more paperwork and then you are off to the lounge. All in all NOT a 'seamless' transfer and as suggested by Ian-UK you can go landside it will be much much easier. TK was able to check in our luggage all the way thru and then QR provided us with new tags during the transfer.
Feb 27, 2015, 2:20 pm
#70
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Jz completed this airside TWOV, transfer from T3 to T1, be prepared to wait and wait amd wait again. We landed frm Istanbul on TK690 in J at about 9am, abt 4.30 hours before QR1304 in A, the J and A makes no difference in the process.At T3 proceed to the one and only transfer desk manned by egypt air who will look at your itinerary and ask you to wait.Eventually abt an hour later and after a few more visits to remind them of our flight, a driver will appear to take you to T1.
It's great you got TK to send your luggage through.
As for the CAI transfer, they can be irritatingly relaxed. But if you'd been pressed for time, I'm pretty confident you'd have pushed forward: they deal with crisis better than the mundane
Mar 7, 2015, 7:59 am
#71
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: BKK
Programs: QR-G, TK-E , WY-G
Posts: 142
Jz completed this airside TWOV, transfer from T3 to T1, be prepared to wait and wait amd wait again. We landed frm Istanbul on TK690 in J at about 9am, abt 4.30 hours before QR1304 in A, the J and A makes no difference in the process.At T3 proceed to the one and only transfer desk manned by egypt air who will look at your itinerary and ask you to wait.Eventually abt an hour later and after a few more visits to remind them of our flight, a driver will appear to take you to T1. Its a bit of a distance,8kms according to the driver. On arrival at Terminal 1, turn left and through transfers and then you pass the transfer security and then hand in your passports and itinerary to the one police official manning it. He will call the airline staff who will take your passports and then eventually bring back your boarding passes and lounge invite. Some more paperwork and then you are off to the lounge. All in all NOT a 'seamless' transfer and as suggested by Ian-UK you can go landside it will be much much easier. TK was able to check in our luggage all the way thru and then QR provided us with new tags during the transfer.
it was like a deja-vu for my transit, everything went exactly as you said ^
But the lounge was really something
Jun 15, 2015, 8:52 am
#72
Join Date: May 2008
Location: WAS
Programs: AA Ex Plt
Posts: 1,630
Well I have 3 hour layover and it appears that I will have to collect bags since both MS and QR said that MS won't check my bags all the way through. Has anyone done this and if so, any suggestions? (or something similar). I am assuming that I have to enter Egypt to get my bags (and as such get a visa), get from terminal 3 to terminal 1, recheck bags and make my flight. Anyway that this can this be done sterile without entering Egypt (?)
Cheers -
Cheers -
Aug 2, 2015, 3:36 am
#73
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 1
Connection with separate flight/ticket in Cairo
Hello,
My husband and son are flying into Cairo and then to the U.S. But they have two separate tickets (the one ticket is from UAE to Cairo, Cairo to NYC; the other ticket is a round trip between Budapest). This was supposed to originally be a trip to share Al sheikh but our son had a pneumothorax so diving is out and going to Budapest instead.
So, he is wondering how long and difficult with having to re-check luggage etc.
Thank you!
My husband and son are flying into Cairo and then to the U.S. But they have two separate tickets (the one ticket is from UAE to Cairo, Cairo to NYC; the other ticket is a round trip between Budapest). This was supposed to originally be a trip to share Al sheikh but our son had a pneumothorax so diving is out and going to Budapest instead.
So, he is wondering how long and difficult with having to re-check luggage etc.
Thank you!
Aug 2, 2015, 8:18 am
#74
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Welcome to FlyerTalk.
We have merged your query into a thread with some useful information. As you can see, it makes a difference if one must re-check baggage, has separate tickets or must change terminals.
Terminal 3 serves mostly Star Alliance carriers, including home carrier EgyptAir.
Since Sharm el-Sheikh is a domestic destination, that passenger will have to process arrival formalities (visa, immigration, customs if the connection is on a separate carrier) so it's a good idea to leave plenty of time for connections. Egyptian authorities can be efficient, but the "inshallah" (if God wills it) attitude can result in a lack of concern, slowness and occasionally shambolic activity. As in "inshallah, he'll make his connection", implying "it's out of my hands".
Link to list of airlines and terminals
Link to airport site
We have merged your query into a thread with some useful information. As you can see, it makes a difference if one must re-check baggage, has separate tickets or must change terminals.
Terminal 3 serves mostly Star Alliance carriers, including home carrier EgyptAir.
Since Sharm el-Sheikh is a domestic destination, that passenger will have to process arrival formalities (visa, immigration, customs if the connection is on a separate carrier) so it's a good idea to leave plenty of time for connections. Egyptian authorities can be efficient, but the "inshallah" (if God wills it) attitude can result in a lack of concern, slowness and occasionally shambolic activity. As in "inshallah, he'll make his connection", implying "it's out of my hands".
Link to list of airlines and terminals
Link to airport site
Last edited by JDiver; Aug 2, 2015 at 8:28 am
Aug 2, 2015, 4:10 pm
#75
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Hello,
My husband and son are flying into Cairo and then to the U.S. But they have two separate tickets (the one ticket is from UAE to Cairo, Cairo to NYC; the other ticket is a round trip between Budapest). This was supposed to originally be a trip to share Al sheikh but our son had a pneumothorax so diving is out and going to Budapest instead.
So, he is wondering how long and difficult with having to re-check luggage etc.
Thank you!
My husband and son are flying into Cairo and then to the U.S. But they have two separate tickets (the one ticket is from UAE to Cairo, Cairo to NYC; the other ticket is a round trip between Budapest). This was supposed to originally be a trip to share Al sheikh but our son had a pneumothorax so diving is out and going to Budapest instead.
So, he is wondering how long and difficult with having to re-check luggage etc.
Thank you!
The ideal would be if he is travelling Egyptair on both tickets. The bags go straight through, and he transfers airside with no messing about.
Your son, from what i understand, is travelling BUD CAI NYC on a single ticket. No problems.
Sharm looks to be a red herring: is anyone actually going there?