Part 3: Cairo – Dubai in EgyptAir Business Class
After spending roughly a day wandering the streets of Cairo, I could only conclude that this is an awful city. Apart from the traffic, the polluted air and the filthy houses, the people in particular were far from the friendliest. Trying to get a table at a restaurant resulted in a yelling from the manager. Those who didn’t act rude however, were only doing so in the interest of taking your money. This was the case when visiting the Egyptian Museum, where a so called ”official guide” kept following me, insisting that I’d buy a tour from him. At the end, I paid him 40 EGP for the tour just to shut him up.
I returned to the hotel at roughly 8pm in the evening. Starving from the lack open restaurants in the city, I headed across the street for some Kochary and Falafel. While being cheap as chips it tasted all right, and left me very full.
I woke up the following morning at 6am. After a quick shower, and packing up my stuff, I headed down to the reception, where I paid the bill before heading off to the airport. This time the shuttle driver dumped me at curb side of the terminal, forcing me to tackle the crowds and scam artists all by myself.
I quickly stopped by a check-in machine to print my boarding pass, before realising that I also needed a customs form. The form was obtained from a check-in desk, and I was soon able to clear passport control and security. With one hour to go before boarding, I headed over to the EgyptAir Alameisan Lounge which was closest to my gate.
Lounge entrance.
The lounge was practically a mini version of the Star Alliance Lounges found in LHR, LAX and CDG. To be honest I’m not a big fan of that design.
Lounge overview. The place was pretty crowded.
Luckily I managed to find two empty seats for myself.
The food and drink offerings this morning consisted of hot foods such as fried eggs and sausages, as well as various pastries, breads, cold cuts, juices and a coffee machine. Since I hadn’t had any breakfast at the hotel, I settled for a croissant and some sausages.
My light breakfast.
Gradually the lounge began filling up, and as I went off to get some more coffee somebody had already moved my stuff aside and taken my seats. Seriously, do people in this country have any manners left? Nevertheless, I figured I’d better spend the last 30 minutes at the gate.
Flight: MS912 CAI-DXB
Departure: 9.15
Arrival: 14.30
Duration: 3h 15m
Seat: 10A
Boarding was once again called 15 minutes late, without explanation. Passengers in Business Class and Star Gold were allowed to board the plane first. At door 1L an additional boarding pass control was made, before I was allowed to enter this brand new A330-300.
First impressions of the A330 cabin were far more positive than those of the B777. It was all bright and clean with no signs of wear.
Cabin during boarding.
The seats on the A330 were the same as on the B777 with the exception of the tighter pitch. To me this was good news since it meant that I could reach the stowage compartments without having to get out of the seat.
As you can see, there’s quite some contrast to the B777. Only 2 windows per row.
The cabin quickly filled up, and I didn’t spot a single empty seat on the flight. The passengers today were mostly businessmen, and not a single child as opposed to the previous flight. The crew was friendlier offering newspapers at the gate.
Soon the doors closed, and we quickly taxied to the runway before taking off over the vast desert lands.
Climbing to our cruising altitude.
Shortly after reaching cruising altitude, the service began with hot towels followed by table linens, breakfast tray and warm pastries.
Breakfast tray.
There was hardly any time for me to finish the pastries, before the breakfast main course was served. Choices were either omelette with a beef patty and potatoes, or some type of mystery nugget. I chose the former.
Breakfast main.
The food on this flight was much better than on the previous one. While the omelette may have a been a bit on the bland side, the beef and potatoes tasted very well. The croissant was slightly on the dry side, but still acceptable enough. What I didn’t like was the lack of refills. Not a single time did I see the crew offering refills on the juice or some extra breads. Neither coffee or tea was served during the breakfast which was a bit of a shame. The service was once again rushed, but I managed to finish more this time.
Finishing the breakfast with some coffee.
After the trays had been cleared, I put the seat in the bed mode and watched a movie. The seat on the A330 was actually more comfortable than on the B777, and the tighter pitch meant I felt less exposed while sleeping. The movie in question was Guess Who, starring Ashton Kutcher and the late Bernie Mac, a great performance from both actors.
Bed mode.
The flight was enjoyable, and it passed too quickly. We soon began our descent into Dubai International Airport. During our approach we were treated to some nice views over the city.
My seat after arrival.
Upon exiting the aircraft from door 1L, I quickly made my way to the passport control. A premium lane was available, but for some reason I didn’t see anyone guarding it, which meant that all passengers used it. Luckily the airport was fairly quiet this afternoon and it didn’t take me more than five minutes to get through.
Shortly after exciting the arrivals hall, I made my way to the metro station to catch a ride into town. A day pass was purchased for 16 AED, and the booth lady was kind enough to give me directions to my hotel. Upon checking in at the Ramada, I was shocked to hear that my reservation couldn’t be find. Perhaps they canceled my mistake rate, I thought to myself. Luckily it turns out that the metro lady had given me directions to the wrong Ramada, and the receptionist was kind enough to get me a taxi to the correct hotel. Turns out I was at the Ramada in Bur Dubai.
Ramada Jumeirah Dubai
Hotel exterior.
A quick taxi ride later, and I found myself at the more superior Jumeirah property. The check-in this time worked fine, and I was only asked for my hotels.com confirmation number. My request for a non-smoking king room was granted, and soon one of the bellboys escorted me to my room.
My King Standard room at the Ramada Jumeirah Hotel.
Having heard some mixed reviews on the Ramada chain, my expectations for the hotel were sat fairly low. Those were however exceeded the moment I entered the property. As for the room, it was big, bright and comfortable. Amenities included a minibar, safe, complimentary water, coffee/tea, an iPhone station and complimentary robes. I would certainly rank the standard higher than that of the Radisson I stayed at earlier.
The full-marble bathroom featuring a walk-in shower.
All in all, I couldn’t have been more pleased with the hotel especially considering that I paid practically nothing for it. Having un-packed my bags and changed to a clean shirt, I headed for some evening sightseeing and dinner.