SullyofDoha

Last summer I had an international connection time at London LHR with BA where my flight connection was 55 minutes and arrival and departure was in two different terminals. I was pretty nervous about it, however, we made the flight with a bit of time to spare.
Now I am looking ahead to this August where I arrive on Qatar Airways into Cairo Terminal 2 at 11.30AM. My outbound flight is on the same aircraft that has a departure time of 13.10PM which gives me 1 hour and 40 minutes. Has anyone else done this same transit turnaround yet? If so, how well did it go for you?

Axey

It's definitely possible, and has been done. OLCI helps as it's then just a BP reprint for the agent.

dutch_122

Axey,

OLCI done before departure from BKK, and printed also.
When entered Al Safwa I asked and again inside the lounge, both times told cannot be done, departing from Cairo, maybe the wrong agents on duty.

IAN-UK

Online check-in may be possible, but it will not give you boarding cards and it makes very little, or no, difference to your treatment at Cairo.

You present documentation at the CAI transfer desk to show you have an onward flight from the airport. It matters not a jot whether this involves an itinerary printout, or a check-in receipt.

Regardless of your documentation, the transfer desk contacts QR's Cairo team who do the simple job of checking you in and issuing boarding passes: they then get these to you in the transfer area, check that the immigration services have put the correct stamps in your passport and on your boarding cards: and off you go.

It's not difficult, it is time-consuming, it might rattle the nerves, but you get through.

Axey

Thanks for all that education. I do this a few times a month.

Anyhow, the point about OLCI was that while you do not get a BP for the CAI-DOH segment, you are actually checked in. Your e-ticket reflects a CKIN status and as far as the PSS is concerned, you're checked in like anyone else. This means that a remote-station print of your BP is possible. While some agents may or may not feel they have the ability to do it, the good ones can, and do.

IAN-UK

You are very welcome.


I can see a vague advantage of being checked-in, particularly in case of over-booking. Though I'd have thought with the status that "a few times a month" must bring, down-grading or off-loading isn't really on the cards...

Not to quibble, but if the system allows the out-station printing of boarding-ares, but the rules forbid it, then I'm not sure going ahead and forcing the print is the mark of a good agent.

And, again, even if you had the boarding-cards, you'd still have to go through the hoops at CAI.

Axey

There are no rules that forbid it (that I'm aware of). I've had absolutely no issues asking for a return same-day checkin DOH-DXB-DOH, for example, at Al Safwa and gotten both BP's. No one blinked an eye.

Grace B

When I did my recent 3 hour transit at CAI from QR (T2) to MS (T3) I was "walked through" the entire process by a QR and an MS representative (as a result of sitting next to the QR Egypt manager on the inbound flight), and did not receive any stamp in my passport.

I had zero problems with this. Maybe someone thought one of the several previous visa on arrival stamps in my passport was sufficient?

Matt4

I could manage to get my CAI-DOH boarding pass printed at the (Y Platinum status passengers) first class lounge in DOH but I gave it with my passport to the QR employee in CAI at the transfer desk and finally got a new boarding pass with the official stamp and a transit stamp in my passport before my flight back to DOH a few hours later, so it let me think there's no use to try to get a CAI-DOH boarding pass before reaching CAI.

IAN-UK

.. précisément! ^

TerryK

Is this turn feasible with checked bag?

Carfield

Just want to share with everyone my same day turnaround experience this morning from QR 1303 which arrives Cairo at 11:30am and then turn around as QR 1304 departing Cairo at 1:10pm!

I have no check-in baggage and this morning when I arrived at the Al Safwa First Class Lounge from Sydney, I asked about boarding pass printing for my Cairo to Doha flight. The agent said that he could only do it after I did online check in. I followed his instruction and subsequently got my return boarding passes. In reality, it really matters little but more like a little security for your mind.

My flight fortunately arrived early at Cairo and parked at gate E7, which was QR's gate these days, at 11:24am. I listened to the comments here and yes there were two very misleading signs... but as everyone noted here, please lean towards left and follow this sign.

"Connecting flights"
"Transit Information Counter"



Then you will see this door


Just walked past it and you will see a line of counters but there will only be one immigration officer there.

When I was there this morning, there was a number of people there. Apparently, one of the Beirut flights (from AUH or DOH) were oversold and a few passengers were sent to Cairo and connect to another flight to Beirut.

The officer was a bit on the "cool" side but he knew what he was doing. He basically took down all your information and then called the airline that you were connecting to. In my case, he called Qatar Airways and shoved the phone to me, as the agent wanted to talk to me directly. The very friendly QR agent just asked me my seat number and told me that they had to reprint my boarding passes as I need this special transit stamp. He told me five minutes wait, which was false, but I expected it. I just played with my phone and about 25 minutes later, the QR agent showed up with the new boarding passes, talked to the immigration agent, and then stamped my passport and boarding pass. Then the QR agent led me to a checkpoint and then after the agent saw my transit stamp, I was sent to the security checkpoint with everyone else.

I did not bother with the lounge because it was bad and there was another security checkpoint for lounge guests to return to gates from lounge. I don't know why but that is how things work here. Too much hassle for a poor lounge.

Anyway, it took me forty five minutes from the moment I stepped off the plane to reaching back to gate E7.

I hope it will help some future CAIRO turnaround fliers.

Carfield

SullyofDoha

Carfield, I have the exact turnaround flights coming up in August. Also will be carry-on only. Thank you for your trip report, it puts my mind somewhat at ease CHEERS!

allset2travel

Thanks for the detailed account of the transit process, and with pics ^

My bold. Interesting that your passport got stamped while transiting airside.

Carfield

As the agent emphasizes, it is a very special transit stamp!

Carfield