Background
EGYPTAIR is a Star Alliance member and recently celebrated 80 years in the business. The airline serves 72 destinations around the world, including 25 main European and 21 North African, West African and Middle Eastern destinations. Interestingly, 80% of its fleet consists of brand new aircraft. Connecting times from Cairo to onward destinations are minimal and the new Terminal 3 at Cairo International Airport is impressive.
Check-In
After a hectic schedule in London, I arrived in a panic at the check-in desk with my bulging luggage. Even with the generous baggage allowance of two bags of 32 kilograms each, one of my bags was too heavy. The sympathetic check-in clerk patiently explained that regulations forbid the baggage handlers from carrying baggage over the allocated limit. She suggested moving some of the excess weight to another bag, which I was happy to do. Whilst I was busy with this task, another clerk came to check on me and apologised for the inconvenience. This whole check-in process only took about seven minutes and the staff were more than willing to accommodate my additional hand luggage (well, the excess had to go somewhere!) and laptop. So, with a big sigh of relief, I moved through to passport control, even though I felt like a loaded pack horse.
Lounge & Boarding
With all my heavy hand luggage, I was delighted to find the Star Alliance lounge quickly and easily. It was just what the doctor ordered, having had no time that day for breakfast or lunch. I enjoyed the selection of hot foods, fresh salads and drinks, and sat down to catch up on some emails. The lounge is bright and modern, catering for both adults and children. Certainly, it is the biggest and most impressive Business Class lounge I have ever experienced. From there, it was a fair walk to the departure gate, and although the Business Class passengers were allowed to board first, there was a departure delay of nearly an hour. Unfortunately, the reason for the delay wasn’t communicated to the passengers and we sat in limbo.
The Flight
All was forgiven once a friendly flight attendant handed me a glass of juice and I settled into my spacious seat on the Boeing 777-300 – an aircraft that contains 346 seats, including 49 lie-flat, with a 78-inch seat pitch. I was eager to test out the flat-bed, so I wasted no time adjusting my settings and settling down for a snooze. Once woken for my meal, I enjoyed my mezze platter starter, before opting for the chicken over the beef and shrimp for main course. My chicken was good, although the shrimp on the tray next to mine looked exceptionally good, so I had a bit of ‘order envy’. A mouthwatering selection of desserts completed the meal and I soon settled back into my flat-bed. Although there was a good selection of entertainment and a seat lumbar massage, I was so tired that I didn’t get to experience it all, and the five-hour flight time went by in a flash. Just a note – EGYPTAIR is a dry airline and does not offer any alcohol on its flights.
Arrival
After a smooth flight, we arrived in Cairo about 45 minutes later than expected. The airport is rather large and it took over 10 minutes to taxi the plane to the terminal. Disembarking was quick and within 15 minutes I had found my way to the next lounge.
Verdict
My first EGYPTAIR experience was a good one and but for the delay, it would have been perfect. Great Business Class perks, including a healthy luggage allowance.
Zelka Spoja-Vieira
Contact
Web: egyptair.com