As the national carrier of Egypt, Egyptair is often the first introduction visitors have to the nation before they arrive. It is also one of the largest carriers in Africa and brings people to and from the country, but also connecting those travelling between the airline’s more than 100 destinations. Egyptair is a member of Star Alliance, which only helps it to expand its wings across the globe by making it easier to fly beyond its own route map using partners. The airline has a few key differences from other carriers that you should consider before booking your next flight. Let’s explore those.
While Egyptair is working to modernize its fleet with newer planes, it still has a large number of aircraft with older seating options, especially disappointing in business class. The best planes for long-haul sectors are the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner since all seats have a newer design. The worst seats are on the Airbus A330, which has, for example, angled, lie-flat seats in business class.
I learned the hard way when flying a long-haul flight on an A330 in business class, having a hard time trying to sleep in those cradle seats. But, my disappointment was redeemed when experiencing the Boeing Dreamliner in a 1-2-1 flat-bed setup in business class. Even more dense is the Boeing B777 aircraft in business class, which is 2-3-2 with a middle seat (no, there is no discount for that seat!).
In economy class, the opposite is true since the Boeing planes have a 3-3-3 setup in economy class. On the A330 plane, it is 2-4-2, which means that no one has more than one seat to climb over to reach the aisle. On the larger Boeing planes, people at the windows have to climb over two seats.
Now, the airline is adding newer planes like the Airbus A321neo and the A220, which are used on regional flights. The A220, often used on domestic flights, is one of the most comfortable for economy class because it is in a 2-3 layout. This means there is no middle seat on one side of the plane.
Egyptair does only an average job for inflight service, and the experience you have will often depend on the energy level of the crew. Some are more engaging than others. The airline only has two cabins: business and economy (nothing in between like premium economy).
While Egypt is not a dry country, many of its residents abstain from partaking in alcohol. And whether you are travelling to Egypt (or just connecting through the country), its national airline does not serve alcohol on any of its flights. It is a dry airline, which for some travellers, discourages them from flying with the Star Alliance carrier.
On short flights, this is rarely an issue, but I have seen surprised looks on people seated next to me on longer flights when they are told they cannot have a drink with dinner on a 12 hour flight. The airline shares this information on its website, but it is rarely advertised clearly.
There are some important caveats, however. You are permitted to bring alcohol purchased in duty-free at the airport onto the plane. Egyptair does not sell alcohol in its duty-free catalogue on board. No matter where you buy it, alcohol must remain sealed in the bag though.
When flying with Egyptair, your experience will vary. This is because the business class seat and layout can be so different depending on the plane. On the Boeing 737-800 or Airbus A220, 320 or A321 planes, it is a recliner seat in a 2-2 layout. Long-haul flights, however, can leave some travellers scratching their heads unless they do some research, because each aircraft can be different.
On long flights, there are supposed to be printed menus, but they are not always delivered, in my experience. Amenity kits are average at best, and the meal service is tasty, but not in great quantity. The airline could invest some effort in serving more Egyptian fare, in my opinion. On top of that, for a dry airline, Egyptair should spice up the menu with mocktails and creative juices.
I am not the only traveller to say that Egyptair could improve their customer service training, both on the ground and in the air. Egyptian hospitality is exceptional, but for some reason, it is not always present when travelling with the airline.
Much like the seating, entertainment offerings can vary from small business class screens on the A330 to larger screens on newer planes. The selection of international Hollywood movies and sitcoms seems smaller than expected for such long flights. There is a lot of Arabic and foreign language content, which makes sense.
Egyptair seating can be tight, but pillows and blankets (while not great quality) are available. On almost all flights with enough time, a meal is complimentary in economy class with soft drinks. On shorter flights, do not expect much.
Try your best to fly on one of the airline’s newer Airbus or Boeing 787 Dreamliner planes. You will be rewarded with larger entertainment screens and more content to enjoy on the flight, no matter where you are sitting.
To pass the time, the airline is adding Wi-Fi for a fee to its aircraft, but the system has been buggy when I have tried to use it. This is something the carrier is working to improve.
With such an extensive global network from North America and Europe to the Middle East, Asia, and a huge African network, many travellers may find themselves with more time in the Cairo airport than they would like. Egyptair has several services that can help to pass the time.
There are several Egyptair and Star Alliance lounges in Cairo’s various terminals, but they are also dry and have a very basic spread of snacks and light meals. Wi-Fi is free, but not always easy to connect to (I have always had difficulty staying connected).
On select itineraries with a long layover, Egyptair will offer travellers a transit hotel near the airport where they can sleep if they have an especially long time to wait. You will need to have at least six hours between flights when in business class, or at least eight hours when in economy class to be eligible for the complimentary transit hotel.
There are several caveats that include the type of fare, the cost of the ticket, and your origin and destination that can snag your efforts. Ask in advance if you qualify, and get it in writing. Each time I have tried to get a hotel during my “qualifying” transits, agents would find an excuse to not provide one unless you press them further and show proof that you were offered one.
Another important thing to consider before requesting a transit hotel is whether you need a visa to enter Egypt, as well as whether you are taking the fastest connection to your destination. If there is another connecting flight before yours that you could have taken, you will not get a free transit hotel.
Transiting without a visa in Cairo can be confusing, and I am lucky that someone explained to me what to do in advance. If transiting Cairo on two separate tickets or between airlines that do not partner together, you can still make it happen.
Once you arrive to Cairo, follow the signs to the transit security area. Chances are that it may look empty if there are not many flights arriving at the same time. Be assertive and look for someone that can help you. Egyptians are friendly, even if they may seem stern at the airport.
Be sure to arrive with printed documentation of your connecting flight. Someone will walk you to a transit room where you will probably have to give your passport to an official. They will then call the connecting airline to verify you are flying with them. The waits can seem long (usually 30 minutes to an hour), but eventually, you will be taken to your connecting airline flight (no visa required).
The airline’s Egyptair Plus program is not worth joining if you do not live in Egypt. Instead, I recommend using another Star Alliance partner program (usually one based closer to where you live) because you will find their miles easier to use. If you have elite status with Star Alliance, Egyptair offers priority check-in, boarding, and lounge access perks, which can meaningfully improve your travel experience.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up-to-date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
Low season | June |
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High season | March |
Flight # | Departure Airport | Arrival Airport | Duration | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
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688 | Dammam (DMM) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 10m | • | • | • | • | |||
687 | Cairo (CAI) | Dammam (DMM) | 2h 35m | • | • | • | • | |||
791 | Cairo (CAI) | Rome (FCO) | 3h 30m | • | • | • | • | |||
669 | Cairo (CAI) | Jeddah (JED) | 2h 10m | • | • | • | • | |||
612 | Cairo (CAI) | Kuwait City (KWI) | 2h 25m | • | • | • | • | |||
779 | Cairo (CAI) | London (LHR) | 5h 20m | • | • | • | • | |||
875 | Cairo (CAI) | Lagos (LOS) | 5h 50m | • | • | • | • | |||
753 | Cairo (CAI) | Madrid (MAD) | 5h 20m | • | • | • | • | |||
693 | Cairo (CAI) | Medina (MED) | 1h 45m | • | • | • | • | |||
703 | Cairo (CAI) | Milan (MXP) | 4h 5m | • | • | • | • | |||
849 | Cairo (CAI) | Nairobi (NBO) | 4h 55m | • | • | • | • | |||
651 | Cairo (CAI) | Riyadh (RUH) | 2h 30m | • | • | • | • | |||
846 | Algiers (ALG) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 0m | • | • | • | • | |||
792 | Rome (FCO) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 10m | • | • | • | • | |||
666 | Jeddah (JED) | Cairo (CAI) | 2h 15m | • | • | • | • | |||
613 | Kuwait City (KWI) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 0m | • | • | • | • | |||
778 | London (LHR) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 40m | • | • | • | • | |||
876 | Lagos (LOS) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 5m | • | • | • | • | |||
754 | Madrid (MAD) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 45m | • | • | • | • | |||
694 | Medina (MED) | Cairo (CAI) | 2h 0m | • | • | • | • | |||
704 | Milan (MXP) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 40m | • | • | • | • | |||
850 | Nairobi (NBO) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 10m | • | • | • | • | |||
652 | Riyadh (RUH) | Cairo (CAI) | 2h 55m | • | • | • | • | |||
851 | Cairo (CAI) | Addis Ababa (ADD) | 3h 40m | • | • | • | • | |||
748 | Athens (ATH) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 55m | • | • | • | • | |||
81 | Aswan (ASW) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 30m | • | • | • | • | |||
747 | Cairo (CAI) | Athens (ATH) | 2h 5m | • | • | • | • | |||
740 | Amman (AMM) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 30m | • | • | • | • | |||
968 | Cairo (CAI) | Mumbai (BOM) | 5h 20m | • | • | • | • | |||
739 | Cairo (CAI) | Amman (AMM) | 1h 20m | • | • | • | • | |||
845 | Cairo (CAI) | Algiers (ALG) | 4h 0m | • | • | • | • | |||
958 | Cairo (CAI) | Guangzhou (CAN) | 9h 0m | • | • | • | • | |||
969 | Mumbai (BOM) | Cairo (CAI) | 6h 30m | • | • | • | ||||
966 | Cairo (CAI) | Sharjah (SHJ) | 3h 15m | • | • | • | ||||
757 | Cairo (CAI) | Amsterdam (AMS) | 5h 10m | • | • | • | ||||
787 | Cairo (CAI) | Munich (MUC) | 4h 5m | • | • | • | ||||
732 | Berlin (BER) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 0m | • | • | • | ||||
43 | Hurghada (HRG) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 0m | • | • | • | ||||
800 | Paris (CDG) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 15m | • | • | • | ||||
781 | Cairo (CAI) | Manchester (MAN) | 5h 35m | • | • | • | ||||
730 | Moscow (DME) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 25m | • | • | • | ||||
61 | Luxor (LXR) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 10m | • | • | • | ||||
906 | Dubai (DXB) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 5m | • | • | • | ||||
788 | Munich (MUC) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 40m | • | • | • | ||||
758 | Amsterdam (AMS) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 30m | • | • | • | ||||
782 | Manchester (MAN) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 5m | • | • | • | ||||
731 | Cairo (CAI) | Berlin (BER) | 4h 20m | • | • | • | ||||
905 | Cairo (CAI) | Dubai (DXB) | 3h 15m | • | • | • | ||||
799 | Cairo (CAI) | Paris (CDG) | 4h 50m | • | • | • | ||||
847 | Cairo (CAI) | Casablanca (CMN) | 5h 40m | • | • | • | ||||
852 | Addis Ababa (ADD) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 50m | • | • | • | ||||
729 | Cairo (CAI) | Moscow (DME) | 5h 35m | • | • | • | ||||
29 | Sharm el-Sheikh (SSH) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 5m | • | • | • | ||||
812 | Tabuk (TUU) | Cairo (CAI) | 1h 10m | • | • | |||||
634 | Gassim (ELQ) | Cairo (CAI) | 2h 14m | • | • | |||||
726 | Brussels (BRU) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 15m | • | • | |||||
786 | Frankfurt am Main (FRA) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 5m | • | • | |||||
954 | Hangzhou (HGH) | Cairo (CAI) | 12h 20m | • | • | |||||
844 | Tunis (TUN) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 5m | • | • | |||||
727 | Hurghada (HRG) | Moscow (DME) | 5h 40m | • | • | |||||
967 | Sharjah (SHJ) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 0m | • | • | |||||
880 | Kano (KAN) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 0m | • | • | |||||
866 | Port Sudan (PZU) | Cairo (CAI) | 2h 15m | • | • | |||||
790 | Prague (PRG) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 40m | • | • | |||||
956 | Beijing (PEK) | Cairo (CAI) | 11h 0m | • | • | |||||
768 | Barcelona (BCN) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 5m | • | • | |||||
915 | Abu Dhabi (AUH) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 5m | • | • | |||||
914 | Cairo (CAI) | Abu Dhabi (AUH) | 3h 10m | • | • | |||||
977 | Cairo (CAI) | Jakarta (CGK) | 10h 15m | • | • | |||||
841 | Cairo (CAI) | Dar Es Salaam (DAR) | 5h 40m | • | • | |||||
887 | Cairo (CAI) | Douala (DLA) | 5h 25m | • | • | |||||
725 | Cairo (CAI) | Brussels (BRU) | 4h 50m | • | • | |||||
937 | Cairo (CAI) | Doha (DOH) | 2h 55m | • | • | |||||
775 | Cairo (CAI) | Dublin (DUB) | 6h 0m | • | • | |||||
733 | Cairo (CAI) | Düsseldorf (DUS) | 4h 45m | • | • | |||||
633 | Cairo (CAI) | Gassim (ELQ) | 1h 55m | • | • | |||||
785 | Cairo (CAI) | Frankfurt am Main (FRA) | 4h 35m | • | • | |||||
985 | Cairo (CAI) | New York (JFK) | 12h 0m | • | • | |||||
839 | Cairo (CAI) | Johannesburg (JNB) | 8h 20m | • | • | |||||
879 | Cairo (CAI) | Kano (KAN) | 4h 55m | • | • | |||||
920 | Cairo (CAI) | Manama (BAH) | 2h 40m | • | • | |||||
734 | Düsseldorf (DUS) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 15m | • | • | |||||
795 | Cairo (CAI) | Lisbon (LIS) | 6h 0m | • | • | |||||
62 | Cairo (CAI) | Luxor (LXR) | 1h 5m | • | • | |||||
84 | Cairo (CAI) | Aswan (ASW) | 1h 25m | • | • | |||||
833 | Cairo (CAI) | Asmara (ASM) | 2h 50m | • | • | |||||
789 | Cairo (CAI) | Prague (PRG) | 4h 0m | • | • | |||||
865 | Cairo (CAI) | Port Sudan (PZU) | 2h 10m | • | • | |||||
843 | Cairo (CAI) | Tunis (TUN) | 3h 25m | • | • | |||||
811 | Cairo (CAI) | Tabuk (TUU) | 1h 25m | • | • | |||||
848 | Casablanca (CMN) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 0m | • | • | |||||
888 | Douala (DLA) | Cairo (CAI) | 4h 50m | • | • | |||||
938 | Doha (DOH) | Cairo (CAI) | 3h 30m | • | • | |||||
776 | Dublin (DUB) | Cairo (CAI) | 5h 15m | • | • |
Commencing services in 1933, EgyptAir is the oldest airline in the Middle East. It operates out of a hub in Cairo, with flights reaching Europe, Asia, Africa, South America and North America. It is recognized as the national flag carrier of Egypt and is wholly owned by the government. Routes are available to more than 45 countries with some of the most frequented including Saudi Arabia, Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.
EgyptAir is a member of Star Alliance, offering a wide-reaching network of connected services through partnerships with United Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada and Air China, among others. It also holds codeshare agreements with additional carriers, such as Etihad Airways and Gulf Air, to increase the amounts of flights offered within the Middle East. A number of subsidiaries are aligned with the airline, including Air Cairo, Air Sinai and EgyptAir Express.
The fleet is made up of Boeing and Airbus planes, with a preference for narrow-body, short-distance jets. Models like the Boeing 737-800 and Airbus A320 are commonly flown. A falcon head features on the tail of the aircraft, which is a tribute to Egyptian mythology figure Horus. Many planes in the fleet have special decorations celebrating things such as the Egyptian National Football Team, Africa Cup of Nations tournament and 85 years of EgyptAir service.
Customers can choose between Economy and Business Class. In the Business section passengers are provided with an amenity kit that has socks, eyeshades and headphones. During evening flights, the lights are dimmed and a star pattern is projected onto the roof of the cabin.
IATA Code | MS |
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Routes | 207 |
Top route | Cairo to Luxor |
Airports served | 92 |
Top airport | Cairo |