As one of the largest cities in Africa, home to the world famous Pyramids of Giza, there are plenty of reasons to visit Cairo. But I recently travelled through Cairo twice, and this was as close as I got to a pyramid:
Egypt is definitely on my bucket list for future trips. However, I had other plans at the time, which meant I couldn’t fit in a few days exploring Cairo while I was there.
Ultimately, sightseeing wasn’t the main reason that I visited Cairo last year. Instead, it was so I could take advantage of some cheap Business Class fares.
I used Cairo as a transit point on my way home from Europe earlier in the year, and then on another trip from Australia to Morocco. Each time, I only stayed one night near Cairo’s international airport.
This made sense for a couple of reasons, although travelling through Cairo is not without issues…
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Airfare pricing is complex
To fully understand why I chose to go to Cairo twice, a crucial bit of knowledge is that airlines don’t price airfares based solely on the distance of the flight. Otherwise, it would be a simple calculation.
Instead, airfare prices are based on what customers are willing to pay, or the demand for flights. This is why airlines put a price premium on non-stop flights. Unless you’re doing a status run, or really like flying, most people just want to get to their destination as quickly as possible. This is exactly what Qantas is banking on for its Project Sunrise flights.
Airlines also adjust their prices based on the market in the point of origin for each ticket sold. In other words, what customers are able to pay.
These two factors combine to greatly affect ticket prices. This effect becomes evident when flying from Australia to popular destinations like Europe. The “Australia tax” is largely a reflection of the very high demand for travel and the relative ability of Australians to afford higher airfares.
Course 8 of the Australian Frequent Flyer Training has more details about airfare pricing, and how you can use this to your advantage to find cheap airfares & round the world tickets.
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Why you’ll often find cheaper Business Class fares from Cairo
If you’re looking for cheap Business Class, Cairo ticks all the boxes.
- There’s lower Business Class demand from Cairo due to fewer business travel/premium leisure travellers.
- It’s a major airport that many airlines fly to, including premium carriers.
- There is a home airline that offers direct flights, which airlines offering indirect flights have to compete against.
- Disposable income is lower than in other nearby regions, such as Europe and the Arabian peninsula.
This creates a perfect storm for premium cabin airfares.
Cairo is one of four locations beginning with “C” which often have cheap airfares – known as the “four Cs”. The other “Cs” are Colombo, Cape Town and Casablanca. Many of the above dot points apply to these airports as well.
Oslo, Dublin, Jakarta, Manila and Bangkok also regularly see cheaper airfares. The airports in Asia are extremely useful for Australians looking for cheap Business Class flights to Europe.
Booking Business Class from Cairo
Thus, I chose Cairo as a departure point to fly back to Australia from Europe. I booked a return Business Class ticket from Cairo that I could use to “nest” a trip back to Cairo, which I would then use as a starting point for more travel.
Firstly, I needed to actually get to Cairo! My starting point was Vienna, so I booked the following flights on Iberia in Economy for $311:
- IB3121 Vienna 12:20 – Madrid 15:30
- IB3626 Madrid 16:35 – Cairo 22:20
The next flights, departing the day after I arrived in Cairo, were part of my ticket home. The following flights on a combination of Royal Jordanian and Qantas in Business Class formed my return ticket from Egypt to Australia, which cost me a total of $4,214:
- RJ502 Cairo 08:55 – Amman 11:20
- RJ182 Amman 02:25 – Bangkok 14:35
- QF24 Bangkok 18:00 – Sydney 07:30 (+1 day)
On the way back, I chose to include a stopover in Jordan for four days, using these flights:
- QF295 Sydney 09:50 – Bangkok 16:40
- RJ183 Bangkok 00:25 – Amman 05:25
- RJ503 Amman 11:35 – Cairo 13:05
Lastly, I flew to Morocco the day after flying Amman-Cairo on a separate ticket. My Cairo-Marrakech ticket cost a relatively affordable $630 for the following Business Class flights on Royal Air Maroc:
- AT273 Cairo 07:40 – Casablanca 11:30
- AT413 Casablanca 17:05 – Marrakech 18:10
The entire cost for all of this was $5,155, and I earned 705 Qantas status credits. This trip allowed me to fly Business Class most of the way between Europe and Australia, with the added bonus of it helping me to qualify for Qantas Platinum status!
Royal Jordanian Business Class isn’t the best product ever, but it’s lie-flat and Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport is actually quite modern. Plus, on the return leg, I was able to fly the Qantas/Finnair AirLounge Business Class.
Travelling through Cairo Airport: The first time
I had quite the experience travelling through Cairo, with a few ups and downs.
Getting to Cairo
The first issue had nothing to do with Cairo. Unfortunately, my very first Iberia flight from Vienna to Madrid arrived 45 minutes late. My connecting flight to Cairo departed from the satellite terminal in Madrid, and I needed to clear immigration, so there was no way I would make the connection.
Instead, I went straight to the Iberia Dali Premium Lounge, and explained what happened and why I needed to get to Cairo that night.
The staff in the lounge were excellent and rebooked me onto an Iberia flight to Rome, followed by an ITA Airways flight to Cairo.
As an aside, the ITA Airways A321neo looks fantastic. They have a gorgeous Business Class, with direct aisle access from every seat, and my Economy seat was also very comfortable.
Transiting in Cairo
After reading about other experiences transiting Cairo Airport, I decided to enter the country rather than attempting to transit on separate tickets.
I applied for an e-visa for Egypt prior to my arrival, which meant my arrival was much quicker than if I’d applied for a visa on arrival. Note that if you are going to get a visa on arrival, most stands only take cash with USD preferred.
Unfortunately, Iberia also forgot to load my checked bag in Madrid, so I filled out a lost baggage form and left it with an ITA Airways staff member in Cairo. The good news is that the ITA Airways ground staff in Cairo were helpful, and my bag actually was returned to me in Sydney a couple of weeks later.
This, plus a final security check, meant I left the airport at about 3am (the ITA flight landed at 2am). At least at this time of night there was no pressure for taxis or for luggage assistance.
I was staying at Novotel Cairo Airport, which was a 15-minute walk away, so I made the incredibly dubious decision to walk there. I would definitely not recommend this, as you have to walk on the main roads.
They do offer a shuttle bus, although they claimed it was not running past midnight. The hotel itself is fine – the Wi-Fi was slow, but the rooms were clean and it’s pretty cheap. Le Meridien is more expensive but the most convenient option, as it’s connected to Terminal 3.
Departing Cairo Airport in Business Class
Cairo Airport Terminal 2 (where I departed) consists of two buildings. The check-in area occupies one building, completely separate from airside, but a walkway connects them.
To get airside, I had to go through one security check to enter the check-in area. After check-in, I went upstairs to clear immigration. Then I walked across to the airside terminal building for another security check.
Even though there were few people around, the entire process still took over 40 minutes.
After finally getting airside, I could access the Ahlein Lounge, which was… basic but fine.
The boarding process for my flight was a bit chaotic, and the staff couldn’t enforce any priority. But Cairo Airport was definitely navigable!
Travelling through Cairo Airport: The second time
On the second time through, I planned my transit more thoroughly but forgot to get an e-visa.
My Royal Jordanian flight arrived in the middle of the day, and the visa-on-arrival queues were about 30 minutes long.
Exiting the airport took around one and a half hours. This time, I organised the hotel shuttle before my arrival. I made sure to have some US Dollars on hand to tip the shuttle driver.
This time, when departing and arriving at the airport, the baggage porters were very… eager. Travelling solo with only small luggage, I managed to ward them off, but I saw porters somewhat forcibly taking other people’s luggage to “escort” them.
Overall, Cairo Airport is not the horror show that some people make it out to be, especially if you enter the country.
If you’re taking advantage of cheap Business Class airfares from Cairo, I think getting a visa and entering the country is a much better option. But be prepared with cash, and as an experienced traveller to Egypt advises on the AFF forum, allow plenty of time for check-in.
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