In Washington, the EgyptAir agents could not print out my boarding pass from Cairo to London, forcing me to visit the EgyptAir transit counter in Cairo. That not only took 30 minutes of my time, but nearly torpedoed my trip.
Transit In Cairo: EgyptAir Staff Think I’m Crazy
After landing at 3:55am in Cairo, I walked to the transit counter, which is located immediately before the immigration counters. All staff members were male and most ignored me, but one agent at the far end of the counter motioned for me to approach him.
I explained that I was in transiting from Washington Dulles and needed to collect my onboard boarding pass for London. He took my passport and pulled up my itinerary on his screen.
Then his jaw dropped. Literally.
AGENT: You began in Los Angeles?
ME: Yes.
AGENT: You go to London, then Tokyo, then Bangkok?
ME: Yes.
AGENT: Why you go this way?
ME: I like to fly.
AGENT: Why not go direct to Bangkok?
ME: No direct flights from Los Angeles.
AGENT: But why so many stops?
ME: I wanted to fly EgyptAir and ANA on this trip.
He then asked for my COVID-19 PCR test. I presented it and after examining it, he said it was too old (it was less than 48 hours old) to enter Japan. I told him I was not entering Japan. He then reminded me I have a 20 hour layover there. But I told him I would just be transiting.
Next he asked for proof of purchase of my quarantine test in London. I again explained that I was just transiting London.
He told me to take a seat.
His colleague finally called me over and explained that my PCR test was too old. I chose not to argue…never argue with an airline employee holding your onward boarding pass.
Instead, I told him it will be no problem for me to get a COVID-19 test in London during my seven-hour layover. That way, I’d have a fresh test to enter Thailand with.
(In reality, the rule states that the test must not be more than 72 hours old from your first port of departure. Even though I flew with so many stops, because they were all layovers, not stopovers, the 72-hour clock began 72 hours prior to my departure from Los Angeles)
After conferring with more colleagues, the agent issued my boarding pass for London and I was finally on way upstairs. He also offered me a cup of coffee, which was a kind gesture:
He still said I was “crazy” for such a “long” itinerary.
CONCLUSION
I was really hoping to avoid the transit counter in Cairo because the fewer people I have to explain this trip to, the better…but it all worked out fine in the end. Barely. And I even experienced Egyptian hospitality with a strong cup of coffee.
> Read More: My Epic Trip To Bangkok To Dine On An L-1011 Jet!
“I’m traveling this way because I write a travel blog.”
Done.
I figured that would have opened up additional questioning. I rarely admit I am a travel blogger.
For the record, I’ve told customs and immigration officials in several countries that I’m traveling to write stories for a travel blog. I’ve been laughed at a few times, but nobody’s given me any trouble about it. Maybe CAI isn’t the best place to admit that, though.
I travel this way to recoup my sanity from the ball and chain at home coupled with two screaming kids. The coffee would have been upgraded to an art featuring latte. 🙂
@ Matthew — I am beginning to question your sanity. There really isn’t much, if any, benefit to doing these crazy things nowadays.
Gene, I think you underestimate how much I enjoy these adventures. I find them exhilarating.
I second what Matthew says. Few things would make me happier than a multi stop jaunt across the world. Just like the good old days.
Was hoping for a better headline, like “Great Coffee for an Insane Traveler in Cairo International Airport (CAI)”
And seriously, no review of the coffee itself?? Missed opportunity.
They added sugar to it without asking me. I had to dump it. Still, it was a very generous gesture.
For a long time, the blogs were promoting cheap biz class fares ex-Cairo. So, like an idiot, I chose to do it. What a nightmare. I got stopped for a “strange routing” which resulted in me missing my flight and being kicked the curbside in Cairo at midnight in shorts and a T-shirt with no bags and no ticket to get home. I spent the night at the Airport Meridien (thank you starwood points) and luckily the next morning, cash was king…. paying the right “penalties,” I somehow was re-accommodated. But what a stressful experience. I was certain given the lack of help the night before I was going to have to purchase a new ticket. There also was a guy with me who was not permitted to travel because he bought a one way on one airline and return on a different one. Apparently, that isn’t allowed or is “suspicious.” Arbitrary rules.
Which deal did you book? What was your original routing?
CAI – Amman – JFK for under $1000 in Biz
I cam from Amman to CAI… so they didn’t understand why I went AMM – CAI – AMM – JFK
Transit desk was closed so I couldn’t get my onward boarding pass and they pushed me out to the ticket counter
I have done something similar but with no backtracking involved; CDG-CAI (MS) connecting to CAI-IST-BKK (TK). I had built a fair amount of time into the connection and had been preparing for having to go landside, but ended up being able to get everything sorted out at CDG and had no issues at CAI- as a bonus, the [underwhelming] lounge was open overnight so I was able to wait it out in a comfy armchair. Saved over €1k compared to the ex-UK ticket I had been contemplating.
They were right. You are insane for trying this itinerary.
I’ve had to do weird transits in Cairo before and it usually ends up similar to your experience. Short of a straightforward single connection flight (and sometimes even then), they love to create drama at the transit desk!
Is the common theme for these posts going to be titles filled with hyperbole?
“Traumatized in London Lounge” – turns out they served frozen OJ and not the real thing
“Disastrous Massage in Thai Lounge” – the massage finished 5 minutes early
“Catastrophe Aboard ANA’s 787-9” – the espresso machine was broken
Well, you get the idea…
LOL. Good suggestions Aaron. You know my style!
To be fair, there was no hyperbole in this post.
What you went through wasn’t exactly trouble, more inconvenience than anything else.
Also, one employee thought you were crazy, not EgyptAir (did any other employee say anything?), and mentioned it to you, though I doubt he literally meant you are clinically insane.
If Gary Leff was writing that Thai lounge post, it would probably reference an “unhappy ending”.
BMW paper cups? That’s a long way from Munich! I’m retired from BMW in the U.S. and have a pretty fair collection of mugs, steins and glassware with the roundel emblem but never got a paper cup, even on numerous trips to factory. Curious.
avoid egyptair and egypt like the plague. I’m sorry but I had a terrible experience but I gave it another chance and went back this year and guess what. nothing but failures and frustrations all around. left the country fuming rather than having a relaxing healing time
Egypt is notorious for being excessively investigatory, even for sterile transit.
I had a friend stuck in Cairo customs for six hours because they thought his passport was fake, even though he had the embassy on the phone.
Matthew you’re indeed insane but we love you for that.
This itinerary is nothing a course of rivaroxaban can’t fix.
I’ve never had an EgyptAir flight that wasn’t stressful – even back in the early 70s, when Misrair had just been rebranded as EgyptAir. I was working outside Luxor and frequently had to fly up to Cairo. A daily Aswan – Luxor – Cairo flight was made using a four-prop, Soviet-built IL-18; unless a smaller, two-prop AN-24 was utilized instead. (Or on rare occasions, a leased Inex-Adria DC-9) At the Luxor Airport anyone could buy a ticket on that flight, but it wasn’t possible to actually reserve a seat. Because… when the plane landed, and parked far out on the ramp, everyone holding a ticket was told to board the plane. Sometimes there were 150 or more people streaming out on to the tarmac to get onboard a plane that might only have a handful of available seats. When all the seats were occupied, several soldiers with rifles came onboard and forced-off everyone who was left standing in the aisle. It could get ugly. Being young and fit, I learned to break into a run as soon as the terminal doors were opened, and was sometimes the first person bounding up the stairs and in to the (stifling) cabin.
Back in the 90’s I flew TWA STL-YYZ in the a.m. and YYZ-STL back that afternoon. The customs agent in YYZ asked what my business was, when I was leaving etc. She seemed skeptical when I told her I was an airplane/airport buff and just wanted to spend the day at the airport watching planes and collecting airline timetables but allowed me to enter Canada with the provision that I would be “arrested” if I did not check in with US pre-clearance by a certain time. The US pre-clearance agent told me they were “alerted” to my presence and asked me even more questions and I showed them all the timetables I had collected and the Toronto Canada tee-shirt I had purchased and let me through. I’m quite sure I was the topic of conversation that day for a few people.
Oh well, I got my timetables and tee-shirt and If they thought I was a nutcase/weirdo…well av-geeks kind of are so “guilty as charged”.
When you end up in BKK, how did you play the points vs. cash decision on hotel stays? I found it hard to spend valuable Hyatt points on hotels with such low rates. Even the Grand Hyatt has been less than $100. Can’t burn 12,000 points or a free cert on that rate.
I’ve been using my Hotels.com gcs and other things like Amex Plat Hotels benefits.
This is the time to use the variable currencies of Hilton in BKK I would think. I stayed at the Conrad this week (just as nice as the Grand Hyatt) for only 15k per night.
Conrad is indeed very solid.
Which of the 2 mid hyatt would you recommend for a Globalist?
Grant Hyatt or Regency?
Joe, I prefer the Grand. I’m currently staying at the SLH Akyra Thonglor. I regret it. At the time the rates were around $200 per night on the Hyatt site so I used 3 free night certs to expire end of year. Since booking I see rates on 3rd party sites at around $100. Should not have burned the certs.
Anyway, I find this SLH inferior to the Conrad or Grand Hyatt. Especially since I don’t get full perks (suite upgrade and club lounge).
So many good choices in Bkk for point enthusiasts typically. I often stay on the river as many point guys do. Royal Orchid or Hilton Millennium. Love those as well especially with top status benefits in these programs.
We who are from USA are fortunate to earn easy top tier status. It’s not so evident in USA as there are so many of us. But come here and you realize how fortunate we are as there is less competition for those great upgrades. You are also treated as an elite by staff. Many times I feel it embarrassing.
You’re really risking getting denied boarding to get into Thailand. What’s your plan if you test positive on arrival in Bangkok and get a 14 day hospital stay instead of your dinner?
It’s a risk I am comfortable with.
Planning the next headline, Matthew? Backstabbed in Bangkok perhaps ?
LOL
I guess I’m crazy too because this is something I’d love to do, probably not with EgyptAir though.
Flying ANA business isn’t insane.
3:55 am and the Cairo airport doesn’t go well together in my opinion. It truly is the “3rd rail” of major airports.
Interesting Matthew. I will be doing a crazy run like this in February transiting CAI to LON and down back down to South America. It pays to have an expert flyer subscription as that has helped a lot explaining crazy itineraries to airline employees lol.
Egyptair actually sucks! They changed my flights multiple times because I booked my travel through the country with them. On my flight back to Dulles they moves an elderly lady from a seat to accommodate an Arab women even though the whole row was empty. Country is great but Airline is trash