Information on Egyptair Flights

EgyptAir (MS) is the flag carrier for Egypt and a member of the Star Alliance, represented by United in the US. Based in Cairo International Airport (CAI), EgyptAir connects to over 70 cities in Africa, Europe, Asia and North America. Founded in 1933, EgyptAir is the 7th airline established worldwide. It is known for low prices, but MS isn’t a top choice for service or experience; the global Skytrax rating agency gives it only 3 stars. Still, in certain scenarios, flying EgyptAir makes sense.

Why fly EgyptAir

EgyptAir flies directly between Cairo and 3 North American cities: Washington DC, New York (JFK and EWR) and Toronto. Its routes from JFK in New York and YYZ in Toronto are the airline’s 2 workhorses, both operating 5 times a week. The rest of the flights operate twice a week.

With this breadth of coverage, EgyptAir gives US travelers a direct option to fly to Egypt from a North American city and an easy trip via Cairo to nearby destinations like Amman.

Where EgyptAir shines is its coverage of Egyptian destinations, with fast connections to tourist-loved places like Luxor, Sharm el-Sheikh or Aswan on flights that last not more than 1 hour. Beyond Egypt, MS also serves harder-to-reach destinations like South Sudan or Eritrea via its Cairo hub.

Because of Cairo’s location, I don’t recommend flying EgyptAir to Europe or Northwestern Africa - it does not make sense to fly further east, only to return west to your final destination. I also wouldn’t fly EgyptAir to destinations in Asia; far better options like Qatar Airways or Korean Air exist. But if you’re traveling to Egypt or nearby countries, EgyptAir can be an affordable and convenient choice.

Cabin classes, seats and legroom

EgyptAir operates 2 cabin types on all flights - Business and Economy.

Business

The long-haul flights from the US are serviced by 2 types of aircraft: Boeing’s 787-9 Dreamliner and 777-300ER. Although this is subject to change, the JFK and YYZ routes are typically served by the 777-300ER while the EWR and IAD routes are served by the Dreamliner.

If you can, avoid the 777-300ER aircraft in this cabin. This experience isn’t up to par when it comes to international business class: the seats are old, arranged in a 2 - 3 - 2 straight configuration, with no direct aisle access from each seat. With the 76” pitch, the seats recline at an angle, not fully lie-flat. There’s only a small partition between each seat which means you’ll have little privacy.

Unless you’re based close to JFK and flying directly from there, I’d seek out routes served by the Dreamliner. In business, the seats are arranged at a 1 - 2 - 1 reverse herringbone configuration which has become the standard in global business cabins. There is direct aisle access from each seat, plenty of storage and ample privacy.

Fully reclined, the Dreamliner seat pitch is 80”, which is standard for business seats in the industry. The seat width is 21”.

MS offers 2 Business fares: Titanium and Platinum. The differences include a change and refund policy (Platinum has free changes while Titanium allows changes and cancellations for a fee) and a preferential mileage accumulation in Platinum.

Economy

In Economy, I’d follow the same recommendation as in the Business cabin: book the flights operated by the Dreamliner for a more comfortable experience in an upgraded cabin. The Dreamliner seats, in a 3 - 3 - 3 configuration, have a 31” pitch, an 18” width and a 6” recline which I find pretty decent. I also appreciate the headrest with several positions, the footrest, and the power outlets at each seat.

If you do fly on the 777-300ER, I recommend booking a seat in the first section of the Economy cabin (there are 2). You’ll have a quieter experience in rows 20 - 26, particularly in the first 3 rows, but be aware that you might need to pay extra for these seats.

In Economy, MS has 3 fares with descriptive names: Best Offer, Good Deal and Economy Flex. Best Offer fare is the most restrictive while Economy Flex is the least, permitting free preferred seat selection and no-fee flight changes and refunds.

Pre-flight experience

Here’s what you need to know about the MS pre-flight experience.

Baggage policy

Passengers traveling from the US on EgyptAir’s Economy ticket are allowed 1 carry-on bag of up to 17 pounds and 1 personal item. In Business, passengers can bring on board 1 additional bag.

MS checked baggage allowance for flights to and from the US mirrors those of many other airlines. Economy passengers can check-in 2 bags of up to 50 pounds each and Business passengers are allowed 2 bags of up to 70 pounds each. If you’re flying with MS domestically on a separate ticket, the baggage allowance reduces to 1 bag total for each cabin.

Take note: StarAlliance Gold members (which correlates to United MileagePlus Gold and above) can check in 1 additional bag on both international and domestic routes.

Check-in

In North America, EgyptAir typically offers dedicated priority check-in and boarding for Business passengers and Star Alliance Gold members. The experience tends to be ordered and efficient, even for Economy passengers. When flying on EgyptAir’s domestic flights, be prepared for a more chaotic time at the airport. Long check-in lines and haphazard boarding without zones are common, which is why I recommend online check-in to save time at the airport.

Take note that EgyptAir sends out offers to upgrade to the Business cabin 48 hours before the flight. In my experience, upgrading at the airport is more cost-effective than upgrading online, but be ready for a gamble, since there may not be any business seats left by the time you get to the airport.

On-board EgyptAir

Here’s what you need to know about EgyptAir’s on-board experience.

Meals & service

Unfortunately, EgyptAir trails its competitors when it comes to food on board, both in Business and Economy cabins. Particularly in Business, where international flyers have come to expect excellent options, EgyptAir’s meals are not impressive at best and stale and tasteless at worst. I recommend eating a full meal before your flight and bringing your own snacks.

EgyptAir is also a dry carrier which means there is no alcohol on board. Unlike its regional counterparts like Saudia Airlines, for example, which make up for it with inventive non-alcoholic drinks, EgyptAir is lagging behind in this section, too: the drinks menu is uninspiring.

In Business, amenities often include a few more items - a hair brush and a shoe horn, for example - beyond the typical set. Certain long-haul Economy routes also offer a pared-down version of an amenity kit, which I appreciate.

In my experience, the cabin service can be improved in both Business and Economy. EgyptAir’s flight attendants are doing their job but don’t go above and beyond to showcase the famous Arabic hospitality, unlike some of their regional counterparts.

In-flight entertainment

On long-haul flights, EgyptAir provides entertainment onboard with personal screens, but it often lacks choices or the latest releases. If you’re into watching a lot of movies in the air, be sure to bring your own entertainment. Wi-Fi is available for purchase, but I’ve found it to be too slow to be effective.

EgyptAir Lounges

EgyptAir operates 3 lounges at its Terminal 3 hub in Cairo International Airport: the Alioth and Almeisan Lounges by Gates F and the Gienah Lounge by Gates G. There is also the Elteir Lounge for domestic departures by Gates F. Access is open to Business passengers traveling on EgyptAir and other Star Alliance carriers as well as Star Alliance Gold members.

While all 3 lounges are a bit underwhelming, they do provide some seating and a modest selection of food. I would choose the Almeisan lounge over the other 2 for its slightly more welcoming decor of plush seats and wooden wall panels.

On flights departing from the US, Business passengers and Star Alliance Gold members can access several Star Alliance lounges at JFK, EWR or IAD. At JFK, I prefer the Lufthansa Business Lounge at Terminal 1 for its natural light and lots of space. This lounge is also open to Priority Pass holders at certain times of day.

The newest Lufthansa Business Lounge at EWR is also a delight to visit. At IAD, go for the Turkish Airlines lounge versus the Lufthansa Business Lounge - it’s much bigger and has better food.

Loyalty programs

EgyptAir is part of Star Alliance, allowing members of the United MileagePlus program and loyalty programs by partner airlines like Air Canada or Turkish Airlines to earn points and book award travel with MS.

Pro tip: EgyptAir’s own loyalty program, called EgyptAir Plus, is among the best ways to reach Star Alliance Gold status. It has a quite rare feature in which miles flown by a family member are credited to the main account holder. With this feature, getting to the necessary tier is within reach when you book a family trip on any Star Alliance partner and credit your EgyptAir Plus account.