Last week I shared how I thought Cairo International Airport (CAI) is the worst major airport in the world. There was no ill-intent behind the post, but it was just intended to be a topic of conversation, like the tens of thousands of other blog posts I’ve published over time.
I didn’t even think my observations were that controversial, and more readers agreed with me than not. Thinking Cairo Airport isn’t good is about as controversial as stating that the DMV doesn’t have the world’s best service.
But fast forward to the past several days, where this has somehow become a national story in Egypt. The Egyptian government is angry at me, has threatened me, and has even released video footage of me “enjoying” the airport to prove that I’m lying (by posting footage of seven minutes of the roughly four hours I spent at the airport — and yes, those seven minutes do look pretty pleasant!).
The government has gone so far as to suggest that I was on someone else’s payroll to slander the airport. It’s completely nuts.
In this post:
I’ll be steering clear of Egypt until further notice
Following this incident, several readers asked if I’d still travel to Egypt, and/or urged me not to. I wanted to talk about that in a bit more detail in this post. First of all, thanks to everyone for their feedback, and to those who expressed concern at the situation… I appreciate it!
I want to say in no uncertain terms that I’ll be avoiding Cairo and all of Egypt for the foreseeable future, and won’t be visiting the country or even transiting an airport there. I’m basically viewing myself as a persona non grata in the country. I don’t want to go so far as to say that I’ll “never” return to Egypt, but unless there’s some useful dialogue that comes of this (unlikely) or unless there’s a regime change at some point, I’m just not going to risk it.
I don’t ultimately know what would happen to me if I traveled to Egypt again, but the government clearly stated that it will “take all necessary legal action against those who attempt to harm the credibility and reputation of the civil aviation sector through unfounded allegations.” Since the government insists that my claims are unfounded, and even states that I’m on some foreign entity’s payroll to slander the airport, it’s just not a risk that I want to put myself (or my family) through.
Now, I’ve seen some people suggest that I should be scared way beyond that, saying I should be worried to travel anywhere in the Middle East, and one person even pointing out that the United States and Egypt have an extradition treaty, etc. While I appreciate the general warnings, that’s not something that’s causing me any concern as of now:
- I don’t think this is what extradition treaties are made for
- In the scheme of the enemies of Egypt, I have to imagine that I still rank pretty low
- I’m deliberate and careful with the Middle Eastern countries that I travel to, so unless there’s some information I’m not privy to, I don’t have concerns that this will cause me issues with other countries
I still can’t believe the Egyptian government’s response
I’ve been blogging for nearly 17 years, and I’ve shared my fair share of travel opinions and takes on the blog. While I’ve had all kinds of parties take issue with what I write (as you’d expect), I’ve never in my life had as unwarranted (in my mind) of a response as the Egyptian government’s attack on me. To start:
- Clearly the Egyptian government isn’t familiar with the Streisand effect, and how they just brought a lot more attention to the issues at Cairo Airport than I ever could have
- I’m just some random blogger, so to have a government come after me in this way is just such a disproportionate response; you’d think I was acting on behalf of some foreign government that is an enemy of Egypt
- I shared my sincerely held beliefs about Cairo Airport, and I didn’t say a single thing that was dishonest or that I didn’t believe; I think it’s really important to be honest when sharing experiences, because I operate under the assumption that if I lie, someone will hold me accountable, and I deserve that
- As longtime OMAAT readers can attest to, I’m not someone who is seeking out drama, unlike some other bloggers and vloggers, who seem to constantly have problematic run-ins; since the Aegon Mykonos incident over three years ago, I’ve had basically no drama, and that’s quite some time for someone who travels as much as I do
It honestly didn’t faze me much initially, but the more I think about it, the wilder I think this whole thing is. How crazy is it that a government spent a countless number of hours finding CCTV footage of me all over the airport, and then selectively published parts of it to make it look like the airport is perfect?
What an absolutely shocking invasion of privacy. Like, it’s one thing to publish footage if someone committed an actual crime at an airport, but to publish footage of me and broadcast it on the national news in Egypt when I quite literally didn’t commit any crimes is just next level.
I also love the number of government trolls (or something) who are coming here and commenting about how I’ve been “exposed” for lying, like this one:
You are a liar supported by dirty Ethiopia and you will be punished by law and banned from entering Egypt forever
Let me once again emphasize that seven minutes of my roughly four hours at Cairo Airport were published. Of course the airport looks super pleasant based on that footage, because the government cherry picked the seven minutes that make it look the best.
But what a truly bizarre invasion of privacy. Online complaints about Cairo Airport are absolutely endless, so to think that any foreigner with no agenda can be publicly shamed and attacked for their perception of an airport is kind of wild.
I can’t help but wonder if there’s anything else that can be done to hold the government responsible here. I mean, Egypt is a country that has flights and travelers from all over the world, including multiple nonstop flights from the United States.
For example, Thailand has extreme defamation laws, but at least they’re clearly published, so travelers should make themselves familiar with them. In the case of Egypt, there are (to my knowledge) no laws against sharing your opinion and experiences traveling through an airport. I mean, heck, government-owned EgyptAir sends out post-flight surveys soliciting feedback on the experience.
Even within the context of different governments taking different approaches, Egypt’s response seems extreme, in terms of threatening me, making up false accusations against me, and publishing video footage of me.
Will this incident change my content going forward?
I’m trying to reflect on whether I learned anything from this incident, or if anything about this will change the way I approach content in the future. Maybe my opinion will evolve over time, but initially I’m just viewing this incident as a very strange outlier.
I’ve been blogging for a very long time, and for the most part, haven’t had too much drama. I mean, I receive some consistent threats that I won’t get in to, but it’s the internet, so what can you really expect? As I reflect on what I could take away from this incident, here are a few thoughts:
- I’m not suddenly going to stop being objective, or stop sharing negative thoughts on something, if it reflects how I feel; while most of my posts highlight the “best” rather than the “worst” of things, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with either approach
- I’ll continue to be careful about the timing of publishing negative things, so that I don’t publish them when I’m in a country where it could pose a risk (as I generally do)
- This certainly makes me hyper aware of how some of the more “controversial” governments out there may take serious issue with what ultimately amounts to a random person’s opinion
I’m certainly open to other lessons as well, and like I said, my feelings may evolve over time.
Bottom line
It has certainly been an interesting few days here on the blog. A post sharing my general dislike of Cairo Airport somehow made national headlines in Egypt, and caused the government to accuse me of all kinds of things, including taking a trip “aimed at undermining Cairo Airport.” The government has even threatened to take legal action against me.
I’ve dealt with quite a bit of negative feedback and even many threats on the blog over the years, though this one definitely takes the cake.
What’s your take on this situation, and what my takeaway should be?
Sir, there's a YouTuber named Josh Cahill who thrives off of creating drama where none exists. He intentionally flies on airlines that he knows will set the stage for him to utilize his manipulation techniques. You remind me of that guy. I've been to Cairo Airport twice in 2 years and had a very good experience each time. I experienced nothing like what you're describing. I spent 10 hours at CAI on the first trip...
Sir, there's a YouTuber named Josh Cahill who thrives off of creating drama where none exists. He intentionally flies on airlines that he knows will set the stage for him to utilize his manipulation techniques. You remind me of that guy. I've been to Cairo Airport twice in 2 years and had a very good experience each time. I experienced nothing like what you're describing. I spent 10 hours at CAI on the first trip and 12 hours on the second trip. I think you're using sensationalism to drive traffic to your blog.
Not only is the airport a total disaster but the abuse of animals at the pyramids makes an entire holiday terrible. They whip the hell out of horses. The camels have mange. If you walk out the gate by the Sphinx and turn right you find a trash dump of dead animals. Now if you record any of any of the abuse they threaten you with deportation. You'd think they would just stop the animal abuse.
That is the craziest thing I’ve heard in 2024 and there’s been a lot of crazy things that have happened. Long time reader here and support and appreciate you.
I felt like I was watching a true crime show of you walking through the airport lol.
You’re entitled to your opinions, observations, and personal experiences there. What’s wrong with that? Please continue to share your stories. It’s sad that instead of looking for opportunities to improve the airport, they would rather trash you. That says a lot about their customer service.
I have to admit, Ben doesn't look good here. Releasing the video footage was very smart, because it showed Ben enjoying the lounge, hanging out at the gate without being hassled, etc. The airport looks very clean and sleek.
Ben was too hyperbolic and should probably apologize.
How does he not look smart? It was a few minute video of a multi-hour visit, and he has visited the airport numerous times over the years. Some people have commented that he was not critical enough of the airport, and I for one don't see his comments in any way as hyperbolic.
Hi Ben,
It is true, most developing countries generally do not take criticism. In case of something like your unfortunate exp in Cairo airport.
Maybe if you highlight similar experiences, and content in the States, and how that was handled there would help.
I am Egyptian and American and I have always traveled to Egypt and I find the best treatment, whether at the airport or in the country.
This person is a liar and dishonest and the best decision the Egyptian government has taken is to ban him from entering Egypt for life.
There's so much to discuss in your writing here but I'm going to start with something very simple there's no invasion of privacy by publishing a CCTV footage of you at a public airport Egypt relies on tourism believe it or not whether you are an important person or not when bad word of mouth have an effect on one person now you stated above that you wrote what you believed is true what you...
There's so much to discuss in your writing here but I'm going to start with something very simple there's no invasion of privacy by publishing a CCTV footage of you at a public airport Egypt relies on tourism believe it or not whether you are an important person or not when bad word of mouth have an effect on one person now you stated above that you wrote what you believed is true what you believed not what you saw not what actually happened did you take any photos did you make any recordings if you did please post them to prove your point they have every right to be upset if someone wrote online that they saw you masturbating in the street what's your response would be even if that someone was telling the truth you as any Western visitor to Egypt represent a word of mouth about visiting the country except that you shared your word of mouth publicly on the internet so they responded to you publicly if you have an influence on 5 or 10 or 100 people because they like you or they believe you for whatever reason the ministry of civil aviation want to those five or 10 or 100 people know if you are really truthful or not doesn't matter how you felt at the time when you wrote your blog it's what you saw it's what actually happened so if you have any recorded videos any photos any evidence of what you say it's true please present it then they will shut up as for you being afraid or think that the government consider you an enemy they could care less about you they are responding to lies not to you personally and if you ever wonder what will happen to you if you attempted to visit Egypt again nothing nothing will happen to you they will just put you in the same plane you came on and tell you get the hell out so please they have seen many people like you that they post online and they write things okay you have proof put it there but just two make your blog interesting and then at the end you say is how I felt so when somebody asks you say oh that's my personal feeling okay start your blog by saying that this is my personal feeling it's not what everybody feels and it's not the fact on the ground it's just how you felt
personal feelings are totally different from actual realities airports are not amusement parks they involve security they involve comfort they involve travel restrictions so sorry if you couldn't find a massage parlor or a whorehouse at an international airport from watching the evidence that they posted your movement at an international airport was suspicious and sketchy and if they were rude to you at the airport is because you were looking for rudeness you were looking for roughness you were looking for someone to suspect you and they gave it to you they put you in your place exactly where you want it to be but look at the bright side you got some Fame out of it and you got mentioned in the New York times so congratulations
@Rafael -- Thanks so much for dispensing with paragraphs; this made reading your response so much easier. As for having no punctuation: pure genius!
Hey, Hey.....whay is that guy walking around? Why is he always on the Phone? Why didn't he take the escalator? Why does he only sometimes walk on the moving sidewalk? I think he has something to hide. He has an aggenda. It's sooo pitifully obvious he is a foreign agent intent on toppling Egypts glorious regime. Allah be praised for rooting out this devil controlled infidel.
Hey Ben, this has made to the biggest newspaper in India (Times of India) dated 25th Nov 2024. An article appeared today.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/egypt-feuds-with-travel-blogger-issuing-1100-word-response-to-complaints/articleshow/115641822.cms
Everything you wrote about is 100% correct.
I’ve traveled to Egypt from America and back multiple times and everything you’ve said you’re absolutely correct. I’ve had a few interactions with unfriendly and downright rude staff, I’ve been harassed and asked to give money every time I went to use the bathroom. Even people who try to “help” you move your suitcases or do anything they demand a tip and even when you try to walk away they follow you. The airport is...
I’ve traveled to Egypt from America and back multiple times and everything you’ve said you’re absolutely correct. I’ve had a few interactions with unfriendly and downright rude staff, I’ve been harassed and asked to give money every time I went to use the bathroom. Even people who try to “help” you move your suitcases or do anything they demand a tip and even when you try to walk away they follow you. The airport is horribly outdated, and for all the people who think he’s being dramatic about what he’s saying try living in Egypt as an Egyptian citizen and you’ll see how the police and government officials will treat you. The Egyptian government’s response is nothing compared to the reality it is to actually live here in Egypt .
Good to see the New York Times' coverage of the "incident" acknowledging the authoritarian regime and repression: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/24/world/middleeast/egypt-travel-blogger-feud-airport.html
I think the key here is Ethiopia -- you posted from Addis, which just rubs a TON of salt into the wound of humiliating Egypt, and clearly show you chose Ethiopian Airlines to leave Egypt, not Egyptair at the gate area, which just squeezed a ton of lemon juice onto the burn.
Egypt + Ethiopia are having a hell of a spat over Egyptian troops in Somaliland (on the border with Ethiopia in the...
I think the key here is Ethiopia -- you posted from Addis, which just rubs a TON of salt into the wound of humiliating Egypt, and clearly show you chose Ethiopian Airlines to leave Egypt, not Egyptair at the gate area, which just squeezed a ton of lemon juice onto the burn.
Egypt + Ethiopia are having a hell of a spat over Egyptian troops in Somaliland (on the border with Ethiopia in the eastern part), and Ethiopia threatening the possibility of lowering the flow of the Nile (Egypt's main water source).
Anything Egypt can do to criticize Ethiopia right now and saber rattle is a win for domestic politics, and makes Sisi look like he is standing up to Ethiopia and Abiy's government.
Ben, it REALLY sucks this happened to you, but be aware of posting stuff from one country about one country from another one, especially if the political relationship is less than ideal, to put it mildly. Thanks for everything you do!
Dave
Egyptair & Cairo airport the worst i have ever been, never again.
check this link and use translation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwlsJgSgWk
Starting from minute 8:30 to 10:30. This is actually very funny. One of the media figures who harshly responded to you actually made an even harsher and worse commentary on the airport some time earlier. Compared to his earlier comments you were actually very soft on Cairo's airport, yet he had the audacity to attack you for spreading the same message in a softer manner.
@ Some Random Dude from Egypt -- Oh my, thank you for that link! I know this is a big ask, but is there any chance you (or someone else who speaks Arabic) could translate in context what Amr Adib's previous comments were? I used the automatic translate feature, but I want to be sure the context is right. Just curious what his initial comments were exactly. Thanks to you (or anyone else) if you're able to help! :-)
I asked a friend. In the earlier clip, he was complaining about how bad Cairo airport is – the searching people, the taking off the shoes, even the trolleys suck, the bathroom attendant asks for tips, and how they need to put the light on Egypt cos Egypt deserves better than this ...
I was just in Egypt a few weeks ago. There's nothing wrong with the Cairo Airport!!! It's very much like any other airport in a major city. The only difference is that the Egyptian people are probably the nicest and most charming people I've ever met.
It's one thing to describe what you feel is wrong with the airport, but labelling it the world's worst airport is simply your subjective label, not an objective, factual statement.
Google world's worst airport and you will find that opinions differ on this matter and airports in world capitals like Toronto, London, Paris have also been described as the world's worst airports, along with dozens of others.
The fact that there is no...
It's one thing to describe what you feel is wrong with the airport, but labelling it the world's worst airport is simply your subjective label, not an objective, factual statement.
Google world's worst airport and you will find that opinions differ on this matter and airports in world capitals like Toronto, London, Paris have also been described as the world's worst airports, along with dozens of others.
The fact that there is no consensus on this matter, but you as an influencer (which is a self-appointed expert) have arrogantly declared Cairo the world's worst airport when there is no accepted standard for what makes an airport the worst, then you are just producing click bait.
If you made a headline, "World's Ugliest Flight Attendant," you would also cause offense as well and no one would say it was ok to say that. I don't think you would get a very warm welcome from that flight attendant again either.
It's his blog. He can say whatever he wants. If it is clickbait why bother clicking? Why should the Egyptian government be so bothered? This dictatorial 3rd world mindset has got to stop.
The "World's Ugliest Flight Attendants" are also Egyptian. Boom. Let the vitriol begin!
Anyone that's ever been to Cairo airport knows what an abysmal dump it is. Can't even use the restroom in peace without being harassed by attendants for tips. Its easily the worst airport I've ever been to
"worst airport I've ever been to" vs. "worst airport in the world."
The way you word it matters. Ben may have visited a lot of airports in the world but the bottom line is he was describing the opinion and experience of one person, himself That does not equal worst airport in the world.
You could learn something from Varun here.
Unfortunately for you the comments you made about cairo airport which in my opinion aren't merited, were used as ammunition to directly and indirecrly critiioze the regime by angry and disilliusioned Egyptians. This is what made your blog go viral Taking a leaf out of Dubai's book they decide to tackle it in the worst possible way. It says more about the psychology of authoritarian dictatorships and their insecurities and paranoias. Once the criticism comes...
Unfortunately for you the comments you made about cairo airport which in my opinion aren't merited, were used as ammunition to directly and indirecrly critiioze the regime by angry and disilliusioned Egyptians. This is what made your blog go viral Taking a leaf out of Dubai's book they decide to tackle it in the worst possible way. It says more about the psychology of authoritarian dictatorships and their insecurities and paranoias. Once the criticism comes from a foreign source, its easy for the nationalist government media to whip up a storm against the foreign elements.
Well it seems the Egyptian authorities are taking measures to improve that. I'm egypian and it is a terrible airport. The main reason why is the government has security personnel dealing with passengers. They've recently hired a private company to run the airports and will get rid of the security personnel.
How fragile must be to take offense on a bad review of an airport. Using resources to check all cams on airport/lounges/restaurant/etc... What a waste of taxpayer money.
Personally i find cairo international airport is not bad and every one works there is helpful and nice!!
But.. My only and big complaint is when you go through screening they are the only airport in the whole world that they confiscated your lighter! And beleive me i have gone through 40 major airport all across europe and north america
@Simon;
Same will happen on many Brazilian Airports. At least to me.
And here come the Gary Leff's, Cohens & Bergs to your Defence. You don't need them. They have their own Agenda against Arab countries. As I have said earlier, you have been very Impartial and non Bias and I do not mind reading your Blogs on Daily Basis.
Someone mentioned that Travel Blogs are pretty much Dominated by only one segment of society like the media, Is that Right?
Hi Bob,
I have to say, I found your first report to lack objectivity, and the arguments you presented in response to the videos in your second article felt weak and seemed to reflect preconceived judgments rather than a balanced perspective.
Unfortunately, this latest piece only reinforces that impression. I am afraid it comes across as a childish & shallow rant from someone with inflated sense of entitlement rather than a thoughtful critique....
Hi Bob,
I have to say, I found your first report to lack objectivity, and the arguments you presented in response to the videos in your second article felt weak and seemed to reflect preconceived judgments rather than a balanced perspective.
Unfortunately, this latest piece only reinforces that impression. I am afraid it comes across as a childish & shallow rant from someone with inflated sense of entitlement rather than a thoughtful critique. So do Egypt a favour and refrain from visiting again. Rest assured, Egypt doesn’t need your validation—it will remain one of the world’s richest cultural and historical destinations, regardless of your opinion about its airport.
Why post something from ChatGPT. Can't you write your own response?
Wow! Even chatgpt doesn't like Ben's articles!!! U r right, the Egyptian regime, chatgpt and the aliens in the neighbouring galaxies are all after Ben ;)
It is so funny how you find your self free in posting and sharing your views and protest that the government that operates this air port is responding to your allegations and by just displaying of surveillance cameras
You offended us and we have the right to disagree with your views
I've been to Egypt over five times, and every single time, the airport experience has been a nightmare. From the police officers demanding bribes to the airport staff harassing passengers for money, the service is appalling. Once you manage to get out of the airport, the taxi drivers continue the same behavior, overcharging tourists by exorbitant amounts. Even at the hotel, I faced similar issues, with staff trying to extort money for unnecessary services. It's...
I've been to Egypt over five times, and every single time, the airport experience has been a nightmare. From the police officers demanding bribes to the airport staff harassing passengers for money, the service is appalling. Once you manage to get out of the airport, the taxi drivers continue the same behavior, overcharging tourists by exorbitant amounts. Even at the hotel, I faced similar issues, with staff trying to extort money for unnecessary services. It's truly disheartening to see such blatant disregard for tourists and a complete lack of integrity
Mr Schlappig, Glad you are not going back to Egypt because Egypt does not need grumpy, fussy and dishonest (based on the 7 minutes video I’ve seen) reviewer like you. You were travelling through a country trying to accommodate people from different western culture and customs as best as they can. It takes two to tango.
I’m here now and aside from the longer wait times at the baggage claim, I didn’t have any issues at the airport. It was pretty easy to navigate. The entire trip has been amazing and I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Actually the rest of the work now where ppl are not crazy already!
What did you expect? You are Jewish and they are Arabs...
Don't derive the subject into religious/racial direction, it has nothing to do with the writer’s religion/belief/race etc. The Egyptian’s regime, to be precise, el-sisi’s regime is stupid, even Egyptians are fed up with him and his irrational decisions and behavior.
Pity ,the experience you had is terribly irritating any traveler....but are you sure Heathrow or JFK are any better??? Please be free not to visit Egypt again
My mother in law and her 9yr old grandaughter travelled from Cairo to Heathrow Airport, where they were separated off and interrogated for two hours, despite the long and expensive process that they (and many non Westerners) had to go through of visas at the UK embassy prior to the trip.
Oh, and my wife is a British professor nonetheless cannot go through the electronic gates in the UK because, say the officials, because...
My mother in law and her 9yr old grandaughter travelled from Cairo to Heathrow Airport, where they were separated off and interrogated for two hours, despite the long and expensive process that they (and many non Westerners) had to go through of visas at the UK embassy prior to the trip.
Oh, and my wife is a British professor nonetheless cannot go through the electronic gates in the UK because, say the officials, because her middle name is 'Mohamed'.
There's hostility everywhere but our Western eyes only see the Western side of things.
Time to move back. Glad you realized it :)
I think Ben you look like the person who has a Caracter of enjoying to see only the negative side of things & you need to learn to be more positive life is not black & white . And if u have comments u need to do it also in a pose tube way ,
Hahahaha nice comment Gary ,, and thanks.
You never changed, balanced and forward to the beauty of life.
Good to see you around...
Regards/ Samir Sarwat
Don’t worry Ben, if you get arrested in Egypt the US gov can trade you for Bob Menendez
100% behind you on this Ben.
In some countries, "Saving Face" culture is such a predominant mindset among the governing regime. Do also note that the law in those countries usually very vague on defamation suit that open to much interpretation in favor of the regime / local. Take the case of a person who is jailed in Thailand due to bad hotel review on Trip Advisor for example.
Furthermore, some countries do...
100% behind you on this Ben.
In some countries, "Saving Face" culture is such a predominant mindset among the governing regime. Do also note that the law in those countries usually very vague on defamation suit that open to much interpretation in favor of the regime / local. Take the case of a person who is jailed in Thailand due to bad hotel review on Trip Advisor for example.
Furthermore, some countries do not have a well-rounded personal data privacy laws or do provide an exception of such laws in case of government related purposes that is likely why they do have free range to release a CCTV footage like that.
My take would be to exercise extra precautions when you visit those countries.
Blogging to review a restaurant, hotel or airport is one thing and lying outright to tarnish the reputation of a country that relies on tourism is another. Visiting a country for a few hours and not going to any site clearly explains your intention here. Obviously, you are on someone's payroll, or it might be a one-off thing, but your objective was to tarnish the reputation of the airport so that tourists stay away from...
Blogging to review a restaurant, hotel or airport is one thing and lying outright to tarnish the reputation of a country that relies on tourism is another. Visiting a country for a few hours and not going to any site clearly explains your intention here. Obviously, you are on someone's payroll, or it might be a one-off thing, but your objective was to tarnish the reputation of the airport so that tourists stay away from Egypt and the country losses the much-needed foreign currency it relies on to meet the basic needs of 110,000,000 people.
To those who don't see the big picture, this is one of a series of measures to corner Egypt so that the country accepts deals offered to (or rather forced on) them by the world's 'superpower'. "Take in the Palestinians from Gaza and all your problems are solved". If you say 'No' (which was the case throughout the past 13 months), then "you have to pay the price".
You don't need to go back to Egypt because millions around the world still go to Egypt every year and enjoy the history, culture and many other things that are unique to this country.
Egypt is a no-go zone. Horrible country, horrible people, horrible religion.
Yes, that's free speech. That's how this works.
Ha..Good for u Mo!
Yep their gov has free speech too with a bunch of other stuff like keeping liars out of spite, racist, and ppl they just don’t like out of it!!
Religion has nothing to do with what el-sisi’s regime is doing. Dumb people are everywhere, you can’t attached them to their religion, race or environment.
You don't see the Copts going off on Ben. It's the Snackbars and only them. They just can't take the fact that the West created the better civilization even though they had a head start. They wash their hands and feet five times a day and the rest of their bodies five times a year.
I really hope this article deters people like you and those with a low IQ who actually believe u from coming to Egypt! Egypt sucks people- avoid. Thank you for writing it!
In all your blog you didn’t mention what was wrong with the airport! And if your blogs are so popular then it’s normal for a spokesperson of the government to express the displeasure with your complaints specially if unjustified.
The main thing wrong with the airport is hostile staff who want bribes for everything.
It's a *HORRIFIC* experience, especially for women and minorities. Egypt is a total failure.
Are you happy now?
Welcome to our *real* daily life
You've clearly failed to recognize that "loss of face" is calibrated with tremendous variation between cultures the world over. Is some places you simply don't make realistic observations, let alone actual criticisms. In these places the culture is so shockingly lacking in emotional intelligence that they can't handle it. That's quite apart from the reality there being starkly revealed.
I totally agree with you ben. I had a similar experiences while transiting through cairo airport in 1989. The officers were rude. The airport was riddled with cats. I had to take the elevator to the hotel and every time I used the elevator the bell boy asked for a tip ( he said that I need to pay for a cup of tea for him). I have never flown eygpt ait nor flown via that airport since. I suggest that you do the same.
PARTING SHOT
There have been many comments like the one below by @Bino:
Okay, but what exactly did the government do? Here's my exchange with @Ben/Lucky, who also seems to feel that government did something wrong.
PARTING SHOT
There have been many comments like the one below by @Bino:
Okay, but what exactly did the government do? Here's my exchange with @Ben/Lucky, who also seems to feel that government did something wrong.
Here's my response, which should not be controversial at all, since we all strongly believe, at least conceptually, in the "First Amendment", including of those we disagree with:
With that, we're outta here.
G'day!
Thanks. Point is, they do nothing about it. People usually have the government they deserve.
Who cares if you visit Egypt or no. The Pharoahs need no validation.
Be good.
Sorry for what the government did but I wouldn't say it backfired aa you won't have to visit that shithole again (the sad part is the country) but really as an Egyptian who always is happy to come back on vacation and I mostly enjoy airports and travelling cairo airport is a nightmare you're not the only one I always coke back happy when I step in the airport I just say to myself why...
Sorry for what the government did but I wouldn't say it backfired aa you won't have to visit that shithole again (the sad part is the country) but really as an Egyptian who always is happy to come back on vacation and I mostly enjoy airports and travelling cairo airport is a nightmare you're not the only one I always coke back happy when I step in the airport I just say to myself why did I leave beautiful organised europe and come here (even tho its my home country and I miss it) but the problem does not only rely on the officials also the people themselves are horrible in the airport and also departing is so tiring so many checkpoints and no good f&b places horrible lounges the airport is just not functional but at least there should be a new one built in the new capital hopefully its gonna be finished while I'm still alive haha . I'm still sorry though for how the government reacted
Egypt is the best place, friendly people and delicious food. Some people like the trends and to be famous more than anything.
I just visited Egypt in the summer the airport was so clean, I didn't smell or see someone smoked inside the airport, everyone was super friendly without paying them tips
Egypt is a horrible country.
It is funny how some travel blogger force their experience and views as it is something that everyone should follow. Millions of people travel to Egypt every year and your experience is just personal. Who cares if you visit Egypt again! You are just blogger not the chief of the high court of tourism resources
@ Egypt -- How did I "force my experience" on anyone else? I just shared my experience and opinion, as anyone else is entitled to do...
What if instead of "just sharing your experience and opinion" that declared CAI as the "world's worst airport" you had simply asked your readers to name their world's worst airport, would CAI even have made the top 10?
I couldn't agree more.
The words one chooses to describe things provide impact. We're the right words used?
There are plenty of challenging airports around the world. Challenging doesn't get clicks like using hyperbole to describe the experience you had at CAI, and you got called out for it, big time.
The real question is: were apostrophes set in the right places?
Let me start by saying, I'm Egyptian. Luckily I don't live in Egypt anymore, so I've been through that airport numerous times. Your experience is not unique, and sounds quite familiar to what I and nearly everyone I know go through every times we need to travel to/from there.
Now, you really should count yourself lucky, for you don't have to go through that place again. The government in Egypt is a dictatorship. If...
Let me start by saying, I'm Egyptian. Luckily I don't live in Egypt anymore, so I've been through that airport numerous times. Your experience is not unique, and sounds quite familiar to what I and nearly everyone I know go through every times we need to travel to/from there.
Now, you really should count yourself lucky, for you don't have to go through that place again. The government in Egypt is a dictatorship. If you were Egyptian, you would have endured prison, torture, and most probably worse just for voicing your opinion. Those who do in Egypt and the government finds them unappealing simply vanish. There are tens of thousands that are imprisoned in Egypt for no crime at all. Not even blogging or sharing content on any platform. I live under the umbrella of the same democracy you live under, so I understand where you're coming from. I don't know if it's a good thing if you understand where the Egyptian government is coming from, but at least I believe you do now.
You have already said, you'll probably never to visit that place again.
Your mistake is that, you actually visited it from the first place.....
You're lucky to get out of there without being detained for any crime that you never commit.
Welcome to the corruption of the Middle East!
When we traveled to Egypt, locals tried to touch our children. Literally.
It's not a place for tourists. If you people like it, have fun. But for normal people, Egypt is never an option.
Stating (Govermnent and regime) in your posts is just the obvious reason why some will assume you are on someone's payroll.
Don't you know that Airport is an organization on its own and might object by themselves? Also, if you had said (Government) I would have not commented but saying Regime takes your posts to another area.
I have seen at least 40 airports as a minimum estimate, and cairo airport is definetly...
Stating (Govermnent and regime) in your posts is just the obvious reason why some will assume you are on someone's payroll.
Don't you know that Airport is an organization on its own and might object by themselves? Also, if you had said (Government) I would have not commented but saying Regime takes your posts to another area.
I have seen at least 40 airports as a minimum estimate, and cairo airport is definetly not one that I would put on the list of worse airports.
is it one of the best? No!! , is it one of the worse also 100% no
therefore and because I do have the experience, I see that your post is BS.
@ Hany -- To be clear, the objection wasn't from the airport, but from the government. After all, the Minister of Aviation was the one who spoke publicly about this.
Ok, but why didn't they release the toilet footage of you peeing and not being asked for a tip, now that's what we need to clarify, duh!
I've traveled alot too. To say it's the worst airport is crazy. Lisbon arrivals smells.like rotton fish for god sake. And like the service at Newark is stellar. Egypt is much netter.than alot of other places, Ben don't go back and continue to enjoy miami international services
I’ve been to Lisbon many times and that’s rubbish. Cairo is a c-p hole
Based on the video and on a few experiences I had at Cairo airport, I could say this:
I wish JFK airport was as peaceful and as clean as Cairo Airport.
You don't believe your lies.
Ben
On behalf of the majority of the Egyptian people, I'd like to state:
1. This government/regime do not represent Egypt or Egyptian people, they are nothing but bunch of corrupt generals, who haven't got a clue about running a country, the thing they are good at is; sieve Egypt's wealth into their own pockets and defending that dwarf boss ruling Egypt
2. Yes, do not go there unless there is a...
Ben
On behalf of the majority of the Egyptian people, I'd like to state:
1. This government/regime do not represent Egypt or Egyptian people, they are nothing but bunch of corrupt generals, who haven't got a clue about running a country, the thing they are good at is; sieve Egypt's wealth into their own pockets and defending that dwarf boss ruling Egypt
2. Yes, do not go there unless there is a regime change, currently it's a dictatorship worse than North Korea
3. Egypt got lots and lots to offer, should have been in a different place but we have been cursed with dictatorship rules starting with an ominous military coup in 1952, since then and the country on spiral decline.
4. I wouldn't worry much about the government trolls (nick name: Internet flies) they are not worthy, just block them.
Finally I hope one fine day once this nightmare regime goes away, we welcome you back in a much improved/better circumstances.
Regards
And I'm Egyptian and I'm 100% agree with you,
Best wishes man
'on behalf of the majority of the Egyptian people'? I'm not sure how you could say that. It is very interesting because what you describe in your reply above would indicate that anyone who leaves Egypt would not want to come back. However, the more that 10 million Egyptians who live overseas and come home every year, or more than once a year, to buy property, start businesses, invest in other ways, or even come to visit home clearly proves you wrong.
Ben, I’m curious if you’ve considered contacting your Congress representative for advice, guidance, and most of all for a paper trail. They would know how to best handle the fallout and even communicate directly with Egypt.
That is simply silly. What "fallout"! The "incident" will be forgotten as soon as the site stops writing about it, and then the only after-effect will be that the blogger would have deprived himself of the "world's worst" travel destination that enticed him sufficiently that he nevertheless paid it a countless number of visits over the years.
The fact that so many people think there is an international conspiracy to defame Cairos airport is hilarious
You see, in their indoctrinated minds, attacking CAI is the same as attacking Islam, and despite the fact that it's a major religion, it can't defend itself. The Words of the Prophet (pi$$ be upon him) can't stand up for themselves, so the Snackbars have to draw arms in defense of the old psychopathic pedophile (psychopathic for the mass killings perpetuated under his order, and pedophile for the whole Aisha thing, so not a slur).
it's true, the shadowy cabal pays me lots of money to denigrate CAI, the more engagement I get on my smears, the more fat cash I receive in the mail from the illuminati, that's just how this works
Go into another country and slag them off, accept the consequences.
The USA would probably have you in Guantanamo and Russia would disappear you. Israel would send mossad after you.
Stop being a dick, stop making enemies. Stop whining when you take on a government and lose.
What a bizarre statement. No the US government would not put you in Guantanamo if you said Atlanta was a bad airport. He didn’t “take on the government,” he did an honest review of an airport. And it’s his blog, he can write whatever and how much he likes.
I also had the worst experience at Cairo airport last year. After going through several security checks, the final one had lines separated by sex , male and female. I stood in the female line and they stopped thexray machine with my bag stuck in it midway and the security personnel walked away. I was asking everyone for help and no one helped. I finally stuck my hand in the conveyor belt as far as...
I also had the worst experience at Cairo airport last year. After going through several security checks, the final one had lines separated by sex , male and female. I stood in the female line and they stopped thexray machine with my bag stuck in it midway and the security personnel walked away. I was asking everyone for help and no one helped. I finally stuck my hand in the conveyor belt as far as I could and got my bag out and went to another line where the security personnel had an equally bad attitude. I vowed right then never to come back to Egypt. The people were obnoxious.
Sad reality,
the regime that's attacking you is used to kill his people and get supported by the West (especially the US)
to stay stable and in power, ensuring they are well corrupted and protected the Congress yearly agree to send Millions to the defence department of Egypt.
The Regime is also stupid for Attacking your personality and trying to deform your image,
they shouldn't have messed with someone who has US citizenship, especially a Veteran Blogger on Tourism
A hole army behind you BEN
IM EGYPTIANS and every single word you sad is true
Its clear you lied, everything you said was debunked by the released videos. The camera tapes recorded you even when you were filming saying how late you were etc. But what im dying to know is why would you do that where is the actual fun
In what way is it “clear he lied”? The videos just showed him walking around a terminal.
Not every Muslim is ummah. You don't have to defend them just because they bow down five times a day and had their foreskins chopped off.
Cairo airport is a dump with corrupt officials. Everyone knows it.
I'm Egyptians and I work insides cairo airport for 3 years in the bast and unfortunately every single woard you sad Ben is true, I support you
And best wishes
There are good things and bad things about every country, but it worth it to visit Egypt once in your life, I just came back from Cairo a week ago, here are the good things about Egypt, the weather is good almost all year long, the food is so delicious, you can be out 24 hours and the city is crowded and safe, there are so much to see in Cairo only , the bad thing about Cairo is the city is sooo crowded and unorganized there is no way you can drive in Cairo
Every thing it's clear in the video, why I have to believe you
There's a reason why English is the world language and the language of the Internet and not Arabic.
What a sick reply of a sick person
That's just a fake
I hope this does not stop how you share your opinions. What Egypt has done here is totally unacceptable and out of line. Given how they responded, as a matter of principle I'll be steering well clear of Egypt as well. It's a wise choice for you to avoid Egypt going forward. In relation to other countries (middle east etc), I would have no fear of them detaining you and handing you over to Egyptian...
I hope this does not stop how you share your opinions. What Egypt has done here is totally unacceptable and out of line. Given how they responded, as a matter of principle I'll be steering well clear of Egypt as well. It's a wise choice for you to avoid Egypt going forward. In relation to other countries (middle east etc), I would have no fear of them detaining you and handing you over to Egyptian authorities as it would create a diplomatic incident and legally, you've done nothing wrong. The person who mentioned you could be extradited from the USA, needs to put himself in the realworld, no way would that ever happen, its a crazy statement.
No one mentioned he could be extradited to Egypt, just that there is a treaty that could be used as an offensive tool for bureaucrats seeking revenge. Nor has anyone estimated the legal fees he would pay to avoid extradition.
The extradition treaty does not permit one country to send its citizens to the other. So the US is not allowed to send Americans to Egypt to face justice.
And did you notice, the arrival was facilitated by the escort service (no, not that kind of escort) provided by the Le Meridien. I'm sure an investigation would find that these people are greasing the palms of government officials to expedite, for a fee, what normally would require delay with rudeness. Can Americans be extradited for being an accomplice to bribery? I hope we don't find out.
You're absolutely not welcomed in Egypt or anywhere else for that matter! Stay at home and keep your nice opinion of other people to yourself, is what I'd say to someone of your stature, while there are lots of subject matter we can address about you and your "pants changing" behavior in public toilets! I am really astonished at how rude and negative some human beings can be.
In my opinion there should be filters...
You're absolutely not welcomed in Egypt or anywhere else for that matter! Stay at home and keep your nice opinion of other people to yourself, is what I'd say to someone of your stature, while there are lots of subject matter we can address about you and your "pants changing" behavior in public toilets! I am really astonished at how rude and negative some human beings can be.
In my opinion there should be filters at our Airports keeping negative people like you out of our land and only welcome normal human beings who are polite and deal with others with patience, dignity and respect, rather than arrogance and supremacy!
That is why I would consider writing a blog about your kind, titled: The worst Airport Traveler in the world! With your portrait as the hero image!
@ Mahmoud M. Abdalla -- Lol, on the topic of changing pants, I changed them at a hotel, as I had a layover of several hours. So I took a nap, showered, and changed clothes. My apologies for choosing to change my clothes, I guess?
I'm sorry that negative people like me exist, but I'm happy that positive people like you can balance me out. Thanks for the great vibes! ;-)
burn.
Cairo is a s- hole. Case closed
So opinions are not allowed then? Hope you realize Ben has travelled to more airports in a year that most people visit in their entire lives. He's been to Egypt airport many times and can compare it to dozens of other airports globally that he frequently visits. We love Egypt but your airport is universally known for being sub-par. It would be nice if the powers at be at Egypt airport, listened to all feedback...
So opinions are not allowed then? Hope you realize Ben has travelled to more airports in a year that most people visit in their entire lives. He's been to Egypt airport many times and can compare it to dozens of other airports globally that he frequently visits. We love Egypt but your airport is universally known for being sub-par. It would be nice if the powers at be at Egypt airport, listened to all feedback and took positive action as opposed to trying to stamp out any negative opinion even though it is based on fact.
Hey, MooMoo, if we in the West were truly in a Crusade against your moon-god worship, Mecca and Medina would have been nuked decades ago. Get a clue. Not everyone in the West is against you and your Aloha Snackbar.
So right winger jumping into issue that nothing to do with dumb ass weird opinion of the world black n white, so away no body called you yet ,keep you nuke tight to ur A££ as u need it,
Actually, I'm a left-wing Democrat. I just had to fight Iraqi Snackbars in 1990 and put up with your dismissive tolerance of our presence in your dump of a desert, despite the fact that we were fighting on your behalf. I also saw Palestinians dancing in the streets on 9/11, celebrating the death of my people. So as far as I'm concerned, those who prioritize Islam over their country is the enemy.
Mahmoud, people are free to share their opinion and if you don't agree with their opinion, you can just start a blog with an opposing opinion. But just denying what is true isn't helpful at all. I'm Egyptian and I can say that if you only want "normal human beings who are polite" in Egypt then 90% of our government officials would have to leave the country. Our government is corrupt and inept and when...
Mahmoud, people are free to share their opinion and if you don't agree with their opinion, you can just start a blog with an opposing opinion. But just denying what is true isn't helpful at all. I'm Egyptian and I can say that if you only want "normal human beings who are polite" in Egypt then 90% of our government officials would have to leave the country. Our government is corrupt and inept and when you're denying the facts, then you're just as bad as they are. Salman
Mahmoud, brother, many of us will be staying out of your "land" voluntarily, but that shouldn't be a problem since tourism is such a small part of your economy. Anyway, enjoy your quality of life an GDP per capita <3 <3
Why I come here every day? Because you are polite, open, always balanced, smart and therefore trusted.
What a sharp contrast to the manners they use.
It is wery unlucky you will be “banned”, but please dont change anything. You do just great.
Wow you are really annoying. Move on already. You think way too highly of yourself.
Yet you come and comment? You ever been near banned by a country. I was interested in the update.
Not like Egypt cares if you visit or not, to them you're probably persona non grata
The airport at Entebbe is better than Cairo although it is of course much smaller.
Egypt was a fascinating view of the old world. To rock the boat of NOAH: the loss of one son is the loss of every son..the declension of the solar sun..then terror..THEGIZASPHINX8847.11OBAMA74TRUMP
Ben i do not know who are you, where you come from, what is your background...actually that is relevant.
But it is really important to know...17 years blogger? So you must be around 40 years old? If not, your bligs are just teenager comments which have no validation because at that age we are not mature yet.
If you are a,mature man ...you should not waste your life telling fantasy stories.
For...
Ben i do not know who are you, where you come from, what is your background...actually that is relevant.
But it is really important to know...17 years blogger? So you must be around 40 years old? If not, your bligs are just teenager comments which have no validation because at that age we are not mature yet.
If you are a,mature man ...you should not waste your life telling fantasy stories.
For example France is full of rats, have you seen them in the streets?
To travel to the Middle East or any country full if history i advisr you first go to a library and search OLD books about them and get knowledge ...in my opinion this is what you need..seriously.
God may forgive you
@ Gina Eslam -- I'm 34 and started blogging when I was 17. If you'd like to think that my blogs are "just teenager comments which have no validation because at that age we are not mature yet," that's your prerogative. But goodness, I'd hope that the Egyptian government has more important things to deal with than some "teenager comments" on the internet expressing an opinion, no?
Another Trump support living in a fantasy world who believes everything is a conspiracy. Yes Egypt has a fascinating history but would I visit it? No. It already has a reputation for lacklustre and indifferent rude staff looking for “ tips”.
If you were that intelligent you can also read his bio. I guess you’re just an Egyptian government employee who was told to go on line and make up such comments and has never travelled further than Alexandria.
Ya Aib al Shoum. We will continue to be backward Arabs (Yes I am Arab muslim from lebanon - the only country with a worst airport than Cairo). Why don't you take the feedback and make things better ?
No one is saying bad things about Egypt just the airport needs to be improved.
I go through it because it is cheap it is a shit airport.
I wonder if maybe you should at least notify the US Embassy? It's possible they might want to warn other travelers to Egypt about your experience, and if anything else happens to you, it would be good to have them in the loop.
I fully agree with you 100% regarding the beggars inside the toilets, the luggage belt etc. No way you could have been out of the airport in 7 minutes also it was impolite to infringe on your privacy by broadcasting a CCTV of you. The only thing you didn’t explain how come it took you 4 hours to get out of the airport? 1 or 2 hours maybe, but 4 is very excessive
@ JamesX -- It didn't take me four hours to get out of the airport. That was my total time at the airport, including my arrivals experience, and then my departure several hours later. I was out of the airport pretty quickly, and never claimed otherwise. :-)
I agree with your approach and appreciate all your good work. As an aside I can tell you that reading your comments on CAI it reminded me of the accounts of a close relative of mine who travelled through CAI a few months ago and went through an experience that must have been very similar to yours. Particularly being asked for tips or charges at almost every point of the process.
Ben, totally support you on this 1000%! I don't think you have anything to worry about besides Egypt is considered a "toilet country" according to Trump and I expect he will reimpose the Muslim ban once he het into office.
The video contradicts your story Ben
@ Khaled -- It's a seven minute video of my nearly four hours at the airport. Could you please tell me which claim of mine the video contradicts?
@Ben They just stick to the narrative and ignore the facts. It’s like dealing with the modern day far Left Democrats. Spit out fake narratives that have been long debunked. “Trump called Nazis fine people.” “Russia/Trump colluded in 2016 election.” “Covid vaccines prevent spread and transmission…and safe” or “Biden is as sharp as a tack.” Now these Egyptians just keep saying over and over again “video proves you lied.” I used to be a Democrat...
@Ben They just stick to the narrative and ignore the facts. It’s like dealing with the modern day far Left Democrats. Spit out fake narratives that have been long debunked. “Trump called Nazis fine people.” “Russia/Trump colluded in 2016 election.” “Covid vaccines prevent spread and transmission…and safe” or “Biden is as sharp as a tack.” Now these Egyptians just keep saying over and over again “video proves you lied.” I used to be a Democrat and I switched when Joe Rogan, Tulsi, Elon, and Rfk all switched. People are tired of this programming.
Ok I'm an expat living in Egypt for 7 years but back and forth for the last 20, never ever had any problems at the airport, and if you claim what you claim don't they have thright to post evidence to the contrary, you gave up your rights to privacy when you posted your comments as it gave them the right to defend themselves and now your miffed because they have proved you wrong ....
Ok I'm an expat living in Egypt for 7 years but back and forth for the last 20, never ever had any problems at the airport, and if you claim what you claim don't they have thright to post evidence to the contrary, you gave up your rights to privacy when you posted your comments as it gave them the right to defend themselves and now your miffed because they have proved you wrong . If you post travel blogs at a guess you must have watched a few loads have stated about Egyptian laws about filming in this country and if you haven't seen them then as a "seasoned traveller" you should know that you checkthe laws out in each country you go to. This leads to the question do you believe local laws don't apply to you, the European countries insisted on Egypt imposing strict security at airports after the plane bomb though they never ever asked the same of the USA after 9/11 .
@ James Handy -- I'm sorry, but the government disproved nothing. They posted a seven minute video of my nearly four hours at the airport, which doesn't contradict a single claim that I made. Do you truly believe that accurately reflects the entirety of my experience?
Let's be serious! The government tossed out your case with video evidence that you confirmed was not doctored, which showed you strolling unmolested through what could have been any airport in the world!
Let's be serious! The government tossed out your case with video evidence that you confirmed was not doctored, which showed you strolling unmolested through what could have been any airport in the world!
Wait a minute, you made no "real-time" claims to be contradicted because while you were assuring your readers of your objectivity, you also did make the following admission, which directly challenged your objectivity:
You "never claimed otherwise", but by your own admission, the photos that were your "evidence" had been taken during a previous visit, as were all the pictures [you] posted of Cairo Airport in that post, which makes it rich to accuse the government of not posting 4 hours video, when your "evidence" was not contemporaneous. Do you see the problem that inquiring minds might have, especially since your claim about CAI as the "world's worst airport" is not as widely shared as you thought or implied?
@ DCS -- I asked you a question, and you didn't answer it. So let me ask it again:
"Do you think the Egyptian government should try to go after everyone who has left a negative review about the airport, including on websites like Skytrax?"
I just saw it under the comment I initiated and did not answer it there because I think the answer should be obvious: it is up to the Egyptian government. If it feels that the review is unfair, it has every right to challenge it, including in the court of law.
I addressed your other points there, however.
DCS, I think the big difference is when Ben posted his photos he wasn't claiming them to be "evidence". It's just a review of the airport... Also James Handy, no one that has been to the Cairo airport can take your claims seriously. I love Egypt as a country and the majority of the people are great, but the airport is a mess and there are people everywhere always asking for tips.
Yeah, right.
James, thanks for taking a break from your job at the Aviation Ministry to write this nonsensical post. I was born in Egypt so I've been through Cairo many times. You and I both know it's a joke: rude employees, horribly smelling facilities, corrupt airport officials. Stop denying the truth. Sal
Saves you the trouble of ever having to fly through that rotten airport again. I sometimes look at premium fares out of CAI and am tempted to position there. Then I picture myself walking through the airport and promptly pay twice the price to fly out of a half-decent airport.
Where can I read your article please ?
@ Alan Clare -- The original post is here:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/cairo-airport/
I have read your rather lengthy comments maybe you should lighten up and get a life and be a bit more positive
Maybe you should stop being so patronising.
Hello , as an ardent fan of most things Egyptian, I'm reading today's comment and wondering whereabout can I read what you said that caused the authorities offence.
I'm generally quite cautious about North Americans accounts and experiences abroad having as an older chap with mobilty issues quite recently been threatened , ignored, intimidated and generally not repected in three North American gateway airports.
I travelled through Cairo airport ,new and old terminals...
Hello , as an ardent fan of most things Egyptian, I'm reading today's comment and wondering whereabout can I read what you said that caused the authorities offence.
I'm generally quite cautious about North Americans accounts and experiences abroad having as an older chap with mobilty issues quite recently been threatened , ignored, intimidated and generally not repected in three North American gateway airports.
I travelled through Cairo airport ,new and old terminals and two provincal airports 2 years ago so keen to hear of your experience.
I reread your Egypt airport review and three things come to mind.
1. Egypt should have taken your review to heart and made easy adjustments to fix the problems you mentioned. Most of what you complained about were staffing issues, which are easily fixed with proper management. They rely on tourism for their economy. And instead of embracing the constructive criticism from an avid tourist, they vehemently attack and threaten the messenger.
2. Anyone...
I reread your Egypt airport review and three things come to mind.
1. Egypt should have taken your review to heart and made easy adjustments to fix the problems you mentioned. Most of what you complained about were staffing issues, which are easily fixed with proper management. They rely on tourism for their economy. And instead of embracing the constructive criticism from an avid tourist, they vehemently attack and threaten the messenger.
2. Anyone saying “XYZ” airport is worse is a troll. There are zero western airports that have 90% of the problems you addressed.
3. Keep up the good work! I appreciate honest reviews. I’ve been following your page for about 5 years now and it has become part of my daily list of sites I frequent. I appreciate the news, reviews, offers and guides. In fact, I picked up a Hyatt cc based on your recommendation. P.S. I used the link you provided and I got flagged as fraud. So when I reapplied and went directly to their site. I know you get perks, so you might want to look into that.
Are u stupid or his friend the Egyptian government just showed vcr records that prove your pal is a liar do u understand or is it beyond your IQ
They showed only 7 minutes. lol. His biggest complaint was the rudeness he encountered. Trying to insult me actually confirms his testimony. Good job Islam, you proved his point. And to your other post, just because you get 14 million tourists each year means you were lucky enough to be born where a once great civilization existed. If those antiquities were not there, you’d be another Libya or Sudan waste land.
I agree the Egyptian government made a big deal out of it for no good reason, but I think you should be thankful to them as they draw attention to your blog, I have never heared about your blog till now.
Other incidents worse than this happen in other airports and no one cares.
We do not want you in our country again you liar ,how much were you paid to say all these lies and further you underestimate your readers by keeping lying again. I am sorry to say you are not welcomed in our hospitable country that receive more than 14 million tourists annually , and none says this shit
@ Islam Khalil -- So of the 14 million visitors to Egypt per year, not a single one has anything bad to say about the airport? What a take!
islam, u mad bro?
Islam is mad and has been since the First Fitna.
CAN you stop attacking the guy, he has NOT lied about a single thing, I travel through CIA nearly every month and his correct in eveything he has reviewed I face it evertime. So much so I changed the my transits to Istanbul now.
The staff treat you with disgust, and very unwelcoming, they screem and shout at you at passport control.
Maybe egypt should just take it on the chain and change their whole aspect and attactude, and improve on on their service.
Islam, I'm Egyptian and you know very well that "our country" is in shambles. Every government organization is rife with corruption and cronyism. If people like Ben don't report on these things, then nothing is going to change and we'll just continue to be a 3rd world country.
Let's inject some signal in what has so far been a low signal, high noise "discussion"...
@Ben -- Please get off your high horse on this. That "more of your readers agreed with you than not" just means...
Let's inject some signal in what has so far been a low signal, high noise "discussion"...
@Ben -- Please get off your high horse on this. That "more of your readers agreed with you than not" just means that you have a loyal following. It does not at all mean that your claims about CAI or any other topic for that matter are automatically right! You see, we live in the "information age", which means that "information" on pretty much any topic is at the fingertips of anyone with a device that can connect to the internet, aka, the worldwide web. So, anyone can do what I just did to reach the conclusion that your claim about CAI as the "world's worst airport" is not at all as widely shared as you seem to think.
I asked Google (but you can do the same using your preferred search engine) this simple question: "What is the worst major airport in the world?"
Tellingly, Google's AI would not be drawn into the stupid "debate", so the first message the search yielded was...
...after which came "hits" like these:
-- The 10 worst airports in the world
-- The world's best and worst airports
-- Top Worst Airport In The World: Who Will Be Called?
-- 30 Worst Airports in the World, Ranked
-- I've flown into hundreds of airports — and this is the world's ...
...and many more. And guess what? Not a single one of the "hits" I examined, which included those from "serious" publications like The Times (London) and Forbes, listed "CAI" among the 10 or even 30 world's worst airport!
Do not take my word for it. Do the search yourself.
In my view, CAI loses nothing from this "brawl." Rather, it's the travel blogger who loses out big time by having to exclude from among his travel destinations or being banned from one of the "cradles humanity".
G'day!
Oops! Make that
...of the "cradles of humanity".
Cleary you are an anti-Ethiopia pro-Egypt shill.
My Google search leads to a 2 year old reddit thread where the poster says Cairo takes the cake as the top result.
Other sites like The Times and Forbes use metrics that CAI probably doesn't even measure or don't impact Ben's opinion such as flight delays or distance from downtown... Also do you think CAI airport takes customer feedback seriously?
Your article examples like "30 Worst...
Cleary you are an anti-Ethiopia pro-Egypt shill.
My Google search leads to a 2 year old reddit thread where the poster says Cairo takes the cake as the top result.
Other sites like The Times and Forbes use metrics that CAI probably doesn't even measure or don't impact Ben's opinion such as flight delays or distance from downtown... Also do you think CAI airport takes customer feedback seriously?
Your article examples like "30 Worst Airports in the World, Ranked" from Far and Wide imply you would rather fly through CAI than other airports that were listed like Brussels and Hong Kong.
The other "The 10 worst airports in the world" from Airhelp uses on-time performance, food, and shops as metrics and imply Lisbon is worse than flying into the unmentioned Cairo airport.
Forgive me! You see, as a bona fide research scientist, I carefully chose my sources of information based on their standards. The sites I checked did clearly list their criteria for ranking airports, which you are free to take issue with, but the criteria were applied uniformly and CAI did not make...
Forgive me! You see, as a bona fide research scientist, I carefully chose my sources of information based on their standards. The sites I checked did clearly list their criteria for ranking airports, which you are free to take issue with, but the criteria were applied uniformly and CAI did not make the lists. Period.
Free-for-all "Reddit" as a reliable source for information? You are not serious at all, especially with a stupid comment like "Cleary you are an anti-Ethiopia pro-Egypt shill. Get smarter or get lost.
Did you try ask AI what is the best hotel chain in the world?
Not a single one of the "serious" publications like The Times (London) and Forbes, listed Hilton on the top.
@Eskimo -- Which is precisely why they are credible since they are not supposed to list Hilton Honors as the top program, as no one -- definitely not I-- has ever made the stupid claim!!!
@ DCS -- I asked Google what the best hotel loyalty program is, and not a single one of the several dozen first results put Hilton Honors in first place. So can we agree it's not a good program, then?
We can agree that you have no response to my incisive, evidence-backed comment and are trying the usual digression.
BTW, you asked Google the wrong question for I've never claimed Hilton Honors to be...
We can agree that you have no response to my incisive, evidence-backed comment and are trying the usual digression.
BTW, you asked Google the wrong question for I've never claimed Hilton Honors to be the "best" program; that's what World of Hyatt is supposed to be, remember? I just debunk your made-up claims, like the one you made up about CAI, that Hilton Honors is the worst program.
Goodbye and good luck, Ben.
You have reading comprehension problems. Ben never said CAI was the worst airport in the world. He asked the readers of his blog if there was a worst airport. He said was that CAI was his least favorite airport in the world.
Well, let's just let Ben speaks for himself to establish exactly who has "reading comprehension problems":
I do not expect an apology for you clearly have a "reading comprehension problems" and "won't get."
Just get lost.
@DCS- Your assessment is rubbish on so many fronts. But I’ll simply narrow it down. Traffic at OMAAT most assuredly has risen, while many who read Egypt’s threats to Ben for his testimony will undoubtedly turn people away from going. Negative reviews for airports usually don’t deter travelers but lowers the bar of expectation. However, making personal threats to a travel blogger is despicable and does deter from visiting.
My assessment is the closest thing to a scientific inquiry to be posted on this "debate", but as a kool-aid drinker who think that increased "traffic by sycophants" is "evidence" I do not expect you to "get it."
CAI does not make the list of "world's worst airports" of any serious publication. Period. Now go on drinking the kool-aid.
DCS - lol. You do realize MOST publications are western centric, which is not uncommon. Do they list any of the third world airports in central Africa which have minimal infrastructure? Also, when has the media ever been reliable? They ALL were saying Biden was “as sharp as a tack” only 1 week before his final debate. Sounds like you are the one drinking that tasty grape Kool-aid. lol! I believe Ben…..and the angry, spitting,...
DCS - lol. You do realize MOST publications are western centric, which is not uncommon. Do they list any of the third world airports in central Africa which have minimal infrastructure? Also, when has the media ever been reliable? They ALL were saying Biden was “as sharp as a tack” only 1 week before his final debate. Sounds like you are the one drinking that tasty grape Kool-aid. lol! I believe Ben…..and the angry, spitting, gnashing of teeth Egyptians in this comment section proves his point, SPOT ON.
So, let me get this straight: from "MOST publications are western centric" you exclude OMAAT, and the answer to "when has the media ever been reliable?" must exclude OMAAT, which therefore makes my assessment of OMAAT's...
So, let me get this straight: from "MOST publications are western centric" you exclude OMAAT, and the answer to "when has the media ever been reliable?" must exclude OMAAT, which therefore makes my assessment of OMAAT's uncorroborated claim about CAI and self-aggrandizement "rubbish on so many fronts". Ok, got it. Now, go drink some more kool-aid.
@ DCS -- Look, I know you love to get into overly academic debates, which really fail to look at the big picture, in my opinion, and that's why I avoid engaging in them.
But here's what confuses me -- you're generally a pretty liberal guy, as far as I know, yet you're siding with a very questionable government over someone who is just sharing their opinions online.
We can agree on whether Cairo...
@ DCS -- Look, I know you love to get into overly academic debates, which really fail to look at the big picture, in my opinion, and that's why I avoid engaging in them.
But here's what confuses me -- you're generally a pretty liberal guy, as far as I know, yet you're siding with a very questionable government over someone who is just sharing their opinions online.
We can agree on whether Cairo is the worst major airport in the world, and that's fine. I shared my opinion, based on my sincerely held beliefs. But here's my question to you. Do you think the Egyptian government should try to go after everyone who has left a negative review about the airport, including on websites like Skytrax? There are endless reviews mirroring exactly what I said, so it's not like I came up with this.
Well you are wrong. My "overly academic debates" do precisely the opposite because they look at the broadest evidence advanced to support or reject claims, which has resulted in many of your fabricated claims being rejected. The ones you made...
Well you are wrong. My "overly academic debates" do precisely the opposite because they look at the broadest evidence advanced to support or reject claims, which has resulted in many of your fabricated claims being rejected. The ones you made about CAI were not even based on contemporaneous evidence!!!
That is a non sequitur. That I am "a pretty liberal" guy does not mean I should blindly reject facts because their source may be questionable. FWIW, you have made up so may "facts" over the years, that I find so-called opinions that you just share online quite questionable.
I did an independent search of your claim and the results were clear: CAI does not appear on very many "credible" lists, academically speaking" of "world's worst airports". Your evidence of CAI is so highly questionable, it can bbe best characterized as biased.
@ DCS -- So I'm curious, you have certain lists you claim are "credible," "academically speaking," and you cite this one:
https://www.thetimes.com/travel/advice/ive-flown-into-hundreds-of-airports-and-this-is-the-worlds-worst-gmcbt59x7
I'm curious, you consider this writer's subjective opinion about the worst airport to be credible, but not mine. Why?
Actually, Ben, there is another piece in the Times (London) that addressed the question. I listed opinion writer in the Times as part of the "hits" that were returned, and she was interesting in discussing the world's worst airports academically (I suggest you read it fully). Therefore, rather than to cherry-pick, you should look at the totality of the evidence, which is overwhelming: CAI does not appear on many lists as the "world's worst".
@Ben -- Here's the "credible" Times (London) piece I refer to:
https://www.thetimes.com/travel/inspiration/these-are-the-worlds-worst-airports-according-to-you-6qqxnj2p7
which the Times opinion writer you singled out to challenge had, in fact, alluded to.
Lifetime diamond? More like lifetime clown
Having travelled to over 70 countries and used both of Cairo's airports I found your rather childish moaning and winging article inducing laughter . I do honestly think and almost sure you are paid. I found no evidence of your winging moaning reasons , you are a no one who wants to get attention
Honest question: if he is a “no one” why are you wasting your time on this website AND taking time to comment to him? Also, let’s be honest “Joseph.” Your name is really Ahmed, right? I’d be way more sympathetic of the Egyptians if you simply just said “Ben, I’m sorry we missed the mark. We’ll do better next time.” But instead you attack him. Not a good look.
exactly akhmed
I'm an Egyptian-American with strong ties to both countries and I live in the USA. I'd like to give my perspective on all this. I have also traveled to various countries and states more times than I can count, and probably we'll over 30.
First, I'm sorry the Egyptian govt came after you in this way. As you suggested, if they are going to behave like this, they should have anti-defamation laws clearly posted. It's...
I'm an Egyptian-American with strong ties to both countries and I live in the USA. I'd like to give my perspective on all this. I have also traveled to various countries and states more times than I can count, and probably we'll over 30.
First, I'm sorry the Egyptian govt came after you in this way. As you suggested, if they are going to behave like this, they should have anti-defamation laws clearly posted. It's pretty silly to not realize that their reaction would not be detrimental to tourism in Egypt. It is pretty unhinged.
That said, Cairo Airport has come a long long way in the past 40+ years since I've been traveling to Egypt, and I've been to far worse airports. JFK, where I and our entire flight were racially profiled and detained for being Egyptian, is far worse. I also thought Heathrow airport to be pretty terrible as well, and I'd rank Cairo Airport above those.
I'm not familiar with what you wrote in your previous blog post. If you said that it's the worst airport you've experienced, that's totally your right to share your subjective opinion.
If you said it's the worst airport in the world, it's still your opinion, but I wouldn't have taken it seriously as I doubt you've to every airport in the world.
As for the tourists complaining about bribery, tip culture and begging. Yes, it's rampant in Egypt. So is corruption. But the complaints about it ring a bit like white-privilege to me, who understand how much poverty and suffering their is for Egyptians. This includes not just civilians but the lowest rungs of the government machinery, including customs and police. Many people seeking money from tourists are desperate. I'm not saying you should tip or pay bribes at all. I'm saying people should understand why it happens.
@ Amr -- I encourage you to take a look at my initial post:
https://onemileatatime.com/insights/cairo-airport/
I said it's the worst major airport in the world, in my opinion. Admittedly I didn't quantify "major," but by the definition I was thinking in my head (let's say a major hub for an airline, and 20+ million passengers per year), I have been to all those airports, and I do feel like that's accurate.
Hahaha ha, you are just an attention where paid to say so
It's certainly accurate that it reflects your experience and perspective truthfully, of that I have no doubt.
I'm reading it now and giving my honest feedback below. Nothing I say is meant to be personal:
I think where you might've gotten into trouble are with blanket statements like this:
-"just about everything sucks about the airport"
However, I see you've qualified most statements like this as your opinion. That's all fine with me....
It's certainly accurate that it reflects your experience and perspective truthfully, of that I have no doubt.
I'm reading it now and giving my honest feedback below. Nothing I say is meant to be personal:
I think where you might've gotten into trouble are with blanket statements like this:
-"just about everything sucks about the airport"
However, I see you've qualified most statements like this as your opinion. That's all fine with me. I don't agree with most of your opinions, but they are opinions.
-"There’s just not an airport that has ruder and more disinterested staff, in my opinion."
This is going to be pretty subjective. Just like you won't fly through CAI again, I won't fly through JFK again. To me, their is no airport with ruder, more racist staff. When I see an old woman in a wheel chair being detained for 4 hours along with the rest of our flight simply for being Egyptian, I objectively think that trumps anything you may have experienced at CAI.
The next set of feedback I have requires context. Egypt's economy is in the toilet. When I used to travel to Egypt in the 90s, the Egyptian pound traded 3:1 with the US dollar. Today, it's roughly 50:1. Middle-class Egyptians are struggling to put food on the table.
-"He then handed me a paper towel and said “tip please?” Dude, I’ll tip you to get out of the bathroom."
The bathroom attendant you mentioned probably makes the equivalent of about $50-$100 a month to live on. I'd like you to imagine living on that kind of salary. Doable? Nope. Do you tip waiters at restaurants in the USA who make that same amount of money in a day or two? This man can not live without tips. So maybe when you talk about someone who is this bad off in life, at least don't put their role in "quotes" as if you don't think their serving a legitimate function. I think a bit of empathy in the writing of this piece would've gone a long way for you. Empathy usually doesn't promote "engagement" so I can see why in our social media age their is a lack of it.
-"How do I put this politely, but… Egyptians aren’t good at waiting in lines (and neither are people from several other countries that see a lot of flights to and from Cairo)."
I mean, I don't disagree that in general things in Egypt are less organized, but I'm never a fan of making any kind of blanket statement about any group of people. It just comes off as some kind of privilege. If you visit some banks in Egypt, and some government facilities outside of the airport, you'll find that they often use "deli-counter" style ticketing systems to keep order. So the lack of order has more to do with the environment of the airport than some inherit lack of ability to be good at waiting in a line. I've also flown from/to Egypt as well as flights internal to Egypt, and I would disagree that disorderliness happens as a rule. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
-"I wouldn’t rank Cairo Airport as the worst in the world purely based on the physical attributes, because there are lots of ugly airports. However, Cairo Airport is just awful in that regard as well, whether you’re flying out of EgyptAir’s Terminal 3, of the newer Terminal 2"
I think this one's pretty unfair, particularly in saying it's the worst airport in the world. There are hundreds and hundreds of worse airports, and I've been to some of them.
I was quite impressed with Terminal 2, personally. I found it to be much more spacious and better arranged for queueing than the older terminals. Is it in the realm of Doha's airport? Of course not, that airport is a modern marvel. But at the end of the day, an airport is meant to facilitate travel, not oohs and aahs. Personally, I find JFK and Boston Logan to be both unnattractive airports, as well as Heathrow. I don't really see much separation between these three in terms of aesthetics.
Lastly, yes, the facility isn't heated well. It's a desert country, the number of hot days and nights far outweigh the cold ones, and heating a facility this big is expensive. Certainly, it does not have nice atriums or food courts like Doha, Baltimore, La Guardia, and so on. I wish it did. Again, please remember how poor of a country Egypt is.
When someone with an audience talks in a way that can hurt Egypt's tourism, it's taken personally not by just the government but by Egyptians in general because Egypt has so few sources of income. It can't afford to lose tourism.
Where I agree with you is that yes, Egypt should look to address the issues pointed out by travelers as much as possible. That bathroom attendant should get paid more, so he doesn't have to try and live off tips. The government should spend money more wisely, and maybe not build a new grand capital city in the desert when so many Egyptians are suffering. But until that happens, please consider how hard life is for the common Egyptians you encounter. Where tourists see a nuisance, I see a desperate struggle to put food on the table.
Yeah, I'm a huge fan of Ben's. but I have to admit, I was a bit taken aback at the insensitivity over the bathroom attendant. A rare instance of tone deafness.
Send my greetings to your group Mr. Amr namely Moslem Brotherhood , if say one lie about USA I will be charged. So stop your bullshit and this does not make you a better American citizen if you think so
Islam just stop, you're embarrassing yourself. Upgrade your critical thinking and communication skills. There is no bullshit coming from me. I hate the Muslim Brotherhood with a passion, and I'm glad they are gone. When Donald Trump was first elected, I said great, America just elected it's own version of Mohammed Morsi. So stop making assumptions about people you don't know.
Lastly, take your first name seriously and turn to the Qu'ran for guidance,...
Islam just stop, you're embarrassing yourself. Upgrade your critical thinking and communication skills. There is no bullshit coming from me. I hate the Muslim Brotherhood with a passion, and I'm glad they are gone. When Donald Trump was first elected, I said great, America just elected it's own version of Mohammed Morsi. So stop making assumptions about people you don't know.
Lastly, take your first name seriously and turn to the Qu'ran for guidance, because you seem to need it to know how to speak respectfully to others.
So right when mentioning London Heathrow ...really not fit for purpose but I've had first hand experience of overseas visitors being recived professionally , warmly and courtesly.
Welcome to Egypt
Bloggers Beware
Hang in there Ben, weird stuff happens to nice people.
He is a liar ³caught while lying, no way to be nice
Do you know what a lie is? You trying to convince yourself that having sex with other men isn't zina.
Hi Ben,
Its not about being wrong. Please take it as a lesson in life.
When someone is down, try to pick them up. Egypt is down.
Personally saying, their airport is not terrible for 2nd world status country. And its bordering on third world status due to their GDP continually flees elsewhere. You know what I mean. If that money stays in country, so many things would be fixed up. It would be...
Hi Ben,
Its not about being wrong. Please take it as a lesson in life.
When someone is down, try to pick them up. Egypt is down.
Personally saying, their airport is not terrible for 2nd world status country. And its bordering on third world status due to their GDP continually flees elsewhere. You know what I mean. If that money stays in country, so many things would be fixed up. It would be a much better Egypt.
As it has been said "Don't kick a dog when its down".
I would NOT recommend the American way as many have written.
I suggest you make amends with them.
If you want to ask me about it, you can contact at the email.
Ps...my wife is an Egyptologist. We don't go often as there are many Pyramids around the world to visit. But Egypt is definetly one of a kind, and certainly intriguing to us.
We hope and pray they will recover back to their glory they were.
No one lied in this miserable way and proved by records to be a liar like you so u can digest yourself slowly ,just an attention whore paid and unfortunately in an incompetent way asshole
You are very funny sir and full of white and racism ,so your wife is an Egyptologist but visits pyramids elsewhere , so she is a loser or are u so accustomed to lying like your friend , by the way does your great country have a science named after it like Egupt and by the way your country has the largest debt worldwide and is unable to pay it asshole .
Egyptology is a science studying the civilization of the country that effectively died 2500 years ago when the Greeks took over. But then again, to you, "civilization" began when a guy and his friends took a trip from Mecca to Medina.
The worst Airport is a harsch verdict especially from someone who knows US Airports. Los Angeles, Miami, JFK and Chicago come to mind.
But well those are of course subjective decisions.
But what the Egyptian government did. was absolutely crazy. Calling out any Egyptian Place for bribing is like calling out any place on Hawaii for being close to the sea. The first time I was there in 2003 the immigration Officer demanded a...
The worst Airport is a harsch verdict especially from someone who knows US Airports. Los Angeles, Miami, JFK and Chicago come to mind.
But well those are of course subjective decisions.
But what the Egyptian government did. was absolutely crazy. Calling out any Egyptian Place for bribing is like calling out any place on Hawaii for being close to the sea. The first time I was there in 2003 the immigration Officer demanded a tip and the last time last year even the guys at the xray for your baggage wanted one.
Scamming is part of everyday life for every tourist, unless confined to a ressort.
But fully agree that Ben should not visit Egypt again as a lot of Egyptian comments only make clear.
And for those from Egypt, LHR, CDG and FRA receive negative critics on a daily base but no government has ever done such a thing.
So it is OK for you that he lies and we prove that he is a liar , what a democracy, so if I call you a whore. Or a thiefand u get angry and prove I am a liar is crazy in your definition
Islam is really making a case for Egyptians being the rudest people in the world. I'm not sure why they're trying to convince us seeing as that's not even the discussion here :P
Yes, this idiot Islam is making Egypt and Egyptians look worse by the minute.
The biggest concern for me having reviewed all the footage provided by Egypt is the damage you will do to your neck/shoulder with the amount of time you spend looking down at your phone! :-)
Seriously though, Egypt's loss. If I were in your shoes I would not return either.
@ Duck Ling -- Hah, so I know a lot of people were wondering why I spent so much time on my phone, so let me address that, as it's a great question (and it's not how I usually am).
As y'all know, when I take review trips, I take a ton of pictures. On a flight I might take 300 pictures (because I take lots of duplicates), and then I delete 80% of...
@ Duck Ling -- Hah, so I know a lot of people were wondering why I spent so much time on my phone, so let me address that, as it's a great question (and it's not how I usually am).
As y'all know, when I take review trips, I take a ton of pictures. On a flight I might take 300 pictures (because I take lots of duplicates), and then I delete 80% of those that I don't intend to use. Then for those that I do plan to use, I resize them on my phone to make the horizon level, etc.
So basically any spare minute on my review trip where I'm not "experiencing" something, I'm on my phone getting the pictures ready for my reviews. It takes hours and hours, and that way the workload is a bit less overwhelming when I get home.
Hope that clears it up. Yes, my "screen time" on trips is VERY high when traveling.
Totally understandable :-)
I love reading your reviews the main reason being because it is very transparent from the get go that you fund your own travels so they are completely objective.
I read a review on another blog site and the fact that the flight was 'provided by the airline' was buried deep deep in the article and could easily be missed. When I suggested in the comments that perhaps they could make that...
Totally understandable :-)
I love reading your reviews the main reason being because it is very transparent from the get go that you fund your own travels so they are completely objective.
I read a review on another blog site and the fact that the flight was 'provided by the airline' was buried deep deep in the article and could easily be missed. When I suggested in the comments that perhaps they could make that aspect a little more obvious (ie at the very start of the article) the reviewer basically tore me to shreds. But I just do not hold 'invited' reviews to the same integrity as reviews that are self funded.
So, THANK YOU and keep up the great reviews.
And who said you are welcomed if your manners is to lie and insult your host then u can go to he'll, the bottonline that he is a liar caught with his lies
So basically first yoi said that it is 7 minutes out of 4 hours that were pleasant, and that your experience were horrible, while in the video it seem otherwise, and then you complain about the video that it is a privacy to publish!! I think pretty clear that this is the moment were there is no privacy as long as you talking about the country thinking it's normal to say bullshits while it seem...
So basically first yoi said that it is 7 minutes out of 4 hours that were pleasant, and that your experience were horrible, while in the video it seem otherwise, and then you complain about the video that it is a privacy to publish!! I think pretty clear that this is the moment were there is no privacy as long as you talking about the country thinking it's normal to say bullshits while it seem opposite, you see, we always see people like you, the Karren type people, they think themselves critics and everyone should respect their works, while what you can't understand and you actually don't care about is that when you say lies or talk bullshits like that so you harm not a place but you harm a whole country with people loving and working and earning from this, and when you talk like that so basically you harm and can affect lots and lots of people jobs and income, so basically you upset that the egyptian government showing a prove of your lie because this would harm your blog and affect your readers but it's OK to harm a whole country and its people!!! Do you really think that egypt is the only country have mistakes ? Dear readers, how come you believe in one person talk point of view while you can travel and see wonders good and bad , but mostly good, at least you won't go to a place where people kidnapping you or kill you or steal your phones in middle of street at day time while no one making a move !! Egypt which he talking bad about is always have best hospitality , most caring people even if they doesn't know you, if you collapsed in street or anywhere you will find each and every person in cars or on foot stopping by to help and make sure you ok.. dear readers.. you have a mind of your own.. a vacation time, you can come and spend in egypt to see will you have issues and miserable time or you could actually die from enjoying your time to the max, I myself used to live and work in touristic city for several years, most of accidents or stuff like that I seen was caused by that people are litteraly enjoying their time to the max by consuming alcohol and having great time that lead them to do stupid stuff which happened anywhere in the world, but at least here if something like that happens so there is 99% someone will stops you from doing stupid stuff.. but unfortunately we still can't stop people from saying stupid stuff about us because it's just didn't go the way they want it to be, just talk bad for exposure and thinking it's good review..eventually someone like you face all the awful stuff in their own homeland and street where they live by your own people which is always ironic.. you see, we have a say, love egypt , egypt will love you back, harm egypt, don't cry babe.. be sure karma always fly around waiting
Summary: This message is a long and emotional critique directed at someone who shared a negative experience about Egypt, likely in a blog or video. Here's a summarized version of the key points:
Contradictory Statements: The person criticizes Egypt for being unpleasant, but the video evidence suggests otherwise.
Privacy Complaint: They claim it's unfair for their video to be published or used without consent, but the writer argues that publicizing the truth is justified,...
Summary: This message is a long and emotional critique directed at someone who shared a negative experience about Egypt, likely in a blog or video. Here's a summarized version of the key points:
Contradictory Statements: The person criticizes Egypt for being unpleasant, but the video evidence suggests otherwise.
Privacy Complaint: They claim it's unfair for their video to be published or used without consent, but the writer argues that publicizing the truth is justified, especially when the original comments harm the country's reputation.
Criticism of the Person: The writer compares them to "Karen" stereotypes—people who demand attention for their complaints and expect their views to be respected, even when harmful or baseless.
Impact on Egypt: The writer believes that negative statements about Egypt can harm its reputation, affect its tourism industry, and jeopardize livelihoods.
Defense of Egypt: They highlight the hospitality and kindness of Egyptian people, asserting that Egypt is generally a safe and enjoyable destination.
Broader Context: The writer acknowledges that no country is perfect but stresses that bad experiences shouldn’t define a nation, especially when the critic faces similar issues in their own country.
Final Thought: The writer suggests critics should approach Egypt with love and understanding, warning that negative actions or words might lead to karmic consequences.
This response is passionate, defensive, and appeals to readers to visit Egypt and form their own opinions.
F****ng too long.
Even chatGPT summary needs a summary.
Well said
As someone who has travelled through Cairo aiport many times (solo female traveler)….sorry but your initial complaints were not even warranted. I’ve never had issues there and don’t know anyone who has. The amount of support for your posts by people who have not been and now according to them will not go bc of one blog post is not surprising but disheartening.
@ nmagd -- Let me take your opinion and claim at face value here. I have two questions:
-- Don't you agree that other people could have different experiences than you, without anyone being in the wrong?
-- Regardless of how you feel, don't you take issue with a government threatening someone for sharing their opinion about an airport?
Of course everybody can have their own experience. In any airport around the world, not just Egypt different people can have both amazing and absolutely awful experiences. I’ve had terrible experiences in airports in Europe by the way much worse than your experience in Cairo airport.
The problem here that you don’t seem to understand, is that your blog post about what happened in the airport is really turning a lot of people off...
Of course everybody can have their own experience. In any airport around the world, not just Egypt different people can have both amazing and absolutely awful experiences. I’ve had terrible experiences in airports in Europe by the way much worse than your experience in Cairo airport.
The problem here that you don’t seem to understand, is that your blog post about what happened in the airport is really turning a lot of people off from a beautiful country who is reliant on tourism and unfortunately is in the midst of an economic crisis severely affecting the population. As evidenced by people‘s responses to your blog post, because of this bad experience you claim to have had, there are so many people who now will not even bother to go to Egypt and experience the country and have a wonderful time as most travelers do.
Also realize that in the end, if any western Airport were faced with the level of complaints that you’ve launched against Cairo Airport, they would also launch an investigation… And if these complaints were proven to be false, that would be talk of slander as well. This is normal for anywhere not just Egypt. From what I know of your story, you are really over exaggerating the bad things about Egypt, and ignoring all the beautiful things about this country.
@ Nmagd -- "The problem here that you don’t seem to understand, is that your blog post about what happened in the airport is really turning a lot of people off from a beautiful country who is reliant on tourism and unfortunately is in the midst of an economic crisis severely affecting the population. As evidenced by people‘s responses to your blog post, because of this bad experience you claim to have had, there are...
@ Nmagd -- "The problem here that you don’t seem to understand, is that your blog post about what happened in the airport is really turning a lot of people off from a beautiful country who is reliant on tourism and unfortunately is in the midst of an economic crisis severely affecting the population. As evidenced by people‘s responses to your blog post, because of this bad experience you claim to have had, there are so many people who now will not even bother to go to Egypt and experience the country and have a wonderful time as most travelers do."
See, so I don't think this is an accurate summary of what happened. When I first wrote about Cairo Airport, almost no one said "oh, I'm not going to travel to Egypt now." After all, you don't travel to Egypt because of the airport, but rather because everything else the country has to offer.
What turned people off from visiting Egypt is the government's response. Specifically, the government threatening legal action against someone for sharing their (honest) opinion on the airport. That's what concerns people, and not the condition of the airport.
Isn't that fair enough? :-)
@Nmagd
I'm quite sure what "is really turning a lot of people off" isn't one bloggers opinion, but the official response to the incident.
@nmagd, it's hard to believe that Ben's post is the one "really turning a lot of people off from a beautiful country." Any visitor with common sense would indeed be turning away from any country exhibiting such a disproportionate and threatening government response to mere criticisms of an airport. The fact that they are willing to display this amount of anger (using some time, money, staff, but not necessarily effort, especially intellectual effort) and turn...
@nmagd, it's hard to believe that Ben's post is the one "really turning a lot of people off from a beautiful country." Any visitor with common sense would indeed be turning away from any country exhibiting such a disproportionate and threatening government response to mere criticisms of an airport. The fact that they are willing to display this amount of anger (using some time, money, staff, but not necessarily effort, especially intellectual effort) and turn this situation into government propaganda only makes the optics even worse.
Do you realize that a competent government could have turned Ben's original review into a nice, positive, PROFESSIONALLY MADE promo video saying something as simple as "don't believe everything you read on the internet," using those very same cherry-picked 7 minutes of "pleasant" airport experience and THEN showcasing the sheer amount of architectural wonders they possess. Instead, they just chose to do what'd be akin to mere yelling and screaming, along with a video so poorly edited and formatted that anyone with a cell phone and a free video editing app could have done better.
Supporting a country and its people is not achieved by being complacent to dictatorships and their mostly incompetent political appointees (and I say that as a person from a country that has had its own dictators, several incompetent corrupt leaders, and even bigger numbers of equally incompetent political appointees). The biggest message here is about how unqualified the government is, as demonstrated by the missed opportunities for proving that it can handle basic PR issues, care for its own people, act competently on their behalf, fight corruption, and lead by example.
Thank you mam for your heartwarming comment
In addition to drawing soooo much more attention to your (no offense) rather niche blog post, they seem to be ignoring the fact that, on the whole, you've been a BOOSTER of Cairo as a great place to originate flights
What I really want to say, however, on behalf of all New Yorkers, is that we are absolutely OFFENDED that JFK airport does not head your list of worst major airports in the world and we DEMAND that you immediately redraw the list with us at the top.
I wonder why no one has ever supported Sebastian@LoyaltyLobby 2 years ago... He encountered the same situation.
https://onemileatatime.com/news/bali-punishes-travel-blogger/
https://viewfromthewing.com/loyalty-lobby-blogger-kicked-out-of-bali-for-false-story-about-long-immigration-lines/
@ Peter -- Fair question. Sebastian made claims that were factually incorrect. He stated that people were waiting in line at the airport for over five hours, when that simply wasn't true, and the airport proved that people weren't waiting for more than two hours. Now, whether the airport should have called him out so publicly is open to debate.
In my case, I just stated my opinions and shared my experiences about the airport,...
@ Peter -- Fair question. Sebastian made claims that were factually incorrect. He stated that people were waiting in line at the airport for over five hours, when that simply wasn't true, and the airport proved that people weren't waiting for more than two hours. Now, whether the airport should have called him out so publicly is open to debate.
In my case, I just stated my opinions and shared my experiences about the airport, including things like the smell of smoke, a lack of friendliness among staff, and general disorganization. Those things are all 100% true based on my experience.
So I think there's an important distinction between someone being able to express their opinion about an airport (which has been echoed all over the internet), and someone making claims about an airport that are factually false.
He was trying to get Bali to compensate for his trouble.
Maybe a $1000 tax refund from the government and a few million Garuda miles.
Sisi is besties with Netanyahu. And withdrew $10million cash to fund Trumps election campaign.
Egypt is a broken country because of the terrible company their despot leader picks.
You are funny ,I strongly recommend as a doctor to stop whatever stuff you are taking
I just booked a trip to Cairo. YAY!!!!
Take a page from (eugh) Trumps book... no publicity is bad publicity. Enjoy the increased viewers!
To the Egyptian Government: I have a love of history. In particular, Egyptian history. My wife and I have longed to visit Egypt. But, your regime imprisoned famed archaeologist Zahi Hawas. Now, you express an inordinate and intense response to . . . a blog review. What's next? Sadly, we'll pass on a visit to your beautiful country.
So according to your twisted mind I should accept lies from a nobody as bloggers is the job of nobodies and not to show people that he is a liar funny nobody commented that the video proves beyond any doubt that he is a liar but we are wrong because we defend ourselves. With all due respect f....k him and f..k his blog and anyone who is so stupid not to notice that you are not welcomed I would like to see your response when I say lies about your country.
Islam, all due respect. How does a 7 minute video prove him wrong? He was there 4 hours. Sorry to do this to you Ben, but Egypt needs to release the remaining 233 minutes if you are to prove him a liar. But you won’t - because he is telling the truth and Egypt gov officials like yourself presumably are the liars. Just do better. It’s that simple. Treat your guests with more respect. End of story.
I've taken Egypt OFF my travel itineraries now - NOT because of your review; but because of Egypts response to it. NO thanks!
F...k you . So we are supposed to accept his lies and bull shit ,we are happy that u Di so because we don't welcome liars , racists and bullies
Egypt is in Africa, not the Middle East! So many people are so naive before going there, it's not a resort. Best to always research countries before you go, especially ones that have completely different ways of life than Western Countries.
Im an Egyptian journalisr based in Cairo and i can tell you that the government is extremely sensitive to criticism and their response is often exaggerated. Tourism is a lifeline for the economy which is currently suffering due to slashed Suez Canal revenues( resulting from Houthi attacks on shipping) and the war next door. You expressed your opinion as a travel blogger excercising your right to free speech. The points you mentioned should have been...
Im an Egyptian journalisr based in Cairo and i can tell you that the government is extremely sensitive to criticism and their response is often exaggerated. Tourism is a lifeline for the economy which is currently suffering due to slashed Suez Canal revenues( resulting from Houthi attacks on shipping) and the war next door. You expressed your opinion as a travel blogger excercising your right to free speech. The points you mentioned should have been taken into consideration to improve the situation; instead they were taken against you. As an airbnb superhost for 8 years now, i can tell you that my guests have great experiences here. Egypt is a hospitable country and its people are kind and friendly. It is also far safer than mist places ive visited. It is unfortunate that this happened as i would ve loved to invite you over to see the 'other' side of Egypt as there is definitely another side. Theres no judging a country from one bad experuence...heck no, ive been robbed multiple times in paris but still go back again and again.
The government would do well to take your points into consideration and try and fix the wrongs rather than become defensive.
Thank you for a measured response. The government trolls spewing nonsense in the comments section don’t realize that the rest of us are laughing at them.
Thank you for sharing this! I don't want to visit that airport now either!
Ben, I think this is a wise decision. While the Egyptian people, generally, are extraordinarily kind, this is a deeply corrupt country. As an American, you're less likely to be disappeared or have something else untoward happen, but you just shouldn't take the risk of going there for the foreseeable future.
This just put Egypt on my ‘do not ever fly to’ list, like Saudi and China. I can see the pyramids just fine on Google Maps.
"or unless there’s a regime change at some point," wow did Ben just call for regime change in Egypt? He thought the government was mad before just wait
There should be laughing emojis after the above because its a joke but they didn't show up
I can think of one country in the Middle East where this WOULDN’T have happened ;-)
Eh, don't kid yourself, the UAE may be more tactful but piss the right folks off and they'll absolutely shut you down by any means necessary
Doha is just sand and camels.
A lot of retail companies use Auror these days to do security surveillance. It takes face photos of everyone coming through and is trained to search for certain behaviours. It learns to recognise and find known problem people. It alerts security staff and assists in police liaison. It shares information across the Auror user community. Probably at Cairo airport ,similar technology is used. Google Auror to see for yourself.
Unfortunately given the air time this is getting here and through Europe…..this will actually damage egypts tourism industry.
I was thinking of getting a Red Sea live aboard from Egypt…..after this highlight of petty harassment…..I’ll pass and give my money to other parts of the world.
Keep up the good work Ben.
Unfortunately. This is also a lesson on how much data is collected on a daily basis. Perhaps we all should...
Unfortunately given the air time this is getting here and through Europe…..this will actually damage egypts tourism industry.
I was thinking of getting a Red Sea live aboard from Egypt…..after this highlight of petty harassment…..I’ll pass and give my money to other parts of the world.
Keep up the good work Ben.
Unfortunately. This is also a lesson on how much data is collected on a daily basis. Perhaps we all should start pushing back a little on the surveillance state we live in.
I agree. I too was thinking of a trip to Egypt next year, to re-visit some places. It definitely lowered my desire to see that destination. Not that I'm afraid of reprecussion or think CAI is terrible - I remember when Doha airport was a horrible sh!thole some 20 years ago - but it just left bit of a sour taste towards Egypt and the endless bakshees calls.
Dude
This is a military regime who only deflect and deny. Taking responsibility and looking at ways to improve any constructive criticism is not part of there DNA.
Take that from an Egyptian
OMAAT and LALF are two of the very best travel blogs out there. Very thorough, fair, and honest IMO. Fact is, there are many other blogger (and just plain travelers with no blogs) reviews on youtube and other platforms that have negative comments about CAI - stretching back years Never heard of the regime coming after them. Meaning? Your honesty got to them. Keep writing - and flying, um, er, maybe just not through the M.E. at this time.
LALF being a staunch Zionist, religious bigot, and MAGA maniac had me checked out a long time ago.
Ditto on LALF
Ditto on LALF, political click-bait and narcisistic. Sadly still some of the better flight reviews out there.
I’d be willing to represent you pro bono if you’d like to litigate. Feel free to contact me at your leisure to discuss.
Oh… btw…. Did I mention I’m not an attorney, but I did stay at a xxxxExpress last month.
Go to the CIA!
I guess you haven't found the video FLL and Miami highway patrol made of you
Support you 100% Ben. I’ve shared your (original) article with several travel industry friends and the general consensus is you’re being too nice!
That’s how it is in countries with no Democracy.I thank you for your posts and love to read your reviews
Welcome to Egypt, where no national failing or disfunction is ever the fault of the nation, it's people, and certainly not it's leaders, but is always and every time the fault of some hidden conspiracy, from any of the Ethiopians, the Jews, the West, Christianity, etc.
well after their reports on the behavior of the people there, it should not surprise them that the politicians are the same, instead of paying people properly and thereby increasing the prices. And that is how they get around it, that they beg for tips, which the organizations didn't care about, nobody, but the main thing is not to tarnish their honor. it is up to each individual to decide whether or not they want...
well after their reports on the behavior of the people there, it should not surprise them that the politicians are the same, instead of paying people properly and thereby increasing the prices. And that is how they get around it, that they beg for tips, which the organizations didn't care about, nobody, but the main thing is not to tarnish their honor. it is up to each individual to decide whether or not they want to leave money in such a country in any case their report should be made available to a wider public
I do need to visit the Pyramids, Sphinx, and Luxor at some point in my life, but I'd probably hire a full private tour experience so I don't have to put up with any of the bullshit. Get me in and out as fast as possible.
I believe we have these in Vegas . Much closer
It's probably a good idea to not write about where you're going and where you're staying until after the trip has concluded. In general, this is solid advice even for something like preventing break-ins at your house.
As a fellow Jew, I can most assuredly tell you what their motivation is.
Ben, just want to say that I hope this isn't causing too much stress for you (and your family). Your unbiased objectivity and honesty is why we all love this blog - don't ever change.
It's going to be funny reading future blog posts about premium products and you trying to find cheap fares and if you find one out of CAI... oops can't go there!
Ben,
first and foremost glad you are back safely.
this is coming from a country unsure if itself and where it is going. you have every right to call out what you did, maybe they had some cherry-picked footage but that is beyond insanity. you reported on something that did not show them in a positive light and they came after you.
please keep doing what you're doing but stay safe, avoid the...
Ben,
first and foremost glad you are back safely.
this is coming from a country unsure if itself and where it is going. you have every right to call out what you did, maybe they had some cherry-picked footage but that is beyond insanity. you reported on something that did not show them in a positive light and they came after you.
please keep doing what you're doing but stay safe, avoid the region all together for the short term. they have a bunch of crap to figure out and most of us won't be transiting or visiting the region any time soon.
huge thumbs down to the creepy surveillance that had you under.
PD
Interesting. Thank you. I was just wondering why your wearing a mask still in 2024 ?
You've never been to a city with significant air pollution before, have you?
I am Egyptian and F&ck Egypt government
Once you get attacked from them, you know directly that you are right
We are criticising the same things but those fs think they are right on everything
Hope these dictators suffer in their lives.
This is pretty scary. Makes me think twice about ever traveling there; especially with my family.
You commented on an airport, not an ethnicity. I'm an Arab-American and second your opinion that CAI is gross. Don't like it, Government of Egypt? Then invest in the airport.
Literally anyone who has been to Cairo airport and at least one other airport will confidently state that Cairo airport is the worst in the world. Same goes for flying Egypt Air business class. Incredible, and not in a good way
CAI is nowhere close to being among the worst airports in the world. It has issues, but so do other airports in the world.
Just keep up with the excellent work, @Ben!
Now, in fairness Lucky, you say you have been blogging for NEARLY 17 years, so you mean 16?
Sorry, couldn't help myself after Egypt's nearly 4-star airline :)
He became an active member on FlyerTalk when he was still a kid.
Can the State Department help with something like this?
Yea this is my thought too. Like the US federal government should assist in some way. You can't have countries threatening Americans like this.
The Modi government threatened - bunch of Indian-Americans and the US Government did diddly squat about it other than to continue to expand assistance to the Indian Government and build closer and closer ties.
Help? Help with what?
What problem do you want them to fix?
Ben, Egypt was completely out of line. Even though I read your bad review of Egypt’s airport, I would still go. But now that they threatened you, bye bye Egypt. There are so many other places to visit in the world that allow freedom of thought and speech.
Also what happened to Lara Logan was absolutely shameful and despicable. No class! Barbaric! Uncivilized!
Been through Cairo's airport four times, no issues. I'll take Cairo any day over the clusterf*cks that are Heathrow, Miami and Toronto. Orlando during spring break doubles as the third circle of Hell.
Hi “John,” I don’t recall anyone working at any of those airports looking for a bribe except Cairo. Is that you Abdulla?
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” someone allegedly said most likely with good intentions...
autrement dit..
Colossians 4:6 says,
“Let your speech always be gracious [or in some versions, ‘with grace’ or ‘full of grace’], seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
or more crudely
You "f'd around" with CAI and you rapidly entered the "find out" phase. Well done!
While clearly nothing close to Roman Protasevich and Belarus, will you avoid Egyptian airspace?
Well intentioned or not, you got a response. No one can read your heart - only your words. Clearly you will not be missed by CAI and perhaps, in their intention, they achieved their objective - your non return. It seems both you and CAI are now - intension aside - satisfied with the outcome. But keep telling your truth and see how many more doors are opened...or closed.
You’re no welcome anyways lol
Oh dear, what a loss for Ben! lolll
Ben:
i read your full report as well as the other readers responses
no no no need for you to get panicky about this issue. egyptian
govt officials must have been thinking that you are a jewish guy and
that you are giving a biased report to readers about airport condition
let us assume that if US FAA is giving a derogatory report about that
airport, what they can do. can they...
Ben:
i read your full report as well as the other readers responses
no no no need for you to get panicky about this issue. egyptian
govt officials must have been thinking that you are a jewish guy and
that you are giving a biased report to readers about airport condition
let us assume that if US FAA is giving a derogatory report about that
airport, what they can do. can they fight with u s govt. US DOT will not give permission to egyptair to land any where in any gateway
city. so nothing to worry about. we can write to senator regarding
this matter and seek his help. dont worry nothing will happen
best thing is you skip egypt next foreign trip and dont write any
report about egypt even if egypt authorities took corrective action
to clean up the mess at the airport. just forget about it be hold
Just keep on being you and true to yourself as it’s refreshing to have someone like you with fairness and balance
We're behind you, Ben!
"I don’t think this is what extradition treaties are made for"
El-Sisi the leader of Egypt "allegedly" funneled 10 million to DJT, in cash during the 2016 campaign.
Stuff to consider
You are a damn fool. That’s chump change. Your Biden and his Democrats gave Egypt $1.4 billion with a B not to mention Obama and Biden gave Iran hundreds of millions. And you are concerned with $10 million because Trump smoked your candidate. Warms my heart that you are angry the Republicans have control of the White House, Congress, the Senate and the Supreme Court. lol!!
What a colossal D-head.
Any country nowadays uses facial recognition and with biometrics in your passport upon entry it takes them one push of the enter button to consolidated all details about a pax. Now associate that with social media account and pretty much anywhere this person will stand out based on algorithms used to establish visas, eta‘s etc.. It is just the world we live in, look at amount of cameras that are used in UK, China, all...
Any country nowadays uses facial recognition and with biometrics in your passport upon entry it takes them one push of the enter button to consolidated all details about a pax. Now associate that with social media account and pretty much anywhere this person will stand out based on algorithms used to establish visas, eta‘s etc.. It is just the world we live in, look at amount of cameras that are used in UK, China, all of Middle East, US you name it. Unfortunately we are moving to a society where even useful opinions or reviews will need to be adjusted based on local laws.
Longtime reader, first time to comment. I had just added Cairo to my bucket list. After this story, I have scratched it off. It is not a very hospitable "look" at how the Egyptian government handled this. I prefer to spend my tourism dollars elsewhere. In such a craze to attract tourism, one would think that a government would be more proactive in its approach to bloggers/tourists.
LOLOL...how do they not understand that they're just throwing fuel on the fire with their response??
Jet fuel. It is just raising Ben's profile and amplifying Ben's review of CAI.
Ben, when a rep of the Egyptian government comes after you, you KNOW you're doing something right!
I would love to hear how much more traffic this story brought to the blog! The government supporters alone seem to add a sizable chunk.
I was never a fan of how Egypt works, everything feels so scammy from random people, to the travel industry up to the government. Quite sad.
I am from Egypt. And 99.999% percent of us are criticising the same things and how things work
Shitty government, hope they suffer like what they are doing to the people
Frankly I have never met a traveler who visited Egypt who liked it.
Ben. I’ve read your reports for over a decade and they are the best in the business. Keep doing what you do as you do it so well.
Thanks for all the work you do and the great writing, Lucky.
What a strange reaction from the Egyptian government.
Cairo and Egypt in general is one big shithole and seeing them exposed like this and taking it so badly, is just so hillarious
All the people being extorted og plain out robbed at this joke of an airport, while officials just shrug their shoulders, well knowing they are in on it too
Well done Ben for showing the World how these bandits operate
Reminds me of the r/AskReddit posts that ask what country will you never visit again. Egypt wins by a landslide.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/omr3x4/oc_what_is_one_country_that_you_will_never_visit/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/ui5iiv/those_who_have_traveled_the_world_what_country_is/
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/om38bx/what_is_one_country_that_you_will_never_visit/?sort=confidence
Now, please go to Moscow and give us your honest opinion of SVO!
Before you all jump on me, that was sarcasm. I'm a big fan of Ben's and want him safe and sound.
Now, please go to Moscow and give us your honest opinion of SVO!
Before you all jump on me, that was sarcasm. I'm a big fan of Ben's and want him safe and sound.
Ben, as a longtime reader, 1) I'm sorry for the headache that I'm sure this has been, keep your spirits up; 2) With that said, this has been pure gold, right up there with some of your crazy travel adventures from the early days!
To all those commenting here with newfound moral outrage saying "I've cancelled my Egypt trip" or "I'll never visit Egypt now" - please stop with the virtue signaling. You knew...
Ben, as a longtime reader, 1) I'm sorry for the headache that I'm sure this has been, keep your spirits up; 2) With that said, this has been pure gold, right up there with some of your crazy travel adventures from the early days!
To all those commenting here with newfound moral outrage saying "I've cancelled my Egypt trip" or "I'll never visit Egypt now" - please stop with the virtue signaling. You knew Egypt is an authoritarian regime before this happened, and this is exactly the type of thing authoritarian regimes do each and every day. So please wake up and stop pretending you thought Egypt was some sort of utopia and this was the singular event that opened your eyes.
This is a prudent approach. After all you are dealing with the government responsible for this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Giulio_Regeni
https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/show-tracker/story/2011-05-02/lara-logan-breaks-her-silence-on-60-minutes-they-raped-me-with-their-hands
Absolutely terrible what those savages did to Lara Logan. I would never bring my wife to that country.
The US Government just approved $1.3 billion in military aid to Egypt in September. You did nothing wrong. I would contact your Congressional Representative/Senator and raise the issue. I've been to Egypt twice and had a great time, but the way you were treated is unacceptable. The airport definitely has some special customer service anomalies......
His Senator is the president-elect’s nominee to be US Secretary of State. Get Rubio to do something useful again for constituents.
Been following your stuff for just over a decade now, and I've always thought that you're one of the best out there. Absolutely wild what this has turned into, and no matter what happens we'll continue to support you!
My only comment, after watching a bit of the airport CCTV, is that you should consider stopping obsessively looking at your phone while walking. Sooner or later you or others will end up injured.
Take care!
Yep, I never walk looking at phone, go to side, stop, and then look. The number of tourists in San Diego walking into me....
You are great at what you do. The entire incident is frightening I’m sure. I would avoid Cairo airport for a long time. lol! It’s not the most welcoming airport & the government response was way over the top. Sorry to hear!
The Egyptian authorities have no more pressing or bigger issues to pursue?
Ben, you must have hit a nerve if the government went to such lengths to respond.
The country’s rulers are overly dependent upon foreign government sponsors.
And nothing speaks of being a problem state more than accepting loads of foreign aid/assistance.
Nothing speaks more about hitting the big leagues than when a foreign government — with a questionable record on way too much — decides to make a public stink about you providing an honest take on how you feel about something. Wear it as a badge of honor …. and avoid Egypt for now as there are way too many little Napoleons wanting to be more loyal than the king.
Hope you aren't on another Middle East airline flight that gets diverted to Egypt.
given the state of Egyptian aviation logistics, I sort of doubt that they'd even know about it until after he left unless he actually had to enter Egypt, and even then I'd guess that if he uses the other passport he'd be fine.
No, It has nothing to do with a Jewish person slamming an Arab Country. you should see some of the Bloggers (majority Jewish) that openly criticize and slander Middle East countries other than Israel.they have no reason for that other than being Loyal to Israel at all cost.
You have been very Balanced overall compared to quite a Few Bloggers.
This was not a smart move on part of the Egyptian Bureaucrats. But please reconsider it when they improve.
The US won’t extradite an American to Egypt for something like this. So you won’t have that problem.
Will other countries in the Arab majority area or elsewhere extradite you to Egypt if Egypt files an interpol notice against you? No guarantee, but unlikely in most places.
I suggest you get your US Senators involved in the matter. The best defense is to get allies lined up early and share the feeling of being...
The US won’t extradite an American to Egypt for something like this. So you won’t have that problem.
Will other countries in the Arab majority area or elsewhere extradite you to Egypt if Egypt files an interpol notice against you? No guarantee, but unlikely in most places.
I suggest you get your US Senators involved in the matter. The best defense is to get allies lined up early and share the feeling of being threatened by a dictatorship for bad reasons.
Egypt’s ruling establishment lives on American and Saudi money.
Unless an incoming president wants to build a resort or hotel there, he would be willing to offer Ben up.
Ben, love your stuff and for better or for worse, I am loving this whole story. We are on your side.
Dictatorships will forcefully suppress. Get ready here for the same with the incoming 'administration'.
Oh like forcing experimental vaccine on its military and citizens? Or using the judicial system to go after your political opponents? Or using Big Tech to censor your opponents opinions? Or forcing businesses and churches to shut down while allowing mass demonstrations in the streets?
You must be joking. He does not need to get US senators involved, he just needs to stay clear of Egypt. Don't you think interpol would actually look into any request to detain someone? No way are they going to issue an arrest warrant over Egypt claiming a travel blogger made some negative comments about their airport. Ditto for those saying Ben could be extradited.
For what it's worth: I've followed Ben's writing for a long time. He's not a boycotter and his approach is consistent. I'll follow his anti-boycott advice and visit Egypt someday, perhaps, if I'm interested. I'm less interested now that I used to be, so who knows, maybe never. But Ben's written about this and he was right. At the moment, boy am I mad at Egypt, though.
Ben's standards and his tone are consistent. It's...
For what it's worth: I've followed Ben's writing for a long time. He's not a boycotter and his approach is consistent. I'll follow his anti-boycott advice and visit Egypt someday, perhaps, if I'm interested. I'm less interested now that I used to be, so who knows, maybe never. But Ben's written about this and he was right. At the moment, boy am I mad at Egypt, though.
Ben's standards and his tone are consistent. It's not difficult at all to get a bead on who the guy is. So anyone other than the "world's worst" PR team would decide, the same day they got the brief, that publicly trashing Ben, legal threats, releasing edited video was the worst possible play. I expect, right now, that someone higher in the Egyptian government is consulting with grownups about managing this thing without looking like petulant princesses. they might even reach out privately to Ben.
This isn't checkers, it's chess.
Ben wins, long-term, of course, because The Internet Never Forgets. Everyone can see everything we just read. Innocent Google searches about Egypt will put Ben's imbroglio in front of eyeballs. Is that what any government wants?
Ben I hope you ignore the impatient readers who say you're writing stuff they don't like reading; most of us disagree with that. You're right to avoid Egypt, and to write about it today. Stay confident! It's what fuels your success in a competitive field and it's what gives your content value. You did NOT slip up, or title the piece wrong, or step too close to a line. You were consistent, as always. The incident is an incident. Everything you've posted to date has been quality.
Perhaps a takeaway is that Freedom of Speech is a great attribute that we enjoy but reiterates how not all others have it....
You kept mentioning an “invasion of privacy”. I don’t think those words mean what you think they mean. The videos provided by the government were all from a public place, you should have had no expectation of privacy in the airport.
That being said, I agree this is a massive over reaction by the authorities. But at the same time you’re certainly milking this for all it’s worth (and I don’t blame you, gotta get them clicks).
> you should have had no expectation of privacy in the airport
This is treated as law in the US but it isn't in the rest of the world.
But we aren't talking about the law, we are talking about reasonable expectations and I think it's pretty reasonable that a government entity publishing 7 minutes worth of tracking footage definitely *feels* invasive.
Yes. Even in the US, under the Mosaic Theory of Privacy, relied upon in such landmark rulings as U.S. v. Jones, the collection of public individual data points into a more comprehensive "mosaic" of a person can violate that person's reasonable expectation of privacy, including in particular tracking their movements.
Iggy- the fact that Ben had no expectation of privacy in a public place, the government's action do amount to a real breach of any privacy guidelines I am aware of.
The fact that I am in a public park, means that I do not have any real expectation of privacy and that if someone take a picture of me picking my nose, as much as I hate it, it is on me. If,...
Iggy- the fact that Ben had no expectation of privacy in a public place, the government's action do amount to a real breach of any privacy guidelines I am aware of.
The fact that I am in a public park, means that I do not have any real expectation of privacy and that if someone take a picture of me picking my nose, as much as I hate it, it is on me. If, however, someone is following me all the way from the park to my home, videotaping the whole thing, and then publishing it for no other reason than to smear my name, it becomes an intentional privacy breach. Can you sue over it? probably not (definitely not in Egypt). is it in any way acceptable or reasonable? hell no.
The fact that they also published Ben's arriving and departing flight details, how long he spent in any lounge and what he has or has not been doing in the toilet is just next level.
It's pretty silly and clearly a decision of a minister putting ego and pride ahead of common sense. I definitely don't see myself transiting through Egypt anytime soon.
Cairo Airport is not in the United States of America. There is no legal privacy issue here.
I don't think anyone is claiming there is a legally actionable privacy issue here? The discussion is whether the government's actions in fact violate a reasonable expectation of privacy (which is a normative issue that may or may not be informed by international legal standards in the US or elsewhere).
The Egyptian government stalked a fair-minded critic of its primary airport. It can come across feeling like an invasion of privacy for the target of government stalking, but what it really shows is that Egypt is a police state and fancies being a mass surveillance state as much as it can manage to be.
Yes, the Egyptian authorities overreacted. That was annoying of them. But enough now with all the 'Ben the Holy Martyr of Cairo Airport, Patron Saint of The Lounge'..... It's getting a bit cringey of you.
What’s cringey is your micropenis. What’s that? You never mentioned a micropenis? What a coincidence. Ben never mentioned being a martyr or a patron saint of anything.
Then move along, loser. Nobody is forcing you to be here nor take time out of your sh!te day to comment. Must be an angry Kamala voter. Still crying?
I think anybody here, whether they agree with you or not all the time, supports you on this. If anything, you're doing something right if Egypt is taking this so seriously/ridiculously.
Does Egypt think that doing this will make people more willing to visit?
Exactly. It’s this kind of thing that motivates to minimize time (and money spent) in such a place. Without the protection of diplomatic immunity, a lot can go wrong in a country like Egypt if you dare to be a public critic and end up recognized as such.
Good lord, get over yourself
Get on a plane and write a review for Christsake.
+1
“MB?” Mohammed Badr
-1
Welcome to the "banned from an African country" club.
It's exclusive, but growing!
@ Sean;
Well, two years ago I banned myself from setting foot on any country on that whole Continent. Basically, they are just all equal. I was always paid for but since a while, no money will get me there.
Which country has banned you? What prompted the country to ban you?
@ GUWonder;
Read my post again, NO country has banned me, I banned myself to enter that continent again.
What banned me? Something called incompetence.
I replied to Sean and was asking Sean, not you.
Your self-restriction ≠ ban.
@GUWonder - I gave an interview on BBC News where I described their national airline as an "ego driven vanity project with a basket case for a business case that squanders 10% of the national budget annually which could be better used for health or education". Evidently the President is a bit touchy about being criticized on the BBC.
Rwanda?
Good guess :)
I've only found South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana to be worth visiting anyway.
South Africa is on my list. I recently did Morocco. Was worth seeing I guess but no desire to go back.
I'm so sorry you're going through this, Ben. We readers know your moral compass and clarity, but that doesn't make this any easier, especially regarding your family. You'd be completely justified in pulling back from your content schedule if your mental health demands it. Also, please consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in diplomatic issues US citizens face, just so they can run you through the best to worst case scenarios, inform your actions going...
I'm so sorry you're going through this, Ben. We readers know your moral compass and clarity, but that doesn't make this any easier, especially regarding your family. You'd be completely justified in pulling back from your content schedule if your mental health demands it. Also, please consider consulting a lawyer who specializes in diplomatic issues US citizens face, just so they can run you through the best to worst case scenarios, inform your actions going forward, and even liaise with the right officials if need be.
I heard of the saying "us versus the world" so going with Ben versus the world, first stop Egypt...In all seriousness thanks for a great blog Ben. Stay safe out there.
Judging by their reaction, and your influence, you’re clearly not just a “random person”.
The hilarity is that because of the government’s ridiculous response, the OMAAT army just went from “okay I’ll fly through there but it sounds rough” to “I will never go to Egypt”.
Just wanted to pile on the support and appreciation from a reader who has been here from the beginning of those nearly 17 years.
P.S. How has it been that long already? Where does the time go?
@ Kneemuh -- Hah, thank you, and I remember our fun times back in the day! Time really flies, it's quite terrifying, especially since that was half a lifetime ago (for me).
Just keep up with the excellent work, @Ben!
@Ben, perhaps unintentionally, you struck a sensitive chord in your report by drawing a comparison between CAI and ADD. The political rivalry between the two countries is at its peak these days. Furthermore, your report was initially picked up by an Egyptian opposition journalist broadcasting from outside Egypt. That journalist openly challenged the government-backed media and the Minister of Civil Aviation, who oversees CAI, to respond to your assertions.
The moron alarmist who told you to watch out for extradition possibilities is an absolute naive a-hole
Moron? alarmist? a-hole?
Feel free to disagree with someone, but what's with the need for aggressive vulgar language??
I have no time for idiots that fabricate facts and spread misinformation. Only an a-hole actually believes that there is a chance that Ben’s own country would extradite him to Egypt. That, my friend, falls squarely into a-hole territory
As the moron alarmist who pointed out -- without further comment -- that Egypt and the US have an extradition treaty: Let me add in my naive, a-hole way that the US does not provide free legal assistance to citizens whose extradition is requested, even if the accused eventually wins his case.
I would be more concerned, though, with the extradition treaties that Egypt has with even friendlier countries.
Read the extradition treaty. The US cannot extradite an American citizen to Egypt. It's forbidden by the treaty.
What a weird hill for the Egyptian government to die on.
Fortunately Egypt's flag carrier isn't anything to write home about either, so not much will be missed.
EgyptAir won’t be missed, but CAI is a great place for originating cheap intercontinental trips in conjunction with positioning flights into CAI. And for such trips, LeMeridien at the airport has been my main hotel in the country.
They need to calm down. Don’t worry Ben, just shake em off. Everything has changed, but it’s going to be all too well in the end.
Full support of you.
I shudder to think what a fate befalls locals who point out opportunities for improvement…
You are a stand-up guy and I am sorry this happened to you.
Ben, I agree that in your situation its probably best to avoid Egypt for while. However, please also reflect a bit on the title of your original post. I think the criticism in the article was well documented, but the title was probably a bit over the top.
@ Andy -- I'll absolutely reflect on it. But I'm curious, what do you think was wrong with it?
I titled it "Cairo Airport: Is There A Worse Major Airport?" The title was a question, and it reflected how I feel about the airport. I do think it's the worst major airport in the world, though perhaps one thing I would have done differently is quantify what constitutes "major."
Some interpreted my post to...
@ Andy -- I'll absolutely reflect on it. But I'm curious, what do you think was wrong with it?
I titled it "Cairo Airport: Is There A Worse Major Airport?" The title was a question, and it reflected how I feel about the airport. I do think it's the worst major airport in the world, though perhaps one thing I would have done differently is quantify what constitutes "major."
Some interpreted my post to mean it was the worst airport in the world period, and that's not something that I think is the case, and not what I intended (so I could have done better there). However, I do think it's the worst airport with 20+ million passengers per year.
Make zero apologies! Absolutely nothing wrong with your headline- it’s your opinion. Nothing to reflect on. Absolutely ridiculous for Andy to tell you to do that….with his finger wagging at you. Well, I’ve got a finger for you, Andy.
The Egypt govt going after you is so Busch league and makes them look incredibly petty and actually guilty of all things mentioned in your review. We have freedom of speech here. Keep exercising it!...
Make zero apologies! Absolutely nothing wrong with your headline- it’s your opinion. Nothing to reflect on. Absolutely ridiculous for Andy to tell you to do that….with his finger wagging at you. Well, I’ve got a finger for you, Andy.
The Egypt govt going after you is so Busch league and makes them look incredibly petty and actually guilty of all things mentioned in your review. We have freedom of speech here. Keep exercising it! I’m boycotting Egypt now!
If you are reading this Egypt, you need to apologize to Ben! But I won’t hold my breath, unless I’m around you.
@Ben: The title suggests that CAI might be the worst major airport or very close to that. The well documented evidence in the article shows that it is far from perfect, but the "worst"? I personally had worse experiences at other major airports, including in North America and Europe, in some cases repeatedly. By the end of the day, it probably comes down to relative weight you give to certain criteria. For me, for instance,...
@Ben: The title suggests that CAI might be the worst major airport or very close to that. The well documented evidence in the article shows that it is far from perfect, but the "worst"? I personally had worse experiences at other major airports, including in North America and Europe, in some cases repeatedly. By the end of the day, it probably comes down to relative weight you give to certain criteria. For me, for instance, immigration lines are most relevant, and your experience at CAI was a breeze compared to virtually all airports in North America and Europe. Giving high weight on this criterion, CAI might even have ended up at the very top in my league table ...
Ben, just want to say hope it’s not causing you (and your family) too much stress. That’s the reason we love your blog, your unbiased objectivity and honesty - don’t ever change.
It’s going to be funny reading future posts about premium products and you looking for cheap fares and if you find one out of CAI… oops can’t go there!
Ben, those of us in the travel business (and especially those of us who do business in Egypt) should share what happened to you with our contacts in Egypt.
Getting the ministry to try and mitigate the damage they have caused to the country's reputation by attacking you is just the start. Making Cairo Airport a reliable and efficient operation should be the longer-term goal for a country so dependent on tourism.
Such a shame Ben... I've only been to Egypt once, but found majority of the people lovely and the sites just so cool. Aswan was definitely my favorite. My airport experience at Cairo was pretty bad though. Everyone wanted to take our baggage for a tip. We also couldn't get our ticket initially. We went back and forth between their initial security screening and each counter said the other counter should be giving us our...
Such a shame Ben... I've only been to Egypt once, but found majority of the people lovely and the sites just so cool. Aswan was definitely my favorite. My airport experience at Cairo was pretty bad though. Everyone wanted to take our baggage for a tip. We also couldn't get our ticket initially. We went back and forth between their initial security screening and each counter said the other counter should be giving us our tickets. Eventually, I had to tell them I'm not going through security again and they need to print my ticket and they begrudgingly did. Completely understand not going back for a while, but I hope others don't avoid Egypt because of this story. Also... completely forgot about your crazy Mykonos situation.
Speaking of unintended consequences, I’ve just canceled a planned 2025 trip to Egypt with my family. I was initially planning to go prior to the 10/7 attacks (but right after them), postponed it until next year and have now canceled it.
Egypt has a unique ability to play the role of “normal nation” for long enough to lull the world into thinking that it’s a quasi-democracy.
Their reaction to your post shows insecurity,...
Speaking of unintended consequences, I’ve just canceled a planned 2025 trip to Egypt with my family. I was initially planning to go prior to the 10/7 attacks (but right after them), postponed it until next year and have now canceled it.
Egypt has a unique ability to play the role of “normal nation” for long enough to lull the world into thinking that it’s a quasi-democracy.
Their reaction to your post shows insecurity, ineptitude, likely a small you-know-what and evidence of an authoritarian regime that can’t rule by popular appeal, but rather through intimidation and threats.
I visited Egypt many years ago and wanted to share it with my family. Maybe someday I will do so. I have also transited CAI numerous times in the last decade. But am I no more interested in spending money to support his kind of behavior than I am in North Korea or Russia.
The only acceptable result is the resignation or termination of the Minister of Transportation and a statement from the government repudiating his absurd tough-guy routine.
And by the way, the airport empirically sucks.,
That seems a little like cutting off your nose to spite your face
@erik How so? Is there suddenly a dire shortage of interesting nations to visit on a family trip?
I'm with you...but a key difference (maybe) is that I own a travel agency and I have lots of clients interested in Egypt but after this I won't recommend it. Really a shame as I've been there several times and I agree with others who commented that GENERALLY the people are very nice, friendly, accommodating and understand the importance of tourism to their economy. I usually don't agree with boycotts as they mostly hurt local...
I'm with you...but a key difference (maybe) is that I own a travel agency and I have lots of clients interested in Egypt but after this I won't recommend it. Really a shame as I've been there several times and I agree with others who commented that GENERALLY the people are very nice, friendly, accommodating and understand the importance of tourism to their economy. I usually don't agree with boycotts as they mostly hurt local small businesses but unfortunately the Government has to see the cause/effect relationship sometimes. Hopefully THEY will learn something from this. Btw BEN all of your comments were totally on point. I've transited just like you did several times over the past year and the airport is not tourist-friendly at all.
JFK was worse for me to transit last week than CAI has been for me all year. PANYNJ can’t get its act together when the AirTrain is down.
Hope you are doing Okay Ben. I imagine this is more stressful than you are letting on. We appreciate all that you do (even when I disagree with you regarding the Ritz Chile and its value prop lol). Looking forward to your next adventure.
@ Andrew -- I appreciate the kind thoughts, and the ability to disagree about aspects of travel without it being personal. ;-)
Honestly, I'm more surprised by the response than anything else. It's not actually causing me all that much stress, though it does feel a bit weird to have a country where I'm specifically not invited, heh.
Hi Ben. You seem to be a nice, honest person with integrity. I guess Egypt has no other issues at the present time. Hang in there.
Jeez... after your Cairo experience, now in the second paragraph you risk incurring the wrath of the DMV!!!
As someone who has never been to Egypt or transited through there, based on this, I will NEVER go there or transit through there. This is absolutely ridiculous behavior from an actual government.
Your regulars here support you Ben and appreciate you. Thanks for the blog.
@ UncleRonnie -- I appreciate you, and thank you for reading! :-)
Second that if anything the footage confirmed that you are an open book and nothing to hide, the very fact that I provided you the full cctv link after you had posted your first version and that the pictures you were clearly seen taking at the gate were exactly what was captured and you posted proved your credibility beyond doubt in my mind.
@ Creditcrunch -- And I appreciate you sharing that footage, and you noticing how I immediately updated it. When the government said it would release the footage of me at the airport, I wasn't scared about it, because I knew I had nothing to hide. So I even updated the post with the full link before I even had the chance to see the whole thing.
In before the Egyptian troll army arrives.
Disparage Egypt at your peril and risk the mummy's revenge!