- Introduction: Four Times Across The Atlantic
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A350 (MIA-FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: Prima Vista Lounge Rome Airport (FCO)
- Review: ITA Airways Business Class A320 (FCO-CAI)
- Changing Terminals At Cairo Airport: Still Complicated
- Review: EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport (CAI)
- My Rough Night At Cairo Airport, Made Better By EgyptAir’s Osama
- Review: EgyptAir Business Class 787 (CAI-CDG)
- Review: Sheraton Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: YOTELAIR Paris Airport Priority Pass Lounge (CDG)
- Review: Air France Lounge Paris Airport (CDG)
- Review: New Air France Business Class 777-300ER (CDG-JFK)
- Review: Hyatt Regency JFK At Resorts World New York
- Review: AA & BA Greenwich Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Soho Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: AA & BA Chelsea Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge New York (JFK)
- Review: British Airways Lounge Newark Airport (EWR)
- Review: New British Airways First Class 777 (EWR-LHR)
- Review: Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Amex Centurion Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: No1 Lounge London Heathrow (LHR)
- Review: Virgin Atlantic A330neo Upper Class Business Class (LHR-MIA)
- Is Virgin Atlantic’s Retreat Suite Worth It?
During my four flights across the Atlantic journey, I had a roughly seven hour overnight layover at Cairo Airport, prior to my EgyptAir 787 business class flight to Paris. This allowed me to check out all three EgyptAir Lounges in Terminal 3. While better than being stuck in the terminal, these lounges leave a lot to be desired by international standards.
In this post:
The basics of EgyptAir Lounges Cairo Airport
EgyptAir operates out of Terminal 3 at Cairo Airport (CAI). Rather than having one huge lounge, the airline instead has three separate lounges in different parts of the terminal. Typically I’d review all three lounges separately, though in this case I’ll briefly review all three in this post. The lounges have a lot in common:
- All three lounges have the same entry requirements
- The food selection is identical at all three lounges
- All three lounges have toilets but not showers
- All three lounges are within a 10 minute walk of one another, so it’s really easy to check them all out
As far as lounge quality goes, personally I think the EgyptAir Alioth Lounge is the best, followed by the EgyptAir Almeisan Lounge, followed by the EgyptAir Gienah Lounge.
But don’t get too excited when I say “best.” It would be kind of like ranking the standard economy products of Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Frontier, and claiming one of them is “best.” That’s still not much of a prize. 😉
Anyway, I’ll be writing about the lounges in the order in which I like them. I’ll only be talking about the food & beverage offerings of the first lounge, since they’re identical at all three lounges.
EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport entry requirements
The EgyptAir Lounges at Cairo Airport are standard Star Alliance business class lounges, so can be accessed by:
- EgyptAir business class passengers, as well as business class passengers on all Star Alliance partner airlines; no guests are allowed
- Star Alliance Gold members traveling same day on a Star Alliance flight; one guest is allowed
Note that EgyptAir Lounges at Cairo Airport don’t belong to Priority Pass, or any other similar lounge program.
EgyptAir Lounge Cairo Airport location & hours
The opening hours of the EgyptAir Lounges at Cairo Airport vary a bit:
- The Almeisan Lounge Cairo is open 24/7, and actually seems to remain fully open
- The Gienah Lounge Cairo is open 24/7, but only a portion of the lounge stays open overnight
- The Alioth Lounge Cairo is officially open from 6AM until 5:30PM, though I wouldn’t count on those hours being all that exact; for example, it only opened at 6:40AM when I was there
As far as the locations of the EgyptAir Lounges Cairo Airport go, they’re all located in Terminal 3:
- The Alioth Lounge Cairo is the most central lounge; it’s located near the center of the concourse, in the direction of the F gates
- The Almesian Lounge is located in the pier by the F gates, near gate F10
- The Gienah Lounge is located in the pier by the G gates, near gate G10
EgyptAir Alioth Lounge Cairo Airport
The Alioth Lounge Cairo is probably my favorite EgyptAir Lounge at the airport, though manage your expectations. It’s located in the direction of the F gates, but before you actually get to them.
The lounge essentially consists of two large rooms that are connected by one central hallway that spans the length of the lounge.
When you enter and go right, you’ll find yourself in the bigger of the two rooms. The seating consists mostly of rows of chairs facing one another, and chairs with tables along the walls.
The room on the other side of the lounge is similar, but is just a bit smaller.
If you’re looking to charge your electronics, you’ll have to choose your seating carefully, as outlets are very limited.
While the lounge doesn’t have floor-to-ceiling windows or much natural light, there are some portholes of sorts that have views of the apron.
There was a small buffet at each end of the lounge, containing veggies, chickpeas, yogurt, cereal, and all the carbs your heart could possibly desire.
There was also a selection of three hot options, including eggs, sausage, and some sort of… beans or stew or something? It wasn’t labeled, so I’m not exactly sure.
EgyptAir Lounges don’t have alcohol, but rather just have bottled water, juice, soda, coffee, and tea.
The coffee situation is actually quite good, as the servers in the lounge will prepare you a drink. There are certainly better barista-made cappuccinos out there, but this was much better than what you’d otherwise typically get from a machine.
The lounge’s bathrooms were near the center. There were no showers, but rather just stalls and urinals.
Note that all EgyptAir Lounges make it kind of annoying to connect to Wi-Fi. To access the Wi-Fi, you’ll have to request a code, which is available at reception. These are valid for just two hours, and for one device each. It’s not a huge deal, but it certainly could be more convenient.
For example, when I first arrived at the lounge and asked for Wi-Fi, the person at the front desk asked me to come back later, as he hadn’t yet printed these.
One other thing to note. It was cold in Cairo when I was there, probably around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. I’m pretty sure the airport doesn’t have heat, as it was absolutely freezing while I was in the lounges.
EgyptAir Almeisan Lounge Cairo Airport
The Almeisan Lounge Cairo is also pretty decent, and is located near gate F10.
The lounge has totally different decor than in the other lounge, and this is where I spent most of the night.
The lounge doesn’t have quite as much seating. It has one main room with sofa chairs arranged in different patterns.
Then there are some leather chairs in smaller areas, some of which have TVs.
The lounge also has bathrooms, though they didn’t seem quite as well maintained as in the EgyptAir Alioth Lounge.
EgyptAir Gienah Lounge Cairo Airport
Last and (in my opinion) least is the Gienah Lounge, which is located near gate G10.
This lounge felt the most past its prime to me, and the furniture just felt a bit shabbier than in the other lounges. The Gienah Lounge consists of several smaller rooms, with a variety of seating options. I’ll let the pictures speak mostly for themselves.
Bottom line
You’ll definitely want to manage your expectations when it comes to EgyptAir Lounges at Cairo Airport. There are three lounges in Terminal 3. They’re all better than being stuck in the terminal, but I can’t say much more about them than that.
The lounges feature basic seating, soft drinks, good coffee, a carb-heavy selection of food, and Wi-Fi two hours at a time. Don’t expect nap areas, showers, alcohol, etc. I definitely wouldn’t arrive early to use these lounges, and don’t do what I did, and plan a seven hour overnight here. 😉
As far as hub airport lounges go for a “full service” global carrier, I don’t think lounge offerings get much weaker than this.
What do you make of the EgyptAir Lounges Cairo Airport?
Will be in CAI next June for 23 hours & plan to request an STPC hotel before the flight to EWR. Wish me luck! ;)
Good morning from cairo where your review comes to live as my expirience is as shocking as yours. The Lounge ( i am using the one towards F Gates) is a morgue. No propper cups or glasses hot food ineddible and the feel like in prison. It underlines the terrible inefficiency of cairo airport. Disgusting by Star Alliance Standards.
I live in Cairo and cannot wait for the day - if ever - that it catches up with Istanbul, Amman, Dubai, Doha. The EgyptAir lounges are embarassing to sit in with their stale croissants and accompanying flies. At least in terminal 2 you get the good priority pass lounge, though I think that's only because the Gulf travelers on the T2 flights had a say in the matter.
If you think this is bad, wait until you see the EgyptAir lounge in the domestic terminal. There's no hot food at all, just cold bread. The electrical fittings look about to short circuit. And the whole place looks like a store room. There's also insufficient seats. The only saving grace was that it was slightly less cold than outside, so we made full use of the bottomless tea.
No cola products but still other drinks from Pepsico?
They still have that nasty stew???
Thanks for this info! I searched your comments for a lounge to shower only to find none! I’m currently sitting next to Burger King, prefer this than the lounge food.
The timeless drab dinge won’t go away on its own at that airport. What a contrast to the modern airport at Hurghada!
Those lounge buffets - given that food is one of the highlights of any visit to Egypt - are truly third rate.
You are right, the bean stew is a staple breakfast item. It is call fuul medames (first word rhymes with cool) and is made from favs beans.
Now I'm curious which lounge Lucky has visited that would warrant a 1-star.
I was there back in November, I think at the Almeisan lounge (although not 100% certain...). Agreed on your review, although I have to say I was very surprised at how proactive service was. As we entered the lounge, someone immediately helped us find a seat, asked what we'd like to drink or eat and brought everything to us. They would check in on us periodically to see if we wanted anything. There was even...
I was there back in November, I think at the Almeisan lounge (although not 100% certain...). Agreed on your review, although I have to say I was very surprised at how proactive service was. As we entered the lounge, someone immediately helped us find a seat, asked what we'd like to drink or eat and brought everything to us. They would check in on us periodically to see if we wanted anything. There was even a bathroom attendant that would check cleanliness before anyone went in. I actually cannot remember when that even last happened, in any lounge.
Did they get rid of the smoking lounge? I remember they used to have one lounge that allowed smoking and you could smell it from 100 metres away.
Would it make a difference? The staff are the biggest violators of the non-smoking regulations.
The smoking lounges were all closed when we came thru in 2021. But there was a "bar" across from one where you could smoke with a purchase.
I'm used to going outside to smoke, then coming back thru security. They absolutely refused to let me do that. So I asked what the hell I was supposed to do with all the smoking places closed and they told me to go smoke in the handicapped...
The smoking lounges were all closed when we came thru in 2021. But there was a "bar" across from one where you could smoke with a purchase.
I'm used to going outside to smoke, then coming back thru security. They absolutely refused to let me do that. So I asked what the hell I was supposed to do with all the smoking places closed and they told me to go smoke in the handicapped bathroom, that's where they all went to smoke.
I was somewhat appalled but went in one and, sure enough, it reeked with cigarette smoke. Thankfully I eventually found the bar one.
Thanks for the review. I've never been to Cairo (yes, it is definitely on my list).
It seems pretty similar to other North African lounges, e.g. the Tunis Air lounge at TUN or the Royal Air Maroc lounge at CMN. O.k. for a short wait, but not for a long transit.
The randomness of the star ratings continue to delight me!
Just 2 stars for these seemingly serviceable lounges.
And yet (for example) the SAS Lounge Chicago for which Ben wrote:
"the lounge sucks — it’s tiny (way too small for the number of passengers it’s supposed to accommodate), and it doesn’t even have bathrooms"
got 2.5 stars!
after having been to the swissport lounge in Chicago, almost everything looks like an upgrade lol.
Been in 2 of them multiple times last year.
Clean,people quite friendly, food okay, in fact, some desserts quite good.
My only complaint (showers not a requirement) is that you can't get the same level of assistance from the staff you might get at a Delta lounge.
I asked one to get me assistance for a needed plane reassignment. No joy. I eventually got it down after forcing my way back down to departures...
Been in 2 of them multiple times last year.
Clean,people quite friendly, food okay, in fact, some desserts quite good.
My only complaint (showers not a requirement) is that you can't get the same level of assistance from the staff you might get at a Delta lounge.
I asked one to get me assistance for a needed plane reassignment. No joy. I eventually got it down after forcing my way back down to departures ( THAT is a separate story).
But free wifi. Bathrooms were clean and food kept plentiful if not fancy.