Quick Links At the gate and boarding The cabin Menus, amenities, and service Landing Summary I was upgraded to business class unexpectedly by Austrian Airlines on flight to Cairo. The boarding process was efficient and staff were kind & accommodating throughout the flight. Enjoyable in-flight experience with good food, amenities, and excellent cabin crew service.
This review is a continuation of my overall journey from Brussels Airport (BRU) to Cairo International Airport (CAI) via Vienna International Airport (VIE). Both legs were meant to be in economy class, but Austrian Airlines surprised me with an upgrade on the longer sector to Cairo. First and foremost, this was my itinerary.
Departure Arrival Timing Brussels Zaventem (BRU) Vienna Intl (VIE) 17:55-19:35 Vienna Intl (VIE) Cairo Intl (CAI) 22:15-02:40* *local time is one hour ahead of Vienna. There is no time difference between Brussels and Vienna. Flying with Austrian Airlines was the second most affordable choice, with the other being a SWISS flight with a connection in Zurich.
However, because the connection was only 50 minutes, I was not sure I would make it. Interestingly, when I asked the airline about this, they told me that if it is on offer, it’s because it’s possible. Should I miss the connection due to delays on their end, they underlined that they would rebook me on the next available fleet – which in their case was the day after.
That was not possible for me, hence why I chose Austrian. At this point during my trip, my experience with Austrian Airlines had been pretty good. Online check-in was simple, and bag drop in Brussels was super quick.
My onboard experience in economy class was equally good and the staff at every leg of the journey were helpful and warm. As part of my overall trip from Brussels to Cairo, my first leg in economy class routed to Vienna. At the gate and boarding After going through passport control, finding my way to the G gates, and having a disappointing bite to eat (as there really was nothing good on offer in terms of food in Vienna Airport, at least in this area), I arrived at gate G26.
I had an hour or so before boarding would begin, so I got some work done. Soon after, a check-in agent arrived and she began calling up names of people that needed to go up to the desk. Surprisingly, my name was called and after hesitating to consider what it was that I had done, I made my way.
I was reminded that I was in an exit row seat and was asked whether I was willing and able to help in the event of an emergency. I responded yes, and the once again very kind gate agent thanked me and wished me a safe journey. I sat back down as boarding had not yet started.
As we approached boarding time, I quickly headed to the bathroom. Once I returned, people had begun making their way to the automatic boarding pass scanners. I heard group 3 called up, and I joined the queue, which moved very quickly.
I arrived at the machine, scanned my boarding pass, to which it declared a bright red X and some text. It disappeared before I could see what was going on, at which point it printed a piece of paper that said I had been allocated seat 4F in business class. The doors then sprung open and through I went, confused as ever.
I gathered my thoughts and hopped onto the bus with everyone else. Once we arrived to the aircraft, I took a few photos and headed on. The cabin This aircraft still featured the old Austrian Airlines livery, but the cabin had a fresh look.
I found my seat pretty quickly and sat down. It was at this point that it became largely clear to me that I had been the only person to have gotten an upgrade, as everyone else seemed to either be in business attire or was unsurprised by the front rows of the plane. I have a few theories for why I may have been selected, but I could not pinpoint which one, if any, are correct.
I think the most likely is the fact that I am traveling alone, unlike the majority of the plane, hence making me easy to upgrade given that there was a free seat. There was also one free business class seat, next to mine actually. A very sweet older woman who was seated in the front rows in economy class was not able to find space for her bags.
The crew helped her, finding space in the overhead bin in business class above my row. She thanked them, to which the crew asked her whether she wanted to sit there too as it has more legroom. She inevitably agreed, and enjoyed a last-minute business class upgrade, as I did.
Menus, amenities, and service Once boarding was completed, the crew passed round with menus for the day’s flight. The two options were chicken or pasta, both of which looked delicious. The pasta was served with a carrot-hummus dip, while the chicken came with a salad.
It took us a while to get in the air, but once we did (at roughly 23:00, 45 minutes later than planned), the crew came out with hot towels, Egyptian arrival documents and amenity kits. The amenity kit had a toothbrush and toothpaste, an eyemask, earplugs and socks. The service was excellent and the cabin crew were warm and respectful.
We were offered drinks on numerous occasions, as the crew made sure we were topped up. Landing Before long it was time to land in Egypt. As it was the early hours of the morning, we touched down at Cairo International Airport (CAI).
The aircraft taxied to the gate and soon after we were allowed off the plane. I made my way to immigration where I would find myself waiting for more than an hour and a half. I secured my visa and joined the queue.
Once I got passed the immigration line, my passport was checked another four times by airport staff prior to reaching baggage reclaim. I picked up my suitcase – which of course was already there by the time I had gotten through immigration – and left the airport. I left the airport, and a gust of hot air hit me immediately, despite the time.
Here are a few tips for fellow travelers looking to go to Cairo: I highly recommend getting an E-Sim card at the airport. Secondly, be very careful with local taxis trying to scam you on your way to the airport, asking for payment in currencies other than the Egyptian Pound, for example..
