Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air – A Flight Review
About My Flight from Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air
In December of 2022, I took a trip to the African Continent. After spending a week visiting the country of Kenya, I flew from Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air to visit Egypt. This flight was my first time taking Egypt Air, and I had mixed feelings about my journey.
I booked my flight on Egypt Air as it was the only airline that had non-stop service between Nairobi and Cairo. Another perk was that I was able to earn United Mileage Plus miles as Egypt Air is a member of the Star Alliance. This flight was an extremely early flight, departing at 3:40 am.
I booked a one-way ticket as I would be flying back to the United States after spending a week in Egypt. The cost of the one-way ticket was $303, which seemed a little more expensive than I had expected. Below is a summary of my experience flying from Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air.
Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air - A Flight Review - Table of Contents
- About My Flight
- Getting to Nairobi International Airport
- Check-In and Security
- Where to Eat
- Showering at Nairobi International Airport
- Boarding
- The Seat
- WiFi and Entertainment
- Meal Service
- Customs and Immigration at Cairo International Airport
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How to Get to Nairobi International Airport from the City Center
My experience with transportation in Nairobi was somewhat strange. When I arrived, I had pre-booked a transfer. After arriving, I exited the airport, where there were multiple drivers holding signs with the names of their clients. My driver was nowhere to be found. I had the contact info for the company that I had scheduled the transfer with saved in my phone, and texted/called numerous times but did not receive a reply.
After waiting for an additional thirty minutes, almost everyone had been picked up. There was no taxi queue at the airport, but there was one driver who couldn’t find his passengers. He told me that he would take me to my hotel and would get a different driver for his passengers. The driver claimed his colleague was only ten minutes away. I took him up on his offer and was at my hotel about twenty minutes later. The only issue was that he asked for more than double what I had paid the original company. With no other option, I agreed to pay 9,000 Kenyan Schillings ($75) for the ride.
Eight hours later, I received an apology from the initial company. Apparently, my driver had fallen asleep and missed my pick-up. The company offered to provide my ride back to Nairobi Airport and upgrade me to a VIP package. I agreed to this offer and had no issues returning to Nairobi Airport six days later.
I left the city center of Nairobi around 11:45 pm. The trip from the city center of Nairobi to Nairobi International Airport took around 30 minutes.
Be aware that there is a security check outside Nairobi International Airport, where you will have to exit your taxi/shuttle and put your luggage through an x-ray machine. This process took less than ten minutes.
Below are some transportation options to get from the city center of Nairobi to the airport. None of these are links for the company that failed to pick me up. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a package using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of November, 2023.
 Nairobi Airport Transfers - $30.00 Airport services between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and city hotels and Nairobi hotels near Wilson airport and Jomo Kenyatta airport. |
 Arrival, Departure and Transit Meet and Assit Services at Nairobi Airport JKIA - $30.00 Umbato Safaris offers comfortable private mode of transport at affordable rate for airport transfers,short trips and tours from Jomo Kenyatta international airport or from Wilson airport to city hotels. We are located at JKI Airport and offers 24 meets greet and assist private airport transfers services available 24 hours a day. Services bookings will be confirmed 1-6 hours |
 Nairobi Airport One Way Private Transfer - $27.00 Book a one-way transfer between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO) and your Nairobi accommodation in the comfort of a private vehicle. Spend less time waiting for a taxi or other transportation with your priority reservation. Depending on the size of your group, you have the option of a sedan, a van, or a bus. |
What is Check-In and Security Like at Nairobi International Airport?
When entering Nairobi International Airport, be ready for multiple security checks. I had my luggage (carry-on and checked) scanned twice before I even made it to the counter. To check in, there are no kiosks to use. Everyone must wait in the queue and check in with an Egypt Air agent.
It took over an hour to check in as it appeared that many passengers were having issues with their reservations. I am not sure if it was an issue with the ticket, their visa, or the computer system. When I finally made it to the counter, I had no issues receiving my boarding pass.
After receiving my boarding pass, I walked to passport control. The agent scanned my passport and issued an exit stamp. From passport control, it was a short walk to security. This security check was the third time I’d had my bags scanned since arriving at the airport.
Where to Eat at Nairobi International Airport After Midnight
By the time I was issued my boarding pass and cleared passport control/security, it was 1:45 am. There were only two flights departing during these early hours of the morning; my flight to Cairo and a second flight to Dehli.
I was happy to see that one restaurant was open at Nairobi International Airport. I ordered eggs with bacon, sausage, and toast from Tikos restaurant.
I was thrilled with the cost of my breakfast, which was only $7.00. The food was excellent, and it was exactly what I needed before the four-and-a-half-hour flight to Cairo.
Are There Showers at Nairobi International Airport?
“Are there showers at Nairobi International Airport,” is a common question that tourists ask. I typically like to take a shower before a long flight, especially if I just finished a long day of touring. Although I did not need showers before this particular flight, as I had just come from my hotel, I noticed that Nairobi International Airport offered free showers inside the restrooms.
The showers inside Nairobi International Airport are private and inside a single room.
Egypt Air's Boarding Process - Nairobi to Cairo
As stated earlier, there were only two flights scheduled that morning. Once the flight to Delhi departed, we were the only flight in the entire terminal. It was nice to have the entire boarding area to spread out, especially once we learned our flight was delayed.
About an hour before boarding, gate agents asked everyone to line up for a document check. This document check included our passports and a valid visa to enter the country of Egypt.
Finally, after a few hours delay, our plane arrived. It took over an hour for the passengers to disembark and the plane to be serviced. Eventually, by the time we boarded, I was so tired I just wanted to get to my seat so I could sleep.
My Seat - 27H - Egypt Air - Nairobi to Cario
Egypt Air numbers and letters their seats different than most Western carriers. First-class rows are single numbers, and economy class begins at row 20. The seats to the left of the aisle are assigned letters A, B, and C. The seats to the right of the aisle are assigned letters H, J, K.
When booking my ticket, I selected seat 27H, which cost an additional $35.
Seat 27H was an exit-row seat and had quite a bit of extra legroom. The extra legroom was similar to that of any 737-800.
Egypt Air provided each passenger with a pillow and blanket. The pillow and blanket made it much easier to sleep.
WiFi and Entertainment of Egypt Air
On my Egypt Air flight from Nairobi to Cairo, each seat had a seat-back entertainment system. The entertainment system had a mix of Egyptian and Western movies and TV shows.
There was no WiFi available on this flight. It appears that Egypt Air only has WiFi on select aircraft, and the 737 is not one of them.
Since Egypt is a country of mostly Muslims, the seat-back entertainment system also displayed religious information. This information included the times for prayer and the location of Mecca.
Meal Service - Nairobi to Cairo on Egypt Air
The flight time from Nairobi to Cairo was just over 5 hours, and I was thrilled that Egypt Air provided a meal for all passengers. The meal was quite impressive, with fruit, yogurt, two types of bread, potatoes, an egg omelet, and beef sausage.
The flight attendants also came by multiple times with the drink cart.
Customs and Immigration at Cairo International Airport
Upon arriving at Cairo International Airport, we disembarked via stairs. It took about twenty minutes for everyone to get off the plane. After being bussed to international arrivals, it was time to clear customs and immigration.
US Citizens can get an Egyptian visa on arrival or apply for a visa ahead of time. I chose to apply ahead of time and had my Egyptian Visa in hand. Since I already had my visa, I was able to go immediately to passport control. The immigration officer scanned my passport and visa and asked me a few basic questions. The entire process took less than a minute, and I was granted access to Egypt.
After picking up my bag, I exited through customs. My bag was not x-rayed or searched, although a customs agent did check my passport and documents. Overall, the entire arrival process at Cairo International Airport took less than an hour.
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