EgyptAir Nairobi to Cairo Flight Review
About My EgyptAir Nairobi to Cairo Flight
In December of 2022, I took a trip to the African continent. After spending a week visiting Kenya, I flew from Nairobi to Cairo on EgyptAir to visit Egypt. This flight was my first time flying with EgyptAir, and I had mixed feelings about the overall journey.
I booked my EgyptAir flight from Nairobi to Cairo because it was the only nonstop option I found between the two cities when I booked. Another perk was that I was able to earn United MileagePlus miles, as EgyptAir is a member of Star Alliance. This was an extremely early flight, scheduled to depart at 3:40 am.
I booked a one-way ticket because 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 was a little more expensive than I had expected.
Quick verdict:
My EgyptAir Nairobi to Cairo flight was mostly positive. The check-in process at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport was slow, and the flight was delayed, but the onboard experience was better than expected. My EgyptAir Boeing 737-800 economy seat had good legroom because I paid for the exit row, the meal was better than expected, and the flight attendants came through with drinks multiple times.
Flight Details
Route: Nairobi, Kenya, to Cairo, Egypt
Airline: EgyptAir
Aircraft: Boeing 737-800
Seat: 27H, exit row
Actual flight time: Just over 5 hours
Departure time: Scheduled for 3:40 am
Ticket type: One-way economy ticket
Airport in Nairobi: Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO)
EgyptAir Nairobi to Cairo Flight Review - Table of Contents
- About My Flight
- How to Get to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from the City Center
- Check-In and Security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
- Where to Eat at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport After Midnight
- Showering at Nairobi International Airport
- Boarding My EgyptAir Flight from Nairobi to Cairo
- EgyptAir Boeing 737-800 Economy Seat: 27
- WiFi and Entertainment on EgyptAir
- Meal Service on the Nairobi to Cairo Flight
- Customs and Immigration at Cairo International Airport
- Would I Fly EgyptAir from Nairobi to Cairo Again?
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How to Get to Jomo Kenyatta 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 Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, often referred to as Nairobi International 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 information for the company that I had scheduled the transfer with saved in my phone, and I texted and 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 could not 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 shillings, which was about $75 at the time, for the ride.
Eight hours later, I received an apology from the initial company. Apparently, my driver had fallen asleep and missed my pickup. The company offered to provide my ride back to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and upgrade me to a VIP package. I agreed to this offer and had no issues returning to the airport six days later.
I left the city center of Nairobi around 11:45 pm. The trip from the city center to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport took around 30 minutes.
Be aware that there is a security check outside Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, where you will have to exit your taxi or 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.
Check-In and Security at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
When entering Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, be ready for multiple security checks. I had my luggage, both carry-on and checked, scanned twice before I even made it to the counter.
To check in for my EgyptAir flight from Nairobi to Cairo, there were no kiosks to use. Everyone had to wait in the queue and check in with an EgyptAir 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 their ticket, 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 had my bags scanned since arriving at the airport.
Where to Eat at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport After Midnight
By the time I was issued my boarding pass and cleared passport control and security, it was 1:45 am. There appeared to be only two flights departing from my terminal during those early morning hours: my EgyptAir flight to Cairo and a second flight to Delhi.
I was happy to see that one restaurant was open at Jomo Kenyatta 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 flight to Cairo.
Are There Free Showers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport?
“Are there showers at Jomo Kenyatta 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 a shower before this particular flight, as I had just come from my hotel, I noticed that Jomo Kenyatta International Airport offered free showers inside the restrooms.
The showers inside Jomo Kenyatta International Airport are private and located inside a single room.
Boarding My EgyptAir Flight from Nairobi to Cairo
As stated earlier, there appeared to be only two flights departing from my terminal during those early morning hours. Once the flight to Delhi departed, we were the only flight in the terminal. It was nice to have the boarding area to spread out, especially once we learned our EgyptAir flight from Nairobi to Cairo 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 Egypt.
Finally, after a few hours of delay, our plane arrived. It took over an hour for the passengers to disembark and the plane to be serviced. By the time we boarded, I was so tired that I just wanted to get to my seat and sleep.
EgyptAir Boeing 737-800 Economy Seat: 27H
EgyptAir numbers and letters its seats differently than most Western carriers. Business class rows use lower row numbers, while 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, and 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 what I would expect from an exit-row seat on a Boeing 737-800.
EgyptAir provided each passenger with a pillow and blanket. The pillow and blanket made it much easier to sleep during the Nairobi to Cairo flight.
WiFi and Entertainment on EgyptAir
On my EgyptAir 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 my flight. Since WiFi availability can vary by aircraft and route, I would not count on it unless EgyptAir lists it for your specific flight.
Since Egypt is a Muslim-majority country, the seat-back entertainment system also displayed religious information. This information included the times for prayer and the location of Mecca.
Meal Service on the Nairobi to Cairo Flight
The flight time from Nairobi to Cairo was just over five hours, and I was thrilled that EgyptAir 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. For an EgyptAir economy flight, the meal service was one of the better parts of the experience.
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.
U.S. 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.
Would I Fly EgyptAir from Nairobi to Cairo Again?
Overall, my EgyptAir Nairobi to Cairo flight review is mixed but mostly positive. The airport experience in Nairobi was slow because of the multiple security checks, long check-in line, and flight delay. That part of the trip was frustrating, especially with such an early departure time.
Once onboard, the experience improved. My EgyptAir Boeing 737-800 economy seat had good legroom because I paid extra for the exit row, the pillow and blanket helped me sleep, and the meal service was better than I expected.
I would not say this was one of my favorite flights, but it was a practical nonstop option between Kenya and Egypt. If I needed another Nairobi to Cairo flight, I would consider flying EgyptAir again, especially if the price was reasonable and I could choose an exit-row seat.
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