EgyptAir

EgyptAir is Egypt's flag carrier and one of the oldest airlines still flying, with a hub at Cairo that links Africa, the Middle East and Europe and stretches long-haul to North America and East Asia. A Star Alliance member, it runs a classic hub operation: dense short and medium-haul flying around the region feeding a smaller set of widebody trunk routes, so the aircraft on your booking decides a great deal about the trip.

The fleet splits between A320neo-family and Boeing 737-800 narrowbodies for the regional network and a widebody group built around the A330, the 787-9 Dreamliner, the 777-300ER and the newer A350-900. The premium product spans two clear generations, from deep-recline cradle and angled lie-flat seats on the older types to fully flat beds with direct aisle access on the newest jets, which makes the published layout for your flight worth a look before you pay for the front cabin.

The narrowbodies carry a real Business cabin, not a blocked middle seat: wide cradle or recliner seats in a two-by-two arrangement ahead of a three-by-three Economy, and on the A320neo and A321neo both cabins get seat-back screens, which is more than most airlines bother with at this size. The 737-800 flies in two fits, one with an unusually large recliner Business cabin and one that trades a few of those rows for more Economy.

On the widebody side the generations are easy to tell apart. The 787-9 carries a reverse-herringbone Business with direct aisle access for every seat, and the A350-900 goes a step further with staggered suites behind sliding privacy screens. The A330-300 and 777-300ER carry the older two-two-two and two-three-two Business, a deep angled recline rather than a flat bed. One trait worth knowing: the 777-300ER keeps Economy at nine-abreast where much of the industry has squeezed in a tenth seat, so it is one of the more forgiving 777 economy cabins in service.

At its newest, EgyptAir is a modern long-haul product: flat beds with direct aisle access, large high-resolution screens and a full meal service on the A350 and 787. The older widebodies are honest about their age, with Business seats that recline deeply but do not go flat, so on routes where both generations appear the aircraft type matters more than the fare class.

Two practical notes shape the experience. EgyptAir serves no alcohol on any flight, in keeping with its home market, so plan accordingly rather than discovering it at the drinks trolley. And catering, checked bags and seat-back entertainment are part of the fare across the network, which puts it a clear step above the region's low-cost operators even on short hops.

In the flat-bed cabins the seats are close cousins of each other, so position decides: forward rows board and clear first, rear rows sit away from the galley bustle, and solo travellers do best in the window-aligned seats of the staggered and reverse-herringbone layouts. On the 777-300ER, note that some Business rows run two-three-two, and a middle seat in Business is still a middle seat.

In widebody Economy the A330s run two-four-two, so couples can take a window pair and keep the row to themselves, while the nine-abreast cabins reward a window or aisle over the centre block. Bulkhead rows add legroom but lose under-seat stowage, and the last rows by the rear galleys and lavatories carry the most noise and queue traffic. On the narrowbodies a handful of forward Economy rows come with extra pitch, and the two-by-two Business cabin is a comfortable way to spend a three-hour sector without long-haul money.