Egyptair Gienah Lounge

Egyptair Gienah Lounge – Cairo (CAI)

Egyptair, Egypt’s flag carrier, runs three lounges for premium and elite passengers at Cairo Airport International Terminal 3. (There are also two lounges for domestic passengers in a separate section of the terminal building.)

The three Egyptair lounges—Geniah, Almeisan, and Alioth—are similar in terms of amenities, and design to some extent, so just head to the club nearest to your gate, keeping in mind that all lounges are located after immigration, but before security. The Geniah Lounge is situated on the right after immigration, towards the G gates.

Egyptair Gienah Lounge CAI design

Egyptair Gienah Lounge Cairo seating area

The Egyptair Geniah Lounge at Cairo Airport International Terminal 3 might look oddly familiar even to first-time visitors: in a tribute to their Star Alliance affiliation, Egyptair designed the club based on the blueprints of the original Star Alliance-branded lounges. Back in 2011 when it was built, the Geniah Lounge therefore looked like a sibling of the Star Alliance Lounges at London Heathrow, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, and Nagoya airports. (The Nagoya location is the only one that still retains its original décor.)

Egyptair Gienah Lounge Cairo seating area and business zone

Unfortunately, the original Star Alliance design was hardly a beacon of innovation. The dark palette, beige tones, metal mesh dividers, and wood and metal finishes make for a dark and bland ensemble lacking vibrancy. It doesn’t help that the Geniah Lounge receives relatively little daylight: the lounge sports the same tiny cruise-ship like round windows as much of the rest of the terminal. Back in its heyday, the club incorporated individual lamps to compensate for the cavernous feel, but those appear to have fallen into disrepair and were never replaced.

Egyptair Gienah Lounge Cairo dining area

On either side of the lobby area, guests will find several distinct zones, separated by dividers which add a touch of privacy but further impair light flow. The main area features traditional lounge seating with individual consoles outfitted with a power outlet (of the local/European type). There’s also a TV room furnished with haphazardly-placed office chairs and small cocktail tables, as well as a small business center with two relatively secluded workspaces. The dining area, situated in the main hallway, feels like an after-thought.

While hardly trendy, the Geniah is a comfortable place to sit and wait for a flight, at least when it’s not crowded. But the space could use a bit of sprucing up: the seats have seen better days, the cleaners don’t bother properly aligning the seats, and the addition of art work or other visual features would help break the monotony of the design.

Egyptair Gienah Lounge CAI amenities

The Egyptair Geniah Lounge at Cairo airport features a set of essential amenities.

Egyptair offers fast, complimentary, and unlimited Wi-Fi—in comparison, the public service in the concourse times out after 15 minutes. Each device requires an individual access code.

Egyptair Gienah Lounge Cairo buffet

The food selection revolves primarily around snacks and pastries. There’s a broad range of bite-sized salty and sweet pastries, as well as an oven to heat them up. There’s also a small salad selection—calling it a salad bar would be a stretch. Sandwiches and a hot entrée rounds off the offering. (For a slightly more generous selection, head over to the Almeisan Lounge.)

On the beverage front, guests will find bottled water, a variety of juices and soda, and espresso. Due to local customs, Egyptair does not serve alcohol at any time.

The Geniah Lounge is entirely non-smoking, which is noteworthy in Egypt. Other amenities include a selection of newspapers and magazines, and a bathroom (but no showers.)

Egyptair Gienah Lounge CAI bottom line

There’s nothing aspirational about the Egyptair Lounges at Cairo airport. The three international clubs at Terminal 3—Geniah, Almeisan, and Alioth—deliver on basics such as comfortable seating, power outlets, Wi-Fi, and snacks. The Geniah Lounge is somewhat larger than its counterparts, and also features a small business center with two individual workspaces.

Egyptair Gienah Lounge Cairo TV room

Unfortunately, Egyptair doesn’t offer any of the bells and whistles that make an international airport lounge noteworthy: the design and food selection are unremarkable, there are no showers, and due to local customs there is no alcohol either. While keeping expectations realistic for Egypt, Egyptair underwhelms: Terminal 2 boasts a much stronger line-up of lounges, including the newly-renovated Emirates Lounge.

The lounge is located outside security (passengers go to through security at the departure gate) so be sure to leave early. On the bright side, premium passengers benefit from expedited security service: once at the gate, be sure to spot the Gold Track sign and make your presence known to a customer service agent so you can cut the line.