We’re at the departure gate, staring down the barrel of a 24-hour economy flight from Sydney to London, nothing but leg cramps and uncontrollable gas coming our way, when my partner gets a text.

He’s been upgraded to business and the next thing I know he’s using the seat chat function to message me, “Just got served a fillet steak”.

International upgrades are not an urban flight myth. Two to three times per year my partner and I fly from Sydney to London for work and 50 per cent of the time we get upgraded from our original ticket, usually from economy to premium economy.

An upgrade from economy to business class, while more difficult, is certainly not impossible. This has happened to us more than once, it’s actually happened to my partner, Steve, three times in the past three years, not because he’s a jet-setting high-tier member, but because he listened to me and followed these five steps.

Jackson Newman is our Senior Editor at Thrifty Traveler, where he writes and edits news articles, guides, and other stories. He joined Thrifty Traveler in April 2023 after more than a decade working i…

Kyle Potter is the executive editor of Thrifty Traveler, covering everything from aviation news to travel deals to in-depth guides on using airline miles. A professional journalist, he joined the comp…

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Few things make travel better than visiting an airport lounge before departure. And Delta Sky Club® are better than most … if you can get in. And that’s gotten much, much harder this year.

As part of Delta’s years-long efforts to combat overcrowding inside its lounges, harsh restrictions for travelers who have been enjoying unlimited Sky Club access with their credit cards are officially in place. As of Feb. 1, flyers with the *delta reserve card* and *amex platinum* will be capped at just 15 and 10 visits each year, respectively.

That’s a huge change – though there are a handful of ways Sky Club aficionados can make them less painful. Delta has already banned flyers with the cheapest basic economy ticket from getting into Sky Clubs. Travelers with the *delta skymiles platinum card* can’t even buy a day pass for lounges anymore, either.

Still, the right top-dollar travel credit cards are among the best ways to get into Delta lounges. You can also get in with a business class ticket on Delta (or their partner airlines), buy an annual lounge membership for unlimited access, or get a free pass with top Delta Medallion status.

Hoping to hit the Delta lounge before your next flight? Here’s how.

The 4 Best Ways to Get into Sky Clubs: Credit Cards, Biz Class or Status

1. Carry the Right Credit Card

Let’s start with the easiest path to visit Delta lounges.

A handful of top-tier travel credit cards will get you in the door for free. While you’ll no longer get unlimited access – and none of these cards are exactly cheap – they’re still among the easiest and most cost-effective ways to get Delta lounge access.

Read more: Strict Delta Sky Club Limits are Here, Use These Tips for More Visits this Year

The Platinum Card® from American Express

When it comes to lounge access overall – not just with Delta – you won’t find a better option than *amex platinum*. That lounge access just doesn’t go quite as far with Delta as it once did.

As of Feb. 1, 2025, Platinum cardholders are limited to just 10 Sky Club visits annually between Feb. 1 and Jan. 31 of the next calendar year.

On the bright side, you’ll be able to visit several lounges in the same 24-hour period – it still counts as just one of 10 annual passes. So if you’ve got a Delta flight with a connection, you could visit the Sky Club at your home airport and again during your layover without burning two precious annual visits.

Once you’ve used up all 10 of those days, you can buy additional visits for $50 per day. That’s a savvy way to use your Platinum Card’s $200 annual Amex airline credits: Select Delta as your preferred airline, charge that $50 fee to your Platinum Card at the Sky Club door, and the credit will kick in, buying you an extra four lounge visits each year … for a total of 14!

Add someone else to your Platinum Card account? Authorized users get their own lounge allowance!

Have *biz platinum*? Your lounge access is identical with the personal Platinum card. And if you have both the personal and business Platinum Cards, you can get a total of 20 trips to the Sky Club.

The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card

Much like the Platinum Card from American Express, the *delta reserve card* or the *delta skymiles reserve business* can get you into a Delta club – once again, only if you’re flying with Delta that day. And again, Delta has brought the hammer down.

As of Feb. 1, 2025, Reserve cardholders are limited to just 10 Sky Club visits annually between Feb. 1 and Jan. 31 of the next calendar year – a bit more than with the (non-Delta) Amex Platinum Card mentioned above. You can visit several Delta lounges in the same 24-hour period and still count as just one of 15 annual passes. Once you’ve used up all 15 of those days, you can still buy additional access for $50 per day.

If you have both the Platinum card and the Delta Reserve card, you’ll get a total of 25 days of Sky Club access annually. Just as with the Platinum Card, authorized users on the Reserve also get their own lounge allowance.

But the Reserve Card is even better in one regard: You also get four free guest passes each year. That means you can bring four guests with you into the lounge – or bring the same pal four times. After that, you can simply pay $50 per guest. Like the Platinum Card from American Express, there’s no limit to how many times you can bring guests in with you.

You can avoid these limits altogether by spending $75,000 per calendar year on either card. If you do so, you’ll get unlimited complimentary lounge access with Delta for the remainder of that year and all of the following year.

What about Delta SkyMiles® Platinum & Gold Cards?

For years, travelers with the *delta skymiles platinum card* in their wallets used it to get into Sky Clubs. You could buy one-time lounge passes for $50 per entry. You could also bring in up to two guests for another $50 each.

It was a great way for occasional travelers to hit the Delta lounge before a flight … but it’s no longer an option, period. As of 2024, Delta nixed the option for SkyMiles Platinum cardholders to buy these day passes.

Cardholders with the *delta skymiles gold card* used to be able to purchase lounge access, but Delta eliminated that option years ago.

2. Book an International First or Business Class Ticket

Flying up front in a lie-flat seat? Your ticket will get you into the Delta club.

You can get into the Delta Sky Club if you’re flying first or business class internationally with Delta or a SkyTeam partner airline like Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, SAS, LATAM, WestJet, and more. That includes if you’re connecting to or from an international flight operated by Delta or a partner airline. Critically, you’ll need to be ticketed in a business or first class cabin for your entire journey to qualify for Sky Club access: a mixed-cabin itinerary won’t work.

Certain transcontinental routes within the U.S. in a Delta One business class cabin also get free entry. It must be branded as a Delta One flight to get free lounge access. You won’t be able to bring any guests with you, though.

What About Delta One Lounges?

If you’re flying business class out of Boston (BOS), New York City (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), you can do even better: Visit one of the exclusive new Delta One Lounges instead!

Delta opened its very first exclusive business class lounges at its East and West Coast hubs in 2024. One of these extra-special lounges – with a la carte dining and more amenities – is also expected to open in Seattle (SEA) in June 2025. Locations in Salt Lake City (SLC), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), and other Delta hub airports are expected in the coming years.

But holding a certain credit card won’t do you any good here. The only way to get in is by flying Delta One or in business or first class on some (but not all) partner airlines: Air France, LATAM, KLM, Korean Air, or Virgin Atlantic.

Flyers with the airline’s invite-only Delta 360 status can get in, too … but only with a departing or arriving first class ticket.

No Sky Club Access Just for Domestic First Class

Just because you’re flying up front with Delta doesn’t mean you can get a free pass into the lounge.

Most domestic first class fares with Delta (or to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and even some parts of South America) will not qualify for free Sky Club access. You need to fly in a Delta One cabin, domestically or internationally. Just having a standard domestic first class boarding pass won’t work.

3. Earn Top Delta Status

If you fly Delta a ton and make your way up to Delta’s top-tier Diamond Medallion Status, you can select a complimentary Sky Club individual membership as one of the annual choice benefits. As of 2025, there are two options for top Delta flyers:

An Individual membership , using two of three choice benefits for unlimited Delta lounge access for the year.

, using two of three choice benefits for unlimited Delta lounge access for the year. An Executive membership, using all three choice benefits, will get you and up to two guests unlimited lounge access at no additional charge. You can pay for up to two more guests (for a total of four) for $50 each.

Flyers with lower levels of Delta status can get into the club, too – but only on certain flights.

As of 2024, travelers with Delta’s Gold or Platinum Medallion status flying internationally in Delta Premium Select or Delta One can use the Sky Club before their flight. You can also bring one guest with you for free.

But an economy or Delta Comfort Plus seat will no longer get you into the lounge – even if you’ve got Delta Gold status or higher.

Oddly, you can get more generous lounge access by earning status from other SkyTeam airlines – not Delta Medallion.

Earning higher levels of status with carriers like Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic, and others can also unlock SkyTeam Elite Plus status. And that will get you Sky Club access before any international flight (except U.S.-Caribbean routes) … no matter what cabin you’re flying in!

LATAM elite members (including Signature Black Emerald, Black Emerald, and Platinum Sapphire) and WestJet Gold and Platinum elite members also get Delta lounge access when flying internationally.

4. Purchase a Delta Sky Club Membership

Delta allows members to purchase an individual annual membership to the Delta Sky Club. Consider yourself warned: It’s expensive.

An individual membership now costs $695 (or 69,500 SkyMiles) each year – with no free guest privileges. You can also purchase an executive membership, which also includes two free guests, for a whopping $1,495 each year (or 149,500 SkyMiles).

But there’s one caveat: You need some level of Delta Medallion status in order to even be eligible to buy an individual membership.

Even then, this method may not make much sense. For the same (or less) amount of money, you could get complimentary lounge visits by holding either the Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card or the American Express Platinum Card. Plus, both cards offer a host of other benefits.

This calculus might change as Delta starts limiting the number of times cardholders can get into the Sky Club. Still, most travelers are probably better off holding one of those cards listed above than buying a membership outright.

Delta Sky Club Locations

Delta has been on a tear recently, building new lounges across the country while expanding and renovating existing locations.

All told, there are nearly 60 Delta Sky Club lounges – including one across the Pacific Ocean at Tokyo-Haneda (HND) and three new Delta One Lounges available for business class passengers. Check out our full list – or head to Delta’s roster of Sky Club locations for more details on each lounge.

Airports with Sky Clubs Location(s) Atlanta, GA (ATL) 9 Lounges Austin, TX (AUS) 1 Lounge Boston, MA (BOS) 3 Lounges Charlotte, NC (CLT) 1 Lounge Chicago-O’Hare, IL (ORD) 1 Lounge Cincinnati, OH (CVG) 1 Lounge Dallas-Fort Worth, TX (DFW) 1 Lounge Denver, CO (DEN) 1 Lounge Detroit, MI (DTW) 5 Lounges Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL) 1 Lounge Honolulu, HI (HNL) 1 Lounge Indianapolis, IN (IND) 1 Lounge Jacksonville, FL (JAX) 1 Lounge Kansas City, MO (MCI) 1 Lounge Los Angeles, CA (LAX) 2 Lounges Memphis, TN (MEM) 1 Lounge Miami, FL (MIA) 1 Lounge Milwaukee, WI (MKE) 1 Lounge Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (MSP) 3 Lounges Nashville, TN (BNA) 1 Lounge New Orleans, LA (MSY) 1 Lounge New York-Kennedy, NY (JFK) 2 Lounges New York-La Guardia, NY (LGA) 1 Lounge Newark, NJ (EWR) 1 Lounge Orlando, FL (MCO) 1 Lounge Philadelphia, PA (PHL) 1 Lounge Phoenix, AZ (PHX) 1 Lounge Portland, OR (PDX) 1 Lounge Raleigh-Durham, NC (RDU) 1 Lounge Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) 1 Lounge San Diego, CA (SAN) 1 Lounge San Francisco, CA (SFO) 1 Lounge Seattle, WA (SEA) 1 Lounge Tampa, FL (TPA) 1 Lounge Tokyo-Haneda, Japan (HND) 1 Lounge Washington, D.C.-Reagan (DCA) 1 Lounge West Palm Beach, FL (PBI) 1 Lounge

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Buy a Day Pass?

For years, any and all Delta travelers could buy a single-visit pass to get into the Delta Sky Club. Both United and American Airlines still do the same.

But they’re no longer available with Delta. The airline stopped selling them years ago to combat overcrowding in its lounges. It’s no longer possible to buy Delta Sky Club access, no matter which card you have.

How Long Before Your Flight Can You Get Into the Sky Club?

Delta only allows flyers to enter the lounge within three hours of their departing flight.

Longer layovers are an exception. There is no time limit for flyers making a connection to use the Sky Club – though Delta now specifies that same-day roundtrip flights do not qualify as a layover.

Only top-tier, invite-only flyers with Delta’s vaunted 360 Status or the Amex Centurion Card in their wallets are exempt from this restriction.

Can You Get Delta Sky Lounge Access Upon Arrival?

Of course, you can get into the Sky Club before your flight. But what about after you land?

A while back, Delta had planned to ban access upon arrival. But after a major uproar from some of the airline’s most valued customers, Delta backtracked on that policy. That means you can still access the Sky Club upon arrival, too!

Can You Get Into the Sky Club with a Delta Basic Economy Ticket?

Flyers who buy the cheapest Delta basic economy tickets can no longer use the Sky Club, period. You must be flying on a main cabin ticket or higher to get in.

How Much Do Sky Club Memberships Cost?

Delta sells standalone memberships for unlimited Sky Club access. An individual account will cost you $695 while an Executive Membership (which includes two free guests) clocks in at $1,495 a year.

But you must have some level of Delta Medallion status to be able to purchase a lounge membership.

I recently wrote about how I consider Cairo to have the worst major airport in the world. I asked if anyone had any other airports that they think deserve that title, and several people mentioned Miami.

Miami is my home airport, so I couldn’t help but chuckle. I wanted to talk about that in a bit more detail in this post. Before I do, let me say upfront that I’m by no means a Miami apologist or cheerleader (I’m talking about both the city and airport). I think I see it for what it is, and in 2021 I wrote about the absurdity of JD Power ranking Miami as North America’s best airport.

I’m absolutely not making the case that Miami is a good airport, I just don’t think it’s the worst airport in the world (or even in the country). Let me explain.

There are lots of bad things about Miami Airport

Miami Airport doesn’t have many redeeming qualities, plain and simple. Where do we even begin when it comes to the downsides of Miami Airport?

Employees & passengers leave a lot to be desired

There’s no denying that the staff at Miami Airport aren’t terribly nice, on balance. If you’re not from Miami, maybe that will be noticeable to you. As someone who lives in Miami, I’m totally unfazed, as that reflects many of my service interactions in the city.

I kind of view living in Miami as an expat experience in many ways (though perhaps less so since the pandemic, when half of New York seemingly decided to move here). I’m just not very good with languages, while Ford has fully embraced it — I’m pretty sure his Spanish is better than his English at this point. Anyway, I digress…

Beyond the rude staff, the passengers at the airport, are, ummm, also a mixed bag when it comes to their behavior. I mean, I can’t count the number of times over the years that I’ve witnessed situations where police got involved. And that says nothing of the number of passengers who don’t use headphones when making phone calls or watching videos. https://twitter.com/BroBible/status/1386744949484531721

The terminal layout is bad in multiple ways

Concourse D is the home of American, and the biggest concourse at the airport. It’s just one very long terminal, so if you leave from the higher D gates, it’s quite a trek to the gate, whether you’re walking from security or the lower D gates.

Yes, there’s a train system, but it’s usually breakeven as to whether it’s faster to take the train or just walk (and I always prefer to get some extra steps anyway). I don’t know who thought that this one long concourse thing was a good idea, but it’s a pain. The single, long terminal is also bad in terms of congestion, since it means that all passengers walk through the same area, and it can get very crowded. Miami Airport’s terminal layout is inconvenient

Even beyond the layout of Concourse D, the overall layout of the airport is annoying, with regards to how terminals aren’t connected airside. Concourse D & E are connected airside, then you have Concourse H & J, and then you have Concourse F & G (which are the saddest of all).

Miami Airport terminal layout

Funny story — I didn’t realize that Concourse F actually really existed or was a thing until my recent flight on Boliviana de Aviacion. The terminal makes a Greyhound bus station look like the Lufthansa First Class Terminal, by comparison.

Miami Airport Concourse F might as well be abandoned

The concessions & lounges are subpar

There are no two ways about it — Miami Airport’s selection of dining and duty free is really low end, unlike so many other major international airports in the US.

Some airports put a lot of effort into having local establishments serve up some of their best food and drinks, while Miami Airport largely has garbage concessions that incorporate things that make them sound like they’re local, by adding “305,” or “Wynwood,” or whatever. https://www.reddit.com/r/Miami/comments/1es6ide/maestro_pizza_mia_airport

The lounges aren’t much better either:

To be honest, unless I have access to the American Flagship Lounge or Delta Sky Club®, I’ll just generally skip lounges and sit in a quiet gate area, for those situations where I do have extra time.

What I don’t mind about Miami Airport

Now let me make the case for why there are worse airports in the world than Miami. Again, I’m not saying Miami is a good airport, just that it could be worse.

It’s convenient if originating your travels

As someone who lives in Miami, I find the airport to be pretty easy to use. For one, Miami has to be one of the biggest airports in the country that’s so close to a major city. From many parts of Miami, the airport is just 10-20 minutes away (it can be a bit longer with traffic, of course), so that’s quite a contrast to airports in Los Angeles and New York, where it can easily take over an hour to get to the airport from many parts of the city.

Furthermore, when departing Concourse D, I typically have to wait for under five minutes at TSA PreCheck. I think the most I’ve ever waited (after hundreds of flights) is maybe 15 minutes.

So I find the airport to be easy to originate at, and that largely negates the negatives for me. I can reliably be at the airport well under an hour before departure, and still arrive at the gate before boarding begins. I also put in AirPods Pro the second I arrive at the airport until I get on the plane, so that I can be less annoyed by the poor manners of many people around me. Miami Airport has a convenient location

There are worse airports at which to connect

Miami Airport is not a pleasure to connect at. My only argument here is that I’m not actually convinced it’s the worst airport to connect at. For example, I’d rather connect in Miami than Charlotte (CLT), as I find the latter to possibly be the least pleasant connecting hub in the country.

That’s not because of anything wrong with the airport, but rather because of the number of people that American pumps through there during peak periods. There’s nowhere to sit, and the terminal feels about as crowded a a concert. Add in the lack of lounge capacity, and I just don’t enjoy connecting there.

I don’t want to throw too many airports under the bus, but I think one of the things that makes Miami a little less terrible in this regard is that it’s not a major domestic connecting hub, given its geography. I think any of the overwhelmingly domestic connecting hubs of the “big three” carriers are incredibly unpleasant during peak, banked periods, given the volume of travelers, and Miami doesn’t quite have that number of passengers.

Miami Airport is heaven for airline & aviation geeks

Perhaps this isn’t much of an argument in favor of Miami Airport not sucking, though as an aviation geek, I do kind of love the traffic we get at the airport.

Like, does your airport have daily service from Red Air MD-82s and World Atlantic MD-83s? Does your airport have flights to Havana using PLAY, Fly2Sky, and Eastern Express aircraft? Does your airport have a 68-year-old Convair CV-5800 cargo plane stationed there? I didn’t think so. 😉 And that says nothing of the huge number of Boeing 747 cargo jets we get here every day.

Take me to any other airport in the United States, and I probably won’t be caught off guard by any planes. Meanwhile at Miami Airport, there’s always something new. C’mon, you know you’re jealous of these planes!

Bottom line

Miami doesn’t have a good airport, and there’s a lot to dislike about it, from the terminal design and layout, to many of the employees, to the concessions. My only argument in favor of there being worse airports is that it’s actually a pretty convenient airport to originate at, and I’m not convinced it’s the least pleasant connecting hub in the country.

Where do you stand on Miami Airport — do you just dislike it, or think it’s the sixth circle of hell?

Traveling has always come with complications. Our By The Way Concierge column will take your travel dilemmas to the experts to help you navigate the unexpected. Want to see your question answered? Submit it here. In a travel lounge or restaurant, what is the etiquette (of an offended party) if someone nearby is speaking really loudly, either into a phone or to others? — Daryl G., Arcata, California

Ah, the yapper. They’re found thriving in public spaces, such as an airport bathroom or the boarding line at your gate. Not an invasive species, but a dominant member of the travel ecosystem.

Yes, hearing someone bark orders on a work call while you’re stuck together in the jet bridge is hugely annoying. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily a problem to fix.

“Being an adult out there, living in this world, we are not entitled to always be comfortable,” said Nick Leighton, co-host of the etiquette podcast “Were You Raised By Wolves?” “Nobody says that it has to be pleasant for you all the time.”

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Before you invite conflict, Leighton suggests asking yourself whether you can find a solution on your own. Can you move seats to get out of earshot? Or put on noise-canceling headphones and crank up the volume on a gripping audiobook?

That being said, we all have our limits.

If the yapping is truly intolerable, the etiquette experts I interviewed said it’s aboveboard to step in — particularly if you’re in a space where loud talking is actually against the rules, such as a train quiet car or an airport lounge.

“I love starting with a very well-timed glance,” Leighton said.

The key is delivering a look that is nonjudgmental. Think happy and empathetic, not scowling and critical.

“It has to be very value-neutral,” Leighton said. “This is a very tricky needle to thread.”

Lisa Richey, founder of the American Academy of Etiquette, also says her first move is to try body language.

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“Don’t put your index finger up saying, ‘Shush,’” she said. Instead, “look at them, make eye contact, smile.”

That alone can do the trick.

“Just quickly making eye contact can make the other person realize like, ‘Wow, I’m getting really loud right now,’ because sometimes people don’t realize what they’re doing,” said Alison Cheperdak, founder of Elevate Etiquette in D.C.

If the yapper does not snap out of their gab fest and quiet down, you can speak up. Leighton suggests being “polite yet direct.” You can try saying something like: “I’m sorry to interrupt. Would it be possible to lower your voice a bit?”

You can also hide behind a white lie (or maybe it’s the truth!) and “blame it on the room,” Richey said. “You know: ‘Ah, the acoustics in here; it’s really loud. … Would you mind lowering your voice?’”

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Leighton says this is a one-time request. If the traveler doesn’t oblige, don’t escalate the situation. “The goal is to get them to stop and to not create drama,” he said. “Just drop it.”

Another route is to outsource the job. You can mention the issue to a flight attendant, your train conductor or the staff at the airport lounge customer service desk, and hope they address it for you.

This is the move if you’re concerned the traveler might react aggressively; however, “most people will be very accommodating and perhaps embarrassed if you bring it up to them,” Cheperdak said.

Last and definitely the least recommended, Leighton admits that he loves a passive-aggressive approach that he learned from a podcast listener, “which is not etiquette-approved.”

In the past I’ve written about my favorite airports in the world, though I don’t think I’ve ever shared my least favorite airport in the world, which has to be Cairo International Airport (CAI).

I’ve traveled through the airport more times than I can count, and I suppose it’s actually a love-hate relationship, because I keep going back for more. I’m curious if anyone disagrees, and has another major airport that they like less.

Why Cairo Airport is absolutely awful

First let me explain why I travel through Cairo Airport so often. There are some airports that are known for having reasonably priced premium fares, and Cairo is perhaps the best of all. If you’re looking to travel in a premium cabin at a huge discount, originating in Cairo is the key.

But gosh does Cairo sure make you work for it, by having to tolerate the airport. It’s not that there’s just one thing wrong with the airport, but rather just about everything sucks about the airport, if you ask me.

Look, I’m pretty good at navigating and dealing with airports (I mean, you’d hope!), as it’s something I have a lot of experience with. Airports don’t really stress me out in the way that they stress many others out, because I try to come in with reasonable expectations.

But Cairo Airport is kind of special. Like, I know “the system” for using the airport, yet I feel like it never gets any less miserable. What makes Cairo Airport so bad? Below are some thoughts, in no particular order…

Cairo Airport staff are rude, unhelpful, and distracted

There’s a nuance to Egyptian culture, and I find many Egyptians to be quite friendly… just not the ones at Cairo Airport. I don’t know what it is, but I find that a vast majority of the security and police staff (who are all over the place) are actively hostile and rude. They yell like crazy, and if you don’t understand what they’re saying due to a language barrier, they just yell louder.

It’s not just that they aren’t friendly, but the level of bureaucracy is next level. There are constantly passport and security checks, yet it seems like no one there is actually paying any attention. They’re all either on the phone talking with someone, or they’re just talking to one another, and act like you’re an inconvenience for being there.

I also don’t understand the general incompetence. For example, when you enter the airport, you have to show your ticket, before going through the initial security check. I showed the security officer my ticket, and he must have looked at it for two minutes, as if he had never seen a ticket before. Huh?

There’s just not an airport that has ruder and more disinterested staff, in my opinion.

Most staff at Cairo Airport are actively unfriendly

There are endless requests for tips

This is perhaps more reflective of what it’s like to be a tourist in Egypt, but it’s incredible how many people within the airport expect tips. There are those guys who place the bags on the security belt for you (even if you ask them not to), and then they say “you have tip?”

Yesterday I was in a Priority Pass lounge and went to the toilet, to use the urinal. The “bathroom attendant” followed me into the bathroom, closed the door behind him, stood maybe two feet behind me, and then waited for me to pee. He then handed me a paper towel and said “tip please?” Dude, I’ll tip you to get out of the bathroom.

Even peeing warrants a tip at Cairo Airport!

There’s zero order among passengers

Traveling through Cairo Airport requires spending a lot of time queuing. How do I put this politely, but… Egyptians aren’t good at waiting in lines (and neither are people from several other countries that see a lot of flights to and from Cairo).

If you’re a nice guy, you’re going to end up waiting twice as long as you would have to if everyone just followed the rules.

The disorder continues during boarding. For example, while boarding my Ethiopian Airlines flight yesterday, I was first in line to board. As they started boarding, a guy walked right in front of me, put his foot at an angle in front of me so that I’d basically be tripped if I walked forward, and then tried to board first.

The gate agent very clearly said only business class was boarding, and he wasn’t in business class, so the gate agent told him to step back. He refused, and kept standing there, blocking the door.

Never mind how many passengers tried to poach business class seats, claiming they were told that they could sit there.

There’s just no order at Cairo Airport

There’s nothing redeeming about the facilities

I wouldn’t rank Cairo Airport as the worst in the world purely based on the physical attributes, because there are lots of ugly airports. However, Cairo Airport is just awful in that regard as well, whether you’re flying out of EgyptAir’s Terminal 3, of the newer Terminal 2:

The terminals are really run down, and even the newer terminal already has endless wear and tear

The lounge situation is bad, including EgyptAir’s “flagship” lounges; maybe the Emirates and Saudia lounge are fine, but otherwise… yuck

There’s a smoke smell throughout the airport

If you’re at the airport at night and not in summer, it gets really cold, as I don’t think they use heat

The retail and food and drink options in the terminal are much weaker than at many other airports

Cairo Airport, not exactly an architectural marvel

Bottom line

Cairo Airport is my least favorite major airport in the world. I’ve never had my travel through the airport be seamless, but rather my visits have varied from inconvenient and disorganized, to outright chaotic. I just can’t think of a single redeeming quality about the airport (well other than the low fares, and the Le Meridien Cairo Airport is also quite good).

It’s funny, because I’m writing this post from Addis Ababa Airport (ADD), and earlier I was telling some friends about how I’m here, and they mentioned how much they hate this airport. Like, no, this airport is like Singapore Changi compared to Cairo. At least the staff are mostly friendly, it doesn’t smell like smoke everywhere, the security staff are decent, and Ethiopian Airlines’ lounge isn’t half bad.

Anyone else dislike Cairo Airport as much as I do? Or does anyone want to nominate a worse major international airport for the title of the world’s worst?