After my Nile cruise and Pyramids tour, my Egyptian adventures had come to an end, and it was time to continue eastward for the next phase of my winter wanderings.
For the princely sum of £508 ($648), I had secured a one-way ticket in Royal Jordanian’s Crown Class from Cairo, via Amman, to Bangkok, connecting with Malaysia Airlines to Kuala Lumpur.
This review will focus on the regional sector from Cairo to Amman.
Having originally booked a semi-civilised 09:05 departure, I was hit the dreaded schedule change and ended up with a decidedly less palatable 06:25 flight.
This eventually worked in my favour, as my dephased body clock had me retiring at 7pm the previous evening, and the extended layover allowed me the chance to take a short tour in Amman.
The check-in process at Cairo Airport was somewhat chaotic, with scanners and baggage x-rays at the terminal entrance. Having paid the ubiquitously required baksheesh to the dubious characters manning these checkpoints, I made my way airside, to the generic VIP lounge.
The lounge itself was relatively well equipped, with ample seating, a breakfast buffet and a selection of beverages.
Once at the gate, the boarding process was much smoother and more efficient, and I was soon settled into the business class cabin for the 90-minute flight to Amman.
In sharp contrast to flights of this length in Europe, Royal Jordanian offers spacious recliners, in a 2-2 configuration on its A320neo aircraft. These seats feature an extended pitch, with ample legroom for a short flight. The window seat next to me remained unoccupied for this lightly loaded sector.
Once airborne, an Arabic breakfast was served, with a selection of breads, cheeses and jams, fruit juice and coffee.
By the time I had finished my third breakfast of the day, the descent into Amman had begun.
The infernal obstacle course that is Cairo Airport aside, this was a pleasant and relaxing flight once on board, and certainly a far superior experience to intra-European business class products.
