Cairo lounges: which one to choose in Terminals 1, 2 and 3
In Cairo finding an open lounge is never a problem: almost all the lounges after security work day and night, and many accept Priority Pass. The choice, therefore, is played out elsewhere: on the terminal you depart from and, at Terminal 3, on the side of the gates you are walking towards.
The lounges of Cairo are located after security, on the international departures side, and the independent offer has two recurring names. The CAC Lounge by Plaza Premium Lounge & EAS are run by a joint venture between the airport company, Plaza Premium and the services arm of EgyptAir; the Ahlein are the other family of lounges, open to those with Priority Pass or who pay the entry.
IndependentT1 · International flightsPriority Pass
CAC Lounge by Plaza Premium Lounge & EAS
Level 2, after security.
Run by the joint venture between Cairo Airport Company, Plaza Premium and EgyptAir Aviation Services.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry available at reception.
IndependentT2 · International flightsPriority Pass
AHLEIN Emerald Lounge
First floor, after security.
With 4.3 out of 5 it has the highest Priority Pass rating among Cairo's lounges; it offers a quiet zone and a children's play area.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry that can be booked in advance. Maximum stay 3 hours.
Children's area
IndependentT2 · International flightsPriority Pass
AHLEIN Premium Lounge
Ground floor, after security.
Second Ahlein lounge in Terminal 2, one floor below the Emerald.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry that can be booked in advance.
IndependentT2 · International flightsPriority Pass
CAC Lounge by Plaza Premium Lounge & EAS
Level 1, after security.
In Terminal 2 it is one of the three lounges accessible with Priority Pass, along with the two Ahlein ones.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry available at reception.
IndependentT3 · International flightsPriority Pass
AHLEIN Premium Lounge
Near the G gates.
Lounge partnered with Priority Pass in the area of the G gates.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry that can be booked in advance.
IndependentT3 · International flightsPriority Pass
CAC Lounge by Plaza Premium Lounge & EAS
Zone 3E, third floor.
Twin of the CAC Lounges in Terminals 1 and 2, in zone 3E of international departures.
Hours
Open 24 hours
Free entry with Priority Pass; paid entry available at reception.
Children's area
IndependentT3Priority Pass
CAC Seasonal Lounge
Seasonal terminal 3S, ground floor.
Serves the seasonal terminal, active during peak traffic periods.
AirlineT3
EgyptAir Alioth Lounge
Level 3, towards the F gates: after the duty free shop turn left and the lounge is on the right.
First EgyptAir lounge along the route to the F gates; the Almeisan is further on.
Hours
Open 24 hours
EgyptAir premium passengers and eligible members.
AirlineT3
EgyptAir Almeisan Lounge
Departures level, on the left just before gate F10, past the Alioth Lounge and the first moving walkway.
Last of the EgyptAir lounges along the route to the F gates.
Hours
Open 24 hours
EgyptAir premium passengers and eligible members.
AirlineT3
EgyptAir Gienah Lounge
Third floor, towards the G gates: after the duty free shop continue to the right.
EgyptAir lounge on the side of the G gates; Alioth and Almeisan serve the F gates instead.
Hours
Open 24 hours
EgyptAir premium passengers and eligible members.
No lounges match this filter.
For those departing from Terminal 1 the reference lounge is the CAC Lounge on level 2: open all night, free with Priority Pass and with entry that can be bought at reception.
Terminal 2, instead, offers a real choice among Priority Pass lounges: the CAC Lounge on level 1, the AHLEIN Emerald Lounge on the first floor and the AHLEIN Premium Lounge on the ground floor, right below. The Emerald is the one with the highest Priority Pass rating among the Cairo lounges and has a quiet zone and a children's play area, useful for families; it has, however, a limited stay, so for a long layover it is worth bearing this in mind. For those who pay, in the Ahlein lounges entry is booked in advance, while the CAC Lounge sells it directly at reception.
Terminal 3 hosts the EgyptAir lounges, and here the decisive variable is the direction of the gates. Those travelling in premium cabin or with an eligible status find on the side of the F gates the EgyptAir Alioth Lounge, the first one you meet after the duty free, and further on the EgyptAir Almeisan Lounge, just before gate F10; on the side of the G gates there is the EgyptAir Gienah Lounge. They all stay open day and night, so it is enough to choose the one closest to your boarding.
Without a premium ticket, at Terminal 3 Priority Pass is used in two places: the CAC Lounge in zone 3E, twin of those in Terminals 1 and 2, and the AHLEIN Premium Lounge near the G gates, convenient for those boarding from that side without having to walk back.
In the busiest periods the seasonal terminal 3S also comes into operation, with its CAC Seasonal Lounge on the ground floor: it is a lounge to consider only if the boarding pass shows exactly that terminal.
In short, in Cairo the time of day matters little because the lounges stay open all night; terminal and position matter. At Terminal 1 you go to the CAC Lounge, at Terminal 2 the AHLEIN Emerald Lounge is the most appreciated by Priority Pass users, as long as the stay is not too long. At Terminal 3 those flying EgyptAir in premium choose the airline's lounge on the side of their own gates, F or G, while with Priority Pass you go to the CAC Lounge in zone 3E or to the Ahlein near the G gates.
