Deal alert: Fly to Egypt from Chicago, Dallas, NYC & Oakland from $567 RT
As Egypt continues its tourism rebound following the pandemic, why not scratch that itch to see some of the world's most famous landmarks and pay a visit? Recently-unearthed ancient treasures make a trip to Egypt even more compelling. There are some excellent travel deals to the transcontinental country (Egypt spans Africa and Asia) right now from departure points like Chicago, Dallas, New York, as well as Oakland and San Francisco.
Most of these fare sales are for economy tickets to Cairo. Checked luggage on international flights can get expensive so make sure to check what airlines charge before you book your flights. We did find some great fares that also include free checked bags.
The best availability is for travel between September and February 2023. Holidays are excluded in this deal.
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Thanks to Scott’s Cheap Flights for first spotting this new deal. Its basic membership is available for $49 per year. The Elite tier option is available for $199 per year, which provides you with access to deals on premium economy, business class and first-class tickets.
You know what we always say; the more flexible you can be with your travel plans, the better price you'll be able to find.
Deal basics
Airlines: Air Canada, American, Delta, Royal Air Maroc, Swiss Air Lines.
Routes: Chicago, Dallas, New York City and San Francisco to Cairo, Egypt.
How to book: Search Google Flights and book directly through the airline.
Travel dates: Best availability September through February 2023; holidays excluded.
Related: A reopening guide to Egypt
Sample flights
We found flights in September from New York City (JFK) to Cairo (CAI) on Royal Air Maroc for only $567 round-trip. This fare does include a long layover during the outbound flight in Casablanca, so be aware of that before you book. In fact, most of the best prices out of New York City to Egypt we found included a long layover.
On the plus side, Royal Air Maroc, a Oneworld member, allows passengers to check up to two bags and bring a small carry-on.
The same NYC-Cairo route in January on Royal Air Maroc is a bit more expensive but has a much more reasonable layover.
We found a few truly spectacular deals out of Chicago. This itinerary from O'Hare International Airport (ORD) to Cairo in late September on Air Canada is only $575 round-trip. That's more than $600 less than what you would normally expect to pay for this route. It does have an 18-hour layover in Montreal on the return flight, but that's a great city to find yourself with a day to enjoy. Also, Air Canada's Standard fare comes with a free carry-on and your first checked bag is free.
If you prefer to visit the Pyramids in December, we found this epic deal from Swiss Air Lines from O'Hare to Cairo for only $608 round-trip. The layovers in Zurich aren't quite as bad on this route, and the savings are incredible. And like the Air Canada ticket we mentioned earlier, this Swiss itinerary comes with a free carry-on and your first checked bag for free.
September and October are the months to fly to Egypt if you live in Texas. We found great availability in those months.
You can book a ticket through Delta to fly from Dallas (DFW) to Cairo for $644 round-trip, a really nice discount from normal prices. This fare comes with a free carry-on and two free checked bags.
Here's one for the West Coast. San Francisco (SFO) to Egypt in the fall is available for the nicely-reduced price of $662 round-trip on Swiss. Again, that comes with a free carry-on and a free checked bag.
The same route is available at the same great price in January, too.
We didn't forget about Oakland. You can save a lot of money on flights from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Cairo. We found some fares in December and January that are more than 50% off normal prices. The caveat is that the discounted flights all had two stops. Here's one example on Delta we liked, that comes with a free carry-on and two free checked bags.
Related: Why it could be time to add Egypt back to the bucket list
Maximize your purchase
Pay with: The Platinum Card® from American Express for 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year); the Citi Prestige® Card for 5 points per dollar on airfare; the Citi Premier® Card or Chase Sapphire Reserve for 3 points per dollar on air travel; the American Express® Gold Card for 3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel; or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card for 2 points per dollar on travel.
The information for the Citi Prestige Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Top offers from our partners
How we chose these cards
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 5X | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
| 1.5X | Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year |
| 1X | 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 5X | Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com |
| 1.5X | Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year |
| 1X | 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.Earn 150,000 points120,000 pointsAnnual Fee
$695Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO© Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.670-850Good, Excellent
Why We Chose It
It's hard to find a card that competes with the mile-long list of benefits that come with the Amex Business Platinum. While it's certainly not the card for the average consumer, a business owner with tons of expenses -- especially related to travel -- will find this card incredibly valuable. This card is similar to the consumer version that Amex offers, but with more business-oriented perks around statement credits and earning rates that are a better fit for business owners.Pros
- An up to $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee every four to five years
- Up to $400 annual credit for eligible U.S. Dell purchases (enrollment required)
- Gold status at Marriott and Hilton hotels (enrollment required)
- Access to the Fine Hotels & Resorts program and Hotel Collection
- Extended warranty protection
- International Airline Program and Cruise Privileges Program
Cons
- Steep annual fee
- Difficulty meeting $15,000 welcome offer for smaller businesses
- Limited high-bonus categories outside of travel
- The Points Guy Exclusive Offer: Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with the Business Platinum Card® within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
- Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
- Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on eligible purchases at US construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
- Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for checked baggage fees, lounge day passes, and more at one selected airline.
- $189 CLEAR® Credit: Use your Card and get up to $189 back per year on your CLEAR® membership. CLEAR® is available at more than 50 U.S. airports and stadiums.
- The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more lounge location options than any other credit card on the market as of 9/2021.
- $695 Annual Fee.
- Terms Apply.