Hamburg to Abha Egypt Airways Flights

  About Abha

Located in the Aseer Province is the lush green city of Abha in Saudi Arabia. The city's proximity to the Red Sea and other intriguing geographical features give it a canvas, unlike the rest of Saudi Arabia. The city's Aseer National Park is famously known for being home to some of the exotic birds. It also houses dense juniper forests. The city is famed for its mild temperatures and is hence, a prominent tourist destination in Saudi Arabia.

Best time to visit Abha

Unlike some parts of Saudi Arabia, Abha actually enjoys some pleasant weather with equal summers and winters. In fact, it is one of the colder parts of Saudi, which enjoys a mild climate all year long. The temperatures go as high as 34 degree Celsius during summers and are surprisingly quite low during winters. In fact, there was a time when the recorded temperature crossed the negatives. While this might have happened in the past, the temperatures don't cross negatives anymore. However, it is one of the pleasant cities in Saudi Arabia with a lovely weather that makes travelling ideal for every season. The winter season in Abha is from December to February. During these months, the temperature could touch a staggering low, and you might need to carry enough parkas to ensure that you don't have trouble breathing. The city's rough climate does make it unfavourable to travel and engage in touristy activities. The season does see a drop in the hotel prices as well. If you are okay with the excessively cold winters in Abha, then you should book your tickets and hotels too.

June to September is considered to be the best season for a tourist excursion in Abha. The summers are quite decent as the temperatures don't touch beyond 34 degree Celsius. While it might seem too much for some people, it is actually quite convenient as there is less humidity in the air during this time. The hot and dry summers are tolerable as long as you carry proper bottles of water and hydrate yourself at all times. Out of the summer months, August is recognised as the best month to visit Abha. The city has perfect temperatures and doesn't require you to go beyond your limits to enjoy the vibe. The hotel prices in Abha during the peak season does see a surge though. Since many folks from around Saudi Arabia also flock over to Abha for a summer vacation, it could be a little crowded with a spike in the hotel prices. You might want to make prior bookings of flights and hotels in Abha if you want to evade the tourist crowd. Or you can avoid the tourist crowd altogether by visiting the city during spring, which is from March to May.

Places to visit in Abha

Abha's pride comes from the exquisite Green Mountain, which is located at the heart of the city. It is basically a mountain that has been lined up with green lights to complement the name. Abha Dam is another place that you should visit. The water body is surrounded by lovely land on all sides. There are many restaurants too around the dam that would add to the quaint vibe of the place. Do not miss the Art Street in Abha. It is more of a park laced with well-maintained streets and has shrubs on either side of the track. The place is beautiful, and you will have a good time hanging out here. You should also visit the Aseer National Park. Connected to the Jabal mountains, the coastal park has many cold spots. You would find the best air and vibe in the national park. Al Sahab Park is another such place that would keep you engaged. You will have to rent a car out and drive up to the amusement park. It is actually one of the first amusement parks that were constructed in Abha. The park is second to the Al Saudah Park, which is about 15 km away.

Things to do in Abha

Do not be surprised by the greenery that you will find in the desert city of Abha. As part of your excursion in Abha, you can visit Jabal Sawda by trekking up the peak. Aside from the Sawda, you should also trek up the trails of Jabal Ferwa. The two Saudi Arabian mountains would be cold, so make sure to carry a light jacket and lots of water. If trekking is not your thing, then you should visit Abu Kheyal Park. It is relaxing and has lovely floral trees lined up that adds to the beauty of the place. As the city has many parks and green spaces, you should also check out the Andalus Park. This place is especially perfect if you are travelling with kids. They can have fun on the slides while you can relax and enjoy the breeze while lying on the grass. As the city is surrounded by many parks and mountains, you will always be up for something to do.

Food and restaurants in Abha

Jalamah is a famous dish that you will find in the city. It is a traditional Saudi Arabian dish which is made from lamb. The meat is blended perfectly with Arabic spices consisting of cinnamon, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom and coriander. The aromatic stew certainly brings a lot of flavour on the plate that you would enjoy. Saleeg is another famous dish of the Saudis which is basically rice porridge topped with a marinated and roasted piece of meat. It could be lamb or chicken or any meat of your choice. The lovely dish is comforting and would be a nice indulgence. Another dish that you would find in Abha, a common Saudi meal is the Martabak. A roti-like bread is stuffed with ground meat, garlic, eggs, curry, peppers and onions. It is basically a Saudi version of a paratha. You can actually eat this when you are not in the mood to eat excessively. Do leave some room for dessert as the famous Saudi savour Ma'amoul is a must-have. It is basically a dome-shaped tasty sweet made with fillings of fruits, walnuts, dates and more.

The options of indulgence in Abha is minimal. The city does not have a plethora of food joints with international or fusion cuisine. The place is humble and serves most of Saudi-inspired menu at their restaurants. Most of their restaurants are for a family setting. You can find some tasty Saudi dishes along with plates of mezze meals. Some of the main restaurants include Al-Tahy, N Lounge, Maharaj Indian Restaurant, to name a few. The Green Mountain Restaurant is actually a good place for you to hang out with your family or friends. The place is perched atop a lovely hill and illuminates the scintillating lights of the city. The breath-taking view interspersed with tasty food is definitely unmissable. You can also get coffee and cake as the establishment serves a lot of things.

How to reach Abha

The flight connectivity to Abha is quite decent. Although there are no direct flights to Abha from Indian cities, there are flights connecting to the Saudi city. The most popular route to Abha is from Jeddah and Riyadh. Both the cities are located in Saudi Arabia, and this domestic route to Abha is perfect and well-connected. Airlines such as Air Arabia, Flynas, Saudia, flydubai, Emirates, Etihad Airways, to name a few, have immaculate flight connectivity to Abha. A majority of these flights have layovers in Sharjah, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dubai. These cities offer enough options to reach Abha and hence, are more popular. It is imperative that you get a transit visa as it is required in Saudi cities. Interestingly, Jeddah and Riyadh are the only cities where you will need a transit visa. You can either get it from the embassy, or you can apply for the same online. Saudi Arabia's embassy website has the form that you need to fill out to apply for the transit visa. The flight duration to Abha ranges from 11 hours to 13 hours approximately.

The domestic route from Jeddah is considered to reach Abha. Since flight connectivity to Jeddah is much better than Abha, it is often a better way to reach the Saudi city. The flight tickets to Abha are quite reasonable. The ticket price to Abha ranges from INR 19,000 to INR 25,000. You can actually get tickets to Abha for cheap, provided you spend time on the internet and get hold of some flight deals. A little snooping around on the internet will help you find the best flight deals to Abha online. Along with the flight tickets, you can also book your hotel in Abha. This will actually enable you to receive more discounts and offers. You will have to check for peak season as the flight tickets will be expensive during this time.

  About EgyptAir

EgyptAir is the official national flag carrier of Egypt. The airline has its headquarters in Cairo International Airport, which also plays as its main hub. A majority of scheduled passenger flight operations and freight services connect to about 75 destinations across the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, North and South America. The airline is also a recognised member of the Star Alliance airline carrier and is part of the Arab Air Carriers Organization. EgyptAir came into existence in 1932 after Airwork chairman Alan Muntz expressed his intention to start a new airline in Egypt. The enterprise was originally named Misr Airwork, where Misr stood for the Arabic name of Egypt. The government also granted the company exclusive rights to conduct transport operations. Following the founding of the company, Misr Airwork introduced Misr Airlines as its first subsidiary in 1932. The idea of bringing forth the airline was to promote the spirit of aviation among the youth of Egypt. It managed to become the seventh carrier in the world and had its headquarters in Almaza Aerodrome, Heliopolis, Cairo.

Following its genesis, the airline's operations commenced in 1933 with the use of de Havilland DH.84 Dragon. The flight was connected to Alexandria and Mersa Matruh from Cairo. The same year, the frequency of flight services doubled as the demand increased. Eventually, the airline managed to extend its domestic route network by connecting to cities such as Aswan, Gaza, Lydda, Haifa, Luxor and more. The state of Egypt received sola shareholding power of the company and changed its name to Misair SAE. Following the change in ownership, the airline continued to fly the same routes. Subsequently, the airline also purchased Douglas DC-3s to be deployed for domestic routes as well as a few Arab countries. A few years later, Misair once again changed its name to United Arab Airlines and added Viscounts in its fleet to cater to medium-haul flights. The name was given to the airline following the formation of Egypt and Syria to become the United Arab Republic. International route services to Athens, Rome and Zurich commenced as the airline expanded its fleet with more DC-3s, six Viscounts and six Vikings.

In 1971, the airline was renamed as EgyptAir following a change in the name of the country to the Arab Republic of Egypt. EgyptAir is a state-owned enterprise that has proper legalisation, allowing the management to operate as a private entity would function, without any external interference, especially from the government. The self-financed company has no backing from the Egyptian government. In 2002, EgyptAir underwent tremendous corporate re-engineering as they reworked on the management style from a government-oriented into a holding company. The restructuring of the management happened at the same time as the civil aviation's announcement of the Egyptian government to refurbish and upgrade its airport facilities. EgyptAir owns two subsidiaries, namely EgyptAir Express and Air Sinai. The airline also has a 60 per cent stake in Air Cairo as well as a 20 per cent share in Smart Aviation Company. In 2011, the airline did succumb to tremendous losses after the revolution. An estimated 1.3 billion Egyptian pounds were recorded as losses during the fiscal year 2012-13. However, despite the tremendous loss suffered by the airline, they managed to bring back their A-game in the aviation industry.

Fleet size of EgyptAir

As of 2020, EgyptAir's fleet size stands at 67 with flights from the Airbus and Boeing aircraft family. EgyptAir became the 37th customer for Airbus A330/340s in 1995 after ordering three Airbus A340s. In 1996, the airline received its first 260-seater aircraft which was brought in on lease from Gulf Air. The airline also purchased a 308-seater Boeing 77-200s for a whopping USD 400 million 1995. The GE-90 powered aircraft with A340-200s were brought in as replacements to the fleet's Airbus A300B4 and Boeing 767-200 fleet. EgyptAir also ordered seven Airbus A330-200 aircraft in 2003 to replace its existing Airbus A300-600R fleet. EgyptAir has an old relationship with Boeing aircraft manufacturer. The airline received its first Boeing 707 in 1968. In 2010, 346-seater Boeing 777-300ER was delivered by the aircraft company to Egyptair, becoming the first-ever addition of such a massive seater-aircraft in the airline's fleet. In 2017, EgyptAir also announced that they would be placing an order for a purchase of six Boeing 787-9s and fifteen Airbus A320neos. Eventually, in 2019, the airline made its order at the Dubai Airshow that they are purchasing seven A321neos and eight A320neos.

Baggage Allowance

EgyptAir's baggage allowance rules and regulations are quite diverse as it also accommodates the protocols of Star Alliance's membership perks. Predominantly, the baggage allowance on EgyptAir's economy class differs according to the fare rules shared by the airline. However, the weight per piece of baggage should not exceed 23 kg. The dimensions of the bag should also not exceed 158 cm. While the baggage dimension rule applies to the business class traveller as well, the number of bags allowed is two pieces. The weight per piece of baggage should not exceed 32 kg individually. The perks of travelling by business class in terms of baggage allowance are certainly high. In terms of hand luggage too, the business class receives permission to carry two pieces of baggage on board with each piece weighing no more than 8 kg. The economy class passengers are allowed to carry one piece of hand baggage which cannot weigh more than 8 kg. Along with these bags, travellers are also allowed to additionally carry an extra piece of a small bag which could be a handbag or a laptop bag.

In-flight services

EgyptAir's in-flight services have received tremendous positive responses from travellers around the world. Much recently, the airline did announce that it would be undergoing some refurbishments and upgrades to enhance the experience of passengers flying with them. Since the announcement, the airline has catered to better in-flight services. The seating configuration in their aircraft along with the plush seating has seen a drastic change for the better. It is more comfortable and caters to the needs of the passengers. The recline is pretty decent, and even the provision of personal entertainment systems with engaging and updated content adds to its perks. The aircraft does cater to decent recline as well as legroom that is better than many of the airlines in the world. One can also choose the seats they want ahead of the flight.

The airline provides exemplary in-flight meal services that go down well with the passenger's gastronomical desires. Since one of the subsidiaries of EgyptAir is also the catering service that provides for the airline's in-flight meals, the meals meet with high standards. Depending on the type of journey and distance, the airline offers complimentary meals in-flight. EgyptAir is one of the few airlines in the world that does not serve alcohol on its flights, owing to the traditional Islamic beliefs. The in-flight staff are also quite friendly and accommodating to any requirements that the passenger might need during the journey.

Popular routes and top cities for EgyptAir

EgyptAir was voted as the newest airline to join the Star Alliance airline alliance becoming the first one from an Arab country to join the bandwagon. A ceremony to commemorate the same was held at Cairo International Airport in the same year as it became the 21st member of the alliance body. Over the years, EgyptAir has managed to upscale its connectivity with extensive domestic routes and international routes. It has phenomenal connectivity to various European, African and Middle Eastern cities. As on 2020, the airline caters to international destinations such as Vienna, Bahrain, Brussels, Toronto, Nicosia, Alexandria, Cairo, Luxor, Addis Ababa, Paris, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Accra, Athens, Mykonos, Hong Kong, Budapest, Mumbai, Baghdad, Milan, Rome, Tokyo-Narita, Amman, Kuwait City, Amsterdam, Abuja, Lagos, Muscat, Moscow, Jeddah, Medina, Riyadh, Barcelona, Geneva, Tunisia, Istanbul, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London, New York City and Washington DC.

Why travel by EgyptAir?

EgyptAir is easily one of the archaic airlines in the world and has earned quite a reputation over the years. With an extensive fleet that only has the best-handpicked aircraft along with impeccable in-flight services, it easily becomes one of the best to pick, especially to travel to international routes such as Europe, Africa or the Middle East. EgyptAir's domestic route connectivity is also excellent, making travelling within Egypt convenient. As part of its expansion and up-gradation plans, the airline has accommodated several good services that can be availed on a mobile phone. Passengers can get updates on the flight status as well as do web check-ins on the airline's official website.

Similarly, the airline also enables exquisite in-flight services that would make one's journey cosy. Booking an EgyptAir flight is also easy as it has a global presence and can be found on all travel portals. Not to mention how the travellers can book tickets on the airline's official website itself. Simultaneously, one can also check EgyptAir's flight schedule and pick the most convenient one. The airline is easily one of the most sought-after with great facilities to offer.