Jet 2 to start Egypt flights

[crewmeal]

Not Luxor related but Jet 2 will start flying to SSH and HRG as of Feb 2027. Yet another way to get to Luxor.

https://egyptianstreets.com/2025/11/25/ ... t-in-2027/

[John Landon]

I have been using Jet2 since they setup in Manchester and have always been my preferred airline since using them for the first time many years ago for business trips.
The generous luggage allowance, friendly staff and less queues at check-in back in the day.

Thomas Cook gave you 15 kg and 5 kg hand baggage. Jet2 gave you 22kg and 10kg hand baggage.

I was one time over the limit on a business trip and the guy at check in said no problem.
Smiled and waved me through.

They would hand out vouchers as you left the plane when you reached your destination, for 60 quid off your next flight, I would always ask for another which they happily gave me.

TUI have a slightly less allowance of 20KG, but allow 10kg hand baggage like Jet2 do.

As the years have gone by, Jet2 have picked up many of our favourite hotels and countries, so we can book package holidays with them now.

Since the demise of Thomas Cook, TUI seemed to have upped their game somewhat but my preference is Jet2 where possible.

Anyhow, we are Almost all packed and ready to enjoy the delights of Luxor for 2 weeks, and flying out on Tuesday all being well.

Even though I took a sudden and early retirement back in May this year, I still look forward to a well earned rest, and am looking forward to many more trips abroad and not being shackled to the maximum 2 week stay at any given destination.

We still have a few hurdles to overcome, but we are getting there slowly.

Anyhow, hopefully I'll get to meet some of you who are also there at the same time and enjoy a natter and a catch up..
Ttfn.

[crewmeal]

It will be interesting to see what packages they do for Egypt. They might include Luxor in their planning

[John Landon]

I do hope so, although I happen to know the next 3 or 4 weeks with the TUI flights to Luxor are rather quiet.
Seems the Red Sea destinations are where it's at right now for all the major airlines.

Luxor it seems is mainly a secondary destination for people on day trips or Nile cruises.

The pre revolution all year round flights are it seems long gone, and Luxor has been transformed into the open air museum, and is treated as such by many now.

I noticed many objects inside the temples, and many rooms have been roped off, even the collosi, walls and security cameras all over the place on the WB, just like you would find in a museum.

It's been 20 plus years in the making, with entire villages and communities moved out and re homed.

I'm just lucky I got to experience the place before all this happened. Perhaps the only experiences that would better that, would have been in the 70's for some obvious reasons.

Anyhow, bags almost packed, just organising the taxi now to collect us from the airport, as I hate being on that bus having to visit every hotel before being dropped off last at the Jolli Ville.
Hopefully if they have managed to reserve our room, (which I doubt very much, and we have to go through the whole rigmarole of getting a room we prefer,) we shall be dining at the Jewel tomorrow night.

[John Landon]

Nice trip to Manchester and baggage dropped off with no wait, all self service, just scan your boarding card and a ticket comss out once you weigh your bag.
no wait at security and now in departure.

I have not needed to show my passport at all. Just present my boarding card at a scanner and look into a camera and the gates open.

Flight appears to be on time and my taxi driver said he will be there to pick us up.
Luckily I found a few thousand LE in the house, so no need to bother getting any money changed for a day or 2.

All I need now is a nice south East wind to propel the plane a bit faster.

[Teddyboy]

That's interesting, about the automation at Manchester Airport. We swore never to use that place again after suffering the disgraceful attitudes of so many of the staff there, quite a few years ago. We were regular customers at one time because it was easy to jump on a train in Newcastle and get off right at the airport. But the staff got more and more surly and obnoxious as time went on, until the last visit when it was just intolerable!
Maybe it's time to try it again?

[John Landon]

That's interesting, about the automation at Manchester Airport. We swore never to use that place again after suffering the disgraceful attitudes of so many of the staff there, quite a few years ago. We were regular customers at one time because it was easy to jump on a train in Newcastle and get off right at the airport. But the staff got more and more surly and obnoxious as time went on, until the last visit when it was just intolerable!
Maybe it's time to try it again?

I felt the same a few years ago teddyboy, and would take my European business flights from Liverpool wherever possible, But

Since the upgrade to terminal 2, it's an absolute breeze.

Each airline has its own compartment and self check in for bags. ( Make sure you have your boarding passes though)

Security had zero wait time as well.

Of course I always have a bag search for whatever reason, and they never find anything, but they we're really polite and friendly.

They are now revamping terminal 1 and 3 at the moment, so things can only get better.




A much more relaxed friendly atmosphere, and the staff are tripping over themselves to help you.


Well, I'm finally here, got ahead of the masses using the taxi, and sure enough we did not get our reserved room.

Now after 7 hours of travelling, my nicotine levels plummet to a dangerously low level, and my patience gets really thin.
Not dangerous for me you understand.

"How the hell can you put someone else in our room when the hotel is half empty!"
I showed them my emails and the booking form that in no uncertain terms clearly stated that room which we booked in May.

Anyhow they said we can have the room on the 4th December, and they have given us an upgraded room for these 2 nights.

Not too bothered now, we can live out of the suitcases for the next 2 nights , and am just going to get my taxi driver back to take us to the Jewel, as we are starving.

I'll probably change a few quid down at the WP after our meal, to save going again.
Alison is busy trying to sort out a Rendezvous with one of our friends tomorrow.

Nice moon tonight too, with a massive halo around it.

[Teddyboy]

Is the "Jolly Vile" nice again, then? We hadn't been since probably around the time of the revolution, and it was pretty grim then. I hope you have a smashing time, anyway.

[John Landon]

The soith side is nice, but the far north side has been left to decay.

Not the busiest of hotels like it used to be, but still more than acceptable for us

Attention is being paid to the new area where the multistory rooms are located at the south, and they have new facilities inside a shared area and the new swimming pool complex they put in about 14 years ago.
The gardens and buildings are well kept, but the numbers of guests are way down from the halcyon days. There are few 2 week tourists there, mostly over nighters and week long travellers.

[A-Four]

I only visited the place once, and that was God only knows how many years ago when it was called Movenpick, absolutely wonderful place then, I always remember that as you looked over the river was a shed like feature with trees all around it, yes it was beautiful, though at that time very expensive to stay there, the hotel I mean and not the shed.-

I'm not in Luxor until March, so any tourist info John, I for one would appreciate.

[John Landon]

I only visited the place once, and that was God only knows how many years ago when it was called Movenpick, absolutely wonderful place then, I always remember that as you looked over the river was a shed like feature with trees all around it, yes it was beautiful, though at that time very expensive to stay there, the hotel I mean and not the shed.-

I'm not in Luxor until March, so any tourist info John, I for one would appreciate.

I can tell you that the local passenger ferry has gone up in price for us infidels and is now 50LE for a return trip, up from 30LE back in February.

On the WB, there is now a dual carriageway under construction about 200 yards beyond the main shops. I didn't venture any further west from there as it was almost unnavigable on foot due to heavy construction machinery and the dust and gravel.
So probably easier to take the back lanes that run parralel to that road.

Everything else is pretty much the same on both sides, other than the relentless march of the villa constructions on the WB both inside the village and down towards the south.

The four seasons hotel has a much larger footprint than it did and is quite an imposing sight, and I suspect the skeleton is almost complete. It's going to be a huge hotel that will dwarf the other well established ones in terms of size and tourist capacity.

I do wonder why this behemoth of a structure is now rapidly awakening from its almost year slumber.?

Sad to think of all the WB properties that were knocked down so as not to spoil the view from the 4 seasons was a in vain, all those years ago. If the rumours are true.

The jewel is as welcoming as ever and the food is to die for, and no price rises since February.
Feyrous and El Gizera has not changed and I doubt they ever will. (Insha Allah) We picked up a couple of books as we had forgotten to pack any, and will return them later.

Do you remeber the days at the Movenpick when you could buy the ice cream there and the lovely 50LE pizza burger?

They were the good days.
A new pool was installed in place of the adults only pool, and it's not really a swimming pool as such, Infact a cat would struggle to drown itself in that pool, as it's not deep at all

The infinity pool is all but closed, no bettery of sunbeds around there any more and the pumps that operated the fountains no longer run.
The only person I saw was a young lady in an orange bikini meditating on an old sunbed.

I still like to walk up that way round the path and onto the wasteland where there's a few horses and the old water wheel.

Anyhow, it's early days yet, our chosen room is now ready so I'm going to get my stuff together and move in and finally unpack our cases.
I'll see what other nuggets of info I can pick up before I leave.

Getting my SIM sorted tomorrow, and having spoken to a young man of dual nationality he said there won't be a problem as he regularly visits here with his UK phone and has an Egyptian SIM as well. We shall see.

[crewmeal]

The four seasons hotel has a much larger footprint than it did and is quite an imposing sight, and I suspect the skeleton is almost complete. It's going to be a huge hotel that will dwarf the other well established ones in terms of size and tourist capacity.

Sadly the new Four Seasons hotel has an extended wing next door to the Iberotel that blocks out most of the southern view of the Nile. I booked a room with a Nile view and only got 50% of the view. No discount available.

[John Landon]

The four seasons hotel has a much larger footprint than it did and is quite an imposing sight, and I suspect the skeleton is almost complete. It's going to be a huge hotel that will dwarf the other well established ones in terms of size and tourist capacity.

Sadly the new Four Seasons hotel has an extended wing next door to the Iberotel that blocks out most of the southern view of the Nile.

Looking at the hotel, I thought that may well be the case where it runs at 90degrees from the southern end, but that's the Americans for you. No thought for anyone else.

Now if I remeber correctly, when they started the ground work on that hotel maybe 20 years ago, they found an old grave yard, maybe Greek / Coptic?

At which point perhaps someone who had read the book or seen the film "The Shining" by Stephen King may have had second thoughts about the project.
At least they didn't call it "The Overlook"
Even though it does "overlook" the Nile.....

There seems to be a large forecourt at the hotel which would easily accommodate a few coaches, and I believe there's an underground car park too.



The LE has made a very slight recovery and it's now just over 61 LE to the UK pound as of Tuesday. It was 67LE back in early February.

Finally in our correct room and got myself sorted with a legit SIM, with a load of data, of which my wife will end up using by tethering from my phone when out and about.
About 12 UK pounds, so less than a pound a day while I'm here.
I have a lawyer friend who went with me to sort it all out in the shop, and they understand I'm a humble tourist and the SIM can be used indefinatley and I just need to top it up every 3 months for 100 LE.

We have already met up with a couple of our friends on both side of the Nile, so time to relax a bit today.

[A-Four]

quote=crewmeal post_id=469330 time=1764861237 user_id=5152]

The four seasons hotel has a much larger footprint than it did and is quite an imposing sight, and I suspect the skeleton is almost complete. It's going to be a huge hotel that will dwarf the other well established ones in terms of size and tourist capacity.

This thing about the Four Seasons Hotel in Luxor has quite a bit of history about it even before the first brick was laid. It is in fact owned by an Egyptian man, its franchise will be run by the Four Seasons Co, which is similar to how Mc Donald's and KFC opperate in Europe where the building owner uses only products and equipment from the franchisor. That is why internally all such hotels look the same. Also to note the Four Seasons actually as far as I know, own no hotels at all, anywhere in the world.

In my opinion I dont think it is really going to work, its location is wrong, and I dont believe they will find staff who must be up to the highest standard, as required by the Winter Palace in the recent past era.

[John Landon]

Thank you A-Four.

I was thinking that whoever has the project ongoing knows something the rest of the world has no knowledge of, and that they were expecting hoards of well heeled tourists to inundate Luxor in the non too distant future.

For those who may not know, the Jolie Ville island has 3 luxury villas at the far south of its complex and also a balloon field just beyond that where the land drops down. All kitted out and ready to go.

To the best of my knowledge there has been no takers for these whatsoever, and these apartments / hotel rooms lay empty.
I had a good look round them today, and they have a security detail guarding that area, which is just beyond the new builds and complex from about 12 years ago.
If any place should succeed, it's this one, but I know most of the staff have been replaced and I see mostly Egyptians taking advantage of the daytime hotel facilities.

As for the Four Seasons, I can't imagine people wanting to stay there given the noise, smell of traffic and it's location.

The pavilion and Winter Palace appear to be doing quite well as I speak, and that's understandable.

Off topic, but I noticed in the corridor of the WP that takes you to the dining areas, there is a wonderful replica mask of Tutankhamun.
If I I was on my PC I would have no trouble uploading my pictures, but I only have my phone at the moment. It's worth a look if anyone is passing by.

PS. Aboudi restaurant by McDonald's and snack time is absolute rubbish. I had a few recommendations to go there, and I was bitterly dissapointed.
But then again, I hear Snack Time is not as good as it was either.
Cheaper and better can be found on the WB establishments and my EB favoured restaurants that I like to frequent.

I hope Four Seasons does not end up as a blot on the landscape. Time will tell.

[John Landon]

A quick update for A-Four.

The Sheraton has now been rebranded as Steigenberger, so they now have 2 hotels within a quarter of a mile.
We went for a visit today for old times sake, nothing much has changed there. We enjoyed a stay one year in one of the charming little cottages on the bank of the Nile.

The public baths to the left of the Sonesta are in the final stages of demolition.

Hopefully heading over to the WB tomorrow.

[Chris]

Just to say that the swimming pool to the left of the Sonesta was demolished about 10years ago. The Sonesta is currently building an extension to provide a Spa, garage for parking and shops.

[John Landon]

Thank you Chris.
The demolition is still ongoing, maybe the last of the front of the building.

I see something going on behind that, but it's all corded off, but looks recent.

[John Landon]

All good at Luxor airport.

I declined the shuttle bus and got a taxi to the airport about an hour later, having got a room extension till 3pm for just 150LE.

Massive queues, but I went to the front and told them I was going to Manchester and they ushered us straight through.
No one at first security, so straight through there and then no one at passport control so straight through there.

The other passengers were all sitting about in departure lounge, where these is no smoking until you go through to the gates.

However the toilet attendant told me to go into the disability stall and have a smoke in there. A small tip on the way out secures my next urge.


At work, I always liked to use the disabled toilets, as it's like a luxury upgrade. More room to move about and usually cleaner.
And no one to distrurb me during a noisy bowel evacuation.

We have under spent again, despite my wife's constant need to shop, good to see the bazaar in Luxor now offering fixed price, and the Jamboree cafe is still open and as good as ever.

Anyhow, time to get ripped off and buy some lunch with the last of my Egyptian LE.
My wife made some cheese butties, but I don't like cheese. Life is cheesy enough.