Inhuman treatment by Egypt air and Cairo airport staff

This is the worst airline in the world without any doubt. DO NOT BOOK EGYPT AIR.

I booked a Egypt air flight from JHB to Jeddah (Saudi Arabia) via Cairo airport on 31 Dec 2021. I regret this immensely. In jhb the check in desks were overwhelmed with the check in procedure There were only 4 Check in desks open. The queues were so long that that people were standing in the passages. Check in process was very slow. The flight from jhb was supposed to start boarding at 2045 and depart at 21h45. Bording only started at around 22h00. Flight departed at 22h47. During the flight flight attendants were rude, abrupt and unhelpful. There was no coffee or tea offered throughout the almost 9 hour flight. The “entertainment” consisted of a total of about 5 English movies - all very old movies. No series or music available. No wifi available. On arrival in Cairo we were herded off the plane to a waiting area and told to sit down. No one explained to us why were were herded there or why we had to sit there and wait. When I went to ask questions I was shouted at by one staff member, another staff member didn’t even answer me - just turned his back on me and walked away. The 3rd person just told me to sit down and wait. He told me I’m not allowed to walk around the airport terminal or visit any of the duty free shops or restaurants. It was 8am in the morning, the last meal I had was a very small and insufficient breakfast on the plane without tea or coffee. I was not allowed to go and find a coffee shop or restaurant to get breakfast. We were not provided with breakfast. (We were a group of 9 travelling together). At around 0930 we were provided with breakfast sandwiches - only 6 sandwiches for 9 people. They were dry sandwiches with only chunks of cheese on it. Only 6 bottles of water for 9 people. No tea or coffee. We were then herded onto a bus with no explaination offered for where we are going or why. We were taken to a building away from the main terminal called the “seasonal lounge”. This is a large room with 1 coffee shop and 1 duty free shop. Both sold only sweets and the same dry cheese sandwiches we were served at the main terminal. The only chairs are rock hard ice cold steel chairs. It’s winter in the Egypt. The building is cold We were not provided with pillows or blankets and were told to sit down and wait. It was around 9am in the morning and our next flight was scheduled to depart at 14h30. When I asked a staff member where to find the toilet he pointed me in the general direction of the toilets and then asked me for a tip??? For pointing out the toilet??? At around 12h30 1 person in our group of 9 people received a sms saying that her flight is cancelled and that she has been moved to a different flight departing at 21h50. I went to ask a airport staff member if the flight is cancelled and was told it’s not cancelled and I was told to sit down. Up to that point we were not offered any food or drink though we had been sitting there for almost 4 hours. The screens displaying flight information were not updated. At 13h30 the screen had no updated information for our flight. I approached a Egyptair staff member and asked about our flight and was told in a very sarcastic and rude tone of voice that the flight was cancelled and the next flight is only at 21h50. I asked about food/drink and blankets and was brushed off and told to speak to a manager I asked for a manager and was told a manager would be called. At 14h00 still no manager. I forced my way past security staff to an office where I found an airport staff member smoking and drinking coffee I told him we hadn’t been served a meal since 5am and that none of us were told about our flight cancellation and that we had basically been herded and forced from the main airport terminal to this tiny and uncomfortable lounge and that we would now have to stay there for 15 hours in the cold with no blankets or pillows. This gentleman said he would find us food. We were served cold beef stew at around 15h30. Still no coffee or tea offered Still no blankets We were told to sit down and wait At 1830 we moved to the bording gate. We asked a staff member if the flight will be on time, he said that it was and that he would change our bording passes. He never came back. At 1940 we asked another staff member about our boarding passes. He said he would come and do it He never came back Our flight was supposed to start boarding at 20h50. We were the first to queue in front of the boarding gate. Boarding only started at around 21h30. Our group was told to stand to the side as our boarding passes were incorrect and boarding continued with other passengers that were in the queue behind us. Our boarding passes were changed slowly between boarding of other passengers The staff at the check in desk were extremely abrupt and rude. They were unhelpful. Didn’t explain to us what was happening or why our bording passes were not changed earlier when we had asked. Then one of the ladies in our group was told that they cannot change her boarding pass as she has “no ticket”. She was the only one that received an sms at 12 in the afternoon to say that her flight was cancelled and she was moved to another flight now she suddenly had no ticket!!!!!!! She was left to stand to the side and wait while all passengers were boarded (this after sitting in the airport terminal from 9am until 22h00!!!!!??????). When I asked the check in clerk what’s happening with her boarding pass he very aggressive told me to “just wait” and did not explain anything. We were extremely tired, hadn’t slept, been waiting in the cold for 14 hours. We were hungry. We were irritated and exhausted. Still we remained calm and polite This staff member was aggressive, impatient and rude. After waiting at the check in counter for 10 minutes my friend was finally provided with a boarding pass. She asked about her luggage, she was rudely told that “ITS ON THE PLANE”. We finally boarded. The air host in my section of the plane leaned over me with his whole chest in my face to talk to a passenger seated next to me And my seat was changed from a window seat to an aisle seat I hate aisle seats, I always select a window seat. The flight was again delayed by over an hour. Instead of departing at 21h50 as was promised we departed at 23h00. The whole trip took 26 hours in total instead of 15hours. There was no communication from Egypt air about our flight cancellation or flight delays WHY ARE YOU HERDING PASSENGERS TO THAT VERY DIRTY, ICE COLD “SEASONAL LOUNGE” INSTEAD OF GIVING THEM AN OPTION TO WAIT IN THE MAIN TERMINAL UNTIL THEIR FLIGHT IS DUE TO BOARD????? WHY DO YOU CANCEL OR DELAY FLIGHTS WITHOUT COMMUNICATING WITH PASSENGERS??? This airline is the worst airline to grace the skies They’re a curse not a grace. Inhumane and disgusting service.