From JOR to EGY thru ISR, then JAF 2528 from SSH to BRU

[sn26567]

I have already reported on my outbound flight from Brussels to Aqaba here: viewtopic.php?f=4&t=46586

At the end of my tour to Jordan, I had selected a 3-day rest period in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt before returning to Belgium. For that I had to go through Israel, and this was a kind of adventure. I was the sole vacationar to have selected that particular itinerary on that date, 28 January 2012.

There is no way you can cross the two borders with a vehicle. Therefore, a Jetair representative picked me up at my hotel witgh a driver and a minibus for 5 pax. Shortly before Aqaba airport, we turned left to Eilat. At the border, I stepped out of the bus and the representative filled in some paperwork that I had to remit to the Jordanian border control officers. Then I continued alone on foot with my baggage under the sun in some kind of no man's land, 100 metres of asphalt between the two border posts. I had the strange feeling that if I did anything wrong they would start shooting at me from both sides!

I soon arrived at the Israeli control. I was welcomed by a handsome lady in uniform, without a hat. Coming from an Arab country where women don't work and all have an Islamic scarf on their head, it was like coming back to Europe, except that security here was much more stringent. After a close examination of all my documents and baggage (my books were taken to an office for scrutiny), I was allowed into the country and met by anoter Jetair representative. This one had selected for efficiency and he drove me with a taxi through the modern city of Eilat.

The ride to the Egyptian border took barely 15 minutes. Then again some paperwork, a 20 minutes queue (a busload of Australians was before me) and the Israeli security check (passport only this time); a compulsory walk through the Israeli duty free shop, and I was again walking in a no man's land to the Egyptian border control. Despite the length of the queue (always the same Australians), this was almost like a joke, with a random control on every fifth passenger. I escaped it...

Another Jetair representative was waiting for me, with a driver, a second Jetair rep for part of the trip, and a minibus for 15 pax. I was thye only passenger... Pictures of my entry into Egypt:

Welcome to Egypt

The Taba Hilton on the border, built by the Israelis, surrendered to Egypt years after the rest of the Sinai

Three hours later, after a scenic drive, first along the coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, then into the mounbtains of the Sinai peninsula.

(to be followed)

[sn26567]

Flight: JetairFly JAF/TB 2528 SSH-BRU (Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt - Brussels)
Date: 31 JAN 2012
Aircraft: Boeing 737-700/winglets reg. OO-JAN
Seat: 19F (window, just behind the wing)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Departure: 20:15/20:14 (GMT + 2)
Scheduled/Effective Time of Arrival: 01:05/00:34 (GMT + 1)
Scheduled/Effective Duration of the flight: 5 hrs 50 min / 5 hrs 20 min

We were taken at the hotel three hours before departure and arrived at the airport two hours and a quarter before departure. Two check-in desks were devoted to the Jetairfly passengers.

Check-in

I was early in the queue, but I had some difficulties with the Jetair check-in employee: when he realised I had entered Egypt in Taba, i.e. coming from Israel, he didn't know what to do. He looked thoroughly through my passport and all the various stamps, asked a lot of questions and finally called his supervisor, who didn't make any difficulties and accepted my baggage and delivered my boarding pass for the seat that I had booked through Internet: 19F.

After that, border control, where the officer didn't find any problem that I had entered the country coming from Israel. And a second baggage check (the first one was when entering the airport: no problem in either one. I did not have to remove my computer from its bag, and my two bottles of water were gladly accepted).

Since I did not book a meal, I went to the Burger King of the air zone, where I ate a hot apple pie with an orange juice. And still more than one hour to wait, almost alone in the airport, where not many other flights were scheduled:

Departures board

No jet bridges at SSH. We were bussed to the plane, where embarkation took place swiftly through the two doors.

Embarkation though aft door

Our plane was OO-JAN, an older B737-700 (e.g. without screens) with winglets. Load factor was around 98% (only a couple of free seats). A few Egyptian nationals were on board in addition to the usual load of tourists.

The captain announced a flight time of 5 hours and 10 minutes. Take-off on time to the North from the only runway of SSH, with a nice night view of the hotels of Naqb Bay where I had been staying.

Night view of Sharm el-Sheikh hotels

In the air, no Marie and Louis making the safety demonstration on non-existing screens, but three stewardesses performing said demontration. Meal service for those who had ordered it, and sale of snacks for the other ones: I took a 25 cl can of Jupiler and a box of paprika Pringles for 4 euros. And then the sale of duty-free:

Sale of duty-free

All this was completed in 2 hours, leaving 3 hours to rest, what most people did. Free water for all during that time. Lights off and time to doze... No idea about the route: no screens. Although the weather was clear all over the trip, I did not recognise anything, except Liège/

Early arrival in Brussels and landing on 02 (the opposite of when I left on 20). It was the last flight to land that night...

As a conclusion, I enjoyed a generally satisfactory flight.

[Shanti]

Nice photos and report! Thanks

[rix]

Thanks for the report

Looking at the Departures board, seems like Poles love Sharm!

[airtrotter]

Thanks for the report!
That has to be a real strange experience there at the Israel borders, walking in no man's land, all the security...

[Comet]

Interesting report and pics. I don't envy those on the flights to the Polish cities, those are pretty horrible times to be flying, especially the Wroclaw and Poznan ones. I don't mind landing at night so much, but setting off at those times is pretty bad I think.

[briene]

I am really sorry to put my question here, but i don't seem to manage to start a new topic.
Can anyone tell me what the seat numbers are of the 3 middle seats on the JAF 767 tot Punta Cana ?
I've got seats 3 D, H and F.
As i am travelling with children i wandered if we are seated together ?

[cathay belgium]

nice report andre!

Luckily you weren't Polish

@briene : guess ! your seats are next to eachother but divided by a galley/ pathway like OO-OOX-XX but
why didn't you your seats yourself on the jetairfly self seat selection .. just cost some euros but always your own preference alley,window,.. plane side depending overflown area...

Have fun in Punta Cana,best beach ever...
tip : barcelo anejo!

greetz cxb
besides new topic at choosen forum left above..
check luchtzak topics : seatplan jaf.. this question was quite common last years.. tuc,jap

[capetown]

Nice report ! Any idea wether that KU flight is a scheduled one or a charter flight ? To fly in Kuwaitis for their holidays or to fly out Egyptians to go and work in Kuwait ??

[capetown]

By the way, i walked that same stretch between israel and jordan in 1998, both ways. I take it that things haven't changed since then, as i recall the stunning beauty of the israeli security/military lady "interviewing" me ... I also remember that her colleague basically tried to de-assemble the hairdryer my then girlfriend was travelling with ...

[sn26567]

Nice report ! Any idea wether that KU flight is a scheduled one or a charter flight ? To fly in Kuwaitis for their holidays or to fly out Egyptians to go and work in Kuwait ??

It is most probably a charter flight. Couldn't retrieve it on Amadeus...
And probably for Jordanians working in Kuwait!