I will now go back to our flight and connection experience.
I managed to book a total of 5 economy and 1 business class tickets on MS JFK-CAI-DME. The rest were revenue or in my own case a combination of revenue and LM.
MS apparently has Wifi on some of their newer planes. Those do not include the 777 which it flies between JFK and CAI nor the 737-800 on the CAI-DME route. Staff (in J) was very nice. KSML was airport stock. Regal from JFK, Hermolis from CAI.
Our transportation to JFK consisted of a minibus for the passengers and a van for the luggage. It took some time to cram everything in, with 29 checked in pcs, and about 40 or more pcs to take on board (carry ons and personal items). With 8 children under 12 (including an infant) and some teenagers who were acting like teenagers, it's not simple. Despite best intentions to have all bags numbered and marked, things didn't work exactly as planned.
DD's strollers were taken at the gate in JFK and were supposed to be delivered to her at the gate in CAI, they were not there, nor were they with the checked luggage at DME. I did get a call on Motzoei Shabbos from DME lost and found saying that they are sending us the lost luggage (presumably the strollers). We obviously waited to deplane last both in CAI and in DME. On the Outbound route a terminal change was required at CAI (landed at 3 and needed to transfer to 2). Upon entering terminal 2 there were two security checkpoints. One for flights to Russia and the other for all other flights. The security check for flights to Russia was closed. We were told we would need to wait 30 minutes, which turned into an hour. I later figured that they needed Russian agents to be present.
I was first in line for screening, we loaded all the regular stuff onto the belt for x-ray screening, and we're then instructed by a(n evidently antisemitic) Egyptian policeman to remove glasses, Jewelry (including children's earrings), anything metallic, and Yarmulka. I was willing to comply with everything except Yarmulka. I raised it to show there's nothing between it and my head, but the policeman didn't relent. DW tried arguing it's religious dress, but nothing. I then suggested that I stay in place and pass the Yarmulka through the machine. At that point the Egyptian police relented and allowed me to pass with my Yarmulka on, without passing it separately through the x-ray machine.
At the other end of the x-ray machine, any bag that had anything metallic or electrical was inspected, and the bargaining for each item started. Step down AC converter required some arguing, until the higher ranking Egyptian police officer approved it. Then came the candlesticks for our new daughter-in-law. Two large metallic items. The Egyptians wouldn't relent, DW kept on arguing, until the Egyptian commander called over a lady that was inconspicuously standing on the side, and asked for her approval. Thankfully she approved it. That is when I realized that the entire process is being supervised by Russian agents. I wonder if that was why the Egyptian commander started laughing when at an earlier stage when a certain item was questioned, I exclaimed in my broken Arabic "Russia Majnoon".
Once we were past this, we decided to skip the lounge, as every stop was a major operation with all the kids and the luggage. We got to our (enclosed) gate area, that seemed to have a security check area, which was unmanned when we arrived. Seating area was about 8-10 steps down (no ramp or elevator). After settling everyone and all the carry ons down, I took a change of closed and dashed over to the lounges to try and get a shower.
The lounge area is somewhat unclear as to which area belongs to which lounge. I reached the EgyptAir lounge, but when I inquired I was told there are no showers. I headed to the priority pass lounge, that has showers available for $10. At that point I realized I had left all my cash and CC at the gate area. Luckily Apple Pay was an option and off it was to the shower. There was only one towel in the shower. I requested another one (luckily as shower doors didn't seem to do a great job in stopping the water from getting entire bathroom floor wet). After the shower I grabbed a couple of water bottles to bring back to my family at the gate and headed to the gate.
Upon arriving there, I saw that everyone and everything was being passed through manual screening, which meant luggage and kids had to be taken up the stairs to go through screening. Unfortunately I was not there to help. My portable metal folding shtender was taken away (even though it was allowed at first security check point). The water I brought from the lounge was also taken away.
We finally boarded the flight. 737-800 J was like US domestic F. After arrival and picking up our luggage at DME, we realized that the strollers aren't coming, so DD went along with DS who speaks Russian to file a report. Since she filed a report she was forced to go through the red customs lane, which took some extra time. Everyone else went through the green lanes, and weren't stopped, questioned or inspected.
Upon reaching our destination and unpacking, DD realized that a carry on that contained much of her family's wedding clothes (her dress, her husband's kapota, kids shoes, and possibly more items) didn't come along with us. A call to the van that brought us from the airport, as well as the van and minibus that took us to JFK, came back with nothing.
DW went into a hyperdrive global operation, having a new kapota delivered from. NY with someone, new shoes for kids from EY (and backup ordered online in Russia). Eventually everyone looked gorgeous at the wedding (DD had a spare dress for additional occasions). But mood wasn't great leading up to the wedding, as well as lost sleep by my amazing DW that arranged everything.
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