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EgyptAir to American passengers: “Bl*w me!”

January 22, 2008

A fare basis code is an alphanumeric sequence with information about your airline ticket. It contains everything from your class of service to the season in which it was booked (low vs. high season). And if you’re flying on EgyptAir, the fare basis also has a message for the American imperialists who are coming to Cairo: “Blow me!”

Travel agent David Benson discovered the message when he booked a ticket from Khartoum to Washington via Cairo today.

“I understand fare basis codes can be descriptive,” he says. “But I suspect someone at EgyptAir has a sneaky sense of humor — and an opinion.”

So what’s the fare basis code for a B class, low season fare from the middle east to the US?

BLOWMEUS

Have you seen any unusual, funny or political fare basis codes? Leave your comments here or send me a note.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

9 comments

  • Terry

    I don’t work for the Airline Industry, (I am a probation officer) so take this for what it is.

    I have said it before, I won’t fly anymore – there is nothing so important that I can’t drive to any destination in this hemisphere. If people can afford vacations in exotic places, they can charter or eat the **** sandwich and put up with the nonsense that comes with flying the US carriers.

    So, people should quit whining, and flying, and watch the airlines get their act together.

  • G.Ro

    Thanks for the relevant, response, Terry!

  • http://www.gadling.com Justin

    Brett over at Cranky Flyer found something similar last summer:

    http://crankyflier.com/2007/07/25/fun-with-fare-basis-codes/

    funny stuff

  • Mark

    Some of us travel for a living. I’m in the military and I fly extensively throughout the Middle East. So, two things: one, I hate the airlines too, and hate flying, but don’t have a choice, and two, the Egyptians don’t speak English, and don’t use our alphabet, and don’t understand our slang phrases, so the acronym is almost certainly a coincidence.

  • Christopher Elliott

    The more I read up on this, the more I’m convinced that this is a coincidence. An interesting coincidence, nonetheless …

  • Joe F.

    It has been proven time and time again that Islamic nations have no sense of humor. Egypt is an Islamic democracy with all of the trappings of control that one expects in a nation dominated by religion of one form or another at the official government levels. Further, this type of comment from an Islamic nation would be subject to the harshest punishments if proven that it was intentional.

    The only reasonable explanation is that the Fare Basis Code is a simple amalgam of letters intended to be explainable internally. Some clerk somewhere, in a nation which speaks Arabic [which does not use the Roman alphabet] came up with an acronym which fit the fare. I have NEVER heard anyone in the middle east EVER use that term with the US part. Take it for what it is – and add a smile to your day.

  • David

    We don’t use that expression in the UK – at least not the verb. We have a saying – not used so much these days – “blow me down” = I’m surprised / you could knock me over with a feather.

  • David Benson

    Of course it’s a coincidence!
    And those of you who took the whole thing seriously and presumed to lecture everyone else about Egyptian culture need to quit taking yourselves so seriously.
    Jeesh.

  • MME

    I am sure in his infinite wisdom, Joe F meant that Egyptians don’t use the Latin alphabet, not the Roman alphabet. In the Roman alphabet, the I equals the J and the V equals the U. Also, only capital letters are used in the Roman alphabet.

    Rant on, Joe F, but please get your terminology straight — it tends to undermine intolerant, xenophobic posts.

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