Greek Airlines (Aegean Airlines): reviews

Aegean Airlines is the largest company in Greece, performing passenger flights from Greek cities both domestically and internationally. The head office of the airline is located in Athens. The company has several bases for charter and regular flights to Greek resorts.

History of becoming

Aegean Aviation Airlines was created more than thirty years ago, in 1987. Initially, she was engaged in the organization of premium air travel, performing flights as a special ambulance in the air. Five years later, Aegean Airlines became the first private carrier in Greece. Two years later, the company merged with the Vassilakis group and began to operate flights on an ongoing basis from the country's capital around the world.

In the winter of 1999, the airline acquires Air Greece. Two years later, Aegean Airlines merged with Cronus Airlines.

At the end of 2005, the Greek carrier signs a code-sharing agreement with Lufthansa. Four years later, the company signs code-sharing agreements with Brussels Airlines, bmi and TAP Portugal.

In the summer of 2010, Aegean Airlines joins the Star Alliance. In the fall of 2012, a Greek company bought Olympic Air for seventy-two million euros.

Flight geography

The Greek airline Aegean Airlines makes charter and regular flights to Greek resorts. The main airports are ports in the following cities: Athens and Thessaloniki. Most flights are also made from other cities. For example, Heraklion, Rhodes or Alexandroupolis.

In the international direction, Greek Aegean Airlines flights to Europe, Armenia, the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Georgia, Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Finland, Ukraine and Cyprus.

Activities in Russia

Greek air carrier conducts its activities in our country, performing:

• flights from Greek cities on a regular basis to the capital of our country;
• charter flights from Athens to St. Petersburg, Kazan and Rostov-on-Don;
• charter flights from Heraklion to Chisinau.

Aircraft

According to reviews, Aegean Airlines owns and operates first-class aircraft. Her fleet includes Airbus A319-100, A320-200 and A321-200. The average age of a company’s aircraft is just over eight years.

Traveling with children

According to the rules of the company, an infant is considered to be a child under one year old. When traveling with babies, the following rules apply:

• Do not fly with infants up to seven days after birth.
• Each infant must have an accompanying person over the age of fifteen.

Tariff application rules:

• A special rate for babies applies if it travels in the arms of an adult.
• You must contact the carrier’s referral service to provide a child seat if the infant is in a separate place. Baby seats must be used in the free seat of the aircraft. Child seats cannot be placed in the aisle of the aircraft, near the emergency exit. The child seat must be secured before the start of the flight and remain in this condition until the aircraft lands.
• For a child older than two years, a separate place is reserved.

Traveling with animals

If you plan to transport animals on Aegean Airlines, you need to contact the reservation department of the company and inform them of your desire. Carriage of pets on board the aircraft is allowed only in special carriers, subject to the following conditions:

• Only one pet may be transported in the cabin.
• A special carrier must provide the owner of the animal.
• The weight of the pet container should not exceed eight kilograms.
• The container must be transported as carry-on baggage.
• The animal must be vaccinated against rabies at the required time. Vaccination is carried out once a year.
• Guide animals are transported free of charge.

Pros of flying from Russia to Greece

A trip to Greece always begins with a person’s desire to touch something ancient, huge, incredible. Greece will change the worldview of any tourist, making him an avid traveler. Each new trip to this country is unlike the previous one.

On the sunny beaches of cheerful Greece, millions of citizens of our country have a rest. Greece retained the primacy of its ancient culture and surprisingly connected it with the world of modernity.

Trips to Greece will provide not only a carefree, but also a very tasty tourist vacation. In cozy restaurants, the tourist will feel the aroma and taste of local dishes. The world famous Greek salad with huge shrimps, fried skewers with kebabs, delicious meat dishes, fresh vegetables and fruits, sparkling wine will not leave indifferent any guest of the country who came here to relax, sunbathe, eat deliciously, drink and have fun.

Many citizens of our country, traveling on a trip to Greece, choose, based on reviews, the Greek airlines Aegean Airlines. We list the main positive points when choosing this carrier:

• Inexpensive tickets for other companies operating flights to Greece.
• Possibility of online check-in for a flight with a choice of a convenient location.
• Boarding a flight takes place, as a rule, without delays and overlays.
• You can carry hand luggage into the cabin, which is not very carefully inspected.
• Airbus 320-200 is small, clean and comfortable. Armchairs with leather seats. There is plenty of legroom. According to passenger reviews of Aegean Airlines, there is a place to put luggage under the seat of an adjacent seat.
• Pilots are true professionals, performing soft take-off and landing even in difficult weather conditions (hurricane, heavy rain, snowfall).
• Friendly, smiling and attentive young women, Greek women, are flight attendants. All are dressed in uniform. They speak English and a little Russian. Before the start of the flight, flight attendants offer passengers Duchess type caramels and distribute child safety belts. Children are presented with a ball with the Aegean Airlines logo and a coloring book with colored pencils.
• After the flight starts, the flight attendants offer drinks: juices, carbonated drinks, water, wine or beer. In the middle of the flight, passengers are fed dinner: a hot dish, an appetizer. Meals in an airplane depend on the time of departure. In general, not bad, but far from plentiful. After the main meal, hot drinks are offered: tea or coffee (normal coffee from a coffee pot). Water or juices are brought at any request of the passenger.
• On board an airplane they sell a lot of quality and exclusive items.
• By the way, when registering for a flight, you can choose food from a special menu (vegetarian, low-calorie, kosher, food for children, food with a lack of lactose and more), if you want, and this is absolutely free. Customers can place an order with the selected menu on the company website. The corresponding application must be issued at least one day before the start of the flight, either when booking a ticket, or after booking a ticket through the help desk. Please note that the unique on-board menu is only available on flights between countries operated by Aegean.
• Aegean offers hearty baby food in glass jars on most international flights. Delicious food will not only saturate the child, but he will certainly enjoy it, as it is decorated in branded packages and served with colorful pictures and children's food devices in the form of an airplane.
• If necessary, passengers are given disposable rugs and pillows.
• The cabin has an air conditioning system to create a favorable climate.
• After arrival, baggage is checked out without delay.
• Aegean for families separate check-in desk for families with young children at the airport of the capital of Greece, Athens.
• There is a bonus system for regular customers of Aegean and companies with which code-sharing cooperation is conducted. The loyalty of regular passengers is rewarded by the provision of unique privileges during the trip. Each new level of membership provides incremental benefits. A relatively good bonus program, however, before Silver and Gold levels were given for life, but now they are valid for only a year.

Cons of a flight from Russia to Greece

According to reviews on Aegean Airlines, there are still a few negative points when flying with this carrier:

• There is no safety instruction in Russian on an international flight from Russia. Russian-speaking staff is extremely rare. According to safety precautions, these are unacceptable.
• Poor customer information in case of flight cancellation (for example, by writing an e-mail). Although, as a rule, in case of cancellation of flights due to the fault of the air carrier, passengers are provided with free accommodation, meals and transfer to the next possible flight.
• High penalties for ticket delivery. It is worth noting that there are non-refundable tickets.
• Hand luggage, which passengers carry on the plane, is not particularly inspected, so sometimes very large suitcases are inside the cabin. This interferes with other passengers.
• If you have any difficulties, it is difficult to contact the company by e-mail.

Flight between cities of Greece

According to reviews (2017), Aegean Airlines operates domestic flights between Greek cities. We list the main positive aspects of these flights:

• Prices for flights between Greek cities are acceptable for a low cost airline.
• Domestic flights are carried out by small planes, but clean and comfortable. The salons are in excellent condition, all the upholstery and interior decoration are in perfect condition.
• Highly professional pilots also work on domestic flights. Aircraft easily rise into the air and comfortably make a soft landing.
• The stewardesses are friendly, attentive young Greek women. They speak English and Greek.
• After the flight starts, the flight attendants offer drinks, crackers and nuts.
• Racks for couples with young children to take luggage out of turn exist at the airports of Athens, Thessaloniki and Larnaca.
• For small passengers on board the international airline presents gifts in the form of educational games.
• Baggage is issued to passengers promptly.

Features of business class salons

According to reviews on Aegean Airlines, the business class is hardly a premium class. Let us dwell on the minuses:

• When boarding and loading luggage, there are no privileges for the premium class (shared queue, shared bus).
• Chairs in business class are ordinary, as in the economy lounge. The step between the seats is also normal. A man cannot afford to stretch his legs, lie down. This is unacceptable when selling airline tickets at an inflated price (a ticket to a business class is on average five hundred euros more expensive than a ticket to economy class).
• Depending on the number of tickets sold, an ordinary curtain is placed between the business class and the economy lounge (how many tickets were sold to the premium lounge, how many rows were fenced off).
• Meals in business class are not very different from the budget option.
• No entertainment (Wi-Fi, multimedia system).
• High penalties for ticket delivery.

Summary

In general, Aegean Airlines, according to reviews, leaves passengers with a pleasant experience about the flight. Flight schedule respected. Aircraft new and clean, experienced crews.