oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14871 times:
So what better way to spend a day then to do a Greek domestic flight ATH-SKG-ATH. I wanted to try out A3 as I have never flown them before. Also being Star Gold and A3 recently joining Star I wanted to try out the benefits. I had recently read that OA were not as good as when they launched which was a bit bizzare to me as alot of family and friends fly them ATH-LHR-ATH and always have great flights. Olympic Air also won the Best Airline of the year 2010/11 Era Silver category.
So it was decided , A3 oneway and OA return to compare.
OA won on price , I paid EUR77.31 for A3 all in and OA was EUR60.00 exact all in.
The booking process with both airlines was very easy. Both have good websites.
I took the bus to the airport which only costs EUR3.20 oneway and take around 40 minutes. Soon I was at the airport.
So I checked in at the Aegean desk and proceeded to the lounges.
First stop was the LH lounge. It used to be divided into Business Class and Star Gold, now its just all one and basically offering the same food the Business lounge offered, so a downgrade for Gold card holders. This lounge has not been updated for nearly 10 years. It needs a revamp.
No sign of my Star Gold status on my boarding pass.
So after a short time in the LH lounge it was time to check out the new A3 lounge next door. I was greeted by a friendly lounge attendant who advised me they dont make announcements. First impressions of the lounge were good. Spacious modern and promising drinks and snacks.
Always nice to have free wifi
Some Greek favourites.
Hmm using airliners.gr pics lol...
Location of the lounge at ATH
Looking out to the runway:
How very civilised a Nespresso machine
My only complaint about the lounge is that the door seperating the smoking and non smoking area was often left open by the cleaners. At one point I was going to tell the cleaners that they were breaking the law and I didnt appreciate smoke blowing into the non smoking area. This is really annoying if you hate the smell of smoke. I think its a bad design from this point of view as there doesnt seem to be a proper vent system to extract the smoke.
So soon it was time to leave the lounge and head to the gate which was not very far at all. Security was very fast.
My ride and nice views out onto the runway.
Soon it was time to board. The girl at the gate was pleasant and said ''Have a nice flight''.
I entered the aircraft said ''Good morning'' then made my way down to my seat taking a few pics. As I passed taking a shot of the exit row an unfriendly FA said ''YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOS'' in an aggressive way! I rolled my eyes and ignored her to which she was quite surprised. She was not going to ruin my report or my day. So I carried on to the back and continued to take what I wanted but out of her sight and discreetly. Very bad form A3 , you are one of the first airlines ever to have this attitude towards me! If I can sit in front of an Air Marshall on a RJ flight to BEY and be fine whats the big deal.
Anyway I settled into my seat and tried to calm down and not let it affect me.
Sweets handed out once everyone had boarded. Nice touch .
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 1, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14958 times:
Soon it was time to make our way to the runway passing some nice views on the way.
What a waste !!
Flying over the old Olympic Airlines aircraft still parked and no sign of moving or being sold.
Soon we reached our crusing altitude and the service began. Some nice info in the in flight magazine.
Offerings we ok basic enough, only one drink offered and felt as if I was putting the crew to alot of hassle to ask for another. No smiles or warmness from the crew at all, they seemed to avoid eye contact at all costs. So far quite dissapointed.
Soon it was time to land in SKG. A nice view of the city as we approached.
Old damaged Malev TU154 sitting idle:
So soon time to disembark , the crew at the back did say goodbye in a mono tone way. I just said ''Thanks'' and made my way down the steps.
I popped upstairs to the Departures to take a look and a few pics before getting the bus into Thessaloniki.
I would love to see inside this A/C. They should restore it and the TU-154 it would make a good visitor attraction.
So I bought my bus ticket for only 60C ! Bargain ... and the guy even gave me a guide which was nice. The bus took around 40 mins to the city center. I got off and took some photos before heading to the museam.
Nice view :
Advert for the new Olympic Air flight to SKG-LGW.
Christmas exibition for Eric
Huzbibbi
It had been many years since I was here so was looking forward to it.
Some amazing displays and well laid out. It was really interesting to see everything.
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 2, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14926 times:
So after a lovely time strolling in the museum and learning alot it was time to explore other parts .
The imposing statue of ''Alexander the Great''.
A nice view and a nice place to stroll but not on a day like this, it was very cold and icy winds.
The famous ''Lefkos Pyrgos'' - ''White Tower''
My name sake ''Philip of Macedon''
A nice window in the bakery.
This sign needs an update .
So soon it was time to head back to the airport. I stopped at a kebab shop on the way and got chatting to the owner. He said did I prefer Thessaloniki or Athens. I said Athens He said the people were different in Athens ( meaning not as nice as Thessalonians) , I said I thought the same in reverse. lol... We laughed and I said goodbye. I guess there is a North / South divide in every country.
DATE: 13/DEC/2010
AIRLINE: OLYMPIC AIR
FLIGHT : OA 921
ROUTE: SKG-ATH
CLASS: ECONOMY
SEAT: 27A
AIRCRAFT: AIRBUS A320
REG: SX - OAR
I arrived at the airport and wanted a proper boarding card so went to the desk. I had completed online check in 24 hours before just to get my preffered seat.
I asked the guy at the desk if I could pay to use the OA lounge and he made a call and told me I could. He said I had reserved 27A and was that ok to which I replied yes, he wished me a nice flight and pointed me in the direction of the security control. Security was slow and Greeks dont seem to have mastered taking everything off that will set the detectors off, a major frustration for me. You feel like shouting '' If you are not ready to walk through the scanner get out of the que'' !!
I approached the Olympic Air lounge and was greeted by a nice lady. She told me it was EUR14.75 and asked me if that was ok. I replied yes thats very cheap, thanks alot. She told me to take a seat and she would come over to write my receipt and take the cash.
A nice small lounge , ideal for the traffic through it. Some nice snacks and drinks and cosy. Also free wifi.
Nice to have an English newspaper.
The flight landed and pulled up outside the lounge . The lounge attendant came to me and asked me and some others using the lounge for our boarding passes. She pulled the main bit and left us with the stub. She said we would be boarding directly from the lounge door to the aircraft. A very nice touch and the only other airport I have done this at is BMI at BHD. We waited until all the passengers had boarded then we made our way to the aircraft.
We were greeted by two friendly FA's , I was the only Y class out of our group so I made my way down the cabin. The load was very good although lucky my row was free so I could chill out.
Advertising their recently obtained award.
The crew came round with sweets , nice touch same as Aegean but with a smile.
Crew did their safety demo and we made our way to the runway .
The crew came round with a choice of ham or veggie rolls and biscuits. Also drinks. I asked if I could have coffee and orange juice to which the FA said ''Of course'' service with a smile and it put me in a good mood also.
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 3, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14911 times:
The flight went quickly and I took a video of the pilot giving us route information :
CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO :
It was a bumpy approach into ATH the weather had turned and it was raining very heavily. We touched down and made our way to the gate.
An airline yet to try :
Greek army flying between air bases.
So it was time to say goodbye to the crew and thank them for a nice flight. I said to them '' I flew Aegean this morning and I have to say this experience was much better'' they replied ''Thank you Sir we appreciate that''. A nice smile and I made my way to the front of the aircraft, the pilot and chief FA were at the door saying goodbye to the passengers, I again said it to them and they said ''thank you so much'' and smiled.
I arrived and was going to take the bus but they started their 24 hour strike already. I went to the information kiosk of the bus company and he said the Metro was running so I headed over there.
The ticket was EUR6 to the centre of Athens and then I had to buy a EUR1 for the connecting train to Piraeus ( Port of Athens). The train is clean and comfortable although I normally just take the direct bus to Piraeus for EUR3.20
Some images of OA tags/Magazines:
I loved the receipt that I was given it showed me the Reg of the A/C before I knew it
So thats the end of my report. Im glad Olympic Air shined and offered a decent experience on such a short flight. No complaints at all. Friendly crew and no attitude whilst taking photos.
Aegean I loved their lounge, hated the smoke. I liked their magazines and info. The aircraft was clean and comfortable. I was really dissapointed by the attitude of the crew and the aggressive ''No photos'' comment. I can earn miles on Aegean and was contemplating doing a few flights to earn my Gold renewal but after this experience they would have to have a special off on in J class for me to switch from Swiss. I will probably try them again in future but when the decision comes from the EU in 2011 about the A3/OA merger I hope everything that OA have achieved will continue if a merger is approved.
As for OA they provided the same experience I had when they launched over a year ago. Being private and run properly has made a huge difference to the Olympic brand. Long may it last.
I appreciate all your comments as usual. May I take this opportunity to wish all my followers and fellow Anetters a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2011. Peace , prosperity and health .
airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4015 posts, RR: 52 Reply 4, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14724 times:
Hi Philip,
great report! Good way to spend a day off when in Greece for a while.
I must say, pics and your words on A3 are not the best to me. I expected more of them. Are they better on longer durations into Europe? I always thought to have read good things about A3 so far.
Lounge is nice, and Nespresso machine is making up a lot for the shortcomings on board. The lady on board should be more friendly, I don't like such attitudes. Show her your gold card next time and some 'nice' words
Quoting oa260 (Reply 1):
Christmas exibition for Eric
Very nice. There's always a way that I'm around I wonder, what have these Dutch houses to do overthere?
OA is good again! Way to go, since their start of operations going strong and not dissappointing. I checked their fares for our 2011 trip but they came out slightly expensive out of AMS, so my choice went on another carrier, but I would love to fly OA some day!
Regards
Eric
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
globalflyer From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 806 posts, RR: 2 Reply 5, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 14697 times:
Hey Philip...as usual another terrific TR! I loved the pics of the museum as well. Very well done! Cheers, Liam
Landing on every Continent almost on an annual basis!
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2332 posts, RR: 53 Reply 6, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 14642 times:
Hi Philip,
I was looking forward to this report since you shared us a glimpse of your seat on FB. Impressive and beautifully laid out! I especially like the Macedonian museum. Nice to know you are allowed to take pictures inside.
The contrast between A3 and OA was shocking. While the A3 lounge is appealing, the A3 on-board service was just sad! Nothing is more annoying than getting told in an aggressive way that you are not allowed to take photos like your experience with the particular FA. I applaud the way you dealt with the situation.
You do justice to OA by letting the crew members know about the much better service they delivered.
Thanks a lot for sharing your Greek domestic trip.
BA319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8263 posts, RR: 56 Reply 7, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 14621 times:
Hi Philip,
Nice comparison between the 2 carriers.
Indeed seems Olympic have better crews, at least oin this flight.
The lounge access fee @ SKG was pretty decent, free wifi and a few drinks would soon make this a viable cost
Of the 2 colour schemes, I prefer the Aegean one, however I suspect this will be lost to the OA one.
Interesting to see the old Olympic A340's and 737's still stored, your would have thought somebody would have found use for them by now, the 340's at least.
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 8, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 14556 times:
Hey Eric ,
Quoting airbuseric (Reply 4): Lounge is nice, and Nespresso machine is making up a lot for the shortcomings on board.
Yes indeed somethings can indeed be forgiven. BTW Im running out a trip to Nespresso in Dublin this weekend I think.
Quoting airbuseric (Reply 4): Very nice. There's always a way that I'm around I wonder, what have these Dutch houses to do overthere?
I thought of you right away. I dont know why they chose those but they do look cute.
Quoting airbuseric (Reply 4): I checked their fares for our 2011 trip but they came out slightly expensive out of AMS, so my choice went on another carrier, but I would love to fly OA some day!
Shame it would be cool to see a report from your view. But Im sure the carrier you chose will be interesting to see.
Quoting globalflyer (Reply 5): Hey Philip...as usual another terrific TR! I loved the pics of the museum as well. Very well done! Cheers, Liam
Hi thanks alot, glad you like it. Yes I love Museum's also.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 6):
The contrast between A3 and OA was shocking. While the A3 lounge is appealing, the A3 on-board service was just sad! Nothing is more annoying than getting told in an aggressive way that you are not allowed to take photos like your experience with the particular FA. I applaud the way you dealt with the situation.
Hi there , true , I really thought that the experience on A3/OA would be equal to be honest. This wasnt the case and the biggest down fall was their FA's. Taking out the photos comment the crew didnt care if the passengers were there or not. No care or warmth which was very sad and a very bad impression to one of their Star partner Gold card members.
Quoting akhmad (Reply 6): You do justice to OA by letting the crew members know about the much better service they delivered.
Well if any airlines crew make the effort I always say how I enjoyed the flight. When I do a good job at work and someone says something to me it lifts my moral and makes me strive for the best I can offer.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): Indeed seems Olympic have better crews, at least oin this flight.
Hey Mark, well the new OA hasnt failed me yet Im relieved to report.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): The lounge access fee @ SKG was pretty decent, free wifi and a few drinks would soon make this a viable cost
Thats what I thought, I expected EUR25-30 so EUR14.75 was great value.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): Of the 2 colour schemes, I prefer the Aegean one, however I suspect this will be lost to the OA one.
I like the Aegean one but for me OA is Greece and has alot of childhood memories and significance to me so Im happy the OA brand will stay and its also the strongest of the two in Greece and to an extent abroad. But your right there is nothing wrong with the A3 logo.
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 7): Interesting to see the old Olympic A340's and 737's still stored, your would have thought somebody would have found use for them by now, the 340's at least.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year my friend.
Yes I know the A340's could have gone to another airline. Its the Greek government's lack of direction. Mind you I guess they have more pressing issues to deal with but they could sell these A/C and pay off a tiny bit of whats owed lol...
You too Mark and to your Mrs. Have a good one and wish you many flying miles in 2011
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
Contact Air From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 1154 posts, RR: 14 Reply 9, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days ago) and read 14434 times:
Hi Philip,
Great report and pictures - very interesting comparison between these two Greek carriers.
Quoting oa260 (Thread starter): As I passed taking a shot of the exit row an unfriendly FA said ''YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOS'' in an aggressive way!
Not impressive indeed. I was surprised to read this - I didn't have any problems taking pictures on my A3-flights (one flight attendant even encouraged me to do so) and I also couldn't complain about the service level. But then again this was five years ago, so maybe things have changed.
Quoting oa260 (Reply 1): I would love to see inside this A/C. They should restore it and the TU-154 it would make a good visitor attraction.
Yes, there is some really interesting metal at SKG - could be a good aviation museum.
Quoting oa260 (Thread starter): The lounge attendant came to me and asked me and some others using the lounge for our boarding passes. She pulled the main bit and left us with the stub. She said we would be boarding directly from the lounge door to the aircraft.
rogerbcn From Andorra, joined Sep 2006, 1135 posts, RR: 19 Reply 10, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 3 days ago) and read 14363 times:
Hola Philip!
Thanks for the informative TR.
It is always interesting to compare two products on the same route.
It seems OA won to A·. I like the scheme of A· better and, obviously their magazine was much more interesting with that article about Barcelona. They fly here about three / four times per week which seems to be adequate, I would like to fly them one day.
Thanks fo all the pictures from the Tessaloniki's museum, it was like a virtual visit.
This trip brings memories of my visit to Greece last year... a real pleasure, love to come back, but my schedule is quite packed until April so I have to wait for better times.
Καλά Χριστούγεννα Φίλιππος!
Roger
"At reise er at leve" H.C. Andersen (Travelling is Living)
gpbcroppers63 From Ireland, joined Jan 2008, 511 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 14253 times:
Hey Philip. Well done on getting this up so quickly. Thoroughly enjoyed it yet again. It is a real shame that you were disappointed with A3. They don't look as good as OA from your report either. Their lounge does look nice though. Is it the former Swissport one? It looks mightily similar to the one I spent ages in on my MR to ATH a while back. They had Nespresso machines there too.
The pics in and around Thessaloniki are impressive too. I would have loved to have ventured out when I was there but it was the middle of the night. Lol!!
Looking forward to the next epic adventure.
Gareth
According to one of my colleagues, my problem is that I'm addicted to travel!
SXDFC From United States of America, joined Dec 2007, 2009 posts, RR: 19 Reply 12, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 14207 times:
Great TR! Behind every ring is someone who cares
Wonderful pictures mate, look forward to visiting ATH with you oneday !
ALL views, opinions expressed are mine ONLY and are NOT representative of those shared by Southwest Airlines Co.
DonnyGuy From Greece, joined Jan 2010, 8 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 14127 times:
Hey Philip,
Even though I rarely comment on these posts, I do read all trip reports and always enjoy reading yours. Kinda inspires me to jet off to places just for the sake of it.
This report was as great as ever and this is the first time I've seen inside the Lufthansa lounge. I fly to Greece every 2 months or so but with the Star Alliance airlines so with Swiss, I use the Olympic Air (Melina Mercouri) lounge (it did used to be the Swissport lounge but think that was in section A and Swiss now arrive/depart from section B) however I am totally thrown by the fact that everytime I've flown Lufthansa, I've used the Aegean lounge rather than their own?
Your comments about wanting to complain about them breaking the law with regards the smoke blowing through into the no smoking area made me laugh. You know what the reaction would have been... the latest smoking ban came in back in September and failed the same month. I was there a couple of weeks ago and noticed they've gone from quietly ignoring the ban to outright disobeying.
Quoting oa260 (Reply 8): Yes I know the A340's could have gone to another airline. Its the Greek government's lack of direction. Mind you I guess they have more pressing issues to deal with but they could sell these A/C and pay off a tiny bit of whats owed lol...
I was watching the news a week or so ago and the report was talking how the government intend to raise quick cash by selling stakes in a casino and selling four planes in their possession (they didn't mention they were the ones from the old OA but it's obvious) so hopefully they'll be flying again soon. Just a real shame they can't be used by the new OA - I always enjoyed flying on them.
Oh and one final tip for you (this post is turning into War and Peace)... you mentioned you were caught out by the strikes. If you're still in Greece, it's worth checking out: http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/ as it's a site run by an American living in Athens who provides up to the minute information on the strikes and what will/wont be running from Greek media sources.
She's also on Twitter if you're part of the social media generation!
aflyingkiwi From New Zealand, joined Nov 2010, 488 posts, RR: 3 Reply 14, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 13995 times:
Great Trip Report Phillip, The service on the Greek domestic routes look pretty good though it a shame that A3's crew couldn't be more accommodating. Thessaloníki looks like a nice little city to have a visit sometime.
Quoting oa260 (Thread starter): I entered the aircraft said ''Good morning'' then made my way down to my seat taking a few pics. As I passed taking a shot of the exit row an unfriendly FA said ''YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOS'' in an aggressive way! I rolled my eyes and ignored her to which she was quite surprised.
That's Awful!!!, Surely if it was so important to him/her she could have at least told you politely.
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1750 posts, RR: 26 Reply 15, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 20 hours ago) and read 13990 times:
Really nice report!
Interesting comparison between Aegean and Olympic. Olympic certainly looks very nice, and I'm always amazed how service can differ so completely on a short flight like this, simply with a smile!
Great photos as usual. I'm always amazed with how many pictures you include!
richcandy From France, joined Aug 2001, 696 posts, RR: 0 Reply 16, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 13728 times:
Hi Philip
I love reading your trip reports, great way to spend 30 mins with my coffee this morning.
I get the impression that one comment from an Aegean cabin crew member made it difficult for you to like them. Totally understand that, it takes very little to change a happy customer to an unhappy one. Most customer complaints start because of one little issue and then as far as the passenger is concerned everything is wrong. Well done you for keeping it together and giving Aegean a chance, not just reporting the bad after that.
I'm a massive mobile phone nut. When I am overseas one of the first places that I will visit in a city is the mobile phone stores to try and pick up the sales brochures. I just find it really interesting to see what different product the various networks offer in different counties. So I like the pictures of your iPhone from the previous report showing On-Air and Vodafone-EG + the VF adv in ATH. Thanks for that.
Alex
P.S. You always have pictures of food in your trip reports, now I'm hungry.
alitalia744 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 4657 posts, RR: 45 Reply 17, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 13689 times:
Great report.
Experienced the difference first-hand this summer myself. Flew back to the old country with my partner and parents and took OA (ATH-Santorini) and Aegean (Heraklio-ATH).
The difference was significant. OA is a much better airline, from the ground-staff to IFS (we were served a sandwich and chips between ATH-Santorini).
infodesk From Switzerland, joined May 2006, 1241 posts, RR: 34 Reply 18, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 13675 times:
Hi Philip,
How nice to read about a Greek domestic service and a most interesting comparison on the the two airlines.
The Aegean lounge and the aircraft both look very smart, but what a disappointment regarding the service and the "no photo" policy. Olympic certainly seem to offer a much better product and i'm sure the crew were pleased to hear your comments. It was also refreshing to see a good choice of seats during the OLCI process on OA.
Fancy seeing a Christmas market in Greece! Wasn't expecting that!
You too a Happy Christmas and happy flying in 2011
Infodesk
"Do nothing in haste, look well to each step and from the beginning think what may be the end" - Edward Whymper
KLAM From Netherlands, joined Mar 2007, 167 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 13652 times:
SKG!!! My grammy was born there long long long long time ago... how was the weather there? When I visited it was awfully cloudy and cold, thus I didn't enjoy Thessaloniki as I would have loved, but still it's a placeI hold colse to my heart. As always it's a pleasure to read your reviews on the exotic middle eastern airlines we'd all love to try sometime. (I did try the old OA, on ATH-TLV-ATH... quite an experience, in a good and bad way at the same time!)
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 20, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 13631 times:
Hi Christoph,
Thanks for the reply.
Quoting Contact Air (Reply 9): Not impressive indeed. I was surprised to read this - I didn't have any problems taking pictures on my A3-flights (one flight attendant even encouraged me to do so) and I also couldn't complain about the service level. But then again this was five years ago, so maybe things have changed.
I guess you can get the wrong person on a flight unless its their policy now who knows. The issue regarding photos would have been forgotten had the crew been nice and smiling then my opinion would have been turned around despite the photo comment but it wasnt to be sadly.
Quoting Contact Air (Reply 9): Yes, there is some really interesting metal at SKG - could be a good aviation museum.
Yes they should do something to it but sadly I dont see it happening.
Hola Roger
Quoting rogerbcn (Reply 10): They fly here about three / four times per week which seems to be adequate, I would like to fly them one day.
Yes I see on their website that they fly to BCN and I have seen it advertised. I was looking at their website considering a MR daytrip from ATH but then I decided against it.
Im impressed ... Bon Nadal i Feliç any Nou ( I hope its right ).
Hey Gareth,
Quoting gpbcroppers63 (Reply 11): Their lounge does look nice though. Is it the former Swissport one? It looks mightily similar to the one I spent ages in on my MR to ATH a while back. They had Nespresso machines there too.
A3 does indeed have a nice lounge, I did not go to the OA lounge for a year so will try that out for my flight back to Ireland. I can compare like for like then but OA do have an excellent lounge with showers and beds etc...
Quoting SXDFC (Reply 12): Great TR! Behind every ring is someone who cares
Wonderful pictures mate, look forward to visiting ATH with you oneday !
LOL... the new slogan I thought of you when I saw the A340's, you should buy one and set up your own airline! I had a Gyro for you also
Hi there ,
Quoting DonnyGuy (Reply 13): Even though I rarely comment on these posts, I do read all trip reports and always enjoy reading yours. Kinda inspires me to jet off to places just for the sake of it.
Thanks alot Im glad you enjoy them.
Quoting DonnyGuy (Reply 13): Your comments about wanting to complain about them breaking the law with regards the smoke blowing through into the no smoking area made me laugh. You know what the reaction would have been... the latest smoking ban came in back in September and failed the same month. I was there a couple of weeks ago and noticed they've gone from quietly ignoring the ban to outright disobeying.
Oh I know your fighting a loosing battle. The Greek in me wants to shrug my shoulders and say ''Ti na Kanoume'' but the English education and influence wants to complain as its wrong lol... torn between the two but here the Greek will always prevail
Quoting DonnyGuy (Reply 13):
I was watching the news a week or so ago and the report was talking how the government intend to raise quick cash by selling stakes in a casino and selling four planes in their possession (they didn't mention they were the ones from the old OA but it's obvious) so hopefully they'll be flying again soon. Just a real shame they can't be used by the new OA - I always enjoyed flying on them.
Oh ok so maybe they will go , will be sad to see them in another livery but I guess its time to let go. I had many good flights on those and what lovely A/C to fly for 3.5 hours to LHR.
Quoting DonnyGuy (Reply 13): Oh and one final tip for you (this post is turning into War and Peace)... you mentioned you were caught out by the strikes. If you're still in Greece, it's worth checking out: http://livingingreece.gr/strikes/ as it's a site run by an American living in Athens who provides up to the minute information on the strikes and what will/wont be running from Greek media sources.
Hey I actually saw that when I was looking for info. Its a great website and often has more info then the official websites. Thanks again and happy flying ''Χρόνια Πολλά''
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Reply 14): Great Trip Report Phillip, The service on the Greek domestic routes look pretty good though it a shame that A3's crew couldn't be more accommodating. Thessaloníki looks like a nice little city to have a visit sometime.
Hi totally agree , Thessaloniki is a nice city although I do prefer Athens, just more to do in it, plus Im used to Athens.
Quoting aflyingkiwi (Reply 14): That's Awful!!!, Surely if it was so important to him/her she could have at least told you politely.
True something like ''Sorry Sir its our policy not to allow photos to be taken, thank you for your understanding'' or something along those lines. Her comments made me more determined.
Quoting 767747 (Reply 15): Olympic certainly looks very nice, and I'm always amazed how service can differ so completely on a short flight like this, simply with a smile!
Great photos as usual. I'm always amazed with how many pictures you include!
Yes a smile makes all the difference . My family dont believe how I can take so many but I always was like that. I have tons of when we were kids and now they are glad I took them as they are great memories.
Quoting richcandy (Reply 16): I love reading your trip reports, great way to spend 30 mins with my coffee this morning.
Hi thanks for the nice words, I appreciate them. Coffee in the morning , a man after my own heart. I cant function without it.
Quoting richcandy (Reply 16):
I get the impression that one comment from an Aegean cabin crew member made it difficult for you to like them. Totally understand that, it takes very little to change a happy customer to an unhappy one. Most customer complaints start because of one little issue and then as far as the passenger is concerned everything is wrong. Well done you for keeping it together and giving Aegean a chance, not just reporting the bad after that.
Hi quite true but I cant trash a whole product for a few bad eggs. I acknowledged their strong points but highlighted their worst. Hopefully a future experience will be better in terms of crew etc...
Quoting richcandy (Reply 16):
I'm a massive mobile phone nut. When I am overseas one of the first places that I will visit in a city is the mobile phone stores to try and pick up the sales brochures
Hey me also , I do the same I work in the industry so its always interesting to see competitors and partners services. Vodafone GR has quite an impressive 3G network.
Quoting richcandy (Reply 16): P.S. You always have pictures of food in your trip reports, now I'm hungry
Yes I love my food but after these 3 weeks of travelling its a diet for a week to shed the few kilos I put on
Quoting alitalia744 (Reply 17): The difference was significant. OA is a much better airline, from the ground-staff to IFS (we were served a sandwich and chips between ATH-Santorini).
Ellada psila!
Hi there Im glad to hear your feedback also. Good to know its not just me "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" is true !
Quoting infodesk (Reply 18): How nice to read about a Greek domestic service and a most interesting comparison on the the two airlines.
The Aegean lounge and the aircraft both look very smart, but what a disappointment regarding the service and the "no photo" policy. Olympic certainly seem to offer a much better product and i'm sure the crew were pleased to hear your comments. It was also refreshing to see a good choice of seats during the OLCI process on OA.
Fancy seeing a Christmas market in Greece! Wasn't expecting that!
You too a Happy Christmas and happy flying in 2011
Infodesk
Hi there thanks for the reply. The lounge and A/C on A3 are indeed pleasant but as you say the crew let them down which is a big part and your front line product. The seat selection was great and plenty to choose from. I think the majority of Greeks dont do OLCI like their Western European counter parts so that could be a reason for it.
Schöni Wiehnachte und es guets Neus
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
djb77 From UK - Scotland, joined Sep 2001, 214 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 13606 times:
Hi Philip,
As always, a great report - your reports make up for all the flying I used to do but don't anymore Are you going to be putting up a report on your travels to Athens from Ireland, and back?
Combining Athens and either SKG or Chania is something I plan to do next year in the summer as I would like to spend a long weekend in Athens, followed by a week on the beach at Afitos... Or, alternatively, a long weekend in Athens, followed by a week on the beach in Chora Sfakion, Crete. When looking at how to best combine the two, I realized flying is really the only option to avoid a really long journey. Fingers crossed!
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 22, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 13213 times:
Interesting comparison between A3 and OA - and good to see a clear winner.
Quoting oa260 (Thread starter): As I passed taking a shot of the exit row an unfriendly FA said ''YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE PHOTOS'' in an aggressive way!
Hearing such a stupid nonsense always turns me mad - and it's a shame that this FA even became aggressive. Who do those FAs think they are? Don't they realize who pays them in the end? There's no excuse for such an attitude. If it were my company, I'd fire that FA.
Quoting oa260 (Thread starter): I said to them '' I flew Aegean this morning and I have to say this experience was much better'' they replied ''Thank you Sir we appreciate that''. A nice smile and I made my way to the front of the aircraft, the pilot and chief FA were at the door saying goodbye to the passengers, I again said it to them and they said ''thank you so much'' and smiled.
oa260 From Ireland, joined Nov 2006, 24894 posts, RR: 60 Reply 23, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 13189 times:
Quoting djb77 (Reply 21): As always, a great report - your reports make up for all the flying I used to do but don't anymore Are you going to be putting up a report on your travels to Athens from Ireland, and back?
Combining Athens and either SKG or Chania is something I plan to do next year in the summer as I would like to spend a long weekend in Athens, followed by a week on the beach at Afitos... Or, alternatively, a long weekend in Athens, followed by a week on the beach in Chora Sfakion, Crete.
Hey thanks, you should get on some trips I will indeed be sharing my DUB-ATH-DUB with you all when I get back. Your trip sounds nice, I really would love to spend a Summer vacation flying around the Islands and taking in a few ships in the hot sun. I miss it alot. Maybe next year who knows. I look forward to your trip report Keep me posted.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 22): Hearing such a stupid nonsense always turns me mad - and it's a shame that this FA even became aggressive. Who do those FAs think they are? Don't they realize who pays them in the end? There's no excuse for such an attitude. If it were my company, I'd fire that FA.
I know it automatically puts you in bad form. You would love to say can you show me in the terms and conditions on my ticket when I purchased that photography was not allowed inside the cabin. Then next time I can avoid the company. With all the airlines I have flown and reported on I never thought Aegean would be the one to come up with this nonsense.
OLYMPIC AIR - ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΗ "Η ΕΛΛΑΔΑ ΨΗΛΑ" "GREECE FLYING HIGH"
ODAFZ From Greece, joined Jul 2004, 348 posts, RR: 5 Reply 24, posted (2 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 13151 times:
Hi Philip,
It is nice you spent a wonderful day in SKG, a city i often wanted to visit but for many reasons I was not able.
As always your report is informative, well written and well documented by the photos and the occasional videos.
I do not think you should have paid more than 6Euros for the airport to the Piraeus , i think the extra 1euro was not necessary. I have a bus pass so I do not even pay for going to the airport. ( and it is a very nice combo to combine the airport with a visit to IKEA)
I am sorry that your experience on A3 was not good , but as a caution i would not venture to say that the service you got is representative of the service on A3 in general. My trip to JTR 2 years ago was excellent for an extremely short trip
As a side story, going to work these days was epic with all strikes and traffic jams.
25 oa260: Hey thanks for the info and I trust you are well. I didnt realise that I thought the two were totally seperate? I know that when you get the X96 bus P
26 Palmjet: Great report - thanks for posting this. I've never seen Greece so wet - at least you seemed to have a nice time, despite the weather. Sorry to read ab
27 FLIEGER67: Hi, Phil, great photos, also the museum examples, well done. Olympic feels much better than Aegean, definitely. I Like these southern journeys, especi
28 oa260: Hi yes you dont link Greece with bad weather normally but it does exist. People think of Summer and the Islands. I do like this time of year here tho
29 FlyingFinn76: Hi Phil, Another great report. A very good idea to compare both OA and A3, and comes handy for me as I'm supposed to be flying both of them in January
30 oa260: Hi I hope it gets sorted out , I would chase them all the time and ask to speak to a manager its not very good service to keep you waiting like that.
31 MSS658: Hi nice report and pictures, was surprised to learn about the big difference between A3 and OA. The OA plane looks nicer IMO than the A3 plane.
32 OA260: Thanks for the reply , I agree I prefer the interior of the OA aircraft, also more comfortable seats.
33 mdavies06: Hi Philip, thanks for the report. There are a lot of pictures about A3, OA, the airports and of course Thessaloniki. The detailed reporting of all the
34 OA260: Yeah hard to believe that I never got the chance before. Thanks Im glad you liked them.
35 CrimsonNL: Hello Philip and thanks for sharing this report. Interesting to see the difference between OA and A3! I have to say the A3 lounge looks very good. Bes
36 LH4116: Hello Philip! Another nice and interesting report! I liked the comparison you did between Olympic and Aegean. When it comes to the Lounges, I found bo
37 OA260: Hey Jonas, Yes the lighting is much better especially in the early hours where you want a more subtle lighting enviroment rather than dazzling bright
38 Superfly: This is a very detail oriented trip report. Thanks for taking the time to put together. This report takes me back to when I was in Greece 4 years ago.
39 oa260: True but recent reports are that they are being maintained and parts replaced where needed. They were offered a bid for at least one of them but it w
40 LINATHJNX: Hi Philip Great report, very detailed. It is nice ti see ATH with a very different weather I am used to find there (I visit often Greece, but only in
41 OA260: Hi thanks Im glad you enjoyed it and the other reports. The whole product incl uniforms and crew is a breath of fresh air. I wish I could earn miles
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