TRIP REPORT: Aegean Airlines, Belgrade - Athens
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Written by Vanja Popović
Written by Vanja Popović
Route: Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport - Athens International Airport
Trip taken: July 2019
Scheduled Time: 1 hour and 40 minutes
I took the Aegean Belgrade to Athens flight this July and it was my first time to fly Aegean Airlines. I had heard all the best about the Greek airline, but I only decided to write this report somewhere mid-flight, so in the end, I wished I had taken more photos.
Unlike Aegean Airlines, Belgrade Airport could have been better organised on the day. I arrived quite early at the airport, some two and a half hours before take-off, so, at first, I wasn't surprised when the flight was not displayed on the screens at the lobby. Knowing I had plenty of time, I decided to wait a bit, but even though the latest boarding time was 18:15, the screens showed no information about the check-in desks at around 16:45. A number of flights were delayed at the time, and remained on the screens (which is needed, too), but there was no second page with details on new flights that are set to depart (and even once I passed through passport control at 17:20, there was no information on the Athens flight on the screens).
Check-in went quickly, the staff was nice and even checked in my carry-on luggage free of charge. However, I suppose a first-time traveller would have been confused because there were no directions to the Aegean check-in at the airport until after the actual gate was opened. One thing that did help were SMS notifications on the flight status from Aegean.
I checked the flight arriving from Athens to see when the plane would arrive and that flight was some 11 minutes late. However, the gate (A3) was already open at around 17:20 and all passengers were at the gate and waiting to board at 18:10. In my experience, that is excellent timing for a flight that was scheduled to leave at 18:45.
Boarding was fast and the flight took off at 18:57.
Aegean's economy seats are comfortable, but Belgrade - Athens is a short flight, so there really isn't much time to get uncomfortable.
A nice surprise was that the Greek airline gives out hard candy to all passengers before the flight. I thought that it was a nice gesture, something many airlines have given up on, even on intercontinental flights.
The meal was also good. It included a sandwich and a baklava, plus a non-alcoholic beverage of choice. One thing I did notice was that the sandwich label said it may contain sesame, so that could be an issue for passengers with nut allergies. Cabin crew was polite and finished the service quickly.
Travelling in good weather, the flight landed at 21:22, three minutes ahead of schedule, making up for the minimal delay at take-off. The flight lasted 1 hour and 25 minutes.
We were picked up by two busses upon arrival and made our way to passport control. Three police officers were working at the desks and I probably waited only 5 to 10 minutes in line.
Finally, I made my way to the Greek islands by ferry, happy with my first experience aboard an Aegean Airlines flight.
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