Information on Aegean Airlines Flights

Aegean Airlines was founded in 1999 in Greece but it has already grown to be one of the largest commercial carriers in the Mediterranean. The Athens-based airline services dozens of European, Middle Eastern and North African destinations and tends to be pretty reasonably priced compared to competing airlines in the region.

I’ve been flying Aegean Airlines quite frequently since moving to Istanbul and found the following tips and tricks make the experience that much more economical and comfortable. Here’s what you need to know about flying on Aegean Airlines.

Aegean Airlines fare categories

Aegean Airlines sells a total of 6 different fare categories across its economy and business classes, which makes it easy to customize your journey based on your budget, specific needs and preferences.

The cheapest fare category in economy is called Lite and doesn’t include a checked bag and isn’t refundable. However, it still includes a standard-size carry-on and pre-packaged snacks or meals depending on the length of the flight path. It’s honestly pretty comfortable despite being the lowest fare category.

The next fare categories in economy – Flex, ComfortFlex and Family – are more expensive but offer perks like checked luggage, additional carry-on allowances and the option to refund a flight (though a small fee is still charged).

The business cabin offers 2 different fare options – Business Basic and Business. Both fares offer all the perks you’d expect from business class travel, including hot meals and beverages for both domestic and international flights, as well as free checked luggage and lounge access.

The main difference between these two fares is that with the more expensive Business, you get free ticket changes and your initial ticket is also refundable whereas with Business Basic, you’d have to pay an additional fee for a ticket change.

Aegean Airlines check-in

The check-in process with Aegean Airlines is very streamlined and easy, especially if you’re traveling without any additional checked baggage and can skip checking in at the airport.

You can check in online starting within 48 hours of your scheduled departure time and it’s very intuitive and easy to grab a digital boarding pass. This means if you’re not checking a bag, you can simply show up at your gate before boarding and you’re good to go.

If you’re checking a bag or you prefer to check into your flight in person, Aegean Airlines offers a pretty standard check-in counter procedure. Keep in mind that the general economy lines can be pretty long at peak times, so you’ll want to give yourself enough buffer time to check in and get through security before your flight boards to avoid any stress or mishaps.

Those traveling in business, traveling with young children or with Star Alliance Gold status can use a designated check-in counter that tends to be much faster than the economy line, but you’ll still want to give yourself plenty of buffer time between checking in and getting to your gate on time.

Aegean Airlines frequent flyer status

The frequent flyer program offered by Aegean Airlines is called Miles+Bonus and offers 3 different status levels that are actually pretty easy to unlock compared to competing frequent flyer programs. You’ll start off at the Blue tier as the base level before advancing your way up to the Silver tier and Gold tier.

Earning Silver is relatively easy if you’re based in Greece or fly 2 or more international flights in a calendar year. You only need to earn 12,000 points in order to unlock the Silver tier benefits. Benefits include a variety of privileges that make flying more comfortable, like a limited number of lounge passes and 2 complimentary seat upgrades.

You’ll advance to the Gold tier by earning 35,000 points in a calendar year. It’s worth noting that achieving this level doesn’t just give you exclusive perks with Aegean Airlines but actually bumps you up to Star Alliance gold. This means you’ll be able to access perks across the world when flying airlines like United Airlines or Air Canada.

Aegean Airlines alliance

Aegean Airlines is part of the Star Alliance network. This means that the airline offers code sharing with other major Star Alliance members around the world, including Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, United Airlines and Lufthansa, among 26 other carriers worldwide. If you’re booking further than where Aegean Airlines flies, you’ll be able to connect seamlessly and usually won’t have to pick up your luggage during your connections.

I love that Aegean Airlines is part of Star Alliance because I’m a Star Alliance Gold member. If you’ve also achieved status through a Star Alliance partner, you’ll be able to reap the benefits of lounge access, free checked baggage, priority check-in and boarding and more perks, even if you’re flying base economy.

In-flight entertainment on Aegean Airlines

Good in-flight entertainment is an absolute necessity for me when flying – there’s nothing I love more than lining up a handful of blockbuster releases and enjoying some me-time above the clouds. Aegean Airlines offers a great in-flight portal with all the latest releases as well as ERTFLIX content (the Greek digital TV platform) which can be super fun for watching local content while flying to or from Greece.

The only thing to keep in mind is that although the portal itself is awesome, Aegean Airlines doesn’t offer seatback entertainment systems on the majority of the fleet. It’s easy to set up the portal on your personal device (like a smartphone, tablet or laptop), but you’ll want to make sure your devices are charged and ready to go before boarding.

It’s also worth noting that Aegean Airlines offers free Wi-Fi for all Miles+Bonus members, even if you’re at the base Blue tier status. Be sure to sign up for the loyalty program before boarding and have your card number ready to take advantage of this perk.

Aegean Airlines pet policy

Now that I’m based in a city that is serviced by Aegean Airlines, I’m particularly happy that the airline offers a decent pet policy as I can easily bring my cat with me when I want to take an extended holiday in Athens. It’s important to note that travelers are only permitted to take 1 pet in the cabin (thankfully I only have one cat) or 2 service animals.

You’ll also want to keep in mind that pets don’t fly free but the fee is about the same as a piece of checked luggage so it isn’t the end of the world. Pets must weigh less than 8 kilograms (17.6 pounds) – including the carrier – and are required to have up-to-date rabies vaccinations.

Note that Aegean Airlines (as well as most airlines worldwide) have restrictions on certain breeds, particularly snub-nosed animals like pugs and Persian cats. It might be worth calling ahead to double-check that your pet will be allowed to travel with you on your date of departure.

Aegean Airlines discounts and client perks

If you fly Aegean Airlines on a regular basis and are looking for a new co-branded travel credit card, it might be worth investing in the Aegean Bonus Visa, which is in collaboration with the Alpha Bank Bonus Reward program. There are 3 different options to choose from with varying annual card fees – much lower than premium travel cards. They each offer perks like travel insurance, welcome miles and a variety of other privileges while traveling.

There’s also thegenAIRation Aegean program. I honestly wish I could have taken advantage of this Aegean Airlines youth travel program myself. The unique travel membership is designed to make it easy for young people aged 18 through 25 to travel more affordably. You’ll receive major perks like 15% off all flights, coupons for free baggage and a 50% discount to travel with your furry friend.

These perks are all available on both domestic flights within Greece and all international flights as well.