Information on Sky Express Flights

Based in Crete, Greece’s largest island, Sky Express flies to 33 destinations across the country’s mainland, plus its myriad islands from Corfu in the west to Rhodes in the east. It also services 21 international destinations, ranging from London and Paris to Yerevan and Tbilisi.

Flights are at the budget end of the market, making Sky Express an affordable option if you’re looking to connect to Greek islands large and small via Athens. I’ve done so to Heraklion in Crete and to Rhodes, and each time have found the flights comfortable and the service to be excellent. These first-hand tips will help you plan a fuss-free Sky Express flight.

Sky Express fare categories

Sky Express offers 5 different fare categories. These vary slightly depending on whether you’re flying domestically within Greece or traveling internationally. The usual rules apply – the more you spend the more you get.

Domestically, these begin at the entry level Sky Basic with minimal perks. Sky Offer and Sky Joy come with hand luggage and a personal item. Sky Joy+ comes with checked baggage included as well as a free flight change for flying within Greece. Sky Enjoy adds free lounge access, free seat selection, and access to the fast lane at the airport.

For shorter international flights, Sky Express offers the same fare classes, excluding Sky Basic. While allowances vary, the same principles apply – you get free cabin baggage with Sky Offer and Sky Joy plus included checked bags with Sky Joy+ and Sky Enjoy. However, you’ll need to pay a small fee for fast-lane boarding or lounge access this time.

The same is true for longer international flights, but with the added bonus of a 10% round trip discount on Sky Enjoy bookings. I can attest to the latter creating significant savings, making Sky Express stand out from the crowd.

Business class on Sky Express is sold as Bliss Business. This is only available on select routes within Greece. Bliss Business comes with two 32-kilogram (70.5-pound) checked bags, as well as a carry-on and personal item, plus free lounge access, airport fast lane access and priority baggage delivery.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with a bigger seat, but leaves an unused middle seat between the window and aisle so you can stretch out a bit. You can also change your flight free of charge on the day if an earlier flight happens to have space available. This is handy if you can’t bear waiting around at the airport.

Bliss Business is definitely worth considering on longer flights, but on shorter hops within Greece the budget fares represent better value, unless you happen to be carrying a lot of luggage.

Sky Express check-in

As with most European airlines, the easiest way to check in with Sky Express is online. The process is simple: Just head to the airline website and hit the check-in button. Follow the instructions after you’ve entered your booking reference and you’ll be all set.

I like the fact that Sky Express opens check-in 48 hours before departure, whereas some rivals tend to prefer the 24-hour model. It also remains open online until just 3 hours before you take off. You can either print your boarding pass or save it to your smartphone’s wallet app. Then it’s simply a case of arriving at the airport to drop your luggage off before clearing security and immigration.

If you only have a carry-on bag, you can just sail right through. Sky Express recommends arriving no less than 40 minutes before departure if you have cabin bags only, but when I have bags to check in I arrive up to 2 hours before my flight, as lines can form quickly in peak hours. These desks close 40 minutes prior to departure in Greece, and 50 minutes prior in other destinations.

If you like to keep things old school, you can still check in at the airport. You’ll need to arrive 2 hours before departure to have enough time to get your boarding pass and drop your bags. Closure times for desks are the same as for dropping off bags.

With that in mind, I far prefer using my phone to check in, especially if I’m traveling light. That means less waiting in line and cutting down on my total time at the airport.

Sky Express amenities and entertainment

As a budget airline usually covering shorter distances, Sky Express doesn’t offer in-flight entertainment. However, I enjoyed watching my own TV shows and listening to music without losing battery life, as I was able to connect my tablet on the Airbus A321 Neo and on the Airbus A320 Neo aircraft (which serve longer routes) using a USB-A port.

The smaller ATR 72-600 aircraft, used to connect closer destinations, do not have charging ports, so you may want to bring a battery pack if you plan to stream movies. That said, the flights tend to be very short, so if you have a decent amount of charge, you should still be ok.

You can also pick up a free copy of Sky Express’s impressive Fly magazine, with the latest news about its destinations around Greece. What’s more, all Sky Express customers get free water, orange juice, coffee and a cookie, with a larger Sky Drinks and Bites menu available on international flights.

Sky Express seats and legroom

The leather seats on the Sky Express Airbus A321 neo and A320 neo are much more comfortable than on equivalent budget airlines. However, the legroom towards the back of the plane tends to be on the small side. This is fine if, like me, you’re average height. However, any taller than 5’9” and things can start to feel more than a little cramped.

The fact you can pay for extra legroom towards the front of the plane is good, though. This can be done at check-in online and will make your flight more comfortable. I particularly like the Bliss Business option that allows me to have an empty middle seat next to me, affording me more space in which to spread out.

Sky Express alliance

Unfortunately, Sky Express isn’t a member of any of the three major world airline alliances. However, since early 2024 it has had an interline agreement with 18 major global airlines from around the world. These includes Air France, American Airlines, Air Transaat, Air Serbia, British Airways, Condor, Cyprus Airways, Delta Air Lines, EasyJet, El Al, Emirates, Etihad, Middle East, KLM, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Transavia and Turkish Airlines.

This allows you to seamlessly transfer from one airline to another on the same ticket, connecting 160 countries throughout the world to Greece and allowing travelers to easily reach some of the most beautiful, underexplored parts of the country.

I can recommend this heartily, as it helped me when I decided to spend time hiking on the Greek mainland or lounging on the beaches of easily overlooked Leros.

Sky Express pet policy

If you’re interested in bringing your four-legged friend along for the ride, Sky Express has a generous pet policy so you’re likely good to go as long as long as your destinations both allow animals to fly.

The process of using Sky Pets is simple. Ensure your dog or cat is fully vaccinated no fewer than 21 days before departure, with proof available, and that he or she is microchipped.

You can book your pet’s reservation up to 24 hours ahead of departure, although I would strongly advise you begin the process as soon as you book your own seat. Pets under 17.6 pounds (8 kg) may be able to travel in the cabin with you, depending on your route, although they’ll need to go in the hold with larger pets if you’re also bringing an infant along.

Where in the plane your pet can travel will also depend on the size of its transportation carrier. It is also possible for pets to travel without their owners, but this requires a written transfer license and you should discuss this process with the airline directly to ensure you comply with all requirements.