Review of Aegean Airlines Business Class

Athens International Airport is the largest international airport in Greece and the main hub for Aegean Airlines. It is located 19 miles (30 kilometres) east of Athens. It began operations in 2001 in preparation for the Summer Olympics in 2004 and handles more than 25 million passengers a year. 

There are two terminals at Athens International Airport - the Main Terminal and the Satellite Terminal. The Main Terminal has two halls: Hall A is for flights to Extra-Schengen countries and Non-European countries; Hall B is for flights to Intra-Schengen countries and domestic services. The Satellite Terminal, south of the Main Terminal, is only used in high season when passenger numbers increase and can handle up to 6 million passengers a year.

In April 2022, Aegean Airlines opened a new Business Lounge at Athens International Airport. 

The new lounge is a notable step-up from the previous offering. It was apparently inspired by “the folk architecture of the Cyclades (an island group south of mainland Greece) and the cutting edge technology of air travel’. It is light & airy and features premium marble, terrazzo, glass, and wood. 

Amenities in the lounge include a media suite, a social area, and a quiet zone together with a restaurant, two cafeterias, a wine bar, two coffee stations and a juice bar – with the juice bar offering novelties such as strawberry-and-coconut smoothies and lemon-and-mint juice. Food and wines are mostly from Greek producers. There are recliner chairs providing a generous view of the airside, internet access is free and there are plenty of charging points. The Aegean Airlines Business Class Lounges are available to all Business Class and Miles+Bonus Gold passengers, as well as to Star Alliance Gold Members. In Athens, in the case if the aircraft you’re boarding is parked at a remote stand, a private bus transfer dedicated to Business Class passengers ensures a smooth priority boarding process – which is a nice touch.

Aegean Airlines’ rebrand also reimagined the cabin interior with a colour combination of ‘Aegean Blue, Silver Blue and White’. Essentially, the walls are white and the seats are dark blue (and carry the twin gull logo stitched into the headrest). It’s a simple, yet contemporarily stylish look.

As is the norm with short-haul Business Class on European carriers, there is nothing that separates Business Class and Economy Class when it comes to the seats. The differentiating factor is that the middle seat is always vacant (usually obstructed by a tray table) in Business Class in order to provide an added sense of spaciousness. This uniformity enables the airline to modify the number of seats in each class according to passenger demand – with a curtain denoting the division between the cabins.

As such, in terms of hardware measurements, the seats are identical on the entirety of Aegean Airline’s fleet, given that they exclusively operate Airbus narrowbodies. The aircraft is arranged in a 3-3 layout – although in Business Class, a max of 4 seats are available each row due to the middle seat being intentionally left vacant. The seats have a width of 53 centimetres (21 inches) and a pitch of 84 centimetres (33 inches). This is a full 7.6 centimetres (3 inches) more pitch than offered by either British Airways and Lufthansa. Passengers seated in Row 1 enjoy extra legroom, the downside to the added space is that there is no under-seat storage. 

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes images, videos and seat maps for most airlines and aircraft Search results also include details such as seat pitch, width and recline. This way you can see the seat and cabin configuration of the flight in which you are interested, before making your choice.

Aegean Airlines’ Business Class menu is curated by three esteemed Greek Executive Chefs: Lefteris Lazarou, Christoforos Peskias and Stelios Parliaros, plus a Master of Wine – Konstantinos Lazarakis. It puts a particular emphasis on Greek flavours and local produce and is branded as ‘Gastronomics’. 

The airline serves meals with proper cutlery, tableware, and glassware. The airline enjoys the reputation for serving hearty and tasty cuisine.

Printed menus are distributed (a rarity on flights in Europe - even in Business Class), with an appetiser and the choice of two mains offered – usually chicken or veal, followed by a cheese plate (usually sourced from within the Greek Isles) and rounds off with dessert – also Greek in nature. 

Business Class passengers can reserve their special meal preferences online up to 24 hours prior to departure – including diabetic, gluten intolerant, Kosher, low calorie, low fat, vegetarian and vegan.

A pre-departure drink (usually water or juice) is served on the airline’s longest flights, along with a hot towel. Aegean Airlines makes a deliberate effort in working with local Greek suppliers, and sources many of its onboard beverage offering close to home. A minimum of two whites and two reds are always on offer – with the Kokotos and Semeli Estates offering up one of each with some frequency. Amalia, an elegant local Greek sparkling wine is also offered. 

The more usual suspects of liquor include whisky, brandy, gin and vodka, but the Greek liquor – Ouzo – is also served to the more adventurous traveller! Choice of liqueurs are served with chocolate and pralines, beer – including Greek favourites Fix Hellas and Mythos, and a range of soft drinks, juices, waters and teas. The coffees, which are espresso-based - highly unusual on short-haul flights - comes served with small chocolates on the side. 

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on which Champagne is served in Business Class and First Class on many airlines. We do our best to keep track of any changes, but feel free to let us know if there is something we missed. 

The crew on Aegean Airlines deliver a high standard of service - friendly and accommodating. Service in Greece can sometimes be a mixed bag, but the airline has consistently received high scores for its attentiveness. 

The airline’s uniforms were created in 2015 by London-based Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki, which feature the company’s corporate colours of Aegean blue, red and grey and are intended to be ‘functional and elegant with a hint of Grecian classicism’. Kokosalaki also designed outfits for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens.

Wi-Fi is available on the carrier’s A320/A321neo aircraft and should be available throughout the company’s fleet by 2025. Aegean Airlines’ entertainment offering can be accessed via its onboard Wi-Fi system (‘AEGEAN Stream’). The system offers a selection of music, documentaries, cartoons, games, and news’ together with newspapers in a variety of languages. Aircraft with the updated cabin design feature USB power ports in each seat plus a handy holder for mobile devices on the seat in front – a great tool for those who rely on mobile streaming during flight for entertainment. Wi-Fi is complimentary for all Business Class passengers.   

The flight search on BusinessClass.com includes information on WiFi and inflight entertainment.

As Aegean Airlines does not fly long-haul, there is little in the way of amenities in Business Class. There is no amenity kit, but blankets and pillows are available on the longest flights.

Aegean Airlines flies primarily short flights, with the longest being the 4-hour journey from Athens to London/Madrid. Some of the shorter domestic flights are operated by Olympic Air – its subsidiary flying exclusively turboprop aircrafts such as the ATR and De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100. 

Aegean Airlines believes its new Airbus 321neo aircraft will deliver significant reductions in fuel consumption (15-20%); CO2 (19-23% per seat); nitrogen oxide (50%); and noise (50%). The company is also exploring the use of sustainable aviation fuel. Aegean has participated in a range of sustainability projects, donating/recycling fleece blankets, ready-to-eat food and furniture and also supports a wide range of NGOs with free tickets to help facilitate their work.