Aegean Business Lounge Athens
After our arrival in Athens we went to the Aegean Business Lounge. This was a reasonable size, but since it was Friday afternoon, it was also very crowded. Luckily we found a seat on one of the black leather sofas. It was a pity that the service staff didn't really keep up with clearing the tables. There were a lot of used glasses, bottles and plates around. This should definitely be improved at busy times.
In addition to free WiFi and a computer corner, iPads can be borrowed from the information desk upon presentation of your flight ticket or passport. For whatever reason, we couldn't log into the WLAN and instead used the t-mobile WLAN from the Lufthansa lounge next door.
The range of food is sufficient for a business lounge. There are various sandwiches, donuts, a Nespresso machine, numerous soft drinks, beer and wine and various spirits.
Boarding
After a Greek yoghurt with honey and an ouzo, we made our way to Gate B19 at around 5:30 p.m., where our flight A3 216 to Rhodes was handled. The walk from the lounge to the gate seemed like an eternity.
When we finally arrived, boarding hadn't started yet. Everything seemed a bit chaotic and no attention was paid to the gold status. A pity!
Flight A3 216 to Rhodes
We took the bus across the apron to the A320-200 (ID: SX-DVX). We passed some great planes, including two Olympic Airlines A340-300s that had been parked here for a long time. Two Boeing 747-200s from Helenic Imperial were also parked on the other side of the satellite terminal, which is no longer in operation. Will these ever fly again?
It was pouring rain when we got to the plane, so we hurried down the stairs to get on the plane. This was fully booked. Thanks to the gold status, we had already reserved seats 12A and B by the emergency exit online and were therefore able to enjoy more legroom.
At 18:10 we started the 40 minute flight to Rhodes from runway 03R. The weather on the way was mixed and at a cruising altitude of 29,000 feet we had some small turbulences again and again. The seat belt signs stayed lit the whole time and the service was off. But on the short flight and thanks to the provision in the lounge, we didn't need any drinks or food.
During the landing approach to Rhodes airport, a large thunderstorm cell came up. We parked at an outside position at 7:05pm but were unable to get out due to the heavy rain and thunderstorm. So we waited another ten minutes in the plane. When we got off the crew gave us our snack, a croissant with a chocolate filling.
Conclusion
Due to the bad weather en route, I can't really rate Aegean's inflight product. On the ground, Aegean Airlines is doing a good job, but there is definitely room for improvement in areas such as priority boarding and cleanliness in the lounge.
Are you still looking for a flight to Rhodes?
Rhodes International Airport can be reached from many German cities all year round. You can find cheap flights through online travel agencies such as Flugladen.de, Bravofly,ebookers.de,Expedia,lastminute.deorSkyscanner.
