Aegean Business Lounge Athen
After arriving in Athens, we went to the Aegean Business Lounge. While it was a reasonable size, it was also very crowded, as it was a Friday afternoon. Luckily, we found a seat on one of the black leather sofas. It was a shame that the wait staff couldn't keep up with clearing the tables. There were a lot of used glasses, bottles, and plates lying around. This definitely needs to be improved during busy times.
In addition to free Wi-Fi and a computer corner, iPads can be borrowed from the information desk upon presentation of your flight ticket or passport. For whatever reason, we were unable to log into the Wi-Fi, so we used the T-Mobile Wi-Fi in the Lufthansa Lounge next door instead.
The food offerings are adequate for a business lounge. There are various sandwiches, donuts, a Nespresso machine, numerous non-alcoholic beverages, beer and wine, and various spirits.
Boarding
After a Greek yogurt with honey and an ouzo, we made our way to Gate B19 around 5:30 p.m., where our flight A3 216 to Rhodes was being processed. The walk from the lounge to the gate seemed to take forever.
When we finally arrived, boarding hadn't started yet. Everything seemed a bit chaotic, and no attention was paid to our Gold status. What a shame!
Flight A3 216 to Rhodes
We took a bus across the apron to the A320-200 (registration: SX-DVX). We passed some great aircraft, including two A340-300s from Olympic Airlines, which had been parked there for some time. On the other side of the no longer operational satellite terminal, two Boeing 747-200s from Helenic Imperial were also parked. Will they ever fly again?
When we arrived at the plane, it was pouring with rain, so we hurried down the stairs to get onto the plane. It was completely full. Thanks to our Gold status, we had already reserved seats 12A and B near the emergency exit online, allowing us to enjoy more legroom.
At 6:10 p.m., we took off from runway 03R for the 40-minute flight to Rhodes. The weather was mixed, and we encountered some minor turbulence at a cruising altitude of 29,000 feet. The fasten seatbelt signs remained illuminated the entire time, and service was unavailable. But on the short flight, and thanks to the refreshments in the lounge, we didn't need any food or drinks.
During our approach to Rhodes Airport, a large thunderstorm moved in. We parked in an outside position at 7:05 p.m., but were unable to deplane due to the heavy rain and thunderstorm. So we waited another ten minutes in the plane. Upon deplanement, the crew handed us our snack: a chocolate-filled croissant.
Conclusion
Due to the bad weather en route, I can't really rate Aegean's in-flight product. Aegean Airlines does a good job on the ground, but there's definitely room for improvement in areas such as priority boarding and lounge cleanliness.
Are you still looking for a flight to Rhodes?
Rhodes International Airport is accessible year-round from many German cities. You can find cheap flights through online travel agencies such as Flugladen.de, Bravofly, ebookers.com, Expedia, lastminute.com or skyscanner.
