This is an Aegean Airlines connecting flights guide.
This guide covers everything from how to book connecting flights with Aegean Airlines. It also includes information about baggage rules, air passengers rights and flight delay and cancellation compensation. Aegean Airlines is the flag carrier airline of Greece. Being the largest Greek airline, it operates flights to a number of destinations in Greece, as well Europe and the Middle East.
The airline is a Star Alliance member.
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
1
Is It Protected?
Yes, it’s a protected connection.
Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.
Unless you book flights separately.
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2
Baggage Rules
Airline takes care of your baggage.
Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with traditional airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.
Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors.
3
Travel Insurance
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1. Aegean Airlines Connecting Flights
Aegean Airlines is a full-service traditional airline.
Typically, full-service traditional airlines offer airline-protected connecting flights. How such flights are better than self-planned transfers? Airline-protected connection allows you not to worry about missing your flight. If you miss your connecting flight due to delay or cancellation of the previous flight, you will be booked on an alternate flight.
Airline-protected connecting flights are:
- Safer. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
- More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
- Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.
Aegean Airlines sells airline-protected connecting flights.
1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline
You have an Aegean Airlines connecting flight.
When you look at the flight details you’ll see that your flight is “Operated by Aegean Airlines”. Why there’s a need to state this fact? Because not always connecting flight is operated by the airline it is booked from (marketing airline).
However, very often your connecting flight will be operated by the marketing airline (in this case, Aegean Airlines). You’ll fly on an Aegean Airlines plane, manned by Aegean Airlines staff.
1.2 Aegean Airlines Codeshare Partners
Sometimes airlines share their flights.
To widen the flight network, airlines share flights with other airlines. Connecting flights with different airlines are very common in aviation. These flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners.
Thanks to codeshare agreements, airlines can offer flights to destinations they don’t normally serve. This results in a wider connecting flight network.
What you should know is that:
- If you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, don’t worry. Contact Aegean Airlines and ask them to find you an alternate flight. As long as it’s an Aegean Airlines connection booked from Aegean Airlines, they are responsible for finding alternate flights. Even if a part of the connecting flight is operated by a partner airline.
- If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not Aegean Airlines, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.
See a list of Aegean Airlines codeshare partners here.
2. What If Aegean Airlines Cancels a Flight?
Why is Aegean Airlines cancelling flights?
Flight cancellations happen for a number of reasons. Staffing shortage, strikes, technical problems, airport congestion, bad weather, security issues. These are just some of the most popular reasons.
2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled
Aegean Airlines is a European airline.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
And if as a result you’re going to miss your connecting flight, it’s the airline’s responsibility to offer you an alternate flight to your final destination. You may also opt for a full refund instead.
You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).
Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.
2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled
Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, Aegean Airlines must:
- Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
- Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).
This applies to all their commercial flights.
Refund must be paid within seven days.
You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.
2.3 Aegean Airlines Refund for Cancellation
Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.
If the alternate flight doesn’t fit your travel plans, or you don’t wish to travel anymore, ask for a refund instead. You don’t have to accept any vouchers from Aegean Airlines. The refund must be paid to your bank account within 7 days.
3. Aegean Airlines Missed Connecting Flight
Why do people miss their connecting flights?
It could be a silly mistake such as confusing am with pm. Or it could be something more serious like airport congestion or late incoming aircraft.
3.1 What Happens If You Miss Aegean Airlines Connection?
If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.
If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from Aegean Airlines, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by Aegean Airlines or not, you should contact Aegean Airlines. It’s their responsibility to find a solution. You missed a connecting flight through no fault of your own, and Aegean Airlines must offer you a solution.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:
- Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
- Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).
Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay
3.2 Right to Compensation from Aegean Airlines
Sometimes you have a right to compensation.
If your Aegean Airlines flight:
- Is 3+ hours late or cancelled last minute
- Is delayed or cancelled due to the fault of the airline
Then you may be entitled to compensation from Aegean Airlines.
Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?
You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.
GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION
File a Claim Online
3.3 Right to Care from Aegean Airlines
On all Aegean Airlines flights you have a right to care.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:
- Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
- Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary.
- Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
- Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails.
It applies to all domestic and international flights with Aegean Airlines. Again, it’s because Aegean Airlines is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.
When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.
4. How to Book Connecting Flights with Aegean Airlines?
You can do it directly from Aegean Airlines or via a third-party.
The best way is to book directly from Aegean Airlines. It’s safer, but not always cheaper. Many people choose to book with third party flight booking sites because they offer better deals. If you choose to book a flight using a third party site, make sure it’s trustworthy.
How to Book?
Airline website (directly).
This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.
Other Option
Flight booking websites.
Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.
Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer.
For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.
With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.
Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?
5. Aegean Airlines Connecting Flights: Baggage
Since Aegean Airlines is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.
Baggage rules on connecting flights with Aegean Airlines are simple.
In short, Aegean Airlines takes care of your baggage. You check in your bag only once, before your first flight. The airline takes care of your bag throughout the journey. You don’t have to collect and recheck it between flights. Unless you have a self-transfer or you’re traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (e.g., USA).
Ask the staff at the check-in counter if you are not sure.
5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
What happens if there are several airlines?
What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not Aegean Airlines? As we already talked, you may experience this, because Aegean Airlines does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. In most situations you won’t have to worry about it.
Read more:
- Connecting Flight Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines
- Lost Baggage on Connecting Flights
- Delayed Baggage on Connecting Flights
- What is Checked Baggage?
5.2 Aegean Airlines Free Baggage Allowance
Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.
It depends on the airline, travel class, ticket type and destination. When booking a flight, you can see baggage allowance for every ticket type. Check your Aegean Airlines flight booking confirmation to see your baggage allowance.
5.3 Economy Light
This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.
Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.
We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).
When you see cheap Aegean Airlines flights, pay attention to this. Because Aegean Airlines also offers Economy Light tickets. If you want to check in your bag, this option is not for you.
The next ticket type – Flex, allows passengers to bring one cabin bag and one personal item on board, but it doesn’t include a checked bag, just like the Economy Light fare. You need to book a Comfort Flex ticket if you want to carry hold luggage. But take into account that long distance flights with Aegean Airlines may not offer Economy Light and Flex fare.
Read more: What Is Carry-on Bag / Baggage?
6. Connecting Flight Examples
Here are two connecting flight examples with Aegean Airlines.
6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with Aegean Airlines (Most Common)
For this example I’ll use the website of Aegean Airlines.
For example, you want to fly from Vienna to Rhodes.
You have found flights for October 28, and these are the options:
On their website, Aegean Airlines sells protected connecting flights. This means that if you miss your connecting flight as a result of the delay or cancellation of the previous flight, you will be put on a new flight (for free).
As we have already mentioned, connecting flights may be partly operated by another airline. In this case, however, the connecting flight is operated by Aegean Airlines. There are no codeshare partners involved.
On October 28 there’s only one flight available.
6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with Aegean Airlines
Now, let’s assume that Rhodes is not your last stop.
After spending 3 days in Rhodes, you’ll fly to Crete. You could have gone there from Vienna as there are connecting flights from Vienna to Crete, but you want to visit Rhodes first and then head to Crete.
How to book such a flight?
- You can book a connecting flight to Rhodes, like in the example above. There’s only one option. The flight lands in Rhodes at 11:20 pm.
- And then you can go to kiwi.com, skyscanner.net or some other flight booking website, or airline website, and book a flight from Rhodes to Crete. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 3 days in Rhodes.
Until Rhodes you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, Aegean Airlines will book you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Rhodes – Crete flight, includes a self-transfer with a stopover in Rhodes. To put it simply, it’s a separate flight. You will need to check in for this flight separately.
Are you booking a self transfer? Keep in mind that with a self transfer you will need to check in for each flight separately. And to re-check baggage too. So, it’s better to leave plenty of time and not risk with short layovers.
What is your experience with Aegean Airlines? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with Aegean Airlines? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from Aegean Airlines?
Featured photo by Vasilis Caravitis on Unsplash
