Following a great summer for Greek airlines, winter flights to Greece are on the increase. This winter you will be able to fly to Greece from 118 destinations in 44 countries, thanks to Aegean Airlines launching its largest-ever winter schedule.
Fancy a winter trip to Athens?
The Greek flag carrier has also announced that seven routes that usually only run in the summer will operate through into the winter of 2023/24. These are flights from Athens to Bristol, Birmingham, Malaga, Bilbao, Tallin, Riga and Tunisia.
This move helps support the expansion of the Greek tourism season, while also increasing the frequency of flights to popular destinations. Great news, if you are looking to buy a holiday home that you can visit outside of the busy summer season. Or even if you want to rent your property to tourists from other countries.
Also, when you live in Greece, you’ll be able to visit family for Christmas, take winter sun holidays, or go skiing in Austria. Aegean Airlines has expanded its winter schedule with 18 new routes, focusing mostly on winter sun destinations. The vast majority of its new routes depart from the carrier’s hub at Athens International Airport (ATH).
Find homes in Greece via our property portal.
Increase in passengers in 2023
From January to September of this year, Aegean carried over 11.9 million passengers. Of those, 7.1 million flew on the international network, an increase of 30% compared to the same period last year. From Athens “Eleftherios Venizelos” airport, international traffic has increased by 38%, while at Thessaloniki’s “Makedonia,” numbers exceeded 45% compared to the first nine months of 2022.
This success has continued into the Autumn, with a 17% increase in domestic passenger traffic and international passenger traffic is up by 18%. These positive signs will inevitably boost confidence among all the airlines. Indications are that the summer season will also start earlier next year. Which will be fantastic, as spring in Greece is such a beautiful time of year, everyone should be able to enjoy it.
Keen to travel
According to a recent European Travel Commission (ETC) study, 68% of Europeans surveyed said they were planning to travel between October 2023 and March 2024. 54% said they plan to take multiple trips and to spend more than Є1,500 each time. In the rankings of preferred destinations, Greece came 5th after France, Italy, Spain and Germany.
When faced with unaffordable holiday prices this summer, some travellers are now looking at ways to get away for less. Travelling outside the summer season is a popular choice, with 22% of those surveyed saying they are interested in off-season travel. 13% are looking for more affordable destinations, and 13% plan to book flights and activities further in advance.
Good weather is also important to many travellers when choosing a winter destination. However, more than ever before, people are concerned about the impact of extreme weather events on their travel plans. Another problem to watch out for when travelling in Greece is disruption caused by strikes. So, keep an eye on news reports.
Which airlines fly to Greece from the UK?
Aegean Airways.
Source: Media_works/ Shutterstock.
Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air appear to offer the lowest prices to Greece from the UK. But you need to take into consideration which airport you want to travel from and extra charges for luggage, seat choice etc. Ryanair fly from Stansted airport, Wizz Air from London Gatwick and London Luton, and easyJet from London Gatwick. You should take into consideration the flight times, as an early morning departure or late arrival time may encourage you to spend more money on a night at an airport hotel.
British airways and Aegean initially come up as the most expensive. However, all things considered its worth comparing the overall price and looking at the calendar view to find the dates with the lowest prices. Also consider timings of transport connections at each end. In the winter it might be easier to book both your flight to Athens and the follow on flight to an island with Aegean airlines, just to keep your whole journey with the one company.
Winter flights from the UK
Are you wondering if you can fly to Greece direct from the UK this winter? Well, you can certainly get to Athens pretty easily. Then from Athens you can either catch a domestic flight to one of the islands, or take a ferry. Also, don’t forget there are many beautiful parts of the Greek mainland and the Peloponnese you can drive to from Athens. Plus, there are good bus services.
Flights to Athens this winter
Athens is straightforward to get to, whatever the season.
Although it’s not considered viable to provide direct flights from the UK to the Greek islands in the winter, you can still fly to Athens. From here you can travel onward to many great destinations. There are British with property in Corfu and Crete that have been trying to petition airlines to offer direct winter flights. However, as yet, the numbers don’t seem to be enough to sway them.
What is encouraging is that airlines are gradually lengthening the season and increasing frequency to meet demand. If you live near Birmingham or Bristol, and want to see winter flights continue in the future, it may be worth showing your support for the 2023/24 flights Aegean airlines are trying out this winter. It’s all about whether they can sell enough seats to cover costs and make a profit.
Although the flight schedule and prices can change at any time, a browse through what is currently on offer can be a good indicator of which routes the airlines are most confident about. Also, it will give you some idea which destinations have the best potential for a holiday home purchase.
A search on skyscanner on the 31st October 2023 indicated the following:
London to Athens – direct flights daily over the winter. Flight times are around 3 hours 35 minutes, with flight prices in December from as little as £15 one way.
London to Thessaloniki – direct flights daily throughout the winter. Fastest flight time 3 hours 10 minutes. Flight prices from £15 one way.
Bristol to Athens – 2 flights a week (Monday, Friday) until 8th January.
Birmingham to Athens – around 2 flights a week (except January)
Manchester to Athens – direct flights on most days throughout the winter.
Edinburgh to Athens – 2-3 times a week until 18th January, with Aegean airlines. Then continuing on from 8th February.
New York to Athens – direct flights most day over the winter. Airlines include Emirates, Virgin Atlantic and Delta. Fastest flight time 9 hours 15 minutes.
Domestic flights from Athens airport in the winter
If you want to fly to one of the Greek islands this winter, look at getting an international flight to Athens Airport, followed by a domestic flight to your preferred destination. Aegean Airlines service most domestic flights. Some flights are also listed as Olympic Air, which is operated as a subsidiary of Aegean airlines.
SKY Express is a smaller Greek airline, currently serving 35 destinations around Greece. These vary from major international airports to tiny airfields around the Greek archipelago. The domestic network features flights from the airline’s two main operating bases at Heraklion and Athens.
When I looked on Skyscanner on the 1st November 2023, for winter flights scheduled November, December, January and February, I found the following:
Athens to Chania (CHQ) – direct daily flights through the winter.
Athens to Chios (JKH) – direct daily flights through the winter.
Athens tom Corfu (CFU) – direct flights daily, except when Corfu Airport is closed for runway reconstruction work from 21st November to 4th December, 2023 and from 16th – 29th January 2024.
Athens to Heraklion (HER) – direct daily flights throughout the winter.
Athens to Ikaria (JIK) – five days a week on Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Athens to Ioannina (IOA) – almost daily until the end of December. Followed by a scattered schedule.
Athens to Kalamata (KLX) – flights on most days during November, then on scattered days after that.
Athens to Karpathos (AOK) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Kavala (KVA) – daily flights November and December 2023, and until 9th January. Then a scattered schedule.
Athens to Kefalonia (EFL) – flights every day, except Saturdays.
Athens to Kithira (KIT) – flights four days a week. (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday)
Athens to Kos (KGS) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Lemnos (LXS) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Leros (LRS) – various scattered dates over the winter.
Athens to Milos (MLO) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Mykonos (JMK) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Mytilene ( MJT) on Lesbos Island – direct daily flights.
Athens to Naxos (JNX) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Paphos (PFO) – flights twice a week, on Wednesday and Saturday.
Athens to Paros (PAS) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Rhodes (RHO) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Samos (SMI) – direct Daily flights.
Athens to Sitia (JSH) – flights roughly 3-4 days per week until 8th January.
Athens to Skiathos (JSI) – 4 flights a week, on Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday.
Athens to Skyros (SKU) – 2-3 flights per week until end of January.
Athens to Thessaloniki (SKG) – direct daily flights.
Athens to Zante (Zakynthos) (ZTH) – flights 6 days a week until 14th January. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Then going to 5 days and back to 6 days per week in February.
If you dream of a quiet location on a Greek island, it’s worth taking a couple of flights to enjoy the tranquillity of a Greek winter. You can enjoy beach walks without anyone around, and visit villages and historic sites without the crowds. You will discover just how laid back and relaxing life in Greece really is.
You might also like:
