Hello from Athens! After flying LOT Polish Airlines’ Boeing 787 business class from Chicago to Warsaw and spending a (lovely) night in Warsaw, we connected to Aegean Airlines’ Airbus A320neo business class to Athens.
Continue reading: Aegean A320neo Business Class: Best In Europe?
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
Flying a lot within Europe, I now tend to favour airlines that offer, indeed better business class service. I think Air France and Swiss are quite good for that. But it all depends on the aircraft, the route and more important the crew. In C class I had great experiences within Europe with Lufthansa as well, and bad with SAS... When we travel in couple, I also don't like airlines that block the middle seat, like what you seem to show here. Lufthansa started to do so... we travel to be together and end up with a seat in between. Not nice. So I favour other airlines, or take planes like A220 that is a XX-XXX configuration, so we can be 2 seating together.
Ben, they can "take issue" with you calling Turkish a European carrier all they'd like... but that won't change the fact that it is.
As you said, it's on the European side.
Also, IATA registers Turkish as a European carrier:
https://www.iata.org/en/about/members/airline-list/turkish-airlines/196/
And ICAO designates Turkey/Turkiye as part of its "European/North Atlantic" region:
https://www.icao.int/EURNAT/Pages/member_states.aspx
Truly a standout in Europe. Amazing brand evolution and coupled with their fantastic new lounges in Athens and Thessaloniki they are the best way to get from Europe to Athens.
I don't know how the European carriers have got away with the economy class seat rip-off in Business Class. Some of these flights can be a good few hours (e.g. FRA-TLV with LH) but, as you say, TK stands out as having a PROPER business class product.
Nah, we only say that so we can gleefully watch you being a pedant and rush for your dictionary, textbooks, and technical manuals. This is why you don't get party invites..
Digressing: TAROM has (had?) recliners in business class on their fleet (e.g. on Paris-Bucharest).
They get away with it because people aren't willing to pay extra for a better seat. If they were, market would force the airlines to introduce it.
Look, I'd like a better seat in C too. But at the same time, I have to admit I wouldn't pay a euro more for it. As long as no one's sitting next to me, the economy seat is perfectly adequate for 2-3 hours. There's just no incentive for me to pay extra money because I'm already quite comfortable. I assume most people feel that way too.
@ BD -- I think they used to, but retired those jets? Correct me if I'm wrong. Technically I think Bulgaria Air also has some planes with proper business class, but that's definitely very niche.
@ simmonad -- It's a great question, and I think it comes down to how little "legacy" competition there is in Europe. Sure, for connecting itineraries from the US to India there's a lot of competition between airlines, but countries like France, Germany, the UK, etc., really have one de facto national carrier. Therefore they're able to charge high fares in certain markets, and don't have to compete. The only real competition regionally is from ultra low cost carriers that don't even have a premium product.
Then they should act like it, and not like the islamofascist semi-dictatorship they are
That's why Asian airlines are known for the best quality of flying, fierce competition to the extent that you get dine on demand in Scoot Plus.
This looks really good - thanks for showing it to us.
But honestly, I do think that Iberia has a great intra Europe business class. Yes, seats are the same, but they generally have a printed menu, a few options, and good Spanish wine and cava options. I flew them Dubrovnik-Madrid a few weeks ago in J and had great food, friendly service, and an overall enjoyable flight.
Nothing that can compare to Turkish Airlines business class in Europe. They have an appetizer tray and entrée. Not even talking about the seats.
It's the best for a reason!
Sure. But for me, it's more about the bizarre, arbitrary line declaring that one part of Istanbul is in a different continent than the other, when both sides are all part of the same country, culture, and climate. My grandmother's family moved from Balıkesir to Istanbul, so shall we say that they "migrated from Asia to Europe in the early 20th century?"
European “business class” is awful compared to U.S. standards. The seats are the same narrow seats with just the middle seats blocked out. Yes, you get free alcohol, but the food is not good. You’re much better off, eating in the lounges before hand. Your best bet is to really search the bigger few routes where the bigger aircraft travel to move between the big hubs & catch those. That way, you’re actually flying in a true business class pod seats that Americans are accustomed to. (And that’s not easy to find).
Technically, this doesn't look much better than BA (as much as I hate to admit it).
On most short-haul European flights BA offers menus, a '3-course' offering relative to route length (tapas-sized salad/starter, tasty enough hot main, cake/dessert/fruit), Wi-Fi, not just USB sockets but AC power sockets, comfortable leather seats - the only additions here seem to be a glass of water, espresso-grade coffee and a Wi-Fi voucher (worth £5-10 given Wi-Fi can be purchased).
If pre-departure drinks include champagne then that's a nice differentiator, but it looks like just water and (probably cheap concentrated) orange juice in your review - which given the shorter dwell times in the airport on short-haul journeys and inevitable lounge offerings feels a bit superfluous.
I haven't flown in US first but from what I read here I prefer euro-biz. Flights are usually just a couple of hours long, for that the size of the seat is completely fine with the benefit of not having any elbow fights and a bit more legroom compared to eco. At least the central European airlines (LH, LX, OS) have quite good food offering. Also the flight attendants range from super attentive to quite ok. If I want it to my champagne glass is usually full from seatbelt sign off to seatbelt sign on, which is great to pass the time while watching the clouds pass by.
I disagree. I see them each as having their own pros and cons, about equal all things considered. We're of course talking about flights of 2-3 hours max. A cross country flight in the US that's 5-6 hours might be different.
US carriers have larger seats but in my experience they aren't necessarily that much more comfortable or conducive to sleep. Delta for example has pretty tight legroom in F despite the wider seat. Also, due to free upgrades, F is always packed completely full in the US. In Europe I often get an entire row to myself. Euro carriers ALWAYS have a meal and it's usually pretty good. Contrast this with prepackaged snacks most of the time in the US. If it's a hot meal, often something gross like a microwaved cheeseburger or bad pasta. European carriers always provide lounge access, US carriers don't. Because Euro business class is usually smaller and emptier, I usually get better service in the form of more refills, etc.
Considering all the above, I'd much rather be in business in Europe than in F in the US for a flight of ~2 hours.
Although some airlines physically block the middle seat, I find that most of them don’t, so there’s nothing stopping you moving next to your travelling partner if the latter is the case. Personally when travelling solo, I much prefer the blocked middle seat to a pair of seats stuck together because it gives more space and privacy. Granted, the leg room is less than US Business/First products.
I second the lounges - they’ve done a fantastic job especially with the Non-Schengen Lounge in Athens! There’s still work to do to expand the Schengen lounge in Athens but it sounds like work will soon be underway to expand it. A full refurbishment is also coming to their only lounge outside Greece, namely at Larnaca in Cyprus.
Worth noting that Aegean’s Neo deliveries started in 2019 and came to a grounding halt with Covid. In fact, for two years Aegean pretty much took no new deliveries and then over the last 18 months has seen deliveries pick up speed significantly!
With regard to USB-C charging points - the only thing the EU has mandated is for phone chargers to have common USB-C charging port. Beyond that there is nothing mandating use of USB-C. It’s easier to buy converters for USB-C to USB-A than the other way around.
Eurobusiness class sucks. There, I said it. It sucks and basically consists of airlines screwing you out of your hard (or maybe not so hard) earned money. They give you a $10 meal while charging like double for the same crappy seat. You can try to put lipstick and a designer dress on this pig, but it's still swine.
I do laugh, however, at smug Europeans who make disparaging comments about the likes of UA, DL or AA as being "second class" while having their own national airlines offering up a "business class" that makes Frontier look spacious. What a joke.
“Headrest cover”
antimasacara
an·ti·ma·cas·sar
/ˌan(t)ēməˈkasər/
a piece of cloth put over the back of a chair to protect it from grease and dirt or as an ornament.
I am Aegean gold and the business in Neos sucks! Truly sucks and I try to avoid it by any means, even by catching TK connecting flight. The seat and legroom is cramped compared to older aircrafts and minding you Aegean flights to London, Stockholm, etc are good 4 hours at least.
Antimacassar. Very popular in China lol
Originally to keep Macassar ebony oil off a sailor’s collar
Completely agree. The soft and hard product are top-notch.
Plus, Bubble Pop on the IFE literally entertains me for hours for some reason. haha
In my opinion SATA offers a way better 2+2 business seat config on their A321neo's and the service is amazing with glass + chinaware and a delicious range of meals, with a nice local selection of wines. Not continental obviously so hard to compare, however still considered Europe.
'given the pretty low standard of service on short haul flights within Europe'
Hard to believe this is coming from someone living in USA...
In Europe, even a sub-1 hour flight in business will provide food. In the US, you have to fly at least 3+ hours and you only get food if the flight operates in their narrow definitions of 'meal' times. Alternatively, they are handing out a basket with crisps and chocolate bars and scolding you if you push the call button to ask for another drink... But yeah, European airlines are the ones providing poor service...
Then they should act like it, and not like the islamofascist semi-dictatorship they are
How's that not European? ...take out the "islamo" part, and you've just described today's Hungary and Poland.
Who's we? You don't speak for anyone else here. I like it when we get actual industry definitions, versus the regulations and distinctions that enthusiasts make up in their heads.
While agreeing with the disparaging comments about the intra-European airlines Business seats, all the on-ground experience, and on-board F&B perhaps justify the extra cash/miles (just).
I don't understand the purpose of this post. You have an article basically saying how this airline's business class is fine and nothing special. No need to report on it.
Aegean is plenty comfortable for the short-hauls, and the service is friendly, efficient, and they make it seem so easy. They manage to squeeze in a light meal on short hops over the Aegean Sea, whereas it's rare these days to get a drink service from SFO-LAX.
Not sure if Air Astana counts as a European carrier, but they have a very solid shorthaul business product, and their biz cabin on the widebodies looks downright nice.
US airlines ARE second class. The deficiencies of European carriers doesn’t make US airlines better compared to decent carriers elsewhere. There’s a reason many people use US airlines only when absolutely necessary.
Iberia’s product is even better. Their food options for an intra-European business product are outstanding
And let's not forget that US "first class" doesn't even include lounge access.
Sure, European business class is nowhere near Asian airlines, but it's still a very decent product on most airlines (LH Group excluded :))
You're not being primarily charged for the meal but for empty seat next to you and ground services. You misunderstand what the product is about.
There's no demand for a large seat on such a short flight. No one really needs it and no one would pay for it.
There are very few routes with no legacy competition in Europe. If there was a demand for larger seats (as in "I'll pay to have a larger seat"), they would exist. There's no way market wouldn't force airlines to do it. But the reality is opposite. Having larger seats in C would drive the costs and therefore prices up and customers just wouldn't accept that increase, since the existing seats are perfectly adequate for 1-2 hours. People who don't fit into an economy seat are a very niche market in Europe and hardly anyone needs more space on short haul.
When Qatar screwed up my Q Suite ticket a while back I did get to fly MLE-DOH on an A320 in Business. I was surprised to discover it had full flat beds in herringbone configuration. Only time I have ever see full-flat on a narrow body (other than pictures of Jet Blue). Very impressive hard product. European airlines should upgrade their J class.
I have never understood the blocked middle economy seat and am more disappointed that Aegean didn’t put in first class seating in a 2-2 configuration n their brand new neos. Airlines have to step up their hard product to match the better soft product found in Europe versus the United States.
But unlike Amercian carriers at least you get a meal on a two hour flight not a basket offering if snacks
Aegean premium meals in Business class are so delicious and every single part of it has a greek chef signature. Food, cheese, wines and deserts, all greek and quality products.
It's a great value for money for this kind of european business.
Even in domestic flights aprx. 30 minutes you get a small plate of fish or meat (even both) and a small bottle wine (not only one glass as on non domestic).
and sometimes a small packaged desert. Most of the times they ask me if I want one more bottle of wine, even to take it home !
On arrival a bus only for business class passengers waits for you.
I booked an Aegean business flight on their A320neo as part of a long itinerary with aeroplan, I would like to know which seat to select, all seats are still open in the 3 row business cabin, I usually don't like the front row on many airlines although it provides more legroom the seat is a bit narrower due to the table being stored between seats. I once flew on LH A319 an the tables were actually stored on the bulkhead, I can't find data points or good photos on how aegean's A320neo is, does anyone know what's the case?