REVIEW: TRAVELING BUSINESS CLASS WITH AEGEAN

A few months ago, in June, Aegean was honored with the Skytrax World Airline award as the Best European Regional Airline for 2015. This wasn't the first award the company received though: it was actually, the fifth time in a row receiving this distinction. A distinction it's been awarded to the company each and every day by its thousands of passengers enjoying its excellent services onboard and on the ground.

I chose to begin this post with a small reference to the award the company was honored with, because I feel quite content with the fact that my "eye for detail" was on point once more. My recent trip to London for the Cosmopolitan UK Awards gave me the opportunity to enjoy yet another pleasant trip with Aegean. And my definition of a "trip" slightly differs than that of the average traveller: a trip to me, begins the moment when, sitting comfortably on my couch, I start preparing my flight, choosing my seat and meal preference, checking any airport fees and baggage options while typing my card number for extra gold miles or when a few hours before my flight I check in.

As a gold card holder, I am offered access to Star Alliance Business Lounges all over the world, a priority security check thanks to the fast lane and ultimately, a Gold Priority boarding on the plane. Business Class passengers enjoy all the above either way - and I was pretty used to the perfect ground services offered by airlines.

My expertise in the field and experience gained by traveling with hundreds of airlines around the world all these years, are the essential elementsI used to write this review - a review to help you too distinguish the small details that make a huge difference when traveling. The time when airlines focused mainly on "carrying" passengers from one place to another, is - thankfully - long gone. Aegean provides great services up above in the air and on the ground - there's no denying that.

Starting from its ground services to the Business Lounge and finally the inflight services, an airline should be offering a completed package of excellent travel amenities to its passengers. A good omelette or a piece of candy are great but they're not enough to make you declare that this is the best airline ever. Airline companies are tricky to evaluate - check their awareness, profile, security level, services, personnel, high standards policy and of course, their respect towards passengers. Aegean offers all the above on a daily basis - its crew has been trained to respect the company's values while wearing a smile that has made them famous across the globe.

Being a flight attendant, customer service lover and a travel enthusiast, I strongly believe that quality makes an even bigger difference compared to price. Airplanes are a home away from home for me and it is important for me to know that I'll have a decent, clean and most of all, quiet trip. Knowing that the crew will be absolute polite, the service will be typical and that I will enjoy a great menu on board is the best thing.

The very first "welcome" comes with a smile, a sense of cleanliness and coziness. The Welcome Hot Towel gives you the perfect taste of the delicious menu that will follow.
 

Over the days I traveled to London - until this very moment - I followed a strict diet. This didn't turn out to be much of a problem though, as after contacting Aegean's Call Center, I was able to enjoy two special meals while traveling. And since I had a morning and an evening flight, I had the chance to taste two different gluten-free meals.

Since I was flying Business Class, I had the opportunity to taste a menu curated by the famous Greek chef Nikos Sarantos (the founder of the Greek Chefs Club). His on board menu is a creative marriage between the all-time traditional Greek tastes and the eclectic taste of today. The famous aromatic Greek herbs and virgin local products are perfectly combined with traditional mediterranean flavors and fresh fruits to give an excellent result. The wine list was curated by Konstantinos Lazarakis (Master of Wine) and even though I didn't have the chance to give it a try, I promised I'd be back for it.

As for my meal, it was delicious and I'm glad I was offered the chance to choose a special meal. My morning flight menu, included an asparagus omelette, steamed broccoli and turkey sided with fresh seasonal fruits (and since my diet excludes dairy, I didn't taste any) while my evening flight menu offered a gluten-free grilled vegetables choice accompanied with chicken fillet in a lime and dill sauce.

I will be honest. I almost never watch movies- or anything for that matter- on an airplane screen unless placed on the seat right in front me - meaning I will be having a very long flight ahead. I always carry my laptop so that I can write or watch a movie of my choice on it. A sole exception to all the above are the over 6-hours long flights where I get the chance to use the inflight entertainment system.

On board an Aegean flight you have the opportunity to watch travel-related content on the screens above the seats - that is if you're not lost between the pages of BLUE - the company's magazine. You'll definitely love the articles Fotis Vallatos - my favorite travel editor - has prepared to offer you an insight to all the destinations the company flies to, inspiring your next trip all over Greece.

A cup of tea and by far the best onboard magazine, kept me great company during my flight to London.
 

A functional and easy-to-use online system is a must for every airline company and thankfully, Aegean has one of the best. Being one of the few airlines that offer the Low Fare Calendar makes Aegean stand out even more. Through it, I've booked my trips to Istanbul, Zurich and Brussels.

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