Olympic Airlines review by Alex Rapis
30 November 2006

I'm a long time veteran of Olympic, and a frequent traveller to Greece, I usually find myself on Olympic on some leg of my journey. Taking it as a connecting from either LHR, FRA, or VIE I have had numerous pleasant and not so pleasant experiences. To be honest, sometimes it's a pleasant experience with a kind cabin crew, decent food, on time service, and ample leg room. Other times, it's a Greek disaster on wings. Numerous times their flights have been delayed for hours, the cabin unkempt, the cabin crew extremely unprofessional, and it is sometimes really unacceptable. The domestic flights are exactly what they advertise: Domestic. It's quick, spartan service, the aircraft usually taxiing out as the last passenger has stepped in the door. It's really more hit-or- miss with this airline.

Olympic Airlines review by Christine Anderson
2 November 2006

My husband and I returned to England from Corfu via Athens on Friday 27 October where my husband was a stretcher passenger. He received no attention whatsoever from the cabin crew, who obviously regarded him as a nuisance. When the food was distributed none was left for him until I particularly requested it where I received the response 'Oh! does he eat food!' During the later part of the journey, my husband was having difficulty in breathing and required oxygen. The cabin crewe were asked for this and, initially, took no notice of the request. Upon a second request being made by me, an oxygen cylinder was eventually produced but no member of the crew was capable of operating it. Eventually a request was made for a doctor, if on board, to assist and, after a discussion, it was agreed that the oxygen pressure needed to be increased, but the cabin crew stated that they were unable to do this without permission. So far as I was aware no permission was either sought or given. Fortunately, by this time the plane was not that far from Heathrow so my husband was able to survive until the plane landed. Again no acknowledgement of his presence was made by the crew nor any assistance offered. I hope you will post this comment on your site in the hope that it will deter any other passengers who may be dubious about their state of health from travelling with this airline.

Olympic Airlines review by Janet Vella
19 October 2006

NY to Athens return. Flight over was okay, food okay, cabin staff okay but not extremely friendly. Flight back - thumbs down. Boarded at 1215 in the afternoon & was given an okay dinner around 1:15 PM. The next food & beverage was 7 hours later. No beverage service from 1215 until 730 PM. When you asked for a drink you got a finger pointing to where the water was as the attendant proceeded to sit down and read a magazine. Pushed our service button twice on the plane, once for defected ear phones & then for water. No one came to see if there was a problem or to offer assistance. One gentleman got up to get a drink & he received such an unfriendly reply. Don't they realize how dry the air can be & diabetics need food within certain time frames. Medications need to be taken. I truly hope I never have to fly Olympic Airlines again. Someone in this organization need to realize customers are paying for a service.

Olympic Airlines review by Richard Schulist
30 September 2006

Olympic to Athens from JFK (New York) about 2 weeks ago and the flight leaving JFK was almost 3 hours late. The flight back to JFK from Athens last Saturday was over an hour late, so we missed our connecting flight from JFK to San Francisco. Olympic would not help us at all after missing our connecting flight to SFO because our tour company had purchased United E-tickets for the missed flight--E-tickets aren't transferrable among other airlines. Olympic refused to pay for a hotel for that evening because Olympic claimed that if we had paper tickets, they could have been used to book a later flight to SFO that day on another airline. Seems that E-tickets are good only on the airline that issues them and United's next available flight from JFK to SFO was early the next morning. We had to pay for our own hotel and meals that night. Olympic planes were old. Going to Athens, the earphones wouldn't work because the earphone plug port was broken. On our return flight, the overhead reading lights quit midway into the flight. The food was OK and flight personnel were cordial. I'd fly Olympic again, but would assume late arrival times and plan accordingly.

Olympic Airlines review by Branko Popovic
28 September 2006

I am flying Olympic at least once a year on route JHB - ATH - BEG and back. Nothing amazing, decent aircraft, food and service. Few more smiles on dead serious cabin crew faces should help a lot. Transfer zone for international flights at Athens airport - restaurants are overpriced but what is really irritating is that very often you cannot find a vacant chair because Olympic crews are happily siting and chatting for as long as they want, while you, the passenger in transit, stand and watch.

Olympic Airlines review by Roger Aves
22 September 2006

LHR-ATH-LHR economy class A340-300. Both flights more or less on time. Aircraft are quite new, clean, with great seating in economy class, very wide comfy seats and great leg room. Food not bad, at least you get a reasonable hot meal without having to pay. Crew okay and efficient.

Olympic Airlines review by N Prestage
16 September 2006

JFK-ATH-JFK less than enjoyable. Surly, poorly groomed flight attendants and a haphazardly serviced passenger cabin (lavatory reeked) have become commonplace. There are many carriers ex JFK that can get you to ATH. Consider using one of them first.

Olympic Airlines review by Jo Champeau
24 July 2006

London to Ioannina via Athens. All flights on time, food very good and plenty of leg room on London / Athens flights. Although the service was efficient, staff could be more friendly.

Olympic Airlines review by Charles Holley
18 July 2006

Toronto to Athens in Business (layover in Montreal). Olympic business class is about the worst I have ever flown. The plane itself is fine and the seats are about minimum comfort. The problem is that food and service areawful. The wine and meal were comparable to a decent economy class. There were no amenity kits (sorry, we are out?) and the inflight entertainment systems are old. My recommendation for anyone flying Olympic Airlines would be to stay with economy class (which I think is fine). Business class is not worth the cost.

Olympic Airlines review by Dirk Skawran
25 March 2006

Johannesburg-Athens-Frankfur. There were no problems with the connection flight to Frankfurt. The luggage arrived and both flights were on time. Athens is also a pleasant airport for connection flights. Olympic's Economy Class cabin on their A340-300s is neat and clean. The seats have a comfortable shape and the seat pitch is greater than that of other airlines flying between South Africa and Europe - seats have PTVs and moveable headrests. Catering on the flight between Johannesburg and Athens of a medium standard, but nothing to complain about. Cabin crew efficient, but it was noticeable that they were very rushed. I must compliment one crew member, who checked on an old lady during the whole night and ensured that she was comfortable. The cabin crew on the connection flight to Frankfurt also efficient and the warm breakfast, served on this flight, was above medium standard. I have flown KL, BA, IB, SA, LX and LH on the route from South Africa to Europe, and even if some of these airlines might score higher marks in certain categories OA is comparable in most categories. There might be room for improvement in certain sectors, but my overall impression was fine and I enjoyed both flights.

Olympic Airlines review by David Garza
6 February 2006

JFK-ATH-Crete return. After 24 plus years of flying, this trip was probably the worst! Every Olympic flight was late. The late arrival at JFK on the return leg caused us to miss connecting flt to DFW. The next morning, I missed several connecting flights because the Olympic terminal wasn't manned until the afternoon! On arrival at JFK, people started getting up and grabbing their bags immediately after touchdown! The aisles were crowded with people by the time we got to the jetway. The flight crew lost complete control. Suffice it to say it will be my last trip on Olympic.

Olympic Airlines review by Mary Rose James
21 January 2006

Crete-Athens-Montreal-Toronto and back in Economy and I feel lucky to have arrived in one piece! Apart from the direct flight to my destination and a reasonable fare, I would definitely NOT recommend Olympic. The outgoing flights were just tolerable and at least not drastically delayed. My return trip was a nightmare - flight 3 hours late in leaving Toronto, delayed again in Montreal, which resulted in my missing my 12 noon flight to Iraklion. When I approached the transfer desk in Athens, I was informed that I was booked on 2:30 flight to Iraklion, but had to claim my luggage, which was very late in coming off the plane, one piece being missing. When I went to report it, I was told to go ahead and try to catch the flight. Upstairs at check in, they then told me that I was too late to catch the flight, the next one being 5 hours later, and that I had to go back to arrivals to make a claim for the lost piece of luggage. Arrivals personnel informed I needed an escort, to re-enter which I had to call and ask for . Finally someone arrived, escorted me in and located my piece of luggage, which she reassured me would go on my flight. When I arrived in Iraklion (flight almost an hour delayed), I did retrieve that piece but the piece I had picked up in Athens was now missing! I made another lost baggage claim, and was told I would get my bag the next day. When Olympic Lost and Found called the next day to say my bag had arrived, they insisted that it could not be left outside my door - I had to receive and sign for it myself. I was due at work, but waited at home until early afternoon only to discover the piece of luggage had been left at the bottom of the stairs with no one alerting me. All in all a long journey made longer and extremely stressful due to inefficiency, to say nothing of indifferent or rude service, my pre-booked seat given to someone else, a headphone set that kept falling out of the jack, and a host of other discomforts. Fly Olympic only if you want "olympian" problems!

Olympic Airlines review by David van Greunen
5 January 2006

Johannesburg-Athens-London return. The aircraft were okay - A340-300 and B737-400. Legroom on the A340 was good, the food was not bad either. Staff were not that good - service is rushed and they seem to be irritated. There seems to be no job satisfaction or pride. No standard uniform as all staff seem to have different uniform style. The best crew LHR to Athens and Athens to JNB. On the whole not too bad an experience and will fly Olympic again as they offer the best prices from South Africa.

Olympic Airlines review by Pete Bond
15 November 2005

My wife and I were on Olympic from Athens to JFK on 9 Nov 05. Would completely agree with most recent comments on Olympic overseas as the WORST international flight we have ever taken. Non-existent service, terrible food, late take off and subsequent arrival caused missed connections and additional overnight stay, lack of crew safety awareness, etc. Nothing good to say. We were put on this flight as part of a cruise packet but will NEVER fly Olympic again.

Olympic Airlines review by William Blasdale
8 November 2005

JFK-Athens-JFK on A340 Business Class. Worst food and service encountered on a transatlantic flight. Service was indifferent. A small cart came through with one bottle of scotch and some wine, plus a bag of peanuts (a la Southwest?). Followed immediately by an absolutely awful meal. Service was perfunctory. No cabin attendant seen for the next 4-5 hours. My wife asked for an extra pillow - "sorry, we have only one per seat" - this is in Business Class! Seats have plenty of pitch but are uncomfortable - like sitting on a rock - a conclusion shared by 3 others travelling on this flight. Things on the return from Athens to New York were (if possible) even worse. Yes, the fare was cheap (approx $2500 each), but save your money. Fly anyone else and switch in Europe for an Athens connection.

Olympic Airlines review by Rhaana Starling
29 October 2005

I might have been on the same flight as Fiona Lean, and agree that I will never travel with Olympic Airlines again. Amsterdam-Athens flight was a couple of hours delay, and no information given. Athens-London flight was a joke. After sitting on the plane for an hour we got offloaded for technical problems. Fair enough. Then a delay of 6 hrs was announced (not officially, but through asking). It seemed they were trying to avoid giving out food vouchers by having only 1 assistant and a huge queue of people waiting over an hour. 6 hrs later our flight was cancelled, but no announcement. We were supposed to squeeze onto another flight first come first served. So you can imagine there was chaos and a lot of angry people almost stampeding the gate. The flight attendants were each telling a different story of what would happen to us. It was the most unhelpful, rude service: no apology and disorganised. We did arrive in London, but after the last trains, and 8 hrs delayed. I advise anyone to book another airline if possible.

Olympic Airlines review by Pieter de Haas
24 October 2005

JNB-ATH-IST return. Both international sectors good with excellent connection times to IST. Apart from a minor delay on the ATH-IST sector, all connections and flights on time. Airbus A340-300 aircraft surprisingly comfortable (in comparison to KL or AF excellent), clean, PTV screens. Crew on both sectors fine - no great shakes but polite, effecient and got the job done. Easy & simple connection procedure through ATH Airport. 737 to IST fine with good service from crew. Flight IST-ATH was an ATR 72 - seen better days and very tired interior, however departed on time and arrived on schedule. OA ground staff at IST very good. Overall a much better than anticipated experience and a series of unstressed, comfortable and effecient flights.

Olympic Airlines review by  Fiona Lean
9 October 2005

If only I had read up on these review pages before I bought my OA return tickets from London to Athens. First flight out was delayed by more than an hour with my husband and I stuck on the plane wondering what was going on and no apologies coming forth from captain or crew. By the time we finally arrived at Athens, it was almost midnight and the train station was closed, causing us to spend more on a taxi. Thinking that was bad enough, we had an even worse experience when we arrived for our flight home. We were told it was cancelled and then again left in a lurch with no more news coming forth for another hour. You can imagine 200 disgruntled passengers hanging around one counter. When a staff member finally came, she said our flight was rescheduled for the following day and that accommodation would only be provided for transit passengers!! The rest of us could very well be bench warmers for the next 20 hours! We will never fly OA again and would never recommend them to anyone!!

Olympic Airlines review by  Alan Fox
7 October 2005

Recently flew LHR/ATH business class return with Olympic. Best thing about both flights was the very generous space on board the A340 with it's large intercontinental business class seat- although the recline was pretty poor and I'm not sure I would chose Olympic business class for an overnight flight. On way out no cabin service until dinner was served about 50 minutes after take off- lack of a drinks service before dinner put me off a bit. Food fine and plenty of it. Lounge on way back at ATH was very roomy and well equipped with a decent selection of snacks and drinks. On flight back drinks were plentiful and served before lunch. Overall at just over £650 return it was good value for money considering I would have had to pay a good deal more to travel with BA.

Olympic Airlines review by  Eddie Mander
2 October 2005

Business Class LGW to Thessaloníki. First the not so good, the 737 was a bit ropey and the seats were uncomfortable. Now the good part, the crew were fantastic, service was really good with a good choice for dinner. Had a choice of chicken, pasta or king prawns, ended up with the king prawns and the chicken. All of this was complimented by 3 bottles of really nice Cretan wine. The whole experience was excellent, on arrival at Thessaloníki business passengers have a bus to themselves for transport to the arrivals hall. The final not so good are the uniforms of the cabin crew. As mentioned the crew were way above what you normally get on short haul European flights. It is such a pity that Olympic cannot be bothered to equip them with the new uniforms they deserve. 

Olympic Airlines review by  Sebastian Baxter
9 September 2005

LHR-ATH-LCA-ATH-LHR. I had a poor experience with Olympic. Virtually all of my four flights boarded late, with the excuse of 'aircraft rotation' made in every case. Due to a delay at Heathrow, I was rebooked on a codeshare Cyprus Airways flight from ATH-LCA, but upon arrival at ATH, Cyprus Airways had no knowledge of the booking. So I was stranded in ATH for 6 hrs, having to wait for the next Olympic flight. At least I talked my way into the business class lounge, which has a nice bar area, but there are concerns about food being left unrefrigerated for hours, and the shower heads were broken! Olympic are obviously seriously struggling, and it would not surprise me if they go out of business as predicted at the end of their summer timetable. As a previous entrant wrote, they do not deserve the title Olympic!

Olympic Airlines review by  Marc Vlessing
22 August 2005

We had a very poor experience with OA from London Heathrow to Athens. The food was poor, headsets for two out of our four seats did not work but the appalling fact is that the cabin crew was smoking in the back of the aircraft. A full cup of stubbed out cigarettes was on the counter (they had not even bothered to hide their activity by drawing the curtain). I complained to one of the cabin members - who replied that I should not have looked into the galley as it was private.

Olympic Airlines review by  Kevin Ruddy
15 August 2005

I have flown with Olympic several times but never again. When Olympic flew to the far east I went with them to Thailand and again awful delays. Going out 2 hours but coming back 4 hour delay ( for connecting flight from Athens). On departure from Bangkok a passenger was in some pain and crew did not seem to know how to cope . They came around asking if anybody could help this person. We returned to Bangkok and the person was taken off. I was travelling with my 4 year old son on this flight and he was sleeping during this . After he awoke I requested a drink of water for him but was refused as we were on the ground? I still don't know why you must be in the air before you get water - never seen this with other airlines. Now the next bit was probably the worst. When we took off again and when it was time for meals the hostess came around ready to serve. My son had his own seat and we had paid for him. (child fare) The hostess before serving asked if we had paid for a child fare ? Can you imagine choosing an airline and paying for three people and then being asked if you had paid for your child as opposed to an infant fare. He was clearly not an infant and yet it was necessary to ask . If I had said yes he was an infant would this mean he would not be fed on a 10 hour flight?

Olympic Airlines review by  Luc Servayge

29 July 2005

After reading the negative comments, my first flight with Olympic (BRU- ATH) was a pleasant surprise. A friendly crew and the best meal I've ever been served on flight. No doubt I'll fly Olympic again.

Olympic Airlines review by  Cameron Sterling

25 July 2005

ATH-SKG-BRU. Flights all departed on time. Aircraft are in dire need of refurbishment and good cleaning. Short flight ATH-SKG, limited juice/coffee/teas service, adequate for a 32 minute flight. FA's were professional. (Olympic crews are hit and miss, both of these crews were hit) Video segment on SKG-BRU flight very good. Hot meal service on this segment excellent as well. Senior F/A was outstanding. You can tell that morale is suffering at this airline with the uncertainty of being bought . However, both flights were a very pleasant experience. A nice surprise considering my last far from positive experience with this airline.

Olympic Airlines review by  Gus Papas

1 July 2005

Olympic Airways has its ups and downs. I am a frequent traveller and I have travelled with OA many times. I usually fly from London to Athens and sometimes, domestic flights. 90% of the times I travelled from London the service was excellent. They have state of the art planes flying to London (Airbus A340). No other Airline uses this kind of aircrafts for such short flights, these are long haul aircrafts. The cabin crew for the London -Athens flight is also very professional and polite. I think the food OA is the is one of the best, it can be compared to top Airlines such as Singapore. However I have also had bad experiences with OA. At least 1 out of ten flights will be delayed for more than 1 hour. For Domestic flights the planes are average, but flight time is very short max 55mins. Also in domestic flights the cabin crew can be rude and unprofessional. For many European destinations apart from the UK, OA does not have convenient flight times and I think this is the major reason for its financial problems. Most of the flight times available are not convenient for business people. The OA website is OK, can be slow at times but overall gets the job done. What I would like to have is to have my Icarus miles made available to me online. Currently this does not exist. 

Olympic Airlines review by  P Garay

7 June 2005

Flew Olympic from Istanbul to Thessaloniki with a connection in Athens. The staff at Istanbul was very inconsistent. One of the people checking customers in did not even seem to work for Olympic but for THY, even though she was much more flexible than the Greek lady who was OA's supervisor when it came to carry-ons. I am claustrophobic, and asked the flight attendant working in the aft section to allow me to sit in the last row...she made quite a fuss about it...I cannot understand why on a flight that is hardly even an hour and a half she would need the last row as "crew rest"... - the jumpseat could not have been that horrific. No inflight magazine, and OA is plagued with the same bureacracy that has crippled other areas of the Greek government - it was an excellent airline back when it was privately owned by Onassis, and when it had just made its debut as "Olympic" (from the old T.A.E.). From what I hear, Olympic does much better on internationals, such as trans- Atlantic JFK-ATH flights.

Olympic Airlines review by  Maria Tsampa

13 May 2005

I have to say that Olympic Airways is the only one which does not make a big deal if you have few more kilos - others make you pay. Some of you have complained about the food - it depends what food you like - BA is not better.

Olympic Airlines review by  Cindy Tsai

30 April 2005

My original flight from Tel Aviv-Johannesburg was canceled due to technical reasons so I was routed from Tel Aviv to Athens and took an Olympic flight from Athens to Johannesburg. Flying in Business Class, I was disappointed with the service on board, especially given that it's a long haul flight, no flight attendants came through the cabin with water or beverages throughout the flight, so any time I needed something I had to call or go to the galley to get something. Furthermore, the main dinner meal was served on a tray with no real dinnerware and there was no amenity kit. The seat itself although was spacious, was not comfortable because the leg rests did not extend very far and the lumbar adjusts were not very useful. About the only thing that was nice was the headsets they provided.

Olympic Airlines review by  Liz Booth

21 April 2005

I recently took a return trip from London Heathrow to Athens with Olympic Airlines. I had an extremely good experience with this airline. The check-in staff supplied by Al Italia were charming and as I was travelling with a cello got treated in a helpful manner. The cabin crew were efficient and the plane left on time on both the outward and inbound legs of the trip. The planes were in good condition and comfortable with lots of leg room. The flights were very smooth and I would have no hesitation in flyhing with OA again.

Olympic Airlines review by  Egina Comanescu

25 January 2005

I bought tickets from South Africa with Olympic being one of the cheapest flights to Romania for December 2004. I regret the day I heard of Olympic. From the word go there were delays. Starting from South Africa to Athens to Bucharest. On the way back from Bucharest we were scheduled to fly back on Thursday night, they told us due to bad weather they cancelled the flight from Bucharest to Athens, but the flight from Athens to JHB was still flying. We asked to be redirected (which they are obliged to do) they said NO. On top of it they made us wait two days before we could fly again, from Bucharest to Athens and from Athens to JHB. We told the agency which represents Olympic in Bucharest to give us our money back but they refused, saying that we should get in touch with the agency where we purchased the tickets (which was Olympic by the way) in order to get the money back so we can fly with another air line. That did not work either. It’s the first and the last time I will ever fly with Olympic.  Most disappointing flight and airline I’ve ever travelled. To top it off there were 7 of us flying back to South Africa, not that they bothered to care either way.

Olympic Airlines review by  N Simon

13 December 2004

Paris CDG Athens in economy on a A300-600. Flight on time, aircraft clean and correct seat pitch (better than AF, IB, BA, LH). Food ok. Crew: from nice to "could not care less", but one common point to all smoking in the galley. That is amazing all crew members spent all their breaks smoking in the galley.

Olympic Airlines review by  Arron Zubier

30 November 2004

I recently flew Olympic from LHR-ATH-CAI and would never again fly this poor excuse for an airline. Check in went fine, once boarded and seated on the plane, we were stuck there for 1hr45mins, without even an announcement from the crew as to the reason for this delay, the pilot then announced that as the refuelling truck had broken down they were waiting for another, we finally departed 2hrs15mins late, with not even a glass of water having been offered, or being allowed to use the WC's. The crew were very uninterested in the job they were doing, they were rude, not a hint of a smile on their face, and inflight service was over and done with within 45mins of take off, and if asking for anything more to drink, do not bother pressing the call button, you get ignored, I then went to the galley to ask for some orange juice, only to be told that it is only served when meals are being served, and they would only give me water. Then had an hours stopover in Athens, and boarded the flight to Cairo, which was an old plane, which did not seem to have been cleaned, service once again very substandard. The flight back a week later was the same, old dirty plane from Cairo to Athens, surly and inattentive attendants and simply digusting food.

Olympic Airlines review by  Pete Caulfield

20 October 2004

Flew from LHR to Athens and then on to Crete, returning a week later. Check-ins were fast and staff pleasant. Baggage transferred without problems. Service on aircraft was polite and efficient. In-flight meals were tasty and my wife's pre-booked veggie meal was not forgotten as on other airlines. Sadly the in-flight entertainment was very poor. The worst aspect for me was the slack attitude to aircraft safety by one of the FAs. Having reminded passengers not to use mobile phones, this particular FA made her final seatbelt check and failed to notice that a passenger near me, not only had her seatbelt unfastened and hanging over the arm of her seat, but that she was also sending texts on her phone. The FA buckled into her own seat , at which point the passenger actually started to make a phone call!! I alerted the FA to this and she approached the passenger and told her to end the call and turn off the phone, but the passenger just waved the FA away... and instead of being firm, the FA actually went and sat back down again!! I was gobsmacked. However, as the plane roared down the runway, she turned off the phone! Apart from that, I have no real complaints about olympic.

Olympic Airlines review by  Cameron Sterling

6 September 2004

BRU-ATH. Aircraft was a very old 734. Seat cushion was so flimsy that I could feel the metal bar beneath. Cockpit door was left open inflight for approximately 20 minutes while lead F/A talked to pilots. Large group of young campers onboard who screamed and shouted for each other the entire flight. Meal service was brisk with a limited choice of beverages. F/A's only made one pass with the substandard drink cart -flight was over 3 hours. 1 hour remaining in the flight I walked to the aft galley for a coke. Curtain was drawn, opened only to find crewmembers smoking on a non smoking flight and told that galley was closed. I said that most other airlines have drinks available the enitre flight, F/A then rudely threw a 1 liter bottle of pepsi at me (no cup) and closed the curtain. Arrived in Athens only to find my luggage broken. Could not be repaired in Greece, told to contact OA in USA upon return. Still have not been able to get luggage repaired by OA. One of the worst flight experiences I have had.

Olympic Airlines review by  Mario Bellini

3 September 2004

I flew to Athens for the Olympics last week! The flight to (from Paris) and from Athens was really below average! Very old plane (A300), very mediocre service, unfriendly hostesses, food for a third world airline! I think greek government should do something for this poor airline! Athens Airport is really efficient and world-class, Athens has really improved since last time, but Olympic airways does not honour the name it carries.

Olympic Airlines review by  Ian Whitworth

30 August 2004

I recently flew to Athens from LHR and it was appalling. Firstly there was a mix up with the seating and I was placed in a non-existent seat .Just before boarding they called a group of people forward informing them that there was a problem with the seats. Of course the shouting started and the flight was delayed. When I got my seat I was greeted by a surly stewardess who asked me if I was sitting in my seat as that was where they had planned to put 'their stuff'. I seemed to be an inconvenience. Things got worse when my partner smelt smoke and we realised that the cabin crew were smoking in the curtained-off back galley. They even had fellow passengers popping in for a cigarette. I was shocked. Upon leaving the aircraft I asked a FA for the name of their head of personnel. She could not give this information but asked me about my problem. I told her about the smoking and after smirking she shouted back to me that smoking was bad for your health. Very sarcastic and unhelpful. The return journey was almost as bad as the cabin crew had their luggage on the seats unstrapped throughout the journey even on landing.

Olympic Airlines review by  Charles Scott

13 August 2004

My wife and I flew Olympic Business Class, Manchester to Sydney. The experience was quite awful. Surly staff, poor food, some even had mould growing on it. The alcohol ran out. The overnight hotel in Athens could not provide any drinks, not even a cup of tea or coffee. The return flight from Sydney was delayed by 36 hours. Our baggage was lost. We had to use a solicitor in Sydney to persuade Olympic to honour our return flight back to Manchester. They were proposing to return us to London. Would I fly with them again? Highly unlikely!

Olympic Airlines review by  Louis Reasoner

9 August 2004

Mediocre at best. Despite being the first to check in 90 minutes prior to the flight ATH-TLV, my bags missed the flight. At TLV the baggage manager said that bags get lost daily on their incoming OA flights. Food was mediocre, seats a bit cramped. Got the job done in the end, but there was nothing efficient or particularly pleasant about it.

Olympic Airlines review by  Vivek Sharma

23 July 2004

Business class London-Athens-Johannesburg return in December 2003. The Lon-Athens leg was late. The A340 to Joburg flight was short on food options, food quality was poor, the seat was broken and could not be reclined, a drunk passenger was allowed on with a tumbler full of whiskey, bags were allowed to clutter the aisles and lots of the overhead cabins were full of crew baggage and various food items such as bread rolls. Crew reaction was "I cannot do anything" or pretended to not understand. The return flight was severely delayed and not on the new A340s but an old & smaller variant with a much smaller seat pitch, suitable only for short-medium which had to stop in Nairobi as short of fuel. Only one food option was available and it was so poor that neither my companion nor I could physically eat it. There was NO in flight entertainment. An inquiry as to whether there was any duty free was greeted with, "I don't know - here's a manifest. look for yourself". Cabin crew were the rudest I have ever encountered on any public transport, barging their way past passengers  - the most serious lapse were passenger visits to the flight deck whilst leaving the doors open for anyone to enter and take over. In short, do not fly OA business (let alone economy) if you want anything to eat, want to sleep, want to watch a film, listen to music, don’t mind drunken passengers, cluttered aisles or easy access to the flight deck. Without doubt, these were the worst flights I have ever taken irrespective of class of cabin.

Olympic Airlines review by  Jesper Madsen

30 June 2004

Mykonos to Athens on an ATR and I have never felt that uncomfortable on a flight. It looked like the interior hadn't been cleaned for twenty years. Stained carpets, filthy seats and windows covered with dirt. An absolute disgrace. Even though the flight only lasted twenty minutes I was extremely relieved to leave the plane. Flew Aegean the other way which was a far better experience for the same price.

Olympic Airlines review by  Bruno Libert

15 June 2004

Once again, I flew OA Brussels-Athens-Brussels a couple of weeks ago (June 2004). Although the flights were on time and the staff was pleasant enough, the services were minimal, the food was very low quality, the toilets were disgustingly dirty and smelly (one was not even flushing). I must say that as a frequent traveller to and from Greece, I am beginning to worry about the safety of OA's planes. I certainly hope they are better maintained than the wc's!

Olympic Airlines review by  Jens Fowler

18 March 2004

I flew OA last February on London to Cairo via Athens and back. It was a good experience in whole, the flights were on time and the food was delicious (best I've had on a flight). The legroom is among the best  (Seat pitch is 33") and makes up for the fact the airplanes are old and cabin staff are not up to the job. No regrets though and I will hopefully fly Olympic again. Low fares and free drinks!

Olympic Airlines review by  Denise Travers

10 March 2004

Four adults and a 20 month old flew with Olympic last August, from Heathrow to Skiathos, via Athens. The staff both ground and in flight were equally rude. We had delays going out to Athens and Skiathos of which only one was explained as they had overbooked the plane. We paid for a seat for my son - there was no food available for him - child or adult type. Our pram was lost on the way out. Return journey even worst due to industrial action - took us forever to get home, no info again, queuing for 6 hours for new flight then told had to queue again for accommodation. Slept on the airport floor with a young child. Flight following morning delayed another 4 hours then an additional 2, once finally on the plane tickets were not for specific seats therefore our party could not sit together, I had to make a real fuss so that I could sit with my young son. Another couple of hours delay once on the plane followed. No empathy, support or concern for any families with young children or financial assistance for nappies, milk etc. Have written to customer services with full details 5 times and any other address and email address of the company I can think of. Absolutely no response. Will never ever fly with Olympic again. How are this airline going to promote themselves and provide a good service during the Olympics - shoddy, shoddy, shoddy.

Olympic Airlines review by  C Chai

26 February 2004

I flew with this airline from London Heathrow to Cairo via Athens in December 2003. It made me wonder whether this airline is in serious financial difficulties - the planes looked old and tired both inside out (A300 on LHR-ATH and B737 on ATH-CAI). There was hardly any inflight entertainment - no TV, no music and not even an inflight magazine!! The good things were meals were served on both legs, cabin crew were quite pleasant and a very good legroom in economy class.

Olympic Airlines review by  John Santone

4 February 2004

Olympic Airlines from Rome - Athens - Rome this past week. While my ticket said Olympic Airlines each of the aircrafts were marked as "Macedonian Airlines." On board and at the gate, however, all of the announcements identified the flight as Olympic Airlines. The service was fine and the flight attendants were gracious. The food was passable but always cold. The aircraft was old, and the seats somewhat tight even for myself who has a small frame. Overall, the price was right and I'd fly Olympic Airlines - Macedonian Airlines - whoever they were, again.

Olympic Airlines review by  Matteo Fagatto

2 February 2004

OA form Rome to Tel Aviv via Athens only two weeks ago. My comments on OA service is quite good, even if I had some bad experience during the flight. The flight from Athens to Tel Aviv had a 3-hour-delay, due to "crew shortage", as the OA ground staff told us. These were my bad experiences with OA, but I have to say that the rest was really ok - the staff was well trained and polite, I really appreciated the food, planes are not bad. And, OA is really cheap compared with other airlines!

Olympic Airlines review by  Benedetta Bizzini

22 January 2004

The planes in most cases are old and simply horrible! The crew unpleasant and not willing to help! The food average and it's really a shame to use such old equipment (trays, coffee pot, etc.). The prices are always competitive but the truth is that Olympic is a third world experience!

Olympic Airlines review by  Nora Hamade

25 December 2003

My husband and I flew OA from Beirut to Montréal via Athens. We were greatly disappointed by the service and the unprofessional attitude of the cabin crew. When we reached Athens airport, there was a two hour delay for the departure. During take off from Athens, the captain announced the usual itinerary of the flight. After the announcement many passengers started arguing and shouting with the crew. We did not understand the reason. But we overheard one flight attendant saying to some angry passengers "we will try to do it". Nevertheless, the service during this flight was poorly graded: the cabin crew were very arrogant. Despite of this, my seat could not recline. After complaining, the only answer that I received was that the plane was full. So I was obliged to stay on a 90 degree chair for the whole ten hour trip. 35 minutes before arriving to Montréal, which was according to the computerized map on the TV screen in front of each passenger, the captain made an announcement stating that the plane will be landing in Toronto first, prior to Montreal. The passengers flying to Toronto were overwhelmed and started applauding. One of the passengers heading to Montréal, had a cardiac malaise and was treated by doctors from Toronto Airport after landing. The whole stop in Toronto airport exceeded two and a half hours despite the captain announcement of a 45 minute stop over. This was the worst trip we ever had.

Olympic Airlines review by  Dimitris Taros

8 October 2003

I have flown Olympic Airways several times and I have found that the cabin staff on every flight has been with out exception incompetent and rude. As a Greek living in the United States and Canada I suggest not to fly Olympic Airways, if you have the choice. One would think that a change of customer service attitude would be in order, but with Olympic I am afraid no change has  taken place. I have flown in Latin America on airlines with less money and passengers that were brilliant in comparison to my native countries airline.

Olympic Airlines review by  Katherine King

25 September 2003

My experiences on Olympic have always been mediocre to outright horrific. The airline seems to go out of its way to be rude to the passengers. After a recent flight, when they lost my baggage and showed little effort to retrieve it, I tried writing to the customer service desk and it was a faulty address! It didn't surprise me that a company so lacking in professionalism would do such a thing.

Olympic Airlines review by  Henning Pfisterer

30 August 2003

On more than 50 flights on the route ATH-MUC I experienced Olympic as reliable and value for money airline. Most flights have arrived ahead of schedule or on-time at the worst. I only experienced two delays in obvious adverse weather conditions. Economy Class standard is superior to all competitors on intra-european services in respect of meal quality and quantity as well as in legroom. I also appreciated the footrest provided in B737-400 economy class seats. Business class service deserves its name contrary to Lufthansa on the same route. Lounge access is provided and drinks are served before take-off. The cabin interior design of the B717 is very pleasant. I always prefer Olympic over Lufthansa on flights between Germany and Greece.

Olympic Airlines review by  R Homsy

22 July 2003

I have flown OA and found them to be good value for money. The airline offers generous amounts for refreshments. Stop bitching about OA and write about airlines worth complaining about (JAT, Syrian Airlines etc) - in contrast, OA is a good carrier.

Olympic Airlines review by  Philippe Armstrong

4 July 2003

I flew Olympic back in 2001 from Melbourne to Athens via Bangkok. The price of Olympic was much cheaper than SQ and LH so I booked it. Never again will I fly Olympic. The only good thing about Olympic was the good food, but the staff were very rude and spent most of their time smoking in the room at the back. It was the longest 22 hours I have had in my life. Also, no good entertainment and they played the same movie three times.

Olympic Airlines review by  B Grigat

27 June 2003

Last year (2002) in august we took OA from Berlin to Sydney. We decided to book the Business Class. It was really the best decision, as before we never have had such a comfortable flight. The service was very good, the hotels for the overnight stay (The MARGI, The Sofitel-Airport-Hotel) were extremely good.

Olympic Airlines review by  G Iliopoulos

20 May 2003

I have made four European (ATH-AMS, ATH-CDG and twice ATH-LHR) and several domestic roundtrips in economy class with Olympic Airways within the last year and have flown almost all their aircraft types (except the A340 and the Dornier228). I agree with the 3 star ranking, but I believe that they don't deserve anything less. It is true the flight attendants' attitude varies between rather indifferent and truly caring. Some seem to be disinterested, but others are friendly and helpful. Families with children always have priority in boarding, when they show up at the gate early - but calls made after the meal service are sometimes ignored, sometimes answered and this lack of consistency creates a rather bad image. However, one of their strongest points is the meals they offer, their quality and quantity being comparable -and many times better- than what other "majors" offer. I totally disagree with comments about inedible meals etc, especially now that the meals have been renewed. They are also very generous with the drinks service, allowing for a second or even a third helping. I never had any problem with special meals as well. The interiors of their 737s (and A300s to a lesser extent) look worn out, but as far as I know the aircraft are well maintained and I usually enjoy the extra legroom of the front economy seats, which can be allocated at the time of booking (at least for the frequent flyers). As far as the on-time performance is concerned,  there has been improvement in the recent years, with most flights arriving on-time or within 10-15 minutes of the scheduled arrival time, although they don't always depart on-time. Ground service is ok, but the delivery of luggage at the new Athens airport can be a time-consuming process during peak summer months. About their frequent flyer program, I believe it can be rewarding for people living in Greece, or those who travel often between their country and Greece. Only a few cooperations are available (with Avis and occasionally some hotels in Greece), thus making it worthless for people living abroad, unless they fly to Greece or connect through Athens very often. Finally, I have to comment on their domestic flights. Those operated by jet aircraft (B717, B737 and A300-600) are most of the times ok. The ones operated by turboprops (ATR42/72) are another story though, often showing delays especially during the peak summer months. In conclusion, I will fly Olympic Airways again, given that the price for European flights is usually lower than their competitors and their service, although not exciting, is comparable to that offered by other respected airlines I have flown.