DELLAS

Ryanair are starting to accept cash for bookings at their ticket desk at ATH! It seems that Greek issued cards are failing on their website . All foreign cards are fine though for ex Greece purchases.

jbfield

That's because foreign transactions aren't permitted to prevent capital outflows. Ryanair process payments via anoffshore centre, probably in Ireland, even for domestic Greece flights.

Same problems being reported for Paypal Bank transfers, Google and Amazon.

Knobbgb

There certainly seems to be an increase in card transactions in the larger supermarkets here. I can't comment on restaurants, but on my last 3 or 4 visits to the supermarket there have been long queues - not because of panic buying but because they are just not geared up to take card payments. Outside big cities, cash is still king and most people here (including those in bars, tavernas and hotels) are paid in cash. It is VERY rare to see a local Greek (or ex-pat) use a credit card (Greek tourists from the mainland may be different). The issue for the businesses IS getting their hands quickly on the cash to pay their suppliers and staff. Anyway, the supermarkets here cannot accept card payment at the checkouts so the teller has to take you off to an office in the back to process your payment. That's what's causing the queues.

Sorry if this is off-topic but it's an interesting insight into Greek card-use habits.

DELLAS

I think it also applies somewhat to the larger cities too. Funny when I look back on my habits when going back to Athens I mostly use cash. I think its just because thats the norm. In the UK and Ireland I use card for 70% of my transactions especially with the introduction of contactless its so handy.

Greece just is not set up the same way to accept card payments as widely as the UK/Ireland etc...

Last time the only card payment I can remember was when I got a large amount of shopping at Sklavenitis for around EUR90.

irishguy28

The Economist recently posted a graph showing that Greece had one of the lowest usage levels of electronic payments in Europe:

irishguy28

So, I'm in the SAS lounge at Oslo, awaiting my first-ever A3 flight.

There was a huge line at the checkin desk (which I did not really need to visit, as I have checked in online and have no checked luggage; but I like to have a "proper" boarding pass; though here it turns out to be rather disappointing, as it is just printed on generic blank paper. I'll try again at ATH tomorrow ahead of my onward flight).

Anyways, particularly when they saw that I had an overnight layover, they told me that they were overbooked and looking for volunteers to travel on a later SAS flight in 5 hours, on the payment of €400 and an offer of a free ticket. Given that I'm travelling in business, I asked if the SAS ticket would be in business too - but it was not. The €400 was tempting - it's more than I paid for this ticket - but it would interfere with my A3 requalification, amd rob me of valuable hours in Athens. So I declined.

PS: Avinor appears not yet to have bothered loading the A3 logo into their departure screen database:

DELLAS

Good for A3 that they are overbooked ^

KLouis

I find the Greek figure "correct", i.e. I also hardly ever use any plastic while here. What I find strange is the Italian figure that is also very low. While in Italy I noticed that many people in supermarkets, gas stations, restaurants, etc. were using their debit cards (almost everybody!). As a matter of fact, a few months ago Italy passed a law that obliges all businesses to accept debit and credit cards for all transactions, independent of the amount to be charged. In a related story, when the Greek Government spoke a few weeks ago about a mandatory use of plastic for transactions above 70 Euro (an attempt at getting the VAT "booked"), there was a national outcry with arguments such as "how will the poor old people pay their bills: they don't know how to use a card". What? Well, it is indeed amazing that this morning TV channels were giving non-stop stories on how pensioners who can't/won't use their cash cards are trying to figure out how to get to money by going to a few banks that are open for this (and only this) purpose.

Stewie Mac

Or indeed sometime beyond, it seems. The ongoing saga goes on...

DELLAS

To be honest I do have sympathy with the elderly especially in rural areas that are not so tech savvy as us. Even in the most tech savvy nations like the UK many pensioners rely on collecting their money from the Post Office/Banks rather than ATMs or doing things online.

I dont think people should be forced to pay via card to be honest. Whats to say that if they buy things for EUR100 they wont just split it into two EUR50 cash transactions. Unless of course its one high value item.

Knobbgb

This...

http://www.mnec.gr/?q=el%2Fnews%2Fne...84%CF%8E%CE%BD

...issued this morning by the ministry of finance states that it is mandatory for any organisation who has the means to accept credit cards to continue to accept them for ANY transaction while the banks are closed and there are severe fines for those who refuse to accept cards. So that answers some of the questions up thread about merchants possibly reverting to cash-only.

DELLAS

Aegean have also introduced a free ticket change policy for those who need to change their flights due to the referendum on Sunday. Also full refund if can't travel.


http://el.aegeanair.com/i-etaireia/g...neou/?prid=193

nk15

Transavia and Easyjet, too.

DELLAS

Extra flights from London Stansted and Brussels in order for Greek citizens to participate in the referendum of 5th July


Kifissia, 2 July 2015

AEGEAN aiming to enable Greek citizens to participate in the referendum of 5th July, has scheduled extra flights from and to Brussels and London Stansted and offers round trip economy class tickets from Brussels for €199 and from London Stansted for £148 without luggage. Fees and airport taxes are included in the offer.

The flight schedule is as follows:

Saturday 4 July 2015:

A3604 Athens – London Stansted 06:30 08:00

A3605 London Stansted – Athens 08:45 - 14:00

A3624 Athens – Brussels 14:50 -17:20

A3625 Brussels – Athens 18:05 22:30



Friday 6 July 2015

A3604 Athens – London Stansted 07:30 - 09:00

A3605 London Stansted – Athens 09:45 15:00

A3624 Athens – Brussels 15:50 18:20

A3625 Brussels – Athens 19:05 23:30

MSPeconomist

Is there some belief, or even evidence, regarding how Greeks abroad are likely to vote? If so, does it coincide with the way A3 hopes the vote will go?

I can guess how some Greek people I know who live abroad are likely to vote, but I don't think these would be a representative sample.