yonatan

I'm trying to get to TLV from the US and am considering taking advantage of a good *A business class fare to ATH. I'll break up the trip in London, so on the day in question, I plan to fly:
A3 LHR - ATH arriving 5:50 pm
LY ATH-TLV leaving 9:25 pm

The fare doesn't allow end-on-end so I have to ticket it as two separate PNR's. I unfortunately will need to check luggage at LHR.
I have never flown on A3 or through ATH and had the following questions:

1. Would A3 interline luggage to LY?
2. If A3 does not interline, will I need to go through passport control in order to pick up my luggage so I can check it in again with LY? Any guess as to how long it might take from landing to passport control to picking up luggage to showing up at LY check-in?
3. Is A3's on-time performance comparable to other major carriers?

Thanks!

irishguy28

1. No. [Not only are you NOT checking in with Aegean - they do not fly to the US - but interlining baggage is a service only intended for single tickets].
2. Yes [Except that you will go through "passport control" in both London AND Athens].
3. Yes.

But I would advise you to "break" your journey in Athens; spend a night there and continue to Tel Aviv the following day.

KLouis

Adding to irishguy28's correct answers, from gate to LY's CI desks it should take about 30 minutes maximum in ATH.

Also, why change airlines in ATH and not do all of the LHR-ATH-TLV itin on Aegean?

FlyEurope

He'd probably would have to sit aorund ATH until midnight. A 1750 arrival into ATH is too late to catch the 1630 afternoon depature to TLV

NWIFlyer

The OP is effectively starting this journey in London, so there will be no additional passport checks other than those at the gate. The UK does not have outgoing immigration - the departure data is collected electronically from the airlines.

Check-in at LHR T2 will be handled by A3, and there is an interlining agreement with LY, but I would equally be astonished if A3 uses it on separate tickets - the industry as a whole is going away from this and insisting on single tickets.

There will certainly be passport control in ATH, even on a non-Schengen to non-Schengen itinerary, and actually this would apply even if the luggage was checked through.

irishguy28

No; LHR is the connection point on their USA-LHR-ATH ticket.

All transfers at LHR require a passport check.

It's not an "official" Border Force check, but I seem to recall that any international transfer I have ever made at LHR required the passport to be shown at some point of the transfer process.

My understanding was that the ticket to ATH was particularly keenly priced; hence the journey to ATH, when the real destination was TLV.

NWIFlyer

With respect, you may wish to re-read the OP's opening post, where he states there is a break in London following the flight from the US and the starting point for the day is LHR.

Only at the departure gate to the gate agent as you board, or if originating potentially at check-in to verify eligibility to enter the country the passenger is visiting. For time planning purposes, this simply does not come into the equation. I can promise you I have done this many, many times at LHR on international-international connections and there is no requirement to show a passport until boarding. There is always security unless connecting from a domestic flight.

Often1

OP should be careful and not characterize his time at ATH as a "connection" because it is not. If he calls A3 to ask whether it will interline on a "connection" the answer will be "yes".

A3 has the capacity to interline to LY because they have an interline baggage agreement. But, it would be extraordinary for A3 to do so across separate tickets. Thus, OP must plan on entering Greece, retrieving his luggage and carting it to LY to check in for his second ticket. LY will see him as a passenger originating at ATH just as if he were driving out to the airport.

The ontime record of the flight is not helpful as all that matters is schedule on the day of travel. This is all about risk tolerance as it is OP who bears all the risks of a delay and no show for his LY ticket.

:D!

If LY was in Star Alliance there would be no problem with interlining luggage from A3 on separate tickets, but unfortunately it is not. Done it a few times recently though I allowed ample time between flights to recheck just in case.

UK outgoing "passport control" seems to be becoming more common, although it is just Border Force officers standing at the gate doing visual inspections. In the past 6 months, experienced it twice myself, and seen officers congregating around departure gates several more times. Previous experience was about 4 years ago.

irishguy28

In that case, there is most definitely a full passport check when the OP enters the UK for their stopover/layover!

VizeL

Not the OP but curious -- will I need a schengen visa/have to get stamped in? I am on 90/180 days already and cannot enter Schengen, but have a flight passing through ATH to IST. (LCA-ATH-IST).

Based off this (https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/transit-schengen-visa/)

I assumed not, but possibly passport control is separate and are only checking that its not stolen, etc.?

Thanks for any help

NWIFlyer

All flights at ATH end up at the Arrivals level. Rather than rely on a generic website, put all your details into Timatic - which the airlines use to determine eligibility - and it’ll tell you what you need.

I’ve not personally ever done a non-Schengen to non-Schengen transfer at ATH, but iirc there are two sets of passport booths so one of them may well go to the non-Schengen gates. Others here will, I’m sure, tell you for certain.