Good destinations for 1-2 days for a 4-sector run?
 

I've been lucky enough to be Aegean Gold / Star Gold for 3 years. This is great as I fly quite a bit on SAS and LH through the year. First was comp'ed then downgraded then I made it back the long mileage way (no A3 sectors.) Last year I re-qualified by doing a 1 night stay in Kos from BRU as I was a few miles short of the 24k. It's a long time since I was in greece and I really loved it for a short trip and am thinking to proactively book a 1-2 night stay this year as a jolly/sector-run.

Any recommendations for a short break destinations that are a connection onward from ATH on OA or A3, not crazy expensive and not too much hassle to/from the airport?

I was thinking Chania maybe? Will be a solo-traveller for the sector run, I like nice food, wine and maybe a few drinks in a bar after.

KGS - Kos - €30 taxi to Kardemena / hotels about €60
CHQ - Chania - €30 to Chania town / hotels around €60
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I enjoyed Heraklion (HER). Nice place and some good history to explore too. Santorini (JTR) is spectacular but also quite a pricy destination unless you go right out of season. While it’s not an island Thessaloniki (SKG) has plenty going on too.

Considering Paros for my annual jaunt. Coupled with the upgraded vouchers these are a pleasure and never a chore and it’s fun exploring more of Greece.

I hadn't considered HER or SKG, I''ll check them out on the fare finder. Thanks! I did consider JTR but I think I would end up divorced if I didn't take the other half there hahaha..

No problem with a divorce with respect to A3 and M&B: next time you could fly to Myconos and have a clean conscience! ;) At any rate, add to your list Corfu and Rhodes if you want a "big" city. By the way, Corfu and Chania are perhaps the most beautiful large cities in Greece. Worth more than an overnight stay.

Season does really affect the pricing. when are you looking to do the 4 segments?
January is drastically cheaper than June.

Don't miss out on Chania! Corfu is very nice too!

Looks like Chania is the best bet price wise - €240 all-in return for an up-gradable fare. The hotels and restaurants look great too. A bargain for securing StarGold through Oct 2021 (and a bit of a Jolly too!) Thanks all - I notice a lot of BMI folks in here too :D

Interested to hear how you find Chania.

A3 does feel a bit like a retirement home for former Diamond Club members 😉 Despite some of the recent changes it still offers outsized value to me.

I'm also looking to do a jolly/sector-run sometime in early 2020! I've done Rhodes and Heraklion in the past. Chania also looks nice :)

I also can say Chania is very nice place. It has old venetian architecture and during the winter is very cheap.
By the way A3 also offers very cheap prices when flying xxx-ATH-CDG or xxx-ATH-IST (or vice versa for IST). For example sometimes you can fing SOF-ATH-CDG or even IST-ATH-CDG with airfare just 9 EUR + 33 EUR taxes on their website so it could be even cheaper bought from somewhere else.

P.S. Last year I helped my status in A3 with flights like DUB-ATH-MAD with 1 night in ATH. Instead of 2 sectors it also brings about 2500 miles booked on the cheapest classes - U, P or T.

Thanks for the tip!

Well....! It's that time of year again :D sector run time!

I had a fantastic deal booked for 25-27th Sept to CHQ to renew status with a lovely city center hotel that just fell apart when the Dutch government put ALL Greek islands on the quarantine list. Absolutely gutted. I was looking forward to spending a full day by the pool and a great dinner and Greek wine somewhere. Mainland is still permitted though so I booked to SKG instead. (which is really crazy from a Covid POV - a small island town vs. a busy city..)

Anyway.. I have no idea about Thessaloniki. I saw there's some nice hotels near and south of the airport, though maybe it would be nice to be closer to a town center. Does anybody have any recommendations for where I should stay and if there are any MUST SEEs for Thessaloniki? A Greek dinner recommendation would be welcome too.

Well you can still fly to the islands. Its just that things like insurance might work differently (or not at all).
The crazy thing is that Thessaloniki has been quite a hotspot too, definitely more than some of the islands (though not sure how it compares to Crete).

Personally I'm not very familiar with the city... but I do know that it is well known for its cuisine. Probably very different from the island style that you were hoping to find, but hopefully good/nice nonetheless.

You can rent a car and drive down two hours to Chalkidiki. There are nice beaches and it is a touristic area with hotels and apartments. Thessaloniki is not that spectacular and in my opinion you have seen everything there within a few hours.

I was there yesterday but just close to Airport (Iris hotel) and just for one night, needed last 4 segments to be G. Defo go to the city, place close to airport is not what I want to repeat. Nothing against, just there is nothing special to do. City is city.

The Archaeological Museum is a "must": the finds of the Vergina tombs are simply amazing!!!

Yes, it looked a bit remote.. I saw the Hyatt Regency looked nice if I was just to sit by the pool all day (also an option!)

Yes, I thought it was a bit bizarre. 8 teenagers on boys holiday caught it in Crete and then brought it back. Thessaloniki is worse, but for NL not on the quarantine list (situation is not great here in NL either, to be fair. I am probabaly a higher risk than any local in Crete or mainland!)

Nice idea - I'll check that out. I have a few Avis promotions I think too..

Great! That sounds like a good way to spend a few hours. I quite like to learn about the destinations I go to and my knowledge of Greek history is virtually zero, which is a shame.

Thank you all for your constructive and great ideas - this is why this forum is a super place ^

Thessaloniki's archaeological museum is definitely a must and if you're into Byzantine history that one is superb as well. For accommodation I'd recommend The Caravan B&B - it's urban and bright and the central Electra Palace has recently been renovated. Two restaurant recommendations: Charoupi and Sempriko. And I wouldn't miss renting a bike and riding up and down the promenade :)

Good old Bmi took me to places I never knew I wanted to go ;) Those M+C USA deals are sadly missed . In terms of requal A3 is better IMHO.

Ahh.. BMI miles and cash.. I ran out of vacation days before I could spend my miles! I used a chunk to send my parents on a C & F (Swiss!) round trip to Mexico twice - they'd never been out of economy before :D I still had a large chunk left to convert to Avios..

A3 re-qualification is perfect. I fly frequently on Star Alliance, but only short haul, low economy. I would never make Gold the long route, but desperately want Gold for the lounge and fast track to make the frequent economy short haul more bearable. A 1-2 night mileage run adventure to Greece each year is fun, especially as I usually manage to use my upgrade coupons too!

I did not want to start a new thread so I am asking my questions here. We are planning to book LHR-ATH-XXX, and XXX-ATH-CDG. Any recommendations will be welcome . Apr 2 first departure and April 4/5 second departure.

Not knowing what you're after (e.g. culture? hiking? etc.) I will not recommend anything in particular but give you a small warning: This is the non-orthodox Easter weekend, so both numbers of passengers and prices will sky-rocket! Act fast!!!

No hiking, just relaxation and eating yummy greek food. Thats why I want to book now using the vouchers they provided us for the cancelled trip this year.




Been to Heraklion, SKG, Kefalonia already.

Rhodes or Kos, perhaps? Lots to see as well and nice for strolls.

Thank you will start looking at these 2 as well as Corfu.

Look at Chania as well, very different from Heraklion. :)

Thank you will do, so close to booking not done yet.

I visited both in late November last year, just before [waves at everything] all this kicked off. Yes, they are significantly different, and both are worth a visit.

I was supposed to go to Chania but Crete got negative travel advice just before departure so went to SKG. CHQ flight timings are good too, at least from AMS. I'd done some research and the food looks great.

Rhodes (Old) Town is very pretty and atmospheric. Well worth a visit. Lindos is stunning but very very touristy. I though the food in Crete better than Rhodes.

If you are planning a longer break we loved Symi, a short ferry ride on from Rhodes.

I am now trying to book:

LHR -RHO May 1
RHO-AMS May 4 or 5

It seems that I am getting K for the first segment but I keep getting T for the second segment. I wanted to book for May 2021 using the vouchers given to me. Do I have to call them? Trying to avoid U P T

Only if you are happy to pay the 20€ fee.