MCT/Transit Athens Airport (Moscow-Athens-Santorini)
 

Hi! I will be traveling in march with Aegean from Moscow to Athens, scheduled landing at 16.45.. I'm considering to buy a separate ticket for the same day from Athens to Santorini departing at 19hs.

I'm not sure if I could take my medium size luggage (that may fit in the 56cmΧ45cmΧ25cm condition) as a cabin baggage. Sometimes they just send it to the hold, as RyanAir does, sometimes depending also on flight occupation.

In any case (as a hold baggage or cabin baggage), considering that I'm coming from Russia (not Schengen Zone) and I'll need a passport check....

do I have enough time for picking my bag (just in case), going trough customs and passports checks, making the transit, checking in (or register my baggage if needed)?

ps: Aegean allowed to reserve both flights but I thought it was better to buy the tickets separately because it was cheaper. Would it be an issue?

Thanks!

Assuming everything is on time, you'll be ok. If things are NOT on time, then you'll have problems. Do you feel lucky?

How much cheaper?

I agree with the previous poster. Chances are (90%?95%? 99%?) you will have more than enough time to make the connection, but if you don't... you might have to pay for ATH-JTR twice.

You can always ask the staff at the airport in Moscow if they are willing to check through luggage, although there is no guarantee they will do it.

Another option, if your travel is in late March: Ryanair switches operating their evening flight Athens to Santorini from 19h to a 23h departure around then. Gives you much more time if willing to fly them over Aegean.

Through check to ryanair? Ain't gonna happen.

The chance your flight from Moscow will be delayed is relatively small, as the incoming flight to DME should only have a single (domestic) flight behind it (or even none). Thus, the time left for connecting in ATH is more than enough: you'll have 2:15 hours available for something that should not take more than 30 minutes (even assuming they did not check your luggage through). Still, one never knows, and two tickets means, if something's wrong, that you'll loose your money if you won't make it. I'd personally choose the single ticket option and think of the up-price as a travel insurance...

No on two Aegean flights on seperate tickets.

I mentioned the Ryanair flight as a possibility if traveling the end of March as it would leave 4-5 hours in between flights, so lots of time to reclaim luggage and cater for a possible delay.

The biggest problem with taking the Ryanair flight, other than flying... Ryanair (;)), is that the flight arrives really late at JTR, which means that the OP will be travelling for about 12 hours.

That's true, just posted it as an option so OP can decide for him/herself. I think you are right that save some big delay there is plenty of time to catch the A3 connecting flight to Santorini. But some people perhaps don't mind some more security in taking a later flight.

And while obviously as an A3 frequent flyer I hugely prefer them, Ryanair isn't so bad on short distances, and they have the benefit of two pieces of hand luggage. More important: their presence in Greece keep A3 prices low ;)

Thank you guys. Some of you mentioned the Ryan Air's allowance of 2 hand luggage. I already travel with a medium size luggage which i pretend to fly with as a hand luggage but I'll probably have with me the bag of my camera too... Domestic flights (under Aegean's GoLight Fare) to Santorini does only allow a cabin bag (I will be traveling with 2) Based on your experience, Aegean may in the practice permit 2 hand luggage?

My "objection" to flying Ryanair was of a rather... philosophical nature (the company's philosophy). I've flown them a total of three times (between Italy and UK) and other than the constant sale of food, lottery tickets and anything else (very much reduced on my last flight one year ago), there was not much to complain about. Of course, buying a ticket on-line is another traumatic experience!

If your second bag is a small handbag or a camera bag, this is absolutely fine in practice. I've seen entire Aegean planeloads boarding with every single passenger having extra plastic bags full of Greek delicacies from renowned local patisseries, and even that never was any problem ;)