QUESTION: Athens Airport efficiency?!
 

Hi, going to be travelling to/from Athens with a toddler. Just curious how efficient the place is. If its like Hong Kong, then I have no worries getting the 08.45 flight to Spain, but I think it wont be. And we not interested in getting up at 05:30 (obviously depends how far from the airport we are).

So can anyone who travels through there frequently chime in on the following please:

- getting from Central to the airport in the early morning
- online checking on Aegean or Vueling (hand luggage only)
- security queues
- immigration? (dont think so, this being Shengen to Shengen)
- layout of terminal, bus to gates?

thanks

As I remember a cab needs at least 30 minutes from downtown Athens to the airport. Locals told me during rush hour this can go up to 45 minutes in worst cases 60 minutes or more. The airport is quite far outside of the city. Security queues were not crazy but probably depend on the day of the week and the time of the day. So queues on a Monday morning are probably longer than Wednesday afternoon. Also it depends if its holiday season or not. There will be no passport control from Greece to Spain. Overall my feeling was that the airport was as efficient or not-efficient as any other large European airport which are all compared to Hong Kong probably all a bit chaotic due to limited space. So if you plan to arrive around 7:30 you should be fine if you are already checked in and go directly through security and to the gate. You should even have some buffer.

thanks, much appreciated and tallies what I read online.

Any way to find out if an the 08:45 Aegean flight to BCN leaves from an air bridge or a remote stand?

ATH is reasonably efficient (in my experience with two departures and two arrivals). Security lines were short and it was well organized. There are far worse airports in Europe (e.g., CDG).

just plan to get to the airport by 7:30 am, and expect security to take 15-20 minutes. Then you can have your coffee after security waiting for the flight.
Sorry but boarding gates are not even announced the day before the flight. Either direct bridge or bus, but better be at the gate when it is time to board (typically boarding starts 40 minutes before the flight)

As I recall from last year, the biggest difference I saw at Security, compared to other European airports, was a specific question about Olive Oil. I saw a bunch of arguments from people who seemed to think OO was somehow exempt from the 100 gram carry on limit. But there were plenty of operating lines and I wasn't delayed at all. My flight was a Friday midmorning departure to CDG, so no passport control.

ATH is very efficient. I've never been asked about olive oil, but the standard stupidity at security is that if they see a regular photocamera or a digital one that looks like a regular camera they ask to check it. Since this is not due to any regulation, it was perhaps the idea of the security manager and (s)he may no longer be there: I'm now travelling with a tiny digital camera, so have no idea whether they still do that check. Anyway, from the curb to a Schengen gate, when already checked-in (OLCI), should be less than 20-30 minutes.

Will be departing ATH next week- will have to keep an eye out for the madness of the Olive Oil. I'll probably have several liters with me, checked of course ;)

If I'm not terribly mistaken, the restriction of liquids in carry-ons is several years old, and it is as mad (or not) as all of the restrictions. There is a way out, though: buy it at the Duty-free store after security; you can then carry it freely.