If you travel much to Greece, chances are you signed up at some point for Icarus, the frequent-flyer miles program for Olympic Airlines.
With the sale to MIG going through by the end of September, Olympic Airlines is asking all of its frequent-flyer club members to redeem their miles. After September 30th, the miles and tickets bought with them will no longer be valid. Here's the letter I received:
"As you may be aware, Olympic Airlines will enter into liquidation and a new privately owned Airline Olympic Air will be established.
Consequently, we would like to inform you that the accumulated miles of Icarus Program of Olympic Airlines must be redeemed for domestic and international flights until the September 30th of 2009*.
To request an award ticket please contact by
e-mail:
Olympicairlines.telephone.sales@olympicairlines.gr
or fax:
0030-210-96 66 244 (US callers use 011-30-210-96-66-244)
*All flights must have been completed until the 30th of September 2009
The ICARUS FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM will be terminated on 30th of September 2009.
Taking the opportunity we would like to express our appreciation for your continuous support during all those years.
Sincerely,
Olympic Airlines
As problematic as travel with Olympic has sometimes been for all of us traveling to Greece, I can't help but feel a pang now that it is really, really changing. Sentimental, I know! Here's to a bright future for Olympic Air.
Up and coming airline
Athens Airways has added more destinations, including Rhodes, Zakynthos, and Cefalonia. Can we really hope for a fully competitive domestic marketplace in Greece? With Olympic, Aegean and now Athens Airways competing on some routes, there are finally some new options for flights to and between the Greek islands - and that's great news for travelers to Greece.
Despite a
major undersea earthquake striking south of Crete, the deep tremor did little damage and most Cretans didn't feel it, despite a range of Richter scale estimates between about 5.9 and 6.7. As luck would have it, I'm on the south coast of Crete at the moment and didn't feel the quake. The only possible evidence I've seen or heard of so far are more than the usual number of fallen rocks along the roads and some eels and dead fish washing up on shore.
More on Earthquakes in Crete and Greece
Is your family at
that age - with the youngest no longer too young to travel, and the eldest almost slipping into adulthood? It may be the perfect time to
travel with your kids in Greece. One caveat - for many years there was no official drinking age in Greece. Now it's 18 years old. And while some parents may not mind a late-teen grabbing a Greek beer that would be illegal back home, it's another story when they come back to the table with a bottle of
ouzo.
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