Olympic Trims Flights

Responding to a sharp decrease in passengers from the United States, and to a general drop in tourism, Olympic Airways has announced it will cut flights by at least 20%. This affects both OA international flights and flights within Greece.

Cronus, Aegean, and Axon will make similar temporary adjustments in their flight schedules. Cyprus-based Cypriot Airlines is expected to follow suit though they have not yet made a formal announcement, the Macedonian Press Agency reports.

This move comes at the time of year when airline schedules are naturally cut back as the summer tourist season ends, but these cuts are in addition to the normal scaling down of operations for fall and winter.

However, Olympic Airways is also adding occasional "special" flights, so, more than ever, checking with the airline is crucial.

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What's the Effect on Your Travel?
This move immediately reduces the chances of outstanding deals on airfare, as the supply is being adjusted to closely match demand during this period. There should still be some good bargains, but the prices won't be as low and the seats won't be as numerous.

While this move is temporary, further cutbacks could occur. What's your best strategy? Try to avoid tight connections immediately after arriving in Athens or just before leaving Greece. Schedule whatever is most crucial to you - whether it is sightseeing, family visits, or business meetings - toward the middle of your trip.

Travel to some islands will be more challenging, as the hydrofoils stop operating in the fall and ferry stops decrease sharply, sometimes to just one or two visits a week to the smaller or less tourist-intense islands. There is no word yet on whether ferries will add additional stops, but with the general slowdown at this time of year, the number of affected passengers who would normally be flying probably will not be enough to make it worthwhile for ferry operators to do so.

Note: Olympic Airways does not automatically honor tickets for cancelled flights or if you show up for a different flight. A new ticket must be issued if a flight is cancelled. Use these numbers:
From the USA call 1-800 2231226 (toll free)
From Greece call 0801-44444 (local charge), +30 1 9666666
From the UK call +44 87 0606 0460

As of this writing, Monday, September 24th, information on the flight cancellations has not reached the airline websites. Don't begin to trust the schedules unless they show a recent revision date; your best bet is to call the airlines to confirm if your flights are affected.