Aegean Business Class Review: London to Athens (+ €175 Upgrade Bid)

Published: 25th of September 2026.
This is not a sponsored post & I am not affiliated with any of the hotels, restaurants or organisations mentioned.

European Business Class can be a slightly strange proposition. On a three-and-a-half-hour flight, you are not getting a lie-flat seat or the kind of dramatic upgrade that comes with long-haul Business Class. So, when we recently flew Aegean Airlines from London Heathrow T2 to Athens, I was curious to see whether the extra cost actually felt worthwhile.

There’s one important detail, though. We didn’t originally book Business Class.

Instead, we were invited to bid for an upgrade and ended up paying €175 per person to move from Economy to Business Class.

Was it worth it? Also, as I am sure many of you are wondering, how does the experience compare to BA Club Europe on the same route?

Let’s begin.

BIDDING FOR AN AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADE

We booked our Aegean flights only about a week before travelling. Shocking, I know, but my husband and I love to live dangerously! Anyway, the day after booking, we received an email inviting us to bid for a Business Class upgrade. This is what Aegean calls the ‘Aegean Upgrade Challenge’.

Aegean’s bidding system is pretty straightforward. You click the link on the email which takes you to a webpage with a slider showing the amount you can offer. The starting offer is set at €150 per person and it is labelled as a ‘Low’. The amount could be increased considerably, or you can skip the bidding process altogether and pay €280 per person for an instant upgrade. You have to insert card details to make the offer, but if your offer is rejected, you do not get charged.

I decided to bid €175 per person. The offer was still categorised as ‘Low’, so I wasn’t particularly confident that it would be accepted. But it was!

We received confirmation around 24 hours before departure that our bid had been successful, and you bet that informed my packing decisions! Being able to have two pieces of hand luggage meant that I did not have to stress about putting everything I need on my small handbag, and sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big difference.

Note that in Business Class you are also allowed to have two pieces of checked luggage. Sadly, we didn’t take advantage of that, because our return flight was already booked with Ryanair… to keep us humble!

AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS CHECK-IN

Aegean operates from The Queen’s Terminal, T2 at London Heathrow, which is also home to a number of Star Alliance airlines.

One thing worth knowing is that the Aegean Business Class check-in desks open exactly three hours before departure. If you arrive earlier than that, you can use the self-service check-in machines, but you may miss out on having your luggage tagged as Priority.

For a Business Class passenger, that’s worth keeping in mind if you’re arriving at Heathrow particularly early.

STAR ALLIANCE LOUNGE OPTIONS AT HEATHROW T2

Aegean Airlines does not operate their own Business Class lounge at Heathrow. However, you have access to the Star Alliance lounges in Terminal 2 (since Aegean is part of Star Alliance).

You have a choice of three:

• Lufthansa Lounge
• Singapore Airlines Lounge
• Air Canada Lounge

The Lufthansa lounge is the most convenient if you’re heading towards the gates normally used by Aegean, while the Singapore Airlines and Air Canada lounges are further away.

That said, neither is particularly difficult to reach. We found it took around 15 minutes to get over to the other side of the terminal, and the Singapore Airlines and Air Canada lounges are conveniently located opposite one another.

Both are very good options, and we actually visited both on this trip. I’ll be reviewing them separately because they deserve a bit more attention than I can give them here. Sadly, our lounge hopping didn’t extend to the Lufthansa lounge, but I am sure that will happen at some point in the near future.

For now, the important thing to note is that Aegean Business Class gives you plenty of very good choices when it comes to the Heathrow lounge experience.

THE AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS CABIN, SEAT & AMENITIES

Aegean uses the typical European Business Class configuration on this route, a 2-2 layout with the middle seat blocked. In other words, the physical seat is essentially the same as Economy, but the middle seat is kept free and a small table is placed on it. It’s not a revolutionary Business Class seat, but there was a surprising amount of space.

Once the plane reaches cruising altitude, the Business Class cabin is separated from Economy with curtains, and the WC next to the cockpit can only be used by Business Class passengers (and the pilots, obviously).

LEGROOM

One thing I immediately noticed was that the legroom felt very good. In fact, I thought it was better than British Airways on the London – Athens route.

For me, this is probably one of the most important things on a short European flight. I’m not expecting a lie-flat bed, but having enough space to sit comfortably for three and a half hours makes a noticeable difference.

SMALL DETAILS THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE

There were a few thoughtful touches around the seat that I appreciated:

• USB-A charging port,
• a handy holder for a phone or tablet on the back of the table,
• a coat holder, which is useful when you’re trying not to squash a jacket into your hand luggage.

The cabin was quite warm, so I was very glad that individual air vents were available. I ended up using mine throughout the flight.

One thing I absolutely loved was the inflight magazine. It’s a proper, thick magazine with plenty to read (all the articles are in both Greek and English). I know airlines are constantly trying to reduce weight and move everything onto passengers’ phones, but I really hope Aegean doesn’t get rid of it. There is something quite nice about sitting on a plane, putting your phone away and actually having something substantial to read. It’s a surprisingly old-school touch, and one I appreciated.

AEGEAN’S FREE WI-FI

Another pleasant surprise was the Wi-Fi.

Aegean offers free Wi-Fi for Business Class passengers. Once I connected, it worked extremely well. I was able to stream YouTube, check my emails and generally use the internet without any problems.

For a short flight, having reliable Wi-Fi makes the time pass very quickly, and I was impressed by how well it performed.

AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS DINING & SERVICE

PRE-DEPARTURE DRINKS

Before departure, Business Class passengers were offered a choice of:

• Water
• Orange juice
• Sparkling wine

Pre-departure drinks were served in an actual glass rather than plastic, which sounds like a tiny detail but does make the experience feel a little more premium.

THE MEAL

The meal service started with a hot towel. It had a lovely lavender scent, which was a particularly nice touch. Paper menus were also provided, explaining the options in detail. Interestingly, along with the menu, the crew also handed out two sheets of quality paper presenting two Greek recipes from famous Greek chefs, to take with us! Charming!

The meal was presented very nicely, with a tablecloth (though not linen, rather a good quality disposable), proper cutlery and glassware.

I had the beef dish and it was delicious. What I particularly liked was how much the meal leaned into Greek ingredients rather than trying to replicate a generic airline Business Class meal. There was a generous amount of olive oil and olive tapenade, as well as local cheeses.

It felt like a good showcase of Greek food, which is exactly what I want from an airline flying between London and Athens.

And then there was dessert. If you’re a chocolate lover, you would have been very happy with this one.

A selection of wines and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages was also available.

Overall, I thought the food was better than what I’ve experienced in British Airways Club Europe on a similar flight, although obviously this can vary depending on the particular menu and your own personal taste.

SERVICE

The service was courteous and efficient throughout the flight.

One of the flight attendants in particular was an absolute sweetheart. She kept smiling throughout the service and had a genuinely warm manner.

I’ve flown with Aegean several times, both in Economy and Business Class, and one thing I’ve consistently noticed is that the crew are polite and particularly good with families and children.

AND ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE

The only slight disappointment was the lack of a second drinks service. The cabin lights were dimmed at around 7:30pm London time, and there wasn’t another drinks round afterwards.

On a three-and-a-half-hour flight, I would have appreciated another opportunity to order a drink before landing. And I am not necessarily talking about alcohol! As I mentioned before, the cabin was quite warm and I could have used a small bottle of water. Other than ringing the call bell (which I personally don’t like doing) or going to the galley myself, there was literally no opportunity of asking for one.

PRIORITY DISEMBARKATION

When we landed in Athens, one of the flight attendants hurried to the back of the business class cabin to make sure that Economy passengers didn’t start leaving before the Business Class passengers. So, priority disembarkation is indeed a thing.

Moreover, because we were parked at a bus gate, there was also a separate bus specifically for Business Class passengers. Our luggage, having been tagged as priority on check-in also appeared first on the carousel.

All in all, we really did get the full priority treatment right until the end, and that is greatly appreciated.

European style business class does not have the bells and whistles of Middle Eastern or Asian carriers with regard to the hard product, so the service and additional offerings really need to justify the price point.

AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS VS. BA CLUB EUROPE: LHR TO ATH

So, how does Aegean Business Class compare with British Airways on the London – Athens route?

It’s close, and I think both airlines offer a perfectly good Business Class experience on this route.

BA also offers great lounge options at Heathrow along with priority check-in (and T5 is BA’s home turf, so there’s more scale to their whole operation there compared to any Star Alliance airline flying from London), generous luggage allowance, priority disembarkation procedures and, soon, with Starlink, free and fast Wi-Fi. If you wish to know more, make sure to read my experiences with BA Club Europe, my review of BA’s lounges at Heathrow T5 as well as our wonderful BA long-haul flight to Hong Kong on Club Suite.

Personally, I thought Aegean had the edge in terms of legroom and I preferred the food on our particular flight. But those are both based on my individual experience and could vary depending on the aircraft, menu and flight. Nevertheless, BA does excel at drinks services on board and the meals and service are generally of a good standard.

THE DECIDING FACTOR

So, for me, price would be a major deciding factor between Aegean Business Class and BA Club Europe. And there lies the intrigue. Aegean has one particularly interesting advantage if you’re prepared to take a gamble: the upgrade bidding system.

As I explained in the beginning of this post, rather than paying the full Business Class fare, you can make an offer and potentially end up with a significantly cheaper upgrade. In our case, €175 per person got us Business Class, despite the instant upgrade price being €280.

It’s worth noting that when it comes to Aegean’s Upgrade Challenge (in other words, the bidding process), Aegean’s Terms and Conditions state (at the time of writing) ‘The Airline may accept your offer any time between ninety-six (96) and seven (7) hours prior to the scheduled flight departure time.’ This means that if you like to pack many days in advance and be confident on your luggage allowance, the Upgrade challenge, may be quite the challenge for you indeed!

On another note, if price is not really a consideration for you, consider this. There’s something quite appealing about flying Aegean when travelling to Greece. The Greek food, ingredients and little touches make the flight feel like part of the holiday rather than simply a way of getting there. Likewise, British Airways has its own distinctly British character, which can be a nice introduction to London for visitors.

So, if you’re choosing between the two, look at the overall price, schedule, airport experience and the value you place on the particular Business Class benefits rather than assuming one will always be better than the other.

AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGES IN ATHENS

Last but not least, if you’re travelling in the opposite direction, there is another factor to consider.

If you’re flying Athens to London, Aegean Business Class gives you access to the Aegean lounges at Athens Airport. I’ve always thought the Aegean lounges were one of the airline’s strong points, particularly because of the food.

In fact, I think the food in the Aegean lounge is some of the best I’ve experienced in an airport lounge. I’ve also heard very good things about the Aegean Non-Schengen lounge at Athens Airport, although I haven’t personally experienced it yet.

So, if you’re starting your journey in Athens, the lounge experience can add another significant benefit to the Business Class ticket.

FINAL THOUGHTS: WAS AEGEAN BUSINESS CLASS WORTH IT?

European Business Class on a three-and-a-half-hour flight is always a bit of a hard sell.

You’re still sitting in an essentially Economy seat, albeit with the middle seat blocked. You’re not getting a bed, a private suite or the sort of dramatically different experience you would get in long-haul Business Class.

For me, though, the benefits add up.

There’s the lounge access, particularly useful at a busy airport like Heathrow. There’s the additional luggage allowance, priority treatment, extra space, better food and drinks, Wi-Fi and the generally more comfortable experience.

But the price makes all the difference.

At €175 per person for the upgrade, I thought it was worth it.

And, I am not the only one. Aegean’s bidding system is something that passengers do take advantage of. On our particular flight, the Business Class cabin had seven rows and was almost completely full.

I was tempted to gate keep and not write this post. But, clearly, the cat is out of the bag!

Would I necessarily pay €280 per person for the instant upgrade? That’s a different question.

The bidding system made the upgrade feel like a much easier decision. We weren’t committing to the full Business Class fare from the beginning, and when our €175 offer was accepted, it felt like we’d got a good deal.

And perhaps that’s the real appeal of Aegean’s upgrade bidding: you can decide how much the extra comfort is worth to you and take your chances.

For a three-and-a-half-hour flight between London and Athens, I’d happily make the same €175 bid again.