Air travel for the Christmas period, both domestically and internationally, shows a satisfactory trend compared to last year due partly to the fact that Christmas and New Year’s holidays follow on from the weekend, allowing passengers the to extend their stays at their chosen destinations.
Greek preferences for international destinations are reflected in the bookings made through travel agencies for various travel packages. Hotel reservations indicate a significant interest in mountainous areas, ranging between 40% to 60% for the holiday season.
Top destinations include Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Germany in general, Spain, and London. Distant destinations such as Cuba, Brazil, and New York rank high on travelers’ preference lists.
Greek travelers do not only seek traditional Christmas winter destinations but also offbeat ones.
Aegean’s base in Athens reveals that popular destinations with high demand include Prague, Paris, Vienna, London, Zurich, Barcelona, and Geneva.
From Thessaloniki, passengers prefer Paris, Larnaca, Zurich, Düsseldorf, Barcelona, and Stuttgart.
Greek travelers continue to favor the “traditional” Christmas destinations abroad, such as London, Geneva, Vienna, etc. However, their choices also reflect the prevailing trend of exploring alternative destinations like Copenhagen, Morocco, Innsbruck, Krakow, and even Chisinau.
To meet increased demand, Aegean has increased seat availability by about 10% for both domestic and international networks compared to the same period in 2022.
Approximately two weeks before Christmas, Aegean’s international flights from bases in Athens and Thessaloniki show high occupancy rates ranging between 76% to 80% or even higher, with very few seats remaining available.
However, the situation slightly differs for the New Year period, where occupancy rates drop somewhat to between 66% to 70%, making it slightly easier for last-minute travelers to find available seats.
Finally, Aegean will operate charter flights during the holiday period, recording almost 100% occupancy. Specifically, from Athens to Rovaniemi, and from Thessaloniki to Prague, Budapest, Basel, Vienna, and Bratislava.
