Review: the impressive Aegean Airlines Business Lounge A (non-Schengen), Athens

This is our review of Aegean’s non-Schengen lounge in Concourse A of Athens International Airport.

A few years ago, Athens Airport added an extension to the terminal building near the A Gates to increase the duty free shopping area and increase the amount of lounge space.

As the flag carrier of Greece, Aegean naturally took over the entire top floor of the facility and built a brand new non-Schengen lounge which it opened in 2022. The beautiful 1,250 square metre facility is large enough to accommodate 350 passengers.

Aegean also operates a similarly lovely lounge for intra-Schengen flights, although due to the size of the terminal on that side of the airport it is substantially smaller.

My review of my business class flight on Aegean Airlines from Heathrow to Athens is here. Aegean provided my flight for review purposes.

Aegean Business Lounge A access requirements

To be able to access Aegean’s you’ll need to be flying to a destination that is NOT part of the Schengen ‘no borders’ European zone. This is similar, but not identical, to the list of EU countries.

This isn’t an arbitrary rule from Aegean. Athens Airport segregates Schengen and non-Schengen passengers. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t physically be able to reach the lounge if you didn’t have a boarding pass to a non-Schengen destination such as the UK.

Entry to Aegean’s non-schengen lounge is open to:

• Aegean Airlines business class passengers
• Aegean Miles + Bonus Gold members
• Business class passengers on other Star Alliance Airlines
• Star Alliance Gold members

You cannot pay to access the lounge.

The lounge is every day from 5am until midnight.

Aegean non-Schengen lounge location

As mentioned above, the lounge is located in a newly-built extension to the terminal building. Once you’ve passed through security and exit immigration for A Gates, simply follow the signs for ‘Business Lounges’:

Head up the escalators to the second floor and you’ll see the Goldair and Skyserv Handling lounges. Ignore these and head back around to the second set of escalators, which will take you to the third floor:

You’ll see the Aegean Lounge straight in front of you. The architectural entrance and massive skylight make an excellent first impression:

Inside the Aegean Airlines Business Lounge A

The stunning entrance sets the bar for what you can expect. Once you’ve scanned your boarding pass, head through the gates and you’ll be greeted with a large U-shaped lounge.

Metallic blue panels clad the interior walls and reminded me of Greece’s skies and seas whilst wood floors and armchairs add warmth to the overall design. I think you’ll agree it’s a beautiful lounge.

If you’re hungry, you’ll want to head to the right hand side. This features a range of restaurant-style seating:

and

…. as well as the main buffet area (more on that below). You’ll also find the toilets on this side of the lounge.

Turn left, and you’ll find more armchairs:

A row of stocked newspapers, albeit only in Greek:

This custom light installation hints at birds in flight and reminded me of Aegean’s old logo:

There are a number of hot desking areas:

Dedicated solo seats flank the window and offer commanding views across the airport. Sadly, these are all set up for individuals so you won’t get a window view if you’re with a group.

There’s also a separate room board room:

Food and drink in the Aegean business class lounge

There are a couple of different food and drink stations in the lounge, although most of them are on the right hand side. It’s a bit of trot from the other side of the lounge.

The main buffet features some good pre-prepared cold options including quinoa salads, sandwiches, wraps and cheese dishes:

and

Hot food included different types of filled filo pastries:

…. as well as some delicious meatballs and rice and stuffed vegetables:

For something a little healthier there is cut fruit and freshly made smoothies:

…. whilst those with a sweet tooth can avail themselves of 10+ different types of cookies, truffles and more:

Everything is beautifully presented and regularly restocked.

In terms of drinks, you have a range of canned soft drinks including coke, sprite and various flavoured cold teas, although it takes a bit of time to figure out what is what:

Alcohol is available in a separate area:

You can help yourself to a range of spirits whilst the lounge also showcases Greek wines (two reds and two whites).

Conclusion

You aren’t going to be disappointed by the Aegean Business Lounge A in Athens International Airport. This is a smartly designed space with plenty of seating for any occasion, whether with friends and family or working.

The sheer scale of the lounge meant that it was never overcrowded during the two hours I spent there, and you can easily find quieter corners.

The presentation of the buffet was also excellent with a variety of (mostly Greek) options.

This impressive flagship lounge puts many bigger airlines to shame.

PS. If you are not a regular Head for Points visitor, why not sign up for our FREE weekly or daily newsletters? They are full of the latest Avios, airline, hotel and credit card points news and will help you travel better. To join our 65,000 free subscribers, click the button below or visit this page of the site to find out more. Thank you.

---

How to earn Star Alliance miles from UK credit cards (April 2025)

None of the Star Alliance airlines currently have a UK credit card.

There is, however, still a way to earn Star Alliance miles from a UK credit card. 

The route is via Marriott Bonvoy. Marriott Bonvoy hotel loyalty points convert to over 40 airlines at the rate of 3:1.

The best way to earn Marriott Bonvoy points is via the official Marriott Bonvoy American Express card. It comes with 20,000 points for signing up and 2 points for every £1 you spend. At 2 Bonvoy points per £1, you are earning (at 3:1) 0.66 airline miles per £1 spent on the card.

There is a preferential conversion rate to United Airlines – which is a Star Alliance member – of 2 : 1 if you convert 60,000 Bonvoy points at once.

The Star Alliance members which are Marriott Bonvoy transfer partners are: Aegean, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Singapore Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Thai Airways, Turkish Airlines and United Airlines.

You can apply here.