About this flight
I flew from Moscow Domodedovo International Airport to Cairo, Egypt, via Athens, the capital of Greece, using Aegean Airlines Economy Class.
Aegean Airlines is a Greek airline and a member of the Star Alliance.
My flight from Moscow departed at 3:40 a.m. Even at that hour in June, the sky over Moscow was bright—it was a white night experience.
During my 12-hour layover in Athens, I took the opportunity to visit the Parthenon as part of a city tour. After returning to the airport, I spent time in the Aegean Airlines lounge. As the flagship lounge of Greece's national airline, it was very well-equipped and comfortable.
Moscow Airport
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Check-in Counter
This is the Aegean Airlines check-in counter at Moscow Domodedovo International Airport. Although my boarding pass was for Economy Class, I was able to use the Business Class check-in counter thanks to my Star Alliance Gold status.
Boarding Pass
This is my boarding pass, covering both segments of my journey from Moscow to Cairo via Athens.
Café Inside the Terminal
A café inside the terminal after clearing immigration.
Welcome to Moscow
An electronic sign that says "Welcome to Moscow."
Tourist Info Monitor
Another airport display board reads, “Your Adventure Starts at DME.”
DME is the three-letter airport code for Domodedovo International Airport.
Entrance
This is the Austrian Airlines Business Class Lounge used by Aegean Airlines at Moscow Domodedovo. It’s open from 2:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Since my Aegean flight to Athens was scheduled for 3:40 a.m., the operating hours were perfect.
Austrian Airlines Lounge
The Austrian Airlines logo on the wall just inside the entrance.
Departure Information
Departure board inside the lounge showing Star Alliance flights:
- A3: Aegean Airlines
- LH: Lufthansa
- OS: Austrian Airlines
Food Corner
The lounge’s food corner.
The containers are neatly arranged, and the drink labels in the fridge below are all facing forward—this is a very high-quality presentation.
Lounge quality at Moscow airports can vary significantly depending on the airline, but this Austrian Airlines lounge was exceptionally good.
A Certain Space
This area might once have been a smoking room.
Seating Area
The seating area inside the lounge, designed with Austrian aesthetic sensibilities.
Refrigerated Food Display
Russian sandwiches, bread, sweet cakes, Russian pickles, cheese, and more, all neatly displayed in a refrigerated case like a showcase.
Alcohol Shelf
Bottles of sparkling wine, wine, and dry gin are also lined up neatly on the shelf.
Meal I Had
Here’s the meal I had in the lounge:
- (Left plate) Bacon and omelet
- (Right plate) Sandwich and sweets
- Sparkling wine, red wine, cola, and soda water
Boarding Gate
The boarding gate for the Athens-bound flight.
It was just after 3:00 a.m., and the sky was already bright— In June, Moscow experiences long daylight hours due to the White Nights.
White Night Sky
An Airbus A320 is parked outside. It’s around 3 a.m., during Moscow’s White Nights.
Onboard to Athens
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Business Class Seat
This is the Business Class seat. On this particular flight, there was only a single row of Business Class seats, with a curtain partition directly behind separating it from Economy Class. It was quite an unusual and interesting sight.
Athens Airport
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Athens Airport
Since the flight departed at 3:40 a.m., I fell asleep right after boarding in Moscow and only woke up after landing at Athens Airport. Being in Greece, the airport apron was understandably filled with Aegean Airlines aircraft.
Transfer Desk
This is the desk that provides guidance for connecting flights.
Entering Greece
As I had nearly 12 hours before my next flight, I entered Greece for the time being.
To the right is the baggage claim area.
Aegean Airlines 20th Anniversary
Heading toward the terminal exit, I passed by the check-in counters and noticed a decorative "20" display. It turns out that Aegean Airlines was celebrating its 20th anniversary that year. The airline originally started as Aegean Aviation in 1987 and rebranded as Aegean Airlines in 1999.
Sightseeing in Athens
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Parthenon Palace
Since I had time before my next flight, I entered Greece and went into central Athens for some sightseeing. This is the Parthenon Palace, located atop a hill. The city of Athens is built around the Parthenon Temple. I climbed a rather steep slope to reach this elevated area.
Group Tourists
These appear to be students on a school trip visiting the Parthenon Palace.
Return to the Airport
After finishing my sightseeing, I returned to Athens Airport.
Lounge at Athens Airport
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Entrance
This is the business class lounge of Aegean Airlines. Although I had an economy class ticket, I was able to access the lounge as a Star Alliance member.
Sofas
This is the seating area with sofas.
As expected from the flagship lounge of Aegean Airlines, everything—from the interior decor to the food and beverages—was exceptionally well-appointed.
In-flight Service Cart
There was an in-flight service cart set up inside the lounge. For aviation enthusiasts, this was an exciting touch. It was fun to be able to pick out your preferred alcoholic drinks and glasses from the cart.
Food & Beverage Corner
This is the food and beverage station, which was very well stocked.
- (Top shelf) A variety of sandwiches, coffee, assorted teas
- (Bottom shelf) Soft drinks, beer, yogurt, fruit, etc., inside a refrigerator
Prepared Dishes Corner
In addition to sandwiches and bread, there were also various side dishes:
- • Celery and lettuce salad with dressing
- • Stir-fried red and yellow bell peppers
- • Macaroni salad, and more
Sparkling Wine
A Greek sparkling wine called AMALIA was available.
It had a pleasantly bittersweet flavor and was very enjoyable.
My Meal
Here’s what I had at the Aegean Airlines lounge:
- • (Center) Celery and red pepper sticks
- • (Left) Cheese, ham, and sesame sticks
- • (Top) Caprese with cherry tomatoes and mozzarella
- • Red wine and sparkling wine
Exit
As boarding time approached, I left the lounge. This is the entrance/exit of the lounge.
Boarding
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Boarding Gate
This is the boarding gate for the flight to Cairo.
Boarding Scene
Here is the Aegean Airlines aircraft I’m about to board.Passengers are boarding using stairs attached at both the front and rear of the aircraft.
Onboard the Flight to Cairo
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My Seat
This is the seat where I was seated.
Cabin View
A look at the economy class cabin.
Service Cart
A scene from the in-flight service.
In-Flight Meal
This is the meal I was served on board.
Meal Contents
I opened the lid to see what was inside.
- • Curry rice
- • Nutrition bar
- • Snack crackers
- • Candy
Cairo Airport
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Arrival in Cairo
I arrived in Cairo and headed toward immigration.
Directional Sign
A sign indicating the directions to baggage claim and connecting flights.
Heading to Immigration
I walked down this long corridor toward the immigration area.
African International Conference
A poster for "Africa 2018," an international conference held in Egypt the previous year, gathering political and business leaders from across the continent.
Continuing to Immigration
Still walking through the long corridor leading to the immigration area.
Transit Desk
This is the EgyptAir transit desk I saw along the way.
Priority Immigration Lane
Entrance to the Star Alliance priority lane for immigration.
Baggage Claim
The baggage claim area.
Arrival Lobby Exit
The exit from the arrival area. From immigration onward, I used an arrival assistance service.
Outside the Terminal
Outside the terminal building. Thanks to the arrival assistance service, I exited smoothly and got into my car. As an Asian traveler at this hour, I stood out a bit—once outside, I was quickly surrounded by Egyptians.
