Star Alliance member SWISS is currently selling cheap business class tickets to Dubai from Athens. Availability is very good with many dates throughout 2021 being available. You’ll have lounge access, lie-flat seats, 2 x 32 kg of luggage, and all the other luxuries of a business class flight. While this is not necessarily the most direct way to fly to Dubai from Athens, it is a good way to earn some extra miles.
Worldwide travel restrictions are in place to slow the spread of Covid-19. We strongly recommend gathering detailed information about the travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to your desired origin and destination.
A good start is the International Air Transport Association (IATA) website. It provides current updates on a country’s immigration policies. Even better, the Covid-19 Travel Regulations Map is one of the most useful tools you can find.
Our search form shows you all available dates for trips of up to 2 weeks. Once you’ve selected the dates that suit you best, you’ll be redirected to SWISS’ booking site.
From Athens, you would first fly to Zurich on an A320-family aircraft. The long-haul flight is then operated on an Airbus A330 with lie-flat seats.
We expect further shakeups in the airline industry over the following months. Some services might be cancelled, aircraft changed or downgraded. The schedule we describe may very well change.
Search & Book
The only restriction mentioned in the fare rules is a minimum stay length of 3 days (or a Sunday). To save you some time, we’ve compiled an availability calendar showing all possible trips up to two weeks at the lowest fare. It will redirect you to SWISS’ booking site.
You can find available dates all the way until the winter holidays, as you can see on Google Flights. You should then book directly on Lufthansa’s or SWISS’ website.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
The tickets are issued in booking class P, which on a Swiss roundtrip from Athens to Dubai should roughly get you:
- 9,956 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
- 7,964 Award Miles + 1,594 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 7,964 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 7,964 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 7,964 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 7,964 Miles on Asiana Club
- 7,964 Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 7,964 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 7,964 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 7,964 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 7,964 Award Miles on LATAM Pass
- 7,964 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 7,964 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 7,964 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 6,946 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 5,574 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 4,212 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
Premium Cabins
There is no question that Lufthansa’s and SWISS’ premium cabins are among the upper half worldwide. Our author Dennis tried both business class products – you can get a glimpse of what you can expect here:
Information & Tips for Dubai
Thanks to oil billions, Dubai has created a world of splendour and glitter that is second to none. Whether it’s an artificial island or skiing in the desert, everything is possible there. Thanks to Emirates, there are non-stop flights to many destinations worldwide, from Europe you can reach Dubai within 5-6 hours even with cheap flights.
The Best Time to Visit
Dubai reaches temperatures of up to 45° in summer, and even in winter, the weather is hot. The best time to travel is from November to March when temperatures are comparatively low.
From the airport to the city
A taxi from the airport to Jumeirah Beach (where many hotels are located) costs around €13 – €17. By metro, the journey to Burj Khalifa takes about 20 minutes and costs only €1.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Airhub. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The best eSIM for Dubai & Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 Compared (United Arab Emirates)
→ All Dealz for Dubai
Information & Tips for United Arab Emirates
Visa & Entry
Most European citizens may enter the United Arab Emirates without a visa and with their passports only to stay there as tourists as well as for business(without work) or visiting purposes for a maximum period of 90 days within 180 days.
Best Time to Visit
In April and May, the temperatures in the UAE are around 30 °C and can even climb to just close to 40 °C. You usually don’t have to expect less than 25 °C, so you can always bring your bathing suit. In June, July and August, 40 °C are standard. The most pleasant travel months are December, January, and February when temperatures rarely climb above 25 °C.
Ramadan
You should know that the United Arab Emirates is a Muslim country. This means that Ramadan, the month of fasting, is strictly celebrated. There are usually no drinks and no food during the day, at least not in public. When booking offers during this period, you should keep that in mind.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Airalo and Airhub. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The best eSIM for Dubai & Abu Dhabi 🇦🇪 Compared (United Arab Emirates)
→ All Dealz for United Arab Emirates
Comment (1)
Well… the ONLY reason to take this flight is testing out LX C, allthough its often still the old C.
The flight times are painful, the lenght is over 13 hrs – compared to a 4,5hrs direct daytime flight by EK. I would prefer this anytime even in coach.