Mumbai05 Aug 22 1 Traveller Economy
Showing International Flight from Stockholm
About Stockholm
The Scandinavian city of Stockholm is the capital of the country, Sweden. Located on the coast touching the Baltic Sea, Stockholm is part of the archipelago which also connects the city to 14 more islands. The islands are brilliantly connected with more than 50 bridges. The city of Stockholm is a known political, cultural, economic and media hub of Sweden. In fact, over the years, they have also found prominence to contribute to the climate change movement with staunch leaders and innovative methods. The city thrives with lively streets, nightlife and food establishments.
Best time to visit Stockholm
As a Scandinavian city, the summers in Stockholm are pleasant and alluring. The city witnesses cold winters almost throughout the year with summer temperatures reaching a maximum 22 degree Celsius. You can imagine how the place is cold for most of the year. The summers also mean a call for celebration for the locals, which brings about a massive crowd on the streets. Mid-July sees the hottest days in Stockholm and is quite pleasant, especially if you're travelling from a hot region. June to August is undoubtedly the best time to visit Stockholm as the city witnesses its summer peak. The temperatures might be hot for the locals, but to travellers, it is nothing short of pleasant. Summers do bring a surge in their hotel accommodations though. Even flight bookings to Stockholm turn expensive as the city springs up to life. During this season, there are many festivals celebrated in the city such as A Taste of Stockholm, Popaganda, Stockholm Pride and the most famous, Midsummer Festival. The festival takes place in the June month every year and brings all the Swedes together to create fancy wreaths, drink up to the heart's content under the bright sun and dance by around the maypole.
With skyrocketing hotel prices in Stockholm, the trip might get super expensive. However, if you can handle the winters or even the fall season in Stockholm, you should definitely opt to go between September to November. The brisk wind might give you chills, but the city is pleasant. In fact, flights to Stockholm during this season is quite cheap, as are the accommodations. You can book your hotel in Stockholm without having to worry about the exorbitant rates of the peak season. Plus, the city also celebrates Stockholm Beer and Whiskey Festival in these months, much like the rest of the world. If not Germany, you can ring in the OktoberFest right here in Stockholm. To snag the best of flight and hotel deals to Stockholm will need you to plan a trip in their winters. Despite the cold winters, the Christmas celebrations and a trip from the city to witness the Aurora Borealis views are some of the highlights. You can make the most of their snow and cool weather. Stockholm does close up early in winters because not many people step out and it might get a tad bit boring.
Places to visit in Stockholm
Stockholm is a haven for an urban tourist to relax and unwind. The whole vibe of the city is calm and composed, adding to one's need to escape from the noise. Some of the fun touristy things that you can do in the city are to visit Gamla Stan. It is basically an old neighbourhood which gave birth to Stockholm. The area is windy and has a lovely landscape that matches perfectly with the weather. You can take a trip to Djurgården island, which is located very close to the city. Just take up a ferry ride to the island and soak in all the traditional Swedish countryside without having to venture to the interiors. You should also check out Vasa Museum, Rosendals Garden, Fotografiska and the Royal Palace (also known as Kungliga Slottet). These places are classic tourist destinations. For the real fun in Stockholm, though, go for the outdoorsy activities.
Things to do in Stockholm
As part of an archipelago, the Swedes of Stockholm are very much invested in sailing and cruising. You can actually take up a cruise ride to island-hop and check out the surroundings of Stockholm. You can further visit the Djurgården island and indulge in various activities such as biking, strolling, going on a picnic, visiting more than 21 museums and chilling at an amusement park. The air of Stockholm is so clean that you would want to settle forever to enjoy the tranquillity. Do not miss out on engaging in the city's nightlife. It certainly is a vibrant kind that would help you meet new people. The Swedes are really sweet and friendly people so on your way back from the city, you will have some beautiful memories to look back at.
Food and Restaurants in Stockholm
The city of Stockholm has international cuisine for all kinds of travellers. Thanks to the same, you wouldn't feel like you're stranded in a place where you cannot eat what you want. While they do have variety, it is recommended that you try the Swedish cuisine. Their cuisine mostly has meat and potato in abundance as well as proteins and starches. Basically, theirs is a wholesome food that is rich in proteins and starch. Stockholm also has a lot of focus on seafood as it is in proximity to the Baltic coast. With so much variety available in the Swedish cuisine alone, you wouldn't need to check out other international meals. From herring to Jansson's Temptation, you should try some of the traditional Swedish meals. In seafood, you could also give crayfish a try. They are popular, especially among the upper-class citizens and come at an expensive price. If you do wish to make some exorbitant indulgence, you should order for this scrumptious meal. While you're at it, do not miss out the marinated salmon which comes with dill potatoes as sides.
You should know that the Swedish love meatball and you will find many variations to the same. They make sure to add them in all their dishes from spaghetti to macaroni, the meatballs go with all. The side with their meals is always mashed potatoes, which only accentuate the flavours. Chives and sour cream also play a pivotal role in adding more colours and texture to the meal. Not just the spread of meals but even their desserts and savouries are lip-smacking. From the delectable cinnamon buns to the princess cake, these items would be the best way to round up wholesome dining experience. You should visit Frantzen, Gastrologik, Tapas 28, Glashuset, Stockholms Gastabud and Agrikultur, to name a few. These places serve the best meals, and they also have an amazing service. You will be happy with the way the Swedes treat their customers. Since they are soft-spoken people, to begin with, they often have a very polite way of communicating with people.
How to reach Stockholm (Transportation)
Flight connectivity to Stockholm from India is quite decent as there are many available airlines offering services. However, there are no direct flights to Sweden, and often, you will need to either deal with extended layovers or will have to run for connecting flights in foreign airports. There are a few airlines such as Turkish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Emirates, Finnair, Vistara, Lufthansa, that have regular flights connecting with Stockholm. You will be met with at least one layover or require to opt for one connecting flight from international cities to Stockholm. As a Scandinavian country, much of the international route to Stockholm is via Europe. A majority of the flights to Stockholm actually require you to take a connecting flight from European countries. Out of these, the most popular route to Stockholm is from Germany, Munich and Frankfurt, to be specific. There are stops at Helsinki and Zurich as well, however, those require changing of multiple flights as opposed to the one you can get from the German cities. It takes approximately 11 hours to 14 hours to travel from Mumbai to Stockholm.
You should make note of applying for a Transit Schengen Visa when travelling to Stockholm from Mumbai. The visa basically gives you permission to enter the Schengen territory, basically to wait at the airports and change flights. The visa only allows you to be in the airport premise and you cannot step outside to the main city. If you've chosen the international route to Stockholm from Germany or France, you will need a Transit Schengen Visa. The flight tickets to Stockholm from India are quite cheap and affordable. Even round trips would amount to a cheaper deal. It is recommended that you book round trip tickets to Stockholm. Also, you'll get bonus deals for booking your flight and hotels in Stockholm together. Various online flight deals also have accommodation offers. However, if you want to wing it and book a hostel or do couch-surfing, make sure to book these in advance. It would be essential for a traveller to make prior bookings for everything as it would only help reduce the cost of the trip. You will have enough kronas to splurge on sailing trips.
About Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines S.A., which is the national flag carrier of Greece, is also the largest airline in the country with respect to the number of passengers carried, fleet size and the slew of destinations it serves. The airline operates scheduled as well as charter services from two of its Greek destinations, Athens and Thessaloniki, to all the major destinations spread across Europe and the Middle East. It operates from three main hubs at Athens International airport in Athens, Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus and Macedonia International Airport in Thessaloniki. Some of its focus cities include Chania International Airport, Rhodes International Airport, Heraklion International Airport and Kalamata International Airport. Aegean Airlines also operates from a few more Greek airports, but they are mainly on a seasonal basis. The airline has its headquarters at Kifisia, a suburb located in Athens. Aegean Airlines joined the Star Alliance in 2010.
In 2012, Aegean Airlines announced that it was acquiring Olympic Air, formed to be part of the Greek national carrier, previously known as Olympic Airways. The buyout was eventually approved by the European Commission the following year, and the airline came into existence as Aegean Airlines' new subsidiary. They are part of the same company while functioning as individual entities. Additionally, the airline also announced to be part of Cyprus Airways' last stage of privatisation tender. Cyprus Airways, the flag carrier of Cyprus was privatised, but soon, the airline followed for bankruptcy. Following this, Aegean Airlines intervened and established a hub at Larnaca International Airport, the official international gateway of Cyprus. With this, Aegean Airlines expanded its operations and initiated scheduled flights to and from the island country to a slew of international destinations. The airline was founded in 1987 and commenced operations as a VIP/business air operation which only catered to a handful of important people. It also worked as an air ambulance service. However, from 1992, Aegean Airlines received the license to be an independent air operator by the Greek country. This was followed by the airline's move to expand its fleet and acquire more jet flights to travel the world. While it was founded as Aegean Aviation, the airline rebranded itself as Aegean Airlines, which was adopted as the airline started scheduled passenger services in 1999. The airline's first commercial flights flew from Athens to Thessaloniki, Heraklion and Crete.
The airline has acquired many airlines and private aircraft ventures since its inception. They acquired Air Greece in 1999 and by 2001, also merged with Cronus Airlines, while they functioned as one airline. In 2005, Aegean Airlines also partnered with Lufthansa to offer its loyal customers with new mileage plans such as its Miles and More programme. By 2006, the airline further entered a deal with TAP Air Portugal and eventually also announced a cooperation deal with Brussels Airlines. However, Aegean Airlines and Olympic Air stated their intention to merge and form one operator to work under the Star Alliance network. However, in 2011, the European Commission stated that they would be blocking the deal between the two airlines, citing anti-competition issues. The commissions basically believed that there would be a quasi-monopoly in Greece's transport market, following the merger with Olympic Air.
Further on this, the commission added that the merger would also result in Aegean Airlines hiking up their flight ticket prices to cater to the Greek and European passengers who are flying from Athens. There would not be any airline strong enough to match the sufficient size of fleet and operations that Aegean Airlines can accommodate. Eventually, the airline came up with a solution that enabled the merger to take place.
Theodoros Vassilakis is the current owner of Aegean Airlines as with a whopping stake of 34.17 per cent. Meanwhile, other partners who have a considerable share in the airline include Ainesco Enterprises Company Limited and Siana Enterprise Company Limited which hold 9.48 per cent respectively along with Konstantakopoulos Achilleas which has 6.39 per cent stakes in Aegean Airlines.
Fleet size of Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines currently owns and operates an all-Airbus fleet with 51 aircraft in total. The aircraft in service includes one Airbus A319-100, 35 Airbus A320-200s, five Airbus A3320neo and Airbus A321neo and ten Airbus A321-200s. Additionally, the airline also operates a Learjet 60, which is predominantly used for VIP and business purposes. It's mainly for executive travel and flies in a non-scheduled flight basis. With respect to fleet expansion, Aegean Airlines followed two strategies, one to eliminate all turboprop aircraft from its fleet and second, to place larger orders for Airbus A320 and A321 as a means to transform its fleet to an all-Airbus one. They managed to achieve the same as, by 2004, the airline got rid of all its turboprop planes. Similarly, the airline also transformed its fleet to acquire and sustain the only aircraft. In 2010, the airline became the first one to commit to upgrade its aircraft from Airbus family and install FANS-B+ datalink system that the aircraft manufacturing company introduced. Further, they enhanced the cabin classes of their aircraft by installing better-reclining seats across all its fleet. Aegean Airlines does plan to expand its fleet to accommodate 70 aircraft instead of its current standing of 51 aircraft.
Baggage Allowance
Aegean Airlines has enabled baggage allowance keeping the global standards and the fleet's strength in mind. Depending on the cabin class and the ticket type of the passenger, the baggage allowance policy is altered. Currently, the airline allows one piece of baggage which can weigh up to 23 kg for passengers travelling from the economy flex class. Economy GoLight cabin has no checked baggage allowance from the airlines as it majorly caters to short-haul flights and is mostly used in the domestic routes. Passengers of the business class are allowed to carry two pieces of baggage that can weigh up to 32 kg each. It is essential for the passenger to not carry a weight that exceeds the stated bracket. The baggage dimension for all the bags should be 158 cm and not more. Special reservations are made for passengers who are part of Aegean Airlines' Miles+Bonus Gold and Star Gold Alliance. Rules for cabin baggage include one hand baggage that should weigh no more than 8 kg with a dimension of 56 cm X 45 cm X 25 cm. Meanwhile, the business class passengers can carry one piece of baggage that cannot exceed 13 kg with the same dimension as mentioned for economy class.
In-flight services
Aegean Airlines' in-flight services are worth all the money spent on the ticket. With its Airbus-fleet that has the best of aircraft models, the interiors are made to bring forth comfort and convenience for the passengers. The seats are much better with recline options and more legroom. Other in-flight services also include in-flight entertainment systems for international or long-haul flights along with delicious in-flight meals. The flight attendants are also quite friendly and accommodating.
Popular routes and top cities of Aegean Airlines
Aegean Airlines, as of 2019, caters to about 94 destinations in its domestic routes and international routes. The airline majorly only flies to European countries and a handful of Middle East. As one of the top European airlines, the connectivity of Aegean Airlines is immaculate with a slew of tourist destinations. Cyprus and Greece remain its biggest market while other destinations include the top financial places on the continent. The airline has terminated a handful of cities in Russia and Ukraine. They also have seasonal flights that cater to many places during their peak season. Some of the important cities for Aegean Airlines are Yerevan, Vienna, Brussels Airport, Sofia, Zagreb, Larnaca, Prague, Copenhagen, Cairo, Tallinn, Paris, Nice, Strasbourg, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Stuttgart, Mykonos, Santorini, Thessaloniki, Budapest, Dublin, Tel Aviv, Milan, Pisa, Rome, Venice, Amman, Beirut, Marrakesh, Amsterdam, Warsaw, Lisbon, Moscow, Warsaw, Lisbon, Bucharest, Jeddah, Ibiza, Madrid, Stockholm, Geneva, Zurich, Istanbul, Birmingham, London and Manchester.
Why travel by Aegean Airlines?
Aegean Airlines has sustained a reputation in the airlines industry as one of the best carriers for tourists who wish to explore more of Greece and other European countries. Unlike some of the big players in the market, Aegean Airlines further connects to East Europe destinations. While their domestic route and international route connectivity are worth mentioning, the other services provided by the airline is what makes it stay ahead of the game.
With Aegean Airlines, passengers can do web check-ins to avoid the long airport queues. In fact, there are provisions to purchase extra baggage on the website. Further details regarding baggage allowance can be understood on the official website of Aegean Airlines. The airline's website is up to date with all necessary information ranging from flight status of the passenger to Aegean Airlines' flight schedules. In fact, passengers can also make airport shuttle bookings on the website. Additional perks are reserved for passengers who are members of the Star Alliance frequent flyers programme. The airline does cater to the needs of the passengers and ensures to offer the best airport and in-flight services.
