Olympic Airlines
Olympic airlines have had a tumultuous past. Volleying to and fro as a private entity then as a government run air carrier, the ownership has changed hands and back again almost too many times to count. So passengers are sure to have strong preconceptions before they even get near the airport and strong opinions afterwards.

Enter the internet. As a PR move or perhaps as a public service, the website airlinequality.com has a page entitled “Passenger Opinions of Olympic Airlines,” that is a resource for anyone traveling to Greece. While there were certainly issues to be had, I think what an objective viewer might find is that there is surprisingly little news on the newsreel that you wouldn’t find anywhere else. A sampling:

On September 22, 2006, Roger Aves said: “Both flights more or less on time. Aircraft are quite new, clean, with great seating in economy class, very wide comfy seats and great leg room. Food not bad, at least you get a reasonable hot meal without having to pay. Crew okay and efficient.” Sounds like an average trip on any flight from anywhere. And with legroom in economy!? Wow.

Also in September, N. Prestage said: “Surly, poorly groomed flight attendants and a haphazardly serviced passenger cabin (lavatory reeked) have become commonplace.” Well, that doesn’t sound entirely original. Maybe Prestage got stuck with an attendant who was having a bad hair day, but the comments seem much more visually displeasing than lacking in service. And they are 50,000 feet in the air, after all.

In July, Jo Champeau said: “All flights on time, food very good and plenty of leg room on London / Athens flights. Although the service was efficient, staff could be more friendly.”

But the most recent posting was the one which struck me the most. It is from M. Churchill on January 19, 2007 and it read: “I had never flown Olympic before, and my expectation was low. However, check in was a breeze, the flight departed on time. The legroom in economy is better than most other European carriers. The meal was actually hot and edible; the drinks were free and available.”

So it seems that while the Olympic name may not hold much in terms of high expectations from potential travelers, this listing of travelers actually had an okay time. There was room in coach, the food was tasty, the service was brisk, but for the most part, participatory, and the flight was all in all uneventful. I challenge anyone to find a public restroom anywhere that is as pleasant as the one in their own home.

The point I’m trying to make is simple. Don’t go into a situation with unreal expectations and your experience might not be half bad.