Want to Fly to Greece? Here are the Non-Stop Flights from the US to Greece [2021]

If you look at the airline route maps from the US to Greece, you may never guess that the last year was one of the worst for tourism in the US. This is because there are more non-stop flights from more cities from the US to Greece than before! This is great news for anyone that wants to access the beautiful land of islands and beaches even faster and without having to transit other countries.

The List of Non-Stop Flights from the US to Greece

Currently, people from the US are free to fly to Greece but there is still not a whole lot that is open. That will change on May 15, however, which is the day that Greece will throw open their nation’s doors to the world – more or less. This will also be the day that many movement restrictions will be removed. So, what does the flight situation look like from the US to Greece?

If you do not plan to stay in Athens for your whole trip, the good news is that there are some nice deals on Aegean right now for families (kids fly free) as well as 14 airports that just finished some major renovations to welcome tourists. But, to start, you will need to fly into Athens if you are arriving directly from the US. Here are the flights and routes that will help you do that.

American Airlines

American Airlines is throwing it in on travel to Greece in a big way. For the first time, they will be flying from Chicago, New York (JFK), and Philadelphia. Flights out of Philadelphia will not start until August 17 though the other flights are beginning a couple of months earlier. Here are those flights and schedules.

Note that some flight schedules may shift slightly as it goes through the summer but these are the times for the beginning of these routes. Also note that all flight start dates are current as of April 30.

Chicago – Athens

The Chicago – Athens flight will begin June 6. This route will be operated on a Boeing 787 as flight AA 160 (or AA 161 on the return).

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing Chicago – 1:25PM and arriving in Athens at 7:50AM the next morning – a 10 hour and 25 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 9:50AM and arriving in Chicago at 1:35PM the same day – a 11 hour and 45 minute journey

This flight will operate until October 23 and will operate daily until then.

New York – Athens

The New York – Athens flight will begin June 3. This route will be operated on a Boeing 787 as flight AA 334 (or AA 335 on the return).

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing New York (JFK) – 6:00PM and arriving in Athens at 10:35AM the next morning – a 9 hour and 35 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 12:45PM and arriving in New York at 4:50PM the same day – a 11 hour and 5 minute journey

This flight will operate until October 30 and will operate daily until then (except for June 4).

Philadelphia – Athens

The Philadelphia – Athens flight will begin August 17. This route will be operated on a Boeing 787 as flight AA 758 (or AA 759 on the return).

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing Philadelphia – 7:45PM and arriving in Athens at 12:1PM the next morning – a 9 hour and 30 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 2:15PM and arriving in Philadelphia at 6:15PM the same day – an 11 hour journey

This flight will operate until October 29 and will operate daily until then.

Delta Air Lines

Delta has normally had the edge on other carriers with two flights to Athens during the peak summer months but now they are throwing a third in – and not just another JFK flight. Now, you can fly from Atlanta to Athens direct, a journey which will be the longest from the US to Athens.

They have two flights out of JFK operating throughout the summer so you can pick whether you want an earlier or later departure. Since Delta does not have any alliance partner in Greece, this will be important if you want to make sure you both have enough time to connect and pick up your bags between flights while also maximizing your time in Greece.

New York – Athens

The New York – Athens flight will begin May 28. This route will be operated on a Boeing 767 as flight DL 202 (or DL 203 on the return).

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing New York (JFK) – 5:15PM and arriving in Athens at 10:00AM the next morning – a 9 hour and 45 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 12:15PM and arriving in New York at 4:10PM the same day – a 10 hour and 55 minute journey

This flight will operate until into 2022  and will operate daily until then. It appears that Delta is going for a year round schedule, which will compete directly with Emirates as the only other carrier to offer this.

They also will begin a second daily flight from JFK with the following schedule (as flight DL 212 on the outbound and DL213 on the return). This flight will be operated by an Airbus A330. It will commence June 4.

• Departing New York (JFK) – 7:40PM and arriving in Athens at 12:30PM the next morning – a 9 hour and 50 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 2:30PM and arriving in New York at 6:35PM the same day – a 11 hour and 5 minute journey

This flight will operate until October 30.

Atlanta – Athens

The Atlanta – Athens flight will begin July 2. This route will be operated on an Airbus A330 as flight DL 222 (or DL 223 on the return).

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing Atlanta – 4:25PM and arriving in Athens at 10:00AM the next morning – a 10 hour and 35 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 12:20PM and arriving in Atlanta at 5:35PM the same day – a 12 hour and 15 minute journey

This flight will operate daily until October 30.

Emirates

Review of Emirates in Economy between Greece and the US

Now we get to the airline that the big three US airlines really does not like – Emirates! Not only do they typically offer a year-round schedule but they also do it with (normally) better service onboard as well as an actual first class cabin. Their business class is equipped with angled-lie flat seats which means that the newer business class cabins aboard American, Delta, and United would likely be preferable to that.

Plus, Emirates will often have even better prices than the big three.

Newark – Athens

The Newark – Athens flight begins June 1 and operates daily into 2022 . The flight is operated on a Boeing 777 which means no shower for first class passengers (that is only on the A380). It is flight EK 210 from Newark and EK 209 on the return and is part of the route from Newark – Athens – Dubai.

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing Newark – 11:55PM and arriving in Athens at 4:00PM the next morning – a 9 hour and 10 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 5:35PM and arriving in Newark at 9:20PM the same day – a 10 hour and 45 minute journey

Unless you are in the tri-state area, the arrival time in Newark will likely mean you have to stay the night. Still, with a late departure time on both ends, it gives Newark-area travelers a great opportunity to get a full-day of work in before leaving the US and to maximize time on the ground in Greece before returning.

United Airlines

For the first time, United will be operating two flights from the US to Greece. This gives them an opportunity to take advantage of their Washington, DC hub at Dulles as well as out of Newark. Plus, they have another huge advantage over the other airlines – they are alliance partners with Aegean, the Greek carrier, which means that a single reservation could allow you to simply transit Athens and fly anywhere in Greece – on a single award/revenue ticket.

Newark – Athens

The Newark – Athens flight begins June 3 and operates daily (except for June 4) until October 30 . The flight is operated on a Boeing 767 and operates under flight number UA 124 from Newark and UA 125 on the return.

This flight will have the following schedule from

Washington, DC – Athens

The Washington, DC (IAD) – Athens flight begins July 1 and operates daily until October 4 . The flight is operated on a Boeing 787 and operates under flight number UA 982 on the outbound and UA 983 on the return.

This flight will have the following schedule from the start date:

• Departing Washington, DC – 5:35PM and arriving in Athens at 10:20AM the next morning – a 9 hour and 45 minute journey
• Departing Athens – 12:05PM and arriving in Washington, DC at 4:05PM the same day – an 11 hour  journey

Bottom Line

Like never before, there are plenty of options if you want to fly direct to Greece from the US this summer! From Chicago, Washington, Atlanta, Philadelphia, New York, and Newark you can take your pick and airline!

I will have another post on award travel but, for now, here are all the schedules! I give United the best score if you want to book an award ticket to someplace in Greece other than Athens since you will have access to the entire Aegean network.