I am beginning to monitor flights from Washington DC to Athens for May 2011. I am doing my usual searches on Kayak, but does anyone happen to know if any airline flies direct to Athens from Dulles? Alternatively, if you are a frequent traveler to Athens and know X airline typically has sales or offers convenient routes, I'd much appreciate the tips.
I am actually hoping to spend most of my time on Crete, but I am thinking just going to Athens will be a better bet both pricewise and flightwise--I cannot tolerate more than one connection.

As far as I can see from both Orbitz.com and Expedia.com there are no direct, non-stop flights between IAD and ATH. You will have to make a connection somewhere in Europe. This actually has the advantage of allowing you to make a better connection timewise from Athens to Crete since you will already have passed through Passport Control and Customs at that unspecified EU airport before arriving in Athens. In Athens all you'll have to do is collect your bag and go upstairs to the ticket counter for your connecting flight to check in. You can safely do this with just a 2-hour layover at ATH.

Thanks--especially for the layover time advice.
I suppose that also leaves me the option of finding another carrier from a European city direct to Crete (using whichbudget), but then I bet a lot of those are seasonal, fly out of different airports, etc. Guess I just have to be patient now.

The direct nonstop flights from the USA to Athens are (1) DELTA from NYC, and maybe OLYMPIC down the road -- right Now Delta, in addition to its own flights, is being the Olympic "stand-in" at its gates and (2) CONTINENTAL from Newark, and (3) USAIR from Philadelphia. They all leave sometime between 4 pm and 6 pm, and arrive 9 am, 9:30 am 10:00: am. Total flying time about 9+ hours plus 7 hours time change. If you get ANY of these, you'll easily make the mid-day flight to Crete.

Price-wise, these are all going for about $1400 in May; I'm watchdogging them every few days. Hoping for a price dip around the holidays sometime, down to $1200, fingers crossed.

Delta also flies nonstop from Atlanta to Athens.

thanks! After an eventful (to put it nicely) connection stateside last year, I prefer to get out of the country on my first flight, but duly noted.

$1200--I am hoping for under 1000, wishful thinking? I have never paid more than 900 in May, all over Europe, so I'm continue to be naive/hopeful.

I don't think that's possible. Prices are higher this year than ever before.

You don't give your dates but there are several options around the 950-1000 price point for IAD-ATH (Swiss Air, Continental and United/Lufthansa), and there's a good chance fares will go on sale early next year, so check often. I'd sign up for all the alerts.

EasyJet flies directly to Heraclion (Crete) from Longon Gatwick, Geneva, Berlin, Milan & Rome http://www.easyjet.com
Also Aegean Air flies pretty much from same cities to Heraclion http://en.aegeanair.com/Default.aspx Flying directly to any of the these cities from IAD might be a option.

Check out whichbudget.com and plug in the two Crete airports. There's a long list of countries in Europe that have flights to Crete.

Also think about flying out of Baltimore - often, flights are cheaper from there IME.

I am hoping for late May to make the most of the weather. I'm starting my fare watch--I always keep my options open, so if a great sale pops up for some where else I'll put off Greece yet again. I usually pull the trigger by March.
Unfortunately, flying out of Baltimore costs me at least one whole day.
Thanks again to everyone who chimed in--I am always pleasantly surprised by the helpful folks here.

Yorkshire, when you mention getting $900 "all over Europe" if you'll look at the map, Athens is about 3 hours farther than France or Germany. Also -- there are only 3 airlines now doing nonstops from USA to Athens, whereas there are TONS of airlines doing nonstops from USA to London, Paris, Frankfurt -- thus much more competition.

Add to that what Brotherlee says ... prices much higher this year than ever before. Last year at this time I booked Athens nonstop from Philly at about $1000 ... no such luck yet this year.

yorkshire, if you're flexible I'd wait until February or March to buy anything. I've never spent over $900 to get to Athens from Dulles in May (or September or October for that matter). Usually Air France has the best fare. Right now they quote just under $1100, but they don't usually announce their sale fares until early in the year for Spring travel. The down side of Air France is that you transfer in Paris. While I've always made my connection there to Athens it's never a pleasant experience.

My favorite way to get from Dulles to Athens is on Lufthansa through Munich. But it's almost always much more expensive than Air France

If you really wanted to save money, you could check out Iberia. Their prices for DC to Athens are under $850 in late May but the connections are awful and you couldn't get to Crete for your first night.

I've never got the charter flight to Crete from a European city to work for flights from Dulles. Those charters tend not to fly from cities we can get to non stop from DC. I've always managed to get an Aegean or Olympic flight from Athens to Chania the same day I arrive in Athens.

Yet more good input--I happen to be a fan of Iberia. I went to Istanbul on Iberia and it was a steal, so there's hope.
I'll sit tight until 2011 for sure, and then I can start asking the fun questions!

About that connection in Paris: beware! Make sure you have _at least_ 2 hours. CDG is a nightmare.

yorkshire: Don't know your location, but the Philly airport wasn't that much further than Dulles for DH and me (from Annapolis) to go to France. Furthermore, we thought Philly was a little more user-friendly. We traveled on a Tuesday.

A last bit of advice on what days to fly on ... Greece is facing facts about govt. cutbacks, but last May-June there was an unsettling series of sudden 24-hour strikes that upset many plans. After all the last-minute panic, I decided --even tho it costs a bit more -- not to book flights that arrive ATH on Tues-Wed-Thurs, because those are the days when strikes are scheduled.

Looking at the ITA software website , there are some flights around May 15 on Swiss airlines for under $1000 - mind you, the layovers are pretty long and the departure time from Athens pretty early, so it may not be worthwhile. But it is possible to get fares that are more "reasonable" than $1200--$1400. For under $1100, it looks like you have slightly better options on KLM & Airfrance.

I haven't used this site yet to book flights, but someone here on Fodor's recommended it, and it seems great for fare-watching. So good luck - I'm sure you'll find a decent, if not great, price eventually, especially if you're flexible with the flights.

http://www.itasoftware.com/

Paule

Tickets cannot be purchased directly from ITA. You have to give the flight information you find to a trave agency so they can book it for you.

I would advise a connection in france's De Gaulle ONLY if you do carry-on and if you have over 2 hours for your connection... that airport is a nightmare... planes on separate "arms" llike an octopus, and you either have to go on a bus between them that takes FOREVER or wander thru a hell of hallways with staff that snub you, and go thru security again even tho u went thru in the USa.. avoid it if you can.