Pegasus Airlines Airbus A321neo Economy Class Review [ATH to SAW]

Airline: Pegasus Airlines (PC)
Aircraft: Airbus A321neo
Flight #: PC1192
Route: Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) to Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW)
Date: October 11, 2024
Duration: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Cabin and Layout: Economy class, 3-3
Seat: 39B
Cost: $183.08 per ticket (round-trip from Doha to Athens via Istanbul)

As fall break for my children’s school loomed on the horizon just weeks away, I frantically searched Google Flights daily for a quick getaway from our home in Doha, Qatar. When I noticed sub-$200 round-trip flights from Doha to most of Europe on ultra-low-cost Turkish carrier Pegasus Airlines, I took the plunge and booked 5 tickets to Athens, Greece.

We had a red-eye flight on the outbound and a wicked long (then delayed) layover on the return. I also may have threatened my youngest son with having to wear all 4 souvenir shirts he had purchased on the flight back because we didn’t have much luggage weight to spare.

Is the price you pay for discount travel worth it? Get my take on flying in the cheap seats with Pegasus Airlines.

Booking Pegasus Airlines Economy Class

Pegasus Airlines is an ultra-low-cost carrier based in Türkiye that serves 139 destinations in 53 countries. If you want to bounce around Europe, the Middle East, Northern Africa, or Central Asia, chances are you can find a cheap flight on Pegasus that connects through its hub in Istanbul. Pegasus operates out of Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), Istanbul’s secondary airport.

I often use Google Flights Explore to search for cheap flights. Just a month before our school’s fall break, I spotted a ton of availability from Doha to various European destinations for less than $200 round-trip. I didn’t need much of a push — my family was sold on a week in Athens!

After identifying the flights I wanted to book on Google Flights, I first attempted to book directly on Pegasus Airlines’ website. Unfortunately, my U.S. Visa cards wouldn’t process properly as payment, so I booked the flights at the same price through Capital One Travel.

I paid $915.40, or $183.08 per ticket, for 5 round-trip tickets. By booking through Capital One Travel, I earned 5x Capital One miles on my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card*×Information collected independently. Not reviewed by Capital One.. We value Capital One miles at 1.8 cents apiece, so the 4,577 miles I earned are worth around $82.

Even though booking directly is always more favorable than a third-party website (like Capital One Travel) should something go wrong with the flights, the Capital One Venture X card’s travel protections offer fantastic coverage if there are any bumps.

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Unlimited complimentary access for you and two guests to 1,300+ lounges, including Capital One Lounges and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.74% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

The fare I booked was the Light package, which only included 1 underseat bag with a maximum of 40 x 30 x 15 centimeters (15 x 11 x 5 inches) and 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds). I directly purchased 1 piece of checked luggage weighing 20 kilograms (44 pounds) for $36 round-trip.

Like my initial issues trying to book directly, I ran into payment processing issues when adding the checked luggage to my reservation. My U.S. Visa cards would not work, but I eventually got an American Express card to process. I’m glad I did because checked luggage fees at the airport would have been considerably higher. When I checked in online, the same checked bag fee one-way was around $57.

The ticket should have been eligible to earn points with Pegasus’ BolBol frequent flyer program, but I could never figure out how to properly sign up as a non-Türkiye resident.

As I opted not to pay for assigned seats, I set an alarm to check in online 24 hours before boarding. My family was assigned 5 consecutive seats in row 39, 1 row from the rear of the plane.

Athens International Airport Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH)

After fighting monster traffic from Athens to return our rental car, we finally arrived at the airport around 8:30 a.m. This left less than 2 hours until departure to get checked in and through immigration and security.

We navigated to the check-in counters and held our breath, hoping our checked bag would be under the 20-kilogram restriction. We still had a few kilos to spare, so we quickly shoved a few items from our carry-on bags into the checked bag before it was sent away on the belt.

The counter agent did not weigh our carry-on bags, though this did happen on our initial outbound flight from Doha (where we were slightly overweight collectively but not given any trouble).

Hot Tip:

Understanding the fine print is key to avoiding hidden fees. Low-cost carriers keep fares cheap so that they can profit from fees for everything from baggage to seat selection.

We did not have a moment to spare in the terminal, though there are several Priority Pass lounges in Athens.

Boarding

After passing through immigration and security, we headed straight to gate A19, 1 level below the main concourse. Agents quickly processed passengers from all rows to board buses to a remote stand on the tarmac.

After a quick zip across the apron, we went up the stairs for our flight.

On Board Pegasus Airlines’ Airbus A321neo

My family had scored the first bus from the gate, so we were some of the first passengers on the aircraft. The flight attendant at the rear of the airplane noticed me taking photos and struck up a friendly conversation.

The black and grey leather seats with yellow stitching had red seatbelts prearranged on the cushions. I appreciated that the armrests had been raised for ease of boarding.

My husband and 2 sons were seated on the starboard side.

Even though there was clear signage indicating that underseat bags should stay under seats and not in the overhead bins, we stowed a backpack up there when it was clear that the space was available.

My daughter and I were seated on the port side, with her seat on the aisle and mine in the middle. We got lucky and were the only people in our row.

The seat was comfortable enough for a 90-minute flight, but certain amenities, such as a recline option and an adjustable headrest, were missing. Many airlines also have a branded fabric headrest cover attached to the top of the seat, but this flight just had a bare Velcro strip.

The safety information card and Pegasus Cafe menu were held at the top of the seatback. A QR code was also featured to access the inflight entertainment via a mobile device.

Below this was a tray table. There was no seatback pocket for personal belongings, space to store your device, or power outlets. I am 5 foot 7 inches tall and did not have much space ahead of my knees.

The small tray table extended comfortably and had an indentation for a cup.

Looking upward, each seat had its own fixed reading light and adjustable air nozzle.

With no one in the window seat, I was able to get a quick peek at the neighboring Pegasus and Qatar Airways planes.

The flight departed about 35 minutes late, and as we pushed back, the aircraft filled with a nasty fuel smell that quickly dissipated. Instead of dwelling on the fumes, I focused on the views of the surrounding mountains (Greece is about 80% mountainous!).

Lavatory

The lavatory was ridiculously small, as expected. There were no issues with cleanliness or supplies, but it was definitely a tight squeeze.

There was a noticeable smell, considering our seats’ proximity to the lavatories.

Inflight Entertainment

When they find out we’re traveling, my kids almost immediately ask, “Will there be TVs?” I tried to adequately prepare them for the lack of seatback screens and ensured that we had charged up the Nintendo Switches and iPad for the brief flight.

That said, I was pleasantly surprised to see an inflight entertainment (IFE) service was accessible via QR code once connected to the plane’s Wi-Fi.

The IFE was easy to access and offered entertainment, flight details, an inflight magazine, city guides, and a menu.

Full access to all entertainment was available for a €3.99 fee (around $4). Otherwise, you could watch a 15-minute preview of unlocked movies or shows.

Considering our flight was running a bit behind, I mainly used the IFE site to watch the flight map and check our estimated arrival time.

Food and Beverage

For a short flight, the menu of snacks and drinks options was extensive, and a discount was offered when paying via credit card instead of cash.

When paying by credit card, water was €3 (around $3), sodas were €5 (around $5), and sweet snacks like candy bars or M&Ms were €5 (around $5).

Alcohol ranged from €7 to €20 (around $8 to $22), and savory or hot snacks were €5 (around $5).

The menu also offered combo meals from €9 to €25 (around $10 to $27). Items included cold-cut sandwiches, kofte (grilled meatball), and chicken schnitzel.

Service

Besides the flight attendant who conversed with me as we boarded, I didn’t interact much with the flight crew. They appropriately greeted me on arrival and bid me farewell as we exited. The food service was an efficient up-and-down-the-aisle roll of the trolley (with few takers).

Arrival

Our flight arrived at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW), just 16 minutes behind schedule. Due to delays on my onward aircraft, the nearly 9-hour layover developed into an 11-hour layover, but that’s nothing I can fault against my initial flight from Athens to Istanbul.

It was easy to follow the blue line for “International Transfer Connection” from our arrival gate to the security screening and then through the duty-free shop into the main terminal.

Final Thoughts

For less than $200 per person, I was able to fly my family of 5 round-trip from Doha to Athens via Istanbul on Pegasus Airlines. It was not the Qatar Airways economy class experience that we’re used to — no drink or meal service, no inflight entertainment, and not the most comfortable seat. We also traded a direct flight for a much longer itinerary with a connection.

However, setting my expectations and mindset (and those of my kids) helped set us up for success. We attempted to plan our luggage incredibly light so we wouldn’t have to pay additional baggage fees. Being prepared with snacks and charged devices took care of most of the conveniences a full-service flight would have delivered. Our flight from Athens to Istanbul was a quick hop that got us from A to B dirt cheap, and sometimes, that’s all you need!