Scoot restarting Athens – Berlin ‘fifth freedom’ flights

Back in August 2021, SIA’s low-cost subsidiary Scoot started operating “fifth freedom” flights between Athens and Berlin, as a way to reinstate services from both cities to Singapore in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when passenger traffic was still very limited due to testing and quarantine requirements.

The three-hour intra-Europe leg of these services was also launched to tap into markets already open to leisure travellers without quarantine requirements, just a month after Singapore Airlines began Copenhagen – Rome intra-Europe “fifth freedom” flights, for similar reasons.

However, as the world recovered from the pandemic it was no longer necessary for the airline to retain the Athens – Berlin routing, and instead from June 2022 the carrier ended the routing, in favour of  serving each city non-stop from Singapore again.

Athens – Berlin flights are back

Scoot is currently serving Athens four times per week and Berlin three times per week with dedicated non-stop services to and from Singapore.

From the start of the northern winter season in late October 2023, flight frequency will reduce to three times weekly and the services will once again be consolidated into a single routing, as they were during the COVID-19 pandemic between August 2021 and June 2022.

Scoot has full commercial traffic rights on the route, allowing it to transport passengers solely between the two European cities, a so-called “fifth freedom” service.

This will see Berlin lose its non-stop Singapore connection during the winter season, however dedicated non-stop flights to and from both cities are planned again from 31st March 2024, for the summer season next year.

Here’s what Scoot said about operating intra-Europe flights when the service first operated this way in 2021.

Scoot also launched a much longer “fifth freedom” flight between Bangkok and London Gatwick in mid-March 2022, but it was prematurely axed five months later.

The schedule

Here’s how the winter schedule for Scoot’s Athens and Berlin services looks, including the three times weekly “fifth freedom” intra-Europe flights.

Scoot Singapore – Athens – Berlin
30 Oct 2023

29 Mar 2024

			Days
			M	T	W	T	F	S	S
	TR722 787-8
SIN 01:05		ATH 06:55
	TR722 787-8
ATH 07:55		BER 09:50
	TR723 787-8
BER 10:50		ATH 14:35
	TR723 787-8
ATH 15:35		SIN 08:55*

* Next day

Services use Scoot’s 329-seat Boeing 787-8 aircraft with crew rest bunks installed, which have 18 seats in the ScootPlus cabin (2-3-2 layout) and 311 in Economy Class (3-3-3).

Fares

Cash fares for the three-hour flight between Athens and Berlin are extremely competitive, even more so than they were during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on travel in November 2023, one-way fares start at just S$55 in Economy, and S$280 in ScootPlus.

With Aegean Airlines being the only other operator on the route, you can expect to pay at least S$125 one-way in Economy Class and at least S$395 in Business Class on this city pair, so Scoot certainly represents a good budget option.

ScootPlus is good value on this route, with fares undercutting Aegean’s Business Class.

Service and F&B aside, Aegean’s Business Class on its Airbus A320neo aircraft flying between Athens and Berlin is simply the typical ‘Eurobusiness’ blocked middle seat in the first few rows of the cabin.

ScootPlus, on the other hand, is more akin to a long-haul Premium Economy product, with wider seats, more legroom and a 2-3-2 configuration.

Aegean will certainly wine and dine you better than Scoot on this intra-Europe route, and allow lounge access, but if it’s just a comfy seat you’re after for a competitive fare you may be better choosing ScootPlus on the low-cost carrier.

For those interested in flying to Berlin all the way from Singapore, Scoot has one-way fares on the route from S$573 for Economy with a checked bag, seat selection and a meal, or from S$1,033 for ScootPlus. Do bear in mind the total journey time, including a one-hour transit in Athens, is almost 16 hours!

Review

Here’s a video review of the experience from the only passenger in the ScootPlus cabin on one of the airline’s Berlin – Athens flights in 2021.

Intra-Europe fifth freedom flights were a useful way for the SIA Group to tap into open markets during the pandemic, while also linking Singapore to two cities with a single aircraft, which helps manage costs and increase revenue.

We weren’t expecting to see Scoot return to this format for its Athens and Berlin flights in the post-COVID era, but the airline is doing exactly that once again from late October 2023 to late March 2024, presumably a reflection of the limited demand on these routes during the quieter winter months.

Fares on the intra-Europe flights are very low, since the carrier has to compete with better-known incumbents offering more frequent services, so they are potentially a great way to travel between Greece and Germany during this period, if the days of operation suit your travel plans.

Scoot will return to serving both Athens and Berlin with non-stop links from late March 2024, for the summer season.

(Cover Photo: Scoot)