You can fly direct from the UAE to Santorini for Dhs179 from July

“Wizz Air: no quarantine for residents who’ve had jabs”

“Mama Mia” is what we said when we heard that new budget airline Wizz Air Abu Dhabi would be operating a direct flight from AUH into Santorini with fares from Dhs179.

Then it was ‘here we go again’ because we’ve paid more than that for a pizza in the last month. Don’t get your hopes, we thought,  ‘we’ll be broken hearted’. There must be a catch. Maybe you have to add on exorbitant airport taxes or something?

But no, it’s a legit one-way direct airfare price. On a twice-weekly (Monday and Friday) direct service starting on July 2, 2021. They’re available to book now on wizzair.com and the airline’s mobile app.

We checked a few dates and at the moment you’ll have to book in August to get the lowest fares, but they are there (and include One carry-on bag of max dimensions 40x30x20cm).

As you can see the return flights are currently a little higher, that seems to be the case across the selected dates we looked at. It’s also worth factoring in that these prices do not include checked luggage. But it’s still an outrageously strong deal for a destination that’s on most worldly traveller’s wish lists.

Quarantine requirements

So the great news is UAE residents can visit Greece’s Aegean archipelago without the need for quarantine. You’ll need to “provide a negative PCR test taken by swab up to 72 hours before the arrival, or hold a certificate of vaccination in English issued by a public authority”.

“Children 5 years of age and younger are exempted. The vaccination needs to have been completed at least 14 days before arrival to Greece.”

Despite not being on Abu Dhabi’s Green List, Wizz Air stated in their announcement that because Greece and the United Arab Emirates “opened a travel corridor earlier in May …  When returning to Abu Dhabi, UAE residents and citizens who have been vaccinated for at least 28 days, and have received a vaccine report on the Alhosn app, will be able to fly into the UAE from Greece without having to follow quarantine restrictions”.

Kees Van Schaick, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, said: “With its iconic whitewashed villages and charming blue-domed roofs, it’s no surprise that Santorini is an ever-popular destination for travellers the world over. And now, with the UAE and Greece having agreed a travel corridor, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is delivering safe, efficient, hassle-free, and ultra-low fare travel options for UAE residents looking for a Hellenistic holiday.”

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi operate two other regular flights a week from Abu Dhabi to the Greek cities of Athens and Thessaloniki.

Images: Provided/Unsplash