Kate Watson flies from Santorini to Athens on Ryanair

Aircraft: A 737-800.

Price: $570 for two adults and two children (aged 12 and 10). This included a $20 fee to reserve our seats.

Seats: 10F and 11D, 11E and 11F.

Luggage: We had allowance to take four 20kg checked-in bags and four 10kg cabin bags. Airport experience: Santorini Airport was small and struggling. There are signs up about an expansion duenext year. Space-wise, passengers can expect a 236 per cent increase. Check-in was chaotic: Passengers were herded into lines before entering the terminal and ushered inside incrementally in an effort to reduce congestion inside the building. Check-in and baggage drop-off were in separate locations and then, more confusingly, we had to exit the terminal and re-enter through an adjacent door in order to pass through security. A fellow passenger asked a staff member where the priority boarding was. “It is all the same here, ma’am,” was the reply. Passport control: It was a lengthy queue so there was time to grab a coffee and toilet break as we stood in line.

Aircraft interior: Clean and basic. There was a magazine on my seat but no pocket in which to stow it. Cabin crew were friendly and welcoming and undertook a trash collection during the flight.

Flight experience: At a brief 30 minutes door-todoor, it was shorter than the check-in, however this didn’t deter the crew from promoting their food and beverage options at some length over a deafeningly loud intercom. We chose to wait and have a more relaxing lunch in Athens.

Arrival: A loud, lively jingle played as the plane touched down, as if to congratulate our pilot on his or her flying prowess in delivering us safely to our destination.