A global outage affecting Microsoft services caused problems with electronic ticketing and other digital systems in Greece, but the country’s trains and public transport services continued running normally.
The main disruption hit passengers relying on electronic rail tickets delivered through email. Some travelers were unable to access tickets sent to Gmail or Outlook accounts while Microsoft’s services were experiencing widespread problems.
For passengers already holding a booking, however, the train itself was not waiting for Microsoft’s servers to recover.
Hellenic Train Has a Very Simple Backup Plan
Hellenic Train advised passengers buying electronic tickets to save or write down the booking code issued when the purchase is completed.
The code can be used to support travel even if the passenger cannot access the electronic ticket afterward. Ticket offices also continued operating normally. It is a remarkably low-tech solution to a very high-tech problem: Microsoft goes down. Write down the number.
The rail system itself continued functioning, with no reported disruption to transport operations.
Airlines Largely Escape the Worst of the Outage
The impact on air travel in Greece was more limited. Most passengers had already issued their tickets, while many travelers use airlines’ own mobile applications rather than relying entirely on Microsoft email services.
As a result, the outage did not produce the kind of widespread operational disruption seen in some other countries. For travelers in Greece, the practical lesson is fairly simple: don’t rely on your inbox as the only place where your travel information exists.
Save the ticket. Screenshot it. Keep the booking code. Paper remains undefeated.
A Global Microsoft Problem
The disruption began on Thursday, November 12, and spread internationally, affecting services including Outlook, Teams, Copilot, and other Microsoft 365 products.
Reports came from more than 70 countries and territories, with businesses, governments, airlines, banks, healthcare organizations and other services affected in different ways.
In Greece, the effects extended beyond transport. The country’s Digital Governance Minister, Dimitris Papastergiou, said the main problems in the public sector involved email systems operated through Microsoft, while core government information systems continued functioning.
The National Cybersecurity Authority also said the incident was not being treated as a cyberattack. Microsoft later reported that its services had been fully restored after more than 24 hours of disruption.
