Does anyone know if Aeroflot is the only airline with a direct flight from Moscow (SVO) to Krasnodar (KRR)? This is the only airline that comes up in my search. I have seen others from a search weeks back but nothing is coming up today. ????
Anyway - Delta JFK to SVO and back. SVO to KRR and back. Only risk of booking two different reservations is connecting to other airline.
Flight from Philly is two changes and takes 17+ hours and $300+ more. Direct from JFK is 9.5 hours. Limo to NYC is 2.5 hours.
I am thinking about trying to cut it close but I will most likely miss connection in SVO. Plane lands from JFK @10:10, plane leaves SVO for KRR @11:10.
Anyone know what Aeoroflot's policy is on missing connection? I can try it. Next flight is at 5P. I can chance booking 11:10 flight and if I miss can catch the later flight. ???? Thoughts on this strategy??
To begin, even 2 hours at Sheremetyevo is cutting it awfully fine. You have to go through passport control (which lately has been f*cking awful, 1 hour+), and then get between the two terminals (miles and miles apart), before the boarding cutoff of the departing flight. And no, they won't check your bags through! So you must find your baggage after getting through passport control, in order to lug it on the taxi/bus between the terminals, and then check it in on the next flight. I recommend 3+ hours.
In my opinion, you would do yourself a big favor by skipping SVO altogether, and PHL as well. Newark (EWR) may be a longer drive, but it's all broad interstates, nothing like crossing the Big Apple.
Playing "amateur travel agent" (since 2004, I've spent an Awful Lot of Time shopping for airfares online), I have an example itinerary around the popular New Year's holiday:
29 December British Airways EWR 6:50p to DME 3:40p (30 December)
30 December S7 DME 7:45p to KRR 9:35p
11 January S7 KRR 3:20p to DME 5:25p
11 January British Airways DME 8:55p to EWR 1:25p
Of course, both of the BA flights involve stops to change planes in England. The BA itinerary, available thru orbitz.com, is $932. The S7 round-trip is only 4300 rubles (about $150-155 counting your credit card's foreign transaction fees). See http://www.s7.ru/en/index.html. And at Newark, you can use EZ Way parking, only $8 per day, which could save you close to 100 bucks if you want to drive yourself.
DME (Moscow Domodedovo) is a much more civilized place than SVO, and it's only a few minutes walk, rather than finding your way between widely separated terminals. The itinerary allows plenty of time for passport control and baggage claim, greatly reducing the stress factor.
I've had good experiences with Aeroflot, but I think dealing with SVO is a rough way to go, for the trip you want to make.
Since you've probably never heard of it, S7 (officially Siberian Airlines) kicks ass. They have a slick website, fly to many Russian and European destinations, most flights are on very nice modern Western built planes, and the fares are great. I flew from St. Pete to Moscow for about 50 bucks, competitive with the overnight train fares!
thanks Durak -- return is Jan 8 or 9 -- must not be late for work on Monday. I will not be able to drive with a full body cast that is why I need a driver. I get out of my 'cast' Jan 9.
Interesting S7 only has 2 flights out of KRR - the 5:30 arrival would be the only option to make it out of country in time to catch a flight to London. Here is the problem. Shortest layover in London is 12 hours arriving 10P leaving 10A. If I'm going to be stuck in London for 12 hours I may as well make it 18. The price of trip is going up. Hotel in seedy section of London, $200 on beer - maybe I can get free flu medicine while I'm there. Still more searching to do. But I may as well spend a day in UK if I am going to have to wait around for a flight. Maybe I can catch an NFL wildcard game with the local fans on Saturday.
As an aside, take a look at Kiselev's Rock on the web. I have that very same shot only with someone in a bikini in front of it. And NO it wasn't available to the general public.
Can't beat direct flights. A few hundred saved on longer flights is more money spent elsewhere during the down time.
Julian, i'm from philly too. Flying from jfk is the only option for me. I always use daves best limousine to get me to jfk. about $100 round trip.
I'm looking to go to ekaterinberg soon. i don't really want to fly into moscow and deal with passportcontrol and switching terminals. I found that I could fly into frankfurt, then catch a plane from there directly to ekaterinberg.
Julian, I was searching hurriedly and didn't notice the overnight layover. Since you won't be driving yourself, there is not such a big reason to avoid NYC airports. Here is an Aeroflot itinerary:
29 Dec JFK 7:05p 30 Dec KRR 8:05p
8 Jan KRR 6:20a 8 Jan JFK 5:00p
It costs $1405 from orbitz or cheaptickets, or $1343 from aeroflot.ru. It's the cheapest option I could find that (1) gets you into Krasnodar on the night of the 30th (instead of the 1-ish AM on the 31st), and (2) takes less than 20 hours both directions. Each direction has an SVO layover of 5+ hours. This might seem long, but by the time you deal with passport control, baggage claim, and getting between the terminals, you'll probably only have an hour or so to kill before check-in starts on the next flight. This layover time also gives you some "wiggle room" in case the first leg is delayed due to weather.
It ain't easy, but is probably quicker and easier than getting there by, say, tramp steamer.
I would go with Durak's first post - if at ALL possible, use Domodedovo (I doubt that any flight from the US would end up at Vnukovo). It really is a top-class airport, well laid out and with English signs everywhere. All flights leave from the same terminal, although you may need a bus to get to your aircraft. As you will presumably be transiting to domestic straight away you won't have to worry abou the taxi touts (who are a pain in the proverbial). In my one and only trip to Russia I dreaded landing in Moscow, expecting all the horrendous things which people consistently report about SVO, but it couldn't have been easier - immigration and security took no more than five minutes, and it was the luggage that we had to wait for.
I used S7 to and from Kazan, having used Aeroflot to St Petersburg and Transaero back to Moscow. S7 leave the competition for dead, which is probably why they carry the most passengers domestically of any Russian airline. I'm very happy to give them a plug.
yeah durak, that is the flight plan I was looking at directly from aeroflot website, and considering flying the same airline all the way gives a little more comfort that they will accomadate any troubles with delays and get me to next terminal
Gecko, unfortunately there are very few flights directly to KRR and to use KLM or whatever means an awfully long layover and midnight arrivals. visa service is still up for grabs. I already spoke to gotorussia rep. Her father was born in Krasnodar... They all seem close as far as price, gotorussia is one stop shopping and turnaround is about a week, don't know about dave's limo service but will check, I have been using the same service for years since they are just a couple miles from my place -- they want 250 for jfk -- a lot I think. However getting limo is my only option right now.
Where is dave's headquartered? I'll check today for cheaper options. Ekaterinberg is going to be coooooooold. GO PHILLIES!
A few of the visa services wanted a copy of airline tickets. gotorussia said just block out the thirty days you want to travel. GF says, getting around and registering is no problem. Just register at local PO using her address, then we can head south for a few days here and there. Family is close to half way between KRR and Sochi. I will have a place to stay for the 2012 winter olypmics!
One trick to learn in getting to the less travelled airports is to search the departures and arrivals from the airport. http://www.flightstats.com does this. You can then see carriers that dont turn up in main search engines and where they fly to which opens up options for better connections and flight times. There is a daily flight to and from Vienna but it is fairly pricy on the Krasnodar leg but you can fly fairly easily from Philidelphia to Vienna.
@Gemini: Thanks for the tip on flightstats.com. Sometimes I use wikipedia, whose airport entries list which airlines fly to the airport, but this info can easily be out of date.
okay - here goes --- after many hours of searching etc...I looked at very many options. I tried to book directly through Aeroflot for the 5 o'clock flight to Krasnodar. Flight was full - no available seats. That would mean taking the 10 something flight which would get me there after midnite. No way! Many other options did not appeal to me.
Orbitz offered the same flight and it was available. Reminds me of the time I was at Mystic Seaport. I couldn't get a room at a hotel because they were full unless I had a reservation - no rooms available. I went to a pay phone twenty feet from the front desk and made a reservation and got the room. Silly how it works sometime.
GF thinks new SVO3 terminal is up and running. Maybe less hassle getting around. I went with it.
A couple hundy less than durak's quote. Stretched it into the 9th. Leave KRR early and make it to JFK at 5PM. Other options would have me home near the same time leaving on the 8th. Better an extra night with sweety than wasting time in airports.
gecko-- I checked into dave's today. best they can offer is a van pick up and then wait with the crowd for a periodic departure from JFK when I return. 100 bucks cheaper. But $100 is worth having a driver waiting with a towne car and not having to stop for other folks on the van. Plus I live closer to Pottstown up 422. There was a service near Limerick that said 500 round trip, but when they added the "extra" miles to pick me up it went up to 800. WTF it is on the way! I'm thinking there better be a gorgeous blond in the backseat with me for the ride... I'm sticking with my limo service that knows me on a first name basis. Not economy but outstanding service. I called no less than 6 services. Most close to same price. A couple outrageous!
So it has been decided. Can't wait too long, and now get visa etc...
btw - durak - I have the exact same flights as you mentioned in previous post excpet leaving the 9th from KRR - it is what I thought would work except that aeroflot did not offer this -- orbitz did. and 200 cheaper after I hit the button...
Watch out for Orbitz. I booked my last flight to Ukraine from them a few months early for $1,000 on the agreement that if the price goes lower, I would get the difference refunded. The price went lower. They said it has to be the same exact flights. How can a flight going to Ukraine from California be the same exact flights? I did not get the refund and noticed there were others like me that complained.
if it was not the exact same flight, then it was not the exact same flight!!! -- that is why they can advertise this... what are the chances? I did not want to say this for for a long time. I mean, I did. Because I do not want to get into a pissing match with anyone, I just smile about some of the stuff that goes on. RB, you whine an awful lot. Of course now I set myself up for a bunch of crap. But truth is, you need to forget about fsu and this forum and hook up with one of the philippinas at your church. Sure you have some insight an experience. But quit being a crybaby already!
Let the attacks begin! I don't give a crap. Just like you infiltrated beemer's story. Not so much that you had something to say, but that you started whining again. Give it up. I think you book a flight to Ireland and swap stories with Colin - again I just set myself up for more rage and ire from the masses. But it is getting old already. You could have purchased a car for your future girlfriend who lives near you for what you have blown on fsu women.
I apologize to all for losing my cool. But it had o be said.
I was just warning you, Julian in case you decide on trying the same thing. You had to click and go to another screen to see fine print.
Nope. Not going to do that. Not until I'm ready. Certainly not because you say so. All I was doing was telling my story. I was not complaining. If you call it whining, so be it. Look at Beemer's post. He himself said that I am defending my woman in every thread in telling me I should not be there. Now look at what else he said. What can I do but defend her?
As far as money, Beemer spent more on his girlfriend on that trip than what I have given my gf in the past year. A lot more. Then, he explains how his is different.
I know what your problem is, Julian. You don't like to hear sad stories. You told Colin to quit several times just like you are telling me. But wouldn't it be great if I overcame the odds? Don't worry Julian, my heart can handle the opposite.
Oh yes, Julian. Beemer has been after me about sending money for a long time, not just the thread in question. He exaggerates and even told me once that I sent money to other women. I have not.
Look at your post, Julian. Who is being a crybaby? Why should I go to Ireland? Why do I need to swap stories with Colin, when the story is over? What is this forum for?
I am willing to bet the Beemer thread is not your only beef with me. You couldn't stand Colin's thread. You declared it over. I defied you. This is a forum. People are supposed to post here.
I have one serious question for you, Julian. Did you watch the World Series? Were you rooting for the Phillies? Up to the last out, I was. Isn't that one thing being American is about, rooting for your team no matter what?
With this forum and others, many FSU women are branded as scammers, liars. I am out to prove that one is not. She has been tried and convicted in the eyes of many before all the facts are known. My serious question is why are you not rooting for me?
Just to set the story straight, the Filipina is in the Philippines. As pretty, tall and young as she is, she will not do for me. She writes poetry and short stories which I cannot or unwilling to understand. She is a liberal and perhaps even a Marxist. The two women at the church are Caucasian.