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I just got done talking to my wife about her flight back to Kyiv. Same story, different day...two hours late leaving SFO, another one hour delay in Seattle, missed connection to Kyiv in SVO (even with a scheduled 4.5 hour layover), luggage "lost" for two days, three hours in KBP filling out paperwork for luggage, rude/obnoxious stews, totally incompetent and unconcerned airport personnel. I'm really looking forward to my trip next month to meet her :0

I am going to have her put her property in her mother's name and get permission to live abroad so that we don't ever have to route through SVO again.

... in response to Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

Did she just say

"ahhh!...Just like the good ole'inefficent days".

... in response to Re: Was your wife cussing them or, posted by wsbill on Aug 4, 2002

She said that there were about forty other people saying "never again!".

... in response to Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

I have found Aeroflot to be fine as long as you stick to them the whole way (direct flight) from New York to a destination within Russia.  For Ukraine I had had an excellent RT flight on Austrian Air via Vienna to Kharkov and a good RT flight on Swiss Air via Zurich to Kiev.  The more changes ie. stops into different cities and switching of airline carriers the greater the chance of a baggage mixup, delay etc.  I am sorry for the hassle but I hope you now become penny wise ie. pay more for the most direct flight every time.

... in response to Re: Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Bobby Orr on Aug 4, 2002

This IS the most direct (ie. least layovers) flight on any carrier that I have found. Aside from (what is suppose to be a touch and go) a stop in Seattle, it is direct to Moscow and still they are three hours late. And what is the difference between catching a connecting flight to Kyiv and one to Socchi? You still have to go from SVO2 to SVO1 right?

Maybe I have become too accustomed to the western standards of service but when you can't make a connection with a four and a half hour layover, it's time to change companies. Besides, when you are consistantly running late, what do you think that does to the ground crew who has to service the plane. I think that things will get skipped and overlooked. My family's safety is worth more than $200/ticket, not to mention arriving at your destination on time and with you luggage.

... in response to Re: Re: Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 4, 2002

Did you change carriers in SVO?  If you did not I have nothing to say other than you ran into very bad luck.  Unfortunately, it sometimes happens during air transport.  All you can hope for is you are not put next to an obese or extremely ill person, they do not lose your luggage and most importantly you arrive safely.

... in response to Change of carriers?, posted by Bobby Orr on Aug 4, 2002

No change in carriers, Aerofk all the way. And though they didn't LOSE the luggage (just misplaced it for two days), they made my wife and her friend drive (45 minutes each way) back to KBP to pick it up because they don't work on Saturdays.

BTW this same thing happened to me my last flight over last fall so at least they are consistant AND I WAS stuck between a 350 pounder and a guy (French) that hadn't taken a bath for a week on the eleven hour leg between Seattle and Moscow.  ;0

... in response to Re: Change of carriers?, posted by Rags on Aug 6, 2002

Hey... is the flight between West coast and Moscow only 11 hours?  Are you for real?

... in response to Rags!, posted by BrianN on Aug 6, 2002

I checked my itinerary (RIGHT!) and if you discount the fact that they are ALWAYS late, you are scheduled to leave SF @ 5:00 pm and arrive in Moscow at 5:25 pm. Subtract 11 hrs time difference and 1.75 hrs to Seattle with a supposed 45 minute stop over, that leaves you with 11 hrs flight time between SEA and SVO. (I think its actually about 10 hr and 40 minutes without counting runway time.)

... in response to Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

Hey Rags,

You live in Seattle area?

... in response to Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

Rags, I missed it earlier, why is it you fly thru Moscow in route to Kiev?

... in response to Re: Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Jack on Aug 3, 2002

This time it was because I still had credit for the return flight part of the R/T tickets I bought when she came over on her K-1. I felt that she deserved the comfort of knowing that if things didn't work out, she had a way back.

I was considering using the Moscow route later to avoid the hassle of getting the permission to live abroad (ie. using her Ukrainian passport when she departs Kyiv).
It's NOT worth it!

... in response to Re: Re: Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

Rags,

 Although there is a slight chance of a hassle, I would have no problem recommending having her fly directly into Ukraine in the future. If she does have any problems, which I think are minimul, I think a well placed $20 quickly will resolve most Ukraine problems. And if you are traveling with her, absolutely go straight into Ukraine as if she is flying with an American, most Ukraine officials do not want any negative-bad press being sent to the Embassy or American officials.

... in response to Re: Re: Re: Another Aeroflot horror stor..., posted by Jack on Aug 4, 2002

Flying into Ukraine is not a probelm. It is the flight departing Ukraine to return to America that represents the potential problem. Even then, the likelihood of having that problem is not very great - especially if the departure is from Kyiv. More so, if from Odesa or Lviv - but as you say Jack, a well-placed $20 bill should resolve it.

FWIW

- Dan

... in response to Yes, It is NOT The Flight *INTO* Ukraine..., posted by Dan on Aug 4, 2002

Well Dan I was meaning the outbound portion of the trip as we know this was Rags main concern, and of course was
your main concern with Olya.

As last we could tell by the wording of some Ukraine laws, Ukraine officials could legally hold-up the departure and in fact prevent a lady from leaving the country if she was married to a foreigner. It is just one of those laws, such as in Texas, where one can legally be arrested for having wire cutters in your possession. In the old days they didn't want people cutting down the barb wire fence's to allow the cattle drives to go the most straight route, or for potential cattle rustlers, so in many counties of the state you can be arrested, even today, for carrying wire cutters.

In Ukraine you have this law that could legally be enforced, but just is not. Maybe if there is a reason to suspect or question a woman, Ukraine officials will use this loophole in the law, but as we have discussed in the past Dan, it probably ain't going to happen.

One way guys who did not want to take any such chance of this happening to them was to have there lady from Ukraine fly out of Moscow, which is not a problem for Ukraine ladies to fly to, and Russia has no such law on the books that would prevent this Ukraine lady from flying to the states. The second thing a guy could do is what Dan did. If I'm not mistaken Dan, because he didn't want to take a chance of this happening to Olya, Dan did all the legal paperwork, quite time consuming, so that it was not a possiability of it happening to Olya.

... in response to Yes, It is NOT The Flight *INTO* Ukraine..., posted by Jack on Aug 4, 2002

I guess if I only have to do this once a year, I might just roll the dice. I'm not too sure about the $20 "tip" though. I tried that with a $100 bill during my last Aerofk fiasco trying to get out of SVO 2 on an expired transit visa. I got the impression that if the lady I was dealing with was not already sypathetic to my situation that I would have been in even more trouble for making the offer. Besides, it would be pretty tricky sliding a $20 to that guy in KBP. He is sitting right there with everyone watching him.

Dan, could you explain the process/difficulties of getting this permission to live abroad? It would be greatly appreciated.
Sign me "No sugar tonight..."

... in response to Another Aeroflot horror story, posted by Rags on Aug 3, 2002

I understand why you and your family are flying through Moscow, but Aeroflot is not the only airline that fly from the us to SVO.  On *paper*, Aeorflot may be the best choice (price, connections), but it is not the only airline to fly from the US to Moscow. However, with all of the problems you have had with Aeroflot, why don't you use an US or western european airline to fly to moscow and connect to a Ukrainian airline in Moscow.  (When I go to Kiev, one or two of my flights is operated by Ukraine International.)

... in response to Re: Another Aeroflot horror story - a qu..., posted by Richard on Aug 3, 2002

This may be an option if it's too big a hassle to get her property transfer taken care of. I wonder if it's just paperwork or if we have to pay taxes and fees. Anybody here done this?

Another thing to consider is the hassle and cost ($150 minimun) of getting a Russian double entry transit visa.