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Question:

I am considering flying to Moscow and returning from St. Petersburg (originating in NY) for a trip in November and noticed that Aeroflot beat everyone else by about $200. Should I use Aeroflot? Marc David Miller New York, NY

Response:

I collague flew long distance Aeroflot, and had no complains about them. I think the general attitude in the newsgroup is that the "poor" airlines match the western ones. When people complain about airlines here, it is normally the big western airlines that is the target. I also beleive that if an airline was unsafe USA would not let them use American airspace. Jesper

Response:

>I collague flew long distance Aeroflot, and had no complains about them. >I think the general attitude in the newsgroup is that the "poor" airlines >match the western ones. >When people complain about airlines here, it is normally the big western >airlines that is the target. >I also beleive that if an airline was unsafe USA would not let them use >American airspace.

The Aeroflot of today (the "real" one, not the sill-unrepainted-"babyflots") is certainly up to the standards of most U.S. and European airlines.  This is especially true on the east coast of the US, where SU uses A310’s and B767’s. But, as Jesper should have said, the coffee on SAS is way better. I also appreciate the pause (if changing enroute) in the journey. But do keep in mind that most European airlines schedules are such that your return LED-NYC may involve an overnight in said European country. (e.g. KLM via AMS) -Erik

Response:

appear as if it was written: >I collague flew long distance Aeroflot, and had no complains about them. >I think the general attitude in the newsgroup is that the "poor" airlines >match the western ones. >When people complain about airlines here, it is normally the big western >airlines that is the target. >I also beleive that if an airline was unsafe USA would not let them use >American airspace.

In theory, this last is true.  In practice, well, I wouldn’t want to be on the flight that alerted the FAA to a foreign airline’s unsafe practices. In the past year, Aeroflot has been the subject of an FAA investigation and fine for unsafe practices in the Seattle area. Regarding your "observation" that complaints about airlines are "normally" targetted at the big western ones, well, Garuda, China Airlines, Korean, etc. have all been the subject of complaints, and they hardly fit your profile! Perhaps you fail to account for the fact that the majority of contributors to this newsgroup are resident in the home territories of those big western airlines, and people tend to grumble more about their local giants. For example, Brits compain at great length about BA, Aussies denigrate Qantas a lot, Dallas residents complain about AA, Southerners complain about DL, etc. >Jesper

Malc.

Response:

                       Chris’ comment regarding:                        >early morning flights out of SVO TOO early <g> in my opinion. Many a morning when I have sat in SVO at some ungodly hour 4-5AM usually waiting for those "early morning flights", I have always wondered why there can’t be flights more ofen, say around 9-10-11AM-ish. (Especially to FRA!). Maryanne. …thank god for the STRONG coffee served at the cart near Gate #3 at SVO!

Response:

>I haven’t used them, but I think on the NYC-Moscow route they now fly a >Boing 767 and from what I’ve heard service is OK.  I don’t think they fly >direct from St. Petersburg-NYC, route is probably via Moscow.

They do now.  The flight started last November or so.

Response: