Aeroflot

[RioMist]

Has anyone flown with Aeroflot to London? What was your experience? I have heard some poor reports about Aeroflot but have now booked a flight with them in July. They were the cheapest I could find so I guess I will get what I pay for, but I would like to hear if they are as bad as I have heard!

[bkkjames]

I flew them from Cyprus to Moscow a couple year's back. Wasn't horrible.

[liveinlos]

The last time I flew on them, they were using B767 that had no inflight entertainment on board so bring plenty to keep yourself busy

Other than that, it was pretty uneventful

Yes do you get what you pay for

[Gulfsailor]

Aeroflot has cleaned up its act considerably since the past. A few years ago they joined the Skyteam alliance and recently they have renewed their fleet. Positives of Aeroflot are; New Airbus A330-300 plane from Bangkok to Moscow with private enterntainment system and quite reasonable legroom and recline in economy. You can get your Skyteam points and much easier then when flying other Skyteam carriers such as KLM or Air France, where the cheapest tickets only allow you to earn 25% of the miles flown. Flights between Bangkok and Moscow are pretty quiet generally, so easy to find yourself 2 or more free seats together. Most important is that their prices are much lower when flying return from Bangkok, then with European carriers that charge 30% to 40% more than flying from Europe to Bangkok return. Disadvantages are poor customer service and horrible layover airport at Sheremetyevo. I once missed my connection and had to wait an additional 3 hours, after which that plane was also delayed for close to an hour, making me miss my last train of the day out of arrival airport, costing me a night at an airport hotel at destination. I did send a letter to Aeroflot claiming some compensation, but to date have not heard back from them...

My most recent 3 flights this year to Europe were all with Aeroflot and next month I will take them again with the family. Saved me THB 35,000 for 3 people compared to flying in the same period with any European carrier, while keeping my status as frequent flyer and having perks like lounge access and the occasional upgrade.

Enjoy your flight.

[coxhoedave]

Me and the family had the misfortune of flying with them London - Bangkok return about five years ago.

We were one of the first to arrive at the check in desk, however there seemed to be some sort of a problem with our tickets (which had been bought and payed for a couple of months previous). Whatever the problem was, they were unwilling to let us know. After about half an hour of Russian telephone calls and the tickets getting passed around they decided everything was OK.

Once on the flight everything was uneventful.

After the problems checking in we decided it would be a good idea to get the return flights reconfirmed about 10 days before we flew home. When we tried this we were informed we were not on the computer but to try again later. I must point out that we did not book up on standby.

Everyday on that holiday we were trying to get the return flights sorted. We were ringing the airline, our British travel agent and also a Thai travel agent. It really took the shine off the holiday.

Then, at last, 2 days before the flights we were told that we were, in fact, on the computer after all!! Our joy was short lived when they told us that they had changed the aircraft from a wide body to a narrow body and we were not guaranteed a place on that.

When asked how they proposed to get us home they were pretty vague. "Just turn up at the airport a little earlier than normal and everything SHOULD be OK!"

As it was we were in the bloody airport ages and were at last told we had been found seats on a Thai International flight home..Great!!....but the gate was about to close, so please hurry (run).......Not Great!! with a 9 year old son and a whole load of hand baggage.

I would never fly with this joke of an airline again. Absolute amateurs!!

You pays your money and takes your chance but if I were you I would have no hesitation in canceling your ticket, even if it costs you a few quid, and flying with a "real airline".

[ducksonspeed]

In 2004 I flew from Bangkok to Moscow with them.

Old Russian plane. No inflight entertainment but had a good chat with a Russian doctor sitting next to me. Every So often would need a Pee so of to the toilet. On the way back visit the never ending buffet of food and beer. Sit down. get drunk. Talk lots with people from eastern europe. Get up go to the toilet visit buffet. sit down talk and this went on for hours and hours.

Best plane trip I have ever had. Sure beats inflight entertainment.

[ukrules]

I flew tith them about 15 years ago and I can tell you it was an experience. The flight from London to Moscow was an Airbus. I had a short stopover in Moscow then flew onto Bangkok via the UAE. I had no idea where the stopoff would be on the way and I actually had to ask someone which country we were in, turned out it was Sharjah in the UAE. I didn't even know there would be a stop off along the way - they didn't announce that part in English.

The plane was an Ilyushin 86 wide bodied jet.

On the way back we stopped to pick up more passengers in Delhi and then refuelled in Tashkent, Uzkebistan. The Uzbek airport looked half derelict, there was a bar there though and they acepted pretty much any currency. When we first stopped there they weren't going to let us off as there was no suitable stairway to meet us at the main plane doors, then they opened a small door between the wheels of the plane and we got off that way.

Like I said this was a long time ago and I'm sure things have changed a lot since then.

[RioMist]

Aeroflot has cleaned up its act considerably since the past. A few years ago they joined the Skyteam alliance and recently they have renewed their fleet. Positives of Aeroflot are; New Airbus A330-300 plane from Bangkok to Moscow with private enterntainment system and quite reasonable legroom and recline in economy. You can get your Skyteam points and much easier then when flying other Skyteam carriers such as KLM or Air France, where the cheapest tickets only allow you to earn 25% of the miles flown. Flights between Bangkok and Moscow are pretty quiet generally, so easy to find yourself 2 or more free seats together. Most important is that their prices are much lower when flying return from Bangkok, then with European carriers that charge 30% to 40% more than flying from Europe to Bangkok return. Disadvantages are poor customer service and horrible layover airport at Sheremetyevo. I once missed my connection and had to wait an additional 3 hours, after which that plane was also delayed for close to an hour, making me miss my last train of the day out of arrival airport, costing me a night at an airport hotel at destination. I did send a letter to Aeroflot claiming some compensation, but to date have not heard back from them...

My most recent 3 flights this year to Europe were all with Aeroflot and next month I will take them again with the family. Saved me THB 35,000 for 3 people compared to flying in the same period with any European carrier, while keeping my status as frequent flyer and having perks like lounge access and the occasional upgrade.

Enjoy your flight.

Thanks for the info... You have my my mind at rest..I like the news that they are using new aircraft. So i'm looking forward to my trip home now. I saved over 14000 baht on the next best price for 2 tickets.. Gives me quite a lot more spending power when I get to UK! Thanks

[phomsanuk]

For a little more than economy on a better airline you can fly business but I've not tried it yet.

[jay1980]

I used them a few years ago. London – Moscow was OK, fairly modern Airbus, but very cramped seat like Easyjet and basic. The Airport in Moscow looked straight out of a Roger Moore Bond move very 70's LOL. Short stop over.

The second leg was on a Russian 'Ilyushin'.It was kinda weird inside, with no overhead lockers so like a big dome. The toilets reminded more of festival toilets than toilets on western planes. That said the seats were fairly big and better than average legroom. The food was not great and the air stewardesses were not at all attractive. Some middle aged Russian women talked to me in Russian the whole way (I had no idea what they were talking about) ended up filling in their landing cards. Overall not bad trip, total travel time was good, less than 14 hours including the stopover. Not a terrible trip out

On the way back things were not so good. We hit bad weather, fair enough but after the plane was stuck by lightning it went into a step dive without warning. I am not a nervous flier but I really felt scared. People were screaming and someone in the next row went flying out of their seat (and with no overhead lockers they went up a long way!)Lucky I had my seat belt on. There was no warning about the bad weather and dive like you get on most airlines.

Did not feel comfortable for the rest of that leg. The final leg was OK,but when I got back to Heathrow they had lost my luggage. Got it back a few days later by courier.

OverallI will not be in a hurry to fly with them again.

Good luck

cheers

[erikr_]

Aeroflot can not be compared anymore with the aeroflot of just a few years back. As long as the flight is with A320-340 you will be fine as they are all new planes. Service could still do with a smile but food outranks many airlines