Areoflot were atleast £100 cheaper than any other airline when I travelled to Vietnam via Moscow. For one journey I can stand being in cramped conditions for a few hours but I didn't count on the delays.
On arriving in Moscow I expected to wait for a couple of hours before getting the connecting flight to Vietnam. After getting into the airport we were told to make our way to gate 21 where we would be taken to a hotel. We all assumed that this would be just for the 2 hours wait as it was the middle of the night and we the airport was closed. They loaded us on to a bus and drove us round the corner to a posh Novatel Hotel. Once in reception we were told our plane was delayed by 8 hours and we were escorted by the service lift to a transit floor. This 8 hours was extended to 20 and then to 26 hours.
All this time we were kept under guard and the only time we got out of the room was to be escorted to the dining room to eat.
I know we had no visa for Moscow but we should have been allowed to apply for one. After a day in the hotel room and all the different stories of how long our flight was delayed by, we didn't know when we were getting out.
We also got delayed on the way back by 12 hours but were left in Moscow airport in December at -8C. This was not good as we had only summer clothes with us.
In short, Areoflot is cheap but not worth missing two days of your holiday for the saving. I would never fly with them again on a journey where I have to get a connecting flight.
by (29%):
14.10.2004 09:11
why do you rate the airline dangerous? More info needed on the airline itself though.
01.02.2004 01:28
Sounds a bit of a nightmare trip :( would like to have seen lots more info about the airline though. Sue
26.07.2003 21:42
Sorry to rate only SH but there wasn't a lot of info about the airline. You obviously had a terrible journey, and they didn't handle the delay well at all, but there was no mention of the aircraft, the crew, the food, the seat, or the onboard service. I agree about the visa but that is the Russian Immigration, no the airline's fault.