Best Airfares to Russia?

[bhv.livejournal.com]

I planning a trip to Russia and Ukraine this summer so I bought a copy of the Sunday LA Times in order to read their travel section. Much to my amazement there were no advertisements for air-fares to Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Kiev.

I'm very interested in your recommendations on how to get low air fares, what Airlines are good, and which ones to avoid. Would it be good to deal with a travel agent that specializes in travel to the former Soviet Union? I'm open to your suggestions, recommendations, and comments.

Comments

[devinshire.livejournal.com]

www.gotorussia.com will offer you a variety of fares, airlines, and destinations. I would recommend looking there. Good luck!

[ex-zadoff59.livejournal.com]

try National Enqirier

(serious links www.aerosvit.com www.aeroflot.com)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Concerning Russian destinations: Aeroflot is arguably the cheapest, though most Americans normally are quite surprised by the fact that this company's service, er, differs from what they are used to. But after all it's only 16 hours from LA to Moscow (I mean, you aren't going to LIVE in that plane?) :-)), and the flights themselves are really safe -- though less comfotable than, say, Delta (who charges you an unbelieveable amount of money, though.) You can use both Aeroflot.ru (http://www.aeroflot.ru/eng/) and Aeroflot.com (http://www.aeroflot.com/) - those two are a bit different but represent the same airline :). Note that Aeroflot only flies to LA twice a week (as well as to San Francisco and Seattle) - the only U.S. cities with daily direct Aeroflot flights to Moscow are NYC and DC.
Some other companies offer connection flights to Moscow (say, Northwest/KLM via Amsterdam) but if it's even somehow comparable in terms of airfare (example: two years ago, a non-stop Aeroflot flight Moscow-NYC-Moscow would cost me $450, but it was sold out, and the same by KLM/Northwest via Amsterdam costed $700), it's far less convenient in terms of your health that you spend during the flight: on the way back from NYC, the flight was 3 hrs late, I have missed my connection flight and spend some additional 9 hrs in Amsterdam Sciphol airport which I haven't planned and haven't enjoyed:-)
Aerosvit (http://www.aerosvit.ua/eng) is the best option for Kyiv. I haven't flied to and fro it from the U.S. so I cannot say much more. Note that Kyiv is within a very comfortable overnight train ride from Moscow (which costs about one third of an air ticket.) And note also that you need separate visas for Russia and Ukraine. If you plan to return to Russia after visiting Ukraine before you go back to America, you need a "double-entry" Russian visa (othervise they won't let you come back to Moscow.)
Unfortunately, I have no connections with U.S. travel agents who work with Russia, but I'm sure that local American Russian resources (like Russian LA (http://www.russian-la.com/) or Russian Seattle (http://www.russianseattle.com/)) have plenty of them classified.

[simonff.livejournal.com]

LA to Moscow is 12 hours, not 16, unless it's changed since the last time I flew. Don't scare people off. :)

[wolk-off.livejournal.com]

Well, I took a look at Aeroflot Web site - you're right, 13 hours...
I was confused by the 14-hrs San Francisco flight, but it was not direct (it lands in Seattle.)

[poisonous-drink.livejournal.com]

aeroflot might be the cheapest, but its sounds too funny while airplane is flying
i think Delta is the best out of cheapest

Thanks for the suggestions

[bhv.livejournal.com]

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. It looks like I will try to fly to Paris and spend a few days there visiting a friend. I then plan to fly on to either Kiev or St. Petersburg. I do want to visit both Kiev and St. Petersburg though I am not sure where to go first. I have the month of June reserved for this trip.

It's looking like I may buy a separate round trip ticket to Paris, and then hopefully do a three leg trip that takes me to St. Petersburg, then Kiev and back to Paris and finally home to Los Angeles.