Airtravel in Russia

Visiting places in Russia is a culturally exciting experience. Traveling either on business or for leisure purposes will undoubtedly give you a better insight into Russian lifestyle and Russian people. Russia is a vast country that provides a wide choice of destinations to explore. You may prefer to travel by air to save time although train journeys, to St. Petersburg in particular, are quite popular.

Aeroflot, the national carrier and a number of local airlines operate domestic flights to most regional cities. Among the most popular are Pulkovo Airlines, servicing St. Petersburg routes; Siberia Airlines and KrasAir, covering the Siberian region; Samara Airlines, with regular service to Samara from Moscow and St. Petersburg; and Kuban Airlines, servicing Krasnodar.

Domestic flights depart from three airports around Moscow - Sheremetyevo-I in the north, Vnukovo in the southwest, and Domodedovo in the southeast. Out of these three, the newly renovated Domodedovo Airport stands out and can boast modern facilities and comfortable waiting rooms. In terms of public transportation, Domodedovo is also unique in that it is connected to downtown Moscow by an express rail service. The train called Aeroexpress operates from Paveletsky railway station (Paveletskaya metro station) to Domodedovo every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and takes 40 minutes. Tickets must be purchased before boarding the train at ticket offices in Paveletsky air terminal or at Domodedovo airport (right wing) and cost 50 rubles for a one-way ticket. Other airports are not that conveniently linked to town, and passengers have to use bus services from Rechnoy vokzal metro station to Sheremetyevo-I or II, or from Yugo-Zapadnaya metro station to Vnukovo airport. Of course, taxis are also available.

When choosing the carrier, if there are options, it is useful to keep in mind that air tickets issued for domestic flights operated by non-Aeroflot carriers might be refundable, but date changes can be made only through refunds. In other words, if travel plans are uncertain and require flexibility, you may want to purchase an Aeroflot ticket starting from excursion type fare to have a flexible return date. In this case you can change a reservation by calling your travel agent and avoid the hassle (and expenses!) of buying a new ticket for the return journey.

If your travel plans change, be sure to cancel unnecessary air and hotel reservations as soon as possible. Cancellation fees on many local airlines depend on how early you cancel the flights, and hotels charge no-show fees. Another problem might arise if your flight is cancelled by the airline. In this case, be sure to have the flight coupon of the ticket signed and stamped by an official at the airport. If the flight is cancelled after check-in is completed, make sure the flight coupon is returned to you with all necessary remarks and stamps. This will enable the issuing office, either an airline or a travel agency to provide a refund for the unused portion of your ticket. You also need to have your flight coupon stamped and signed if you are accommodated in economy class, even though you paid for a business class ticket. In order to collect the refund for the difference in fares, known as a ''downgrade,'' make sure the airline adds remarks (i.e. downgrade from C to Y class) to the effect on the passenger coupon of the ticket (the white cover), and that it is signed and stamped.