Flying Aeroflot?
 

I'm considering flying Paris to Saigon (Vietnam) via Moscow with Aeroflot, as the price might be much cheaper than with other European or Asian airlines (around 200 Euros per person cheaper with Aeroflot). Anyone has already flown with them and can tell me what it's like? What about security matters? I've heard a lot of opposite things about Aeroflot, but it seems that they have bought new airplanes (Boeing and Airbus), have maintenance contracts with Air France, etc. <BR>Thanks for your answers!

Aeroflot safety depends on origination and destination. If you are flying Aeroflot internally in Russia or say from Tashkent to Tblisi on some obscure route then safety is not so high on the agenda. Flying from western Europe should be fine. My main concern would be flying from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh back to Russia as they may be a bit skimpy on the safety checks this way. In general though Aeroflot are an improving company and if you want to save money I would fly with them. The offd is not great but has improved dramatically since communist times.

You get what you pay for.

Many thanks John for your message! Anybody else has recently flown Aeroflot on a Moscow-Asia (if not Moscow-Vietnam) flight?<BR>Thanks in advance!<BR><BR>PS: I've already made reservations, price is much cheaper than I imagine, more than 300 Euros cheaper per person!!!)

Areoflot has one of the worse safety records in the industry. I agree that you get what you pay for.

"Flying Aeroflot?" No thanks. I have heard so many horror stories about Aeroflot that it is the one airline I would be reluctant to take. Supposedly it is better than it used to be, if that is any comfort to you...

Flew them to Russia and around Russia. The Russians laughed and called it "aeroflop". Every plane we were on, they clapped and cheered when we landed!

Anne, several years ago my relative flew Aeroflot from San Francisco to Moscow. She had 2 major complains: <BR>1) people were smoking ON the plane! hope you are not allergic! <BR>2) many passengers had their suitcases broken into. <BR><BR>I don't know if they improved since.

I've taken the JFK-SVO trip many times in the last few years and have run into many who were going on to Dehli or Mumbai--Aeroflot is usually the cheapest airline for that trip. The JFK-SVO portion is no better or worse than other international airlines, although the inflight entertainment can be sketchy. <BR><BR>Remember that you can't leave the terminal unless you have a Russian visa. <BR><BR>There is an article in this week's New York Times travel section about Aeroflot and safety: <BR><BR>http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/20/travel/20REP.html <BR><BR>(registration required but free). The article does wisely point out the differences between Aeroflot and the lesser-known carriers with one or two planes in their fleet. As for the claim that it has one of the worst safety records in the industry, I could name off the top of my head at least a score of airlines that have had fatal crashes sine Aeroflot's last incident.

I have flown Aeroflot from Washington Dulles - Moscow (via Shannon) and connecting to Larnaca. I must admit, for the two roundtrips I flew, the service is better than our US-based carrier's flights. They serve so much food in Economy class and the flight attendants are quick and efficient in their meal, beverage, and duty-free sales service. Seating comfort is the same as other airlines and you can earn mileage in the Delta SkyMiles program (if applicable to you). And let's face it, when it comes to safety, nothing is a sure bet these days. True?

Have never flown them, but they have the worst reputation of all the airlines. Personally, you couldn't pay me to fly them.

WHY? WHY? WHY?<BR><BR>I have flown Aeroflot....a Greyhound bus with wings.<BR><BR>(Take out plenty of insurance!)

Regarding Aeroflot's participation in Skyteam miles (Delta's program), it is still under negotiation and won't start untill at least 2003.

You know......there's a reason why we travel agents call it &quot;AeroFlop&quot;. <BR><BR>

Thanks all for your messages and particularly Marc David Miller. I've made up my mind and already booked my flights with Aeroflot! Price difference is more than 300 Euros per person. Will let you know how the flights are (Paris-Moscow and Moscow-Saigon). We will be flying on Airbus and Boeing. Our travel is in Mid-December, coming back home in Mid-January, so I'll let you know !<BR>I've also asked some people here in Paris, and although a lot of people tell me that Aeroflot has a bad reputation generally speaking, but nobody could say it by their own experience. However, people who have flown Aeroflot recently seem satisfied.<BR><BR>

Aeroflot<BR>I have not flown this airline myself - but like others have heard horror stories about it from friends.<BR>Bring your own screw driver!

I work for the State Department and have to fly a lot - all over the world and Areoflot is and has been for many years on a list of airlines we are not allowed to fly on due to their horrid safely records.

For me, Anne, this is not so much a matter of paying less and putting up with some inconvenience or anxiety. It is more a matter of paying less and having a higher risk of dying. Not worth it to me, but you must make your own decision.

It is kinda pointless discussion: everyone is convinced by media that Aeroflot is bad (screwdriver....hhhmm, what for?), but noone can even remember when was the last accident with their planes. I personally remember the names of China Airlines, Swiss Airlines, PanAm, Luxair...<BR>I did fly Aeroflot this year 2 times (Amsterdam-Moscow-Amsterdam), and was surprised by the quality of the food (much better than food of KLM and Lufthansa, for example). One big minus was the quality of wine - it was sour, to my taste, from Moldova.<BR>As for the reputation, cmon...local governments and media always try to protect their national airlies from the competition. Here they try to convince us that KLM is the best airline, who flew it will understand that this sounds as a joke:)

I agree with Romy!<BR>To Marilyn ('It is more a matter of paying less and having a higher risk of dying'): this is actually the information I was looking for: is there really a 'higher risk of dying' with Aeroflot? In fact, people who have the same words as yours cannot tell the actual accident with Aeroflot (international flights).

Honestly, Anne, I don't know actual safety figures, but they must exist somewhere. Did you try Googling the subject? My remarks were based on the impression I have always had of Aeroflot, and various bits I have read that made it sound like the planes were not well taken care of. As I said above, they may have improved of late. <BR><BR>Romy -- I know what you mean about KLM. The last time I flew them (to Russia, as a matter of fact) we had a terrible flight with very poor service. From NYC to Amsterdam our entire row of reading lights was controlled by the switches of the row behind us, and vice versa. Very annoying to us, but shrugged off by the flight attendant. On the return, we were delayed overnight in Amsterdam, and KLM agreed to phone our friends in NY who were going to pick us up at JFK. KLM never made the call and our friends drove all the way out to JFK for nothing.

According to <BR><BR>www.airdisaster.com<BR><BR>the last fatal Aeroflot crash was in 1994; the last fatal international crash was in 1991.<BR><BR>The only fatal crash in <BR><BR>www.waasinfo.net<BR><BR>(licensed by the FAA to develop a database that contains a subset of the accident information maintained in the World Aircraft Accident Summary (WAAS) database) was the 1994 incident.<BR><BR>The last incident (collision at Anchorage Airport in 1998, no fatalities) was not the fault of the Aeroflot pilot, according to the NTSB report:<BR><BR>https://www.nasdac.faa.gov/pls/nasdac/STAGE.NTSB_BRIEF_REPORT?EV_ID=20001211X11355&amp;A C_VAR=NO&amp;ENG_VAR=NO&amp;INJ_VAR=NO&amp;FT_VAR= NO&amp;OCC_VAR=NO&amp;WTHR_VAR=NO&amp;PNARR_VAR=NO &amp;FNARR_VAR=NO&amp;CNARR_VAR=NO&amp;NARR_VAR=ae roflot<BR>