Russia - OVB not considered Europe for awards on OK+ (CSA)

CSA apparently changed their award rules - booked an award ticket for my upcoming trip to sunny OVB @ 30k miles earlier today, now just got a call from CSA that OVB is since a few months in their North Asia zone, not longer in the European zone ... which is geographically correct but would result in an 80k miles charge in Economy :eek: For 80k one could get a biz class transatlantic award so it's a bit over the top..

Maybe that's CSA revenge for getting their PRG-OVB route cancelled?

The CSA call centre even emailed me the list of their destinations - see below.

I guess I need to look for another Skyteam program until Transaero joins Star ... any recommendations for programs that still consider OVB Europe while crediting miles on SU at acceptable levels for cheap eco fares?

For this trip, I'll get a paid ticket - prices are currently at rock bottom levels if one buys separate tickets (in my case Germany - Moscow, Moscow - Novosibirsk) - for a mid feb flight S7 gets priced out at 6000 RUB all incl. return, and Germany - Moscow is around 150 EUR on LH or SU.

Here is CSA's award zoning:

SU Destinations in Russia - zones definition

Destinations OK Plus Zone
AAQ Europe 3 & North Africa
AER Europe 3 & North Africa
ASF Europe 3 & North Africa
BAX North Asia
CEK North Asia
IKT North Asia
KEJ North Asia
KGD Europe 3 & North Africa
KHV North Asia
KJA North Asia
KRR Europe 3 & North Africa
KUF Europe 3 & North Africa
LED Europe 3 & North Africa
MMK Europe 3 & North Africa
MRV Europe 3 & North Africa
NJC North Asia
NSK North Asia
OMS North Asia
OVB North Asia
PEE Europe 3 & North Africa
PKC North Asia
SVX Europe 3 & North Africa
TJM North Asia
UFA Europe 3 & North Africa
UUS North Asia
VOG Europe 3 & North Africa
VVO North Asia

Good info. Thanks for it.

There's a long thread on this back when the Novosibirsk/Barnaul eclipse fervor was building. Can't remember where the thread was but we discussed how Delta was the first to cut the 25k award from Europe to OVB by moving OVB into Asia instead of keeping it in Europe. SU followed when they joined ST. CO, while in ST, might have been the exception to the rule. I can't remember off hand but I think one of the guys who came to OVB for the eclipse used CO miles for an IAD to SVO to OVB award in F for minimal mileage.

Point is this move by CSA brings them in line with the rest of ST. It stinks but it is what it is. Don't know if it is a response to the killing of the twice flown PRG to OVB deal or not. Man I wish that woulda hung on.

I don't know of another ST carrier that considers OVB in Europe unless maybe one of the Southeast Asian partners do but from Europe that could be challenge to work an itinerary out of. If you do find one though please let us know.

Still thinking an Aeroflot Forum might be a good idea...

CSA apparently changed their award rules - booked an award ticket for my upcoming trip to sunny OVB @ 30k miles earlier today, now just got a call from CSA that OVB is since a few months in their North Asia zone, not longer in the European zone ... which is geographically correct but would result in an 80k miles charge in Economy :eek: For 80k one could get a biz class transatlantic award so it's a bit over the top..

Maybe that's CSA revenge for getting their PRG-OVB route cancelled?

The CSA call centre even emailed me the list of their destinations - see below

I guess I need to look for another Skyteam program until Transaero joins Star ... any recommendations for programs that still consider OVB Europe while crediting miles on SU at acceptable levels for cheap eco fares?

For this trip, I'll get a paid ticket - prices are currently at rock bottom levels if one buys separate tickets (in my case Germany - Moscow, Moscow - Novosibirsk) - for a mid feb flight S7 gets priced out at 6000 RUB all incl. return, and Germany - Moscow is around 150 EUR on LH or SU.

Here is CSA's award zoning:

SU Destinations in Russia - zones definition

Destinations OK Plus Zone
AAQ Europe 3 & North Africa
AER Europe 3 & North Africa
ASF Europe 3 & North Africa
BAX North Asia
CEK North Asia
IKT North Asia
KEJ North Asia
KGD Europe 3 & North Africa
KHV North Asia
KJA North Asia
KRR Europe 3 & North Africa
KUF Europe 3 & North Africa
LED Europe 3 & North Africa
MMK Europe 3 & North Africa
MRV Europe 3 & North Africa
NJC North Asia
NSK North Asia
OMS North Asia
OVB North Asia
PEE Europe 3 & North Africa
PKC North Asia
SVX Europe 3 & North Africa
TJM North Asia
UFA Europe 3 & North Africa
UUS North Asia
VOG Europe 3 & North Africa
VVO North Asia

I can't remember off hand but I think one of the guys who came to OVB for the eclipse used CO miles for an IAD to SVO to OVB award in F for minimal mileage.OVB was most definitely in the European zone for CO awards at the time of the eclipse. I ended up flying there on paid tix, as the award space was gone by the time I decided to go.

OVB was most definitely in the European zone for CO awards at the time of the eclipse. I ended up flying there on paid tix, as the award space was gone by the time I decided to go.

There you are! Good to hear from you. How's *A treating you?

Is OVB still in Europe though for CO? I was thinking of the guys from DC who came. One of them (not Dave...I can't believe I don't remember his name as we emailed about 1000 times before the trip) traded some hotel miles for CO miles and came on SU from IAD to SVO to OVB and sat up front the whole way for a lot less than ST would have charged us for sure. If OVB is still in Europe now that they are in *A then I might need to start looking there a bit as I am doing more and more award travel to and from OVB. Usable SWUs would be nice too!

CO currently lists all of Russia as being in Europe (http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/rewards/travel/listofregions.aspx). I've not tried to redeem awards to Eastern Russia using that logic, though.

CO currently lists all of Russia as being in Europe (http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/apps/onepass/rewards/travel/listofregions.aspx). I've not tried to redeem awards to Eastern Russia using that logic, though.

Hmmmm. Might be time for that once in a lifetime *A status match with CO. Any idea xyzzy when/if UN will be courted into *A? If OVB stays in Europe for CO and all of *A then I'm tempted indeed...

Hmmmm. Might be time for that once in a lifetime *A status match with CO. Any idea xyzzy when/if UN will be courted into *A? If OVB stays in Europe for CO and all of *A then I'm tempted indeed...I know nothing about any of that. Sorry. I'd guess that anything between UN and *A is not going to happen soon.

I'd guess that anything between UN and *A is not going to happen soon.

UN recently added a codeshare agreement (http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/company-strategy-alliances/13219597-1.html)with OS, their second codeshare with a LH subsidiary. I am wondering though if LH would be interested in a *A partner in Russia - they have, together with OS, quite an extensive network west of the Urals. I use every customer survey etc to complain about their lack of connectivity to Siberia ... and usually they also loose out on the feeder traffic from Germany to Moscow, except for the recent all-inclusive EUR 114 return fare I couldn't resist :)

For LH awards, all of Russia is considered as Europe, but I guess if there was direct *A service beyond the Urals that would change. They do have good deals - you can get as far as Perm or Ekaterinburg for 30k miles r/t including taxes. Might be worth looking into a connecting flight to OVB on Ural Airlines, or continue on RZhD's Sunseeker service if one has plenty of time :)

I thought this thread was about Skyteam :confused:

Well, if CO figures into the equation then so should BD, right? They treat all of Russia as being in zone 2, which is roughly Central and Eastern Europe. (I'd expect this to change if UN ever joins *A). And you can always earn and burn miles on UN in that FFP although the burn table is different from the regular *A one.