Russia - Aeroflot at LAX

It's been a couple of years since I've made the run from LAX to SVO, and I wanted to make sure nothing has changed.

We'll be sending my mother-in-law home in July by sending her on Alaska Airlines from PDX to LAX and then LAX to SVO. When I used to do this route, I remember exiting Alaska baggage claim and then taking a right and walking down just a short distance to the international terminal. The first set of stairs I came to took me up to where the Aeroflot counter was. Also, is it still necessary to have to claim and recheck luggage at LAX for Aeroflot? When I first did this route, I was able to check my bag at SEA and not have to touch it again until SVO. But then Aeroflot claimed there was a rule change and subsequently made me get my luggage at LAX and recheck it with them.

My mother-in-law doesn't speak any English, so we want to make sure we give her very detailed instructions on what to expect at LAX.

It's been a couple of years since I've made the run from LAX to SVO, and I wanted to make sure nothing has changed.

We'll be sending my mother-in-law home in July by sending her on Alaska Airlines from PDX to LAX and then LAX to SVO. When I used to do this route, I remember exiting Alaska baggage claim and then taking a right and walking down just a short distance to the international terminal. The first set of stairs I came to took me up to where the Aeroflot counter was. Also, is it still necessary to have to claim and recheck luggage at LAX for Aeroflot? When I first did this route, I was able to check my bag at SEA and not have to touch it again until SVO. But then Aeroflot claimed there was a rule change and subsequently made me get my luggage at LAX and recheck it with them.

My mother-in-law doesn't speak any English, so we want to make sure we give her very detailed instructions on what to expect at LAX.

There you are! I was thinking about you earlier today actually. Odd but true.

I've done this route twice this year and yes I've had to get my bag from DL both times and recheck with SU. PLENTY of Russian speakers though in the TBIT so don't worry about that. SU's check in desks are, as you enter TBIT from the street, on the far left closest to the street so very easy to find. Check in starts about 3 hours I think before departure.

The 330 to SVO is nice though tight for a 6-8 guy in econ. AVOD on a SU aircraft still seems like a dream to me but, alas, it is offered on this route. Arrival at SVO is easy and not the nightmare we've loathed for years gone by. All in all, she should have no problem.

I'm guessing she's returning home after visiting a certain grand child, eh? Congrats on that again.

Any chance she's on the later of the 2 night flights to our fair home city in Siberia this coming Monday (#807)? If so, I and my family will be too. It'd be great to meet her.

Hope your family is doing well. Now that I look at it, this note is more PM material than an open post. Even so...I'll leave it as a post.

Thanks, buddy. I couldn't find your e-mail address but figured you'd know the answer. So, if we're looking at TBIT from the street, SU is still over on the far right side of the terminal, or they're over on the far left now?

Grandma is coming over in a couple of weeks, OVB - SVO - JFK - MSP. But then we're all driving back over to the West Coast as I have a new job there. Then in July, we're sending her home PDX - LAX - SVO - OVB. Having to get her luggage at LAX and recheck it is going to stink for her. I don't know why they insist on doing that. Aeroflot used to tell me it was a new rule they had, but I wonder if it's TSA or something? Last time she was here her SVO flight to JFK was late and she missed her connection to MSP. A real pain as we kept having to pass a phone between a ticket agent and Grandma to tell her what was going to happen and that she was going to have to stay in a hotel.

I've heard the Kafkaesque days of SVO-1 are long gone. Thank God, because I don't think I could do that again. I'd just as soon fly in to Nairobi and walk to the hotel. But Grandma is an old Aeroflot flight attendant from the 70s, so I think she can handle her own in any Russian airport. She'd leave them in tears if they gave her any lip. :D

I see they have her on "Nordavia" on the SVO - OVB return. I'm assuming this is the repackaged Nord after their debacle in Perm? One of the return itineraries we had a choice of returned her west through China. That would have been cool route for her, but we couldn't make it work because the outbound from OVB didn't line up right with our dates.

If it is on one PNR the bags should be checked through to at least SVO where she might need to claim bags and clear Russian customs. But she knows that part I assume. I suggest you insist at PDX to get the bags through. Sometimes people make problems larger than what the actual problem is. And as mentioned TBIT is just 50-100 meters away from T4. I am sure she will find Russian speaking staff there. At least when I flew Air France there were French speaking staff at the gate at least ( I did not deal with checkin there, since I was checked through from HNL all the way to OSL via LAX and CDG) .

I was thinking about taking this route instead of my usual (DTW-JFK-SVO). How full are these flights in economy?

I was thinking about taking this route instead of my usual (DTW-JFK-SVO). How full are these flights in economy?

My two times this year have been VERY, VERY full. Less than 10 open seats in the back. I'm 6-8 so my definition of tight might be different than yours but man were things tight back there. Nice plane, nice service, great connections for onward flights upon arrival. I really like like the LAX to SVO run.

My two times this year have been VERY, VERY full. Less than 10 open seats in the back. I'm 6-8 so my definition of tight might be different than yours but man were things tight back there. Nice plane, nice service, great connections for onward flights upon arrival. I really like like the LAX to SVO run.

Tight might be an understatement. :D

Tight might be an understatement. :D

It was pretty bad. I was able to move to a middle aisle seat in the near back of the A330 where there was one less seat per row due to the bend in the bird. That allowed me turn to the left at least and kind of lean on my side. Better than what I started with.

Gotta find a way to get to the front of SU flights more easily. I did get my first ever operational upgrade from SVO to OVB two nights ago. Exit aisle in the back to 1C in the front. Maybe status does have its privileges after all.