Budget Travel - Aerosvit Airlines (flying out of JFK)

I am getting a good deal on airfare between JFK, New York and Delhi, India for the first 2 weeks of December 2007. Would like to know how these flights are:
a) Do they have individual TV monitors behind the seats for in-flight entertainment? I am flying with kids, so obviously they cannot see the common aisle TV screens!!
b) I read somewhere the Kiev airport (Borispol) does not have plane bridges, so the travelers have to take bus between terminal and the plane, instead of entering the plane directly. Is this correct for international fligths? If yes, it is another hassle with the kids.

Anyone who has flown Aerosvit, please answer these queries! Thanks in advance!

Welcome to FlyerTalk sat-lover !

Can't give you any info on coach, but there is a recent discussion in Mileage Run forum about their premium class product - apparently not quite up to world standards, hence much lower prices.

EmailKid

Are you guys flying Coach or Business?

a) Do they have individual TV monitors behind the seats for in-flight entertainment? I am flying with kids, so obviously they cannot see the common aisle TV screens!!

AeroSvit doesn't have individual TV screens, or any plans to install them. It's mainscreen entertainment, probably an older American movie (or two).


b) I read somewhere the Kiev airport (Borispol) does not have plane bridges, so the travelers have to take bus between terminal and the plane, instead of entering the plane directly. Is this correct for international fligths? If yes, it is another hassle with the kids.

Kiev has a couple of jetbridges. Since both of your flights are 767s, the biggest plane KBP sees on a regular basis, you should get a jet bridge. My JFK flights have always gotten jet bridges.


AeroSvit isn't the best airline out there, but if it saves a lot of money, it's survivable. The food is more or less edible, though F/As are inconsistent. Some really care about the pax, others just get the job done. Staff attitude on the ground at KBP (and swissport contract staff at JFK) leave a lot to be desired.

Thanks for the info! Appreciate it!

Mrs. Zoosh, Well Behaved Eight Year Old Daughter, Ms. Zoosh, and I flew Aerosvit on the JFK/KBP/TLV and TLV/KBP/JFK routing about a year and a half ago.

Generally, the flights were good and the price was substantially less expensive than any other option for the dates that we wanted to travel. We saved in excess of $1,000.00, combined, for the three tickets that we needed.

Aerosvit flies Boeing 767/300's on the transatlantic JFK - KBS routing and
they are fairly modern with my distinct recollection being that there were
indeed individual seatback monitors. The pilots are trained in Greece and the Czech Republic and major maintenance is contracted out an perforned in Scandanavia.

There are definately modern jetways to disembark and embark at Borispol in Kiev when flying on the 767's. We transferred at Borispol to 737-400's for the flight from KBP to TLV (Tel Aviv) and it is true that you have to be bussed from the terminal out to the plane and then climb the outdoor stairway steps. We accomplished this without too much difficulty even with our eight year old daughter.

All in all, we found the transfer in Kiev to be pretty seamless and hassle free.
You exit off of the 767 from JFK, walk down the jetway into the terminal. There is a short (and I mean very short) flight of stairs (downward) into the arrivals area. Transit passengers walk for about 20 seconds to an average double flight of stairs and go up to the departure level. There is a quick xray of the carry-on hand luggage and a trip through the metal detector and you are right back into the large departure hall. Ample seating and options to purchase refreshments prior to your connecting flight. The gates are all on
one level and after you pass the gate agent, and perhaps another x-ray screening of hand luggage you go either to the jetway for the 767's or down a short flight of stairs to the busses. There must be an elevator for the elderly, handicapped, etc., but we did not need it and as such did not spend anytime looking for the elevators.

This is much different than the Heathrow (LHR) Hassle that we have become accustomed to when we were transfering on our JFK/LHR/TLV routings. A tremendous amounting of walking and the possibility of transferring from Terminal 4 to Terminal 1, by bus, followed by a giant queue for Security and rescreening.

We had kosher meals which were poor, at best, but I don't blame Aerosvit on this count, as they purchase the extended shelf-life products which taste like s**t. We generally bring our own food for the flight and the airline supplies ample selections of drinks.

The crew were acceptable, but no great shakes. Not overly warm, but if it is warmth that I want, I will go to the beach:D:D

Aerosvit uses Swissport as their handling agent at JFK and they are not the best, but I guess that Aerosvit gets what they pay for...no more and usually no less!! The Aerosvit Station Manager at JFK was a true gem. Our outbound flight was delayed and she absolutely kept us informed as to the reason and then kept updating us as to when we would board the plane.

I hops that this answered some of your questions. I would not hesitate to use Aerosvit.