Originally Posted by
Spent_All_My_Miles
More specifically, a visa expediter does not require you to have a ticket, although if you are applying for a visa directly from the consulate/embassy you need one.
Wrong! There is NO requirement to have an air ticket when applying for a visa from the consulate or embassy. There is a (theoretical) requirement to have a confirmed, prepaid hotel reservation; however, the expediter firms can set this up for you, so you don't even need to get your hotel(s) to write confirmation letters for this purpose. Anyhow, on the visa application, there is nowhere to put any flight info, nor do you need to show proof of a flight reservation.
On this subject, here is what the website of the Russian consulate in San Francisco has to say:
Originally Posted by SF Russian consulate website
Please get your visa before purchasing an air transportation ticket.
http://www.consulrussia.org/eng/fee.html
Of course, I ignored this advice because I wanted to grab an airfare deal and put in my upgrade requests ASAP, and I was reasonably confident I could get the visa in a timely manner.
Originally Posted by
Spent_All_My_Miles
Use the expediter. I'm a DIYer on this sort of thing, and after wasting time dealing with the consulate, it proved infinitely easier to use an expediter.
I agree only to the extent that getting your invitation and tourist confirmation from one of the various firms mentioned here (for $20 or so) is money well spent. But I didn't find it necessary to get the full service from an expediter. However, that is because I was willing and able to hand-carry my passport, application, fee, etc. to the local Russian consulate. If I didn't live near a consulate or embassy, I imagine I would have just paid for full service.