Originally Posted by Andrius
I flew Aeroflot a lot, and I think that many reviewers have a positive impression because of their extremely low expectations. After what SU was ten years ago, I am sure passengers are pleased when no-one is punching them in the face during boarding
And if you take an Airbus it will be superior to Tupolev or Yakovlev, even with the ugliest interior design in the world.
Next time you want to sound like an old Russia/CIS hand, substitute Yakovlev for Ilyushin (as in "it will be superior to Tupolev or Ilyushin, etc"). SU doesn't fly a single scheduled route on a Yakovlev plane if my copy of their timetable is anything to go by.
SU mostly operates Airbus and Boeing aircraft on their European routes (with an odd Fokker thrown in for good measure on the morning run to VIE) and most people flying out of Moscow prefer their coach to that of their Western competitors for better amenities. Being based at MOW I still try not to fly SU (their ff programme is a joke). But let's be fair - apart from their serious image issues their are a) not worse than your average European airline on European routes b) the only half-decent option on intra-Russia/CIS routes c)no match to top quality Asian carriers on Asian routes