MrSimonR

With a slightly spurious link to BAEC, but nevertheless..

Starting mid-August, you can now fly via HEL and onwards on FlyBE (for AY) to 3 new destinations in Russia: Kazan (KZN), Samara (KUF) and Nizhniy Novgorod (GOJ).

For anyone curious, the last 2 airport codes reflect the city's former, Soviet-era names: KUF = Kuibyshev (Samara) and GOJ = Gorkiy (Nizhniy Novgorod).

Bookable on finnair.com, you can select a BA operated flight to HEL and onwards on a FlyBE operated flight (with an AY2xxx, so avios/TP earning) flight number.

This is a much easier way of getting to these cities, although you skip the longhaul service on the DME flights. There's also the disadvantage of arriving in the middle of the night (although around midnight UK time).

Kazan, capital of Tatarstan, is a stunning city and well worth a visit. Samara also has a very attractive city centre and is on a very wide point in the Volga river. Definitely worth a visit for somewhere "different".

KARFA

Thanks for posting MrSimonR

Before someone asks, you should earn TPs and Avios from these Flybe/Finnair flights as you would from AY metal. There are some TP & avios exluded Flybe/Finnair flights but these are AY8100 - AY8700 and are operated by Flybe Nordic. This is confirmed on the earnings table on the BA website.

KARFA

Just noticed you made the same point in your original post as well - sorry.

MrSimonR

Not at all. It is a good point, and correct that you highlight this. So a LHR-HEL-KAZ/KUF/GOJ return in J (for around Ł1100) will earn 240 TPs.

Here are the details of the new destinations on finnair.com, although rather difficult to find:
http://www.finnair.com/GB/GB/destina...n-destinations

ACARS

Some great places to see some old Tu154s bellowing out smoke and soot.

I am sure you you feel as if you are in old mother Russia. Sounds like an interesting adventure! But as a fair weather tourist May to September only for me please.

corporate-wage-slave

I've been to Kazan, very interesting place, and well worth a weekend visit. Amazing to see all the world's religions getting on with each other, as they had done for hundreds of years.

What we need Mother Russia to do is what they have done for Kalingrad / Königsberg, which is to issue 3 day visas via travel agents issued on arrival for UK and Schengen passport holders. So you book your hotel with the travel agent, they get their rake off from that, and they can issue a cheap visa to visit Kalingrad This is left at passport control at the airport, and then gets glued into your passport.

Speedbird876

A while ago there was a thread about airport codes that resembled cities' former names.

Thanks for the new additions to the list.

Although, these are a bit trickier than PEK and BOM.

Calchas

FlyBE has a J !?!?

KARFA

It does when they are operating AY flights. I have been in J between MAN-HEL on Flybe metal operating an AY flight.

nordic

The BE/AY flights MAN-HEL also have good connections to/from these new Russian destinations. The same applies to the AY flights to Yekaterinburg. I have never experienced an AY 18:05 flight from London to Helsinki without passengers to Yekaterinburg (there are either announcements or screens showing the connections) the days AY/BE flies the route.

A couple of words about BE service for AY (even AY/AY and BA for AY). With the exception of the short ATR flights even the passengers in Y class on Embraers/Airbuses get either a sandwich/salad and coffee/tea and soft drinks free. Alcoholic drinks are paid (even beer). A small bottle of champagne costs10 €.

BTW the airport code for Yekaterinburg is SVX for Sverdlovsk (the Soviet name for Yekaterinburg).

Calchas

Well knock me down with a feather.

What does a J passenger get on BE J?

KARFA

Aha, glad you asked Calchas as it gives me a chance to plug an old trip report

There are a few photos in my Chongqing TR here, there is a MAN-HEL and also a return flight covered. Basically on an E190 I was on it is still the 2x2 layout for J, curtain between J and Y, and you get some hot food and some drinks. It is very similar to CE from LCY on the Embraers there - also covered in another trip report of mine, this time on a ZRH-LCY flight.

KARFA

Just to add, it is all AY branded so I imagine the idea is that it is supposed to appear to the passenger to be like J on short haul AY routes - not that I have been on one yet.

corporate-wage-slave

Yes, it's just like AY shorthaul on the whole. I see this as essentially AY's answer to Mixed Fleet in small aircraft, even though Flybe Nordic is majority owned by Flybe. I flew on the Manchester route before and after the transfer to Flybe Nordic and I couldn't tell the difference.

Calchas

Are all the drinks and snacks one could buy as a Y passenger included for free?