chalf

I sent a letter to BA in respect of the incident discussed above. In response, I received a Go to H--l e-mail from BA today.

I routed this week's outbound travel to Moscow on LH--very pleasant crew, easy connection in MUC, no traffic into central Moscow from SVO @2:15 AM, allows one to work most of the day before departure at 1710 (I find LX ex-LCY to be too delay-prone to be reliable).

AndrewC

You'll find it's difficult to go back to BA once you start doing this commute regularly. You'll also receive between 8,000 and 12,000 miles per return trip (depending on your status) - a fortnightly commute = HON circle status!!

LHR Tim

That's abysmal.

I would write back with a follow up. Would calling Gold line help?

chalf

I put *A miles into BD, as all else being equal I prefer SU/SkyTeam and BD's award charts are more favorable (particularly when combined with BD Mastercard earnings), but the miles do add up quickly.

moral_low_ground

Just come back from the latest round trip, and late departures again from LHR.

This time the plane was delayed by the person having the wrong visa and them not finding out until boarding which entailed removing bags etc etc.

Moscow used to be one of those destination where you could OLCI but not PYOBP due to visa restrictions but what is the point in speeding you through the airport (hahahaha) if you then delay the flight 30-40 mins with some idiot who can't even get his visa right ?

How about having no PYOBP but allow SSCI to chose seat etc and then go to (a new) VISA check desk to pick up BP once your visa has been verified?

On another topic, the food in the new DME lounge has gone upmarket. I used to live for those lovely bits of stale bread with fish/cheese and especially the salami, but no more!!! AAAARRRGGGGGHHH. I hate Quiche, soft Olives and other prissy food.

Bring back the simple bread!!!!!

Smirnoff

If you OLCI and PYOBP (and no luggage to check in), then you get visa-checked at the gate.

If you are checking luggage, then they do the visa check at the CI desks. So I don't see how someone could have checked luggage without having a visa, unless they screwed up at check-in. Which of course at DME is possible.

FWIW, I had a great trip back from SVO on Friday on AY (AY6843 connecting to AY835). Great service, great food, and a peaceful enjoyable flight - everything that the BA873/875 isn't. SVO is still a complete dump, but it's generally quick to get through, and there's still plenty of stale bread sandwiches in the lounge there.

Best thing is getting all the miles, and double the TPs, for half the price of a BA ticket.

The BA873/5 win for convenience of flight times only. On the ground, and in the air is a total zoo. If you have the time and can make a connection, taking an indirect flight has many attractions.

moral_low_ground

yes, I had thought the same and it seemed very odd to me that this was only discovered as the gate.

Can only assume

1) Connecting flight so visa maybe not checked properly at origin
2) It's the latest BA ruse of why the DME flight is late
3) Maybe the checkin agents don't take that much notice of the VISA. When I checked in last time at a desk, the lass made an attempt at reading the visa and when I told her it was fine she just let me get on with it. No call to visa check. She probably knows I would get caught at the gate if its wrong

Smirnoff

Anyone know if they are enforcing the no liquids rule at DME?

Last week SVO was full of new signs about no liquids except <100ml in plastic bags. Yes strangely (or not, this is Moscow) neither security check (pre-check-in or at the gate) took any notice of liquids in the bags.

Any evidence of these signs at DME, and if so whether it is being enforced or totally ignored a la SVO?

chalf

New rules have come into effect in Russia.
See http://www.aeroflot.ru/news.asp?ob_no=141&d_no=27085
http://www.transaero.ru/company/news...s_id=428&year=

Smirnoff

Thanks chalf. And yes I can confirm that anything over 100ml is being confiscated at DME. They are quite thorough too.

However at SVO (at least based on my experience last week), they are adpoting the "can't be bothered" approach.

moral_low_ground

just a heads up.

Am going to be in Moscow 15th -18th Oct (maybe my last trip as have finally finished!!!)

It's the England match during this week (tickets on sales from 500 RUB upwards, and I am going to go just because!)

However, my point is that the 872 on the 15th is already only sellling full Y and the 874 on the 18th is already full in Y but seats in J.

I am sure I won't see any of you in the "special" cloth seats down the back, but you should book now if you need a seat for that week.

Smirnoff

You're right. Although it's actually quite common, especially just a few weeks out, for the Mon flights into DME, and the Fri flights out of DME, to be selling J, C and Y class only.

Roll on the DME goldmine.

And in other news, I noticed that those D class fares of £1,200 (use it, or lose it) have gone. Vanished. Исчезли.

The lowest ex-LHR fare is once again the C class, non-refundable, non-changeable fare of £1,659.

I am guessing that BA is feeling zero competition from BD/UN on the route.

clubman

Madness.

LHR Tim

No. Madness is giving BA the business.

LH, AY, LX, OS, OK and SK are half the price (and LH has better schedules).

Smirnoff

Just an update on the overnight 881.

Still no food/drink in the DME Navagator Louinge suitable to the time of day (4-5am !!). Coffee machine not working. No breakfast type food at all. Only juices, beers, vodka to drink. And only bacon flavour crisps, kish loran and cherry puffs to eat.

They still throw out the breakfast trays on take-off when no-one wants to eat (6am MT, 3am UK time) rather than doing it an hour before landing. I think there were 3 takers for the meal, out of some 30 CE passengers. What a waste.

Still no access to the Arrivals Lounge without a fight. They continue to insist you are not entitled to use the Lounge. And their supervisors they call insist the same thing.

I really recommend bringing a print-out from the Russian page of the ba.com advertising the benefit. If you don't have this, you will find "DME only" scribbled on a piece of paper, sellotaped to the desk, in front of the left hand Lounge Dragon position (as you look at them). But prepare for a stand-off and a fight to get in.