Grrrr Moscow
 

Can you guys help -

I am trying to get to Moscow next week - but it looks fully booked coming back.
Anyone know any alternate routes?

I spent 18 months in Moscow - no decent connecting services for BA if the direct is full. If you don't want to fly Aeroflot, then Swiss via either Zurich or Geneva is a good bet.

LH should be the easiest one for availability - they have much more routes (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin, Dusseldorf + + ) all connected to London. I flew with them in March and the plane was half-full (russians say half-empty :D )

Agreed. LH has the largest presence by a non-Russian carrier in MOW. Unfortunately using them will mean (re)acquainting yourself with the delights and charms of SVO-2.

SN Brussels is worth considering - A319 to BRU and then connect on BA to LHR or SN to LGW. They use DME IIRC.

LX is a good option simply because they use DME. ZRH is arguably easier to connect through than BRU but takes you more out of yoiur way than BRU.

Other airlines worth looking at are SK (via ARN splits the journey into two 2 hour flights), who have decent service in C. KL worth considering on the basis of the route being short via AMS.

AZ and others I would rulke out due to the extent to which you are dragged out of your way to connect.

The connections via HEL on AY should be quite good (and OW points to boot..)

Try SU. It's cheaper and has bettter seats in J than BA, and Y is just fine.

Transaero (UN) also flies non-stop LGW-DME daily. I believe that LX generally has the best connections to London, but AY, OS and SN also appear to have some reasonable schedules. Also try LH, KL, AF or AZ.

Stoney,

I fly to DME every 2 weeks.

Good alternatives are.

LX via Zurich. Connecting times are reasonable and you can usually get good prices, including J for around 800 GBP

If the s really hits the fan, fly Austrian through Vienna. Austrian are (IMHO) 2nd rate carrier now but they are still a safe, Western airline. Last 2 times I flew VIE-SVO the plane had less than 40 people on it (yes, its SVO and not DME for Austrian). Be-careful as Austrian have 1 flight a day on their metal and the others are on SU metal

Finally, take food if flying Austrian. You have to pay for it in Eco and, believe me, it makes BA look like Egon Ronay personally cooks for them by way of comparison.

Thanks for the quyick response on this one....

OK, I am looking at Finnair via Helsinki - I want the miles :)
Can I use the lounge on my BA silver card?

& who is SU? Is that Finnair?

SU is Aeroflot. AY is Finnair. There is a thread on this [BA] forum about 1-2 months back discussing the pros and cons of SU versus BA, and a number of regular posters (myself included) speak quite favorably of SU, particularly in J (it's all much the same in Y). SU's airplanes are currently newer than BA's on the Moscow run, and all Airbus (other than the odd Il-96).

I believe that a BA Silver card should provide lounge access in HEL. You might want to stock up on liquid refreshment to help sustain yourself for the arrival at SVO. ;)

SU is Aeroflot. If you have BA Silv/OW Sapphire then you should be able to use the AY lounges when flying on AY, yep. (I know nothing about Moscow as I've never been, but if BA have a lounge in the same terminal as AY then they should also let you in their lounge with your card and an onward connection on a OW airline).

Phil

BA and AY are at different airports in Moscow. The SVO lounge is contract, so I'm not sure if 1W status would qualify for entry. It probably depends on how generous the check-in desk is feeling (SVO lounge access requires a date-stamped invitation).

OK so I'v found a flight with 3 different carriers through Finnair.
Will the SU flights be tier/mile earning? Still classed as 1w?

Sorry for all the questions - I'm new to this point collecting buisness.


Outbound

AY5904 LHR -> HEL
Operated by BA

AY6844 HEL -> SVO
Operated by SU

Inbound

AY6843 SVO -> HEL
Operated by SU

AY835 HEL -> LHR

Hi ,

I doubt you will get BA miles for the SU operated flights (AY flight numbers) as it is operated by a non-ow partner ( this is common for a lot of FF programmes).
You will get miles/points for the AY/BA operated legs

Regards

TBS

As I mentioned above, try SN Brussels Airlines. They will give you BA Miles (no tier points) between Brussels and Moscow, and will give you miles and tier points between Brussels and the UK. The service on board is pretty good too.

There's a perfect Finnair connection daily, leave SVO at 12.50, arr HEL 13.35, connection at 14.05 arr LHR15.10.

You get double tier points, 40+40 for SVO-LHR.
If you book AY return ticket, you can get it for £900, half the BA fare.

I am also in Moscow next week, coming back this way on 30th.

You can also waitlist for a BA flight. Usually lots of movement in waitlist as people hold seats on Friday flights ex DME, especially that weekend as its a long holiday weekend there.