Raffles

It's Moscow (as Smirnoff says). And I get breakfast thrown in. Euro 580 + 18% tax is for a deluxe room (a standard room was about Euro 50 less), not a suite.

I'm just grateful I booked it early as I would have baulked at Euro 900, especially as we won't arrive at the hotel until 7pm anyway. It is the best hotel in Moscow, though, and very close to the Bolshoi - where tickets only cost us £13.

The alternative was the Marriott (forgot which) which Ms Raffles will be spending a few nights in after I return. That was almost as scary in price but came with unhappy tales from a previous trip. Best to spend a fortune and do it in style than spend '80% of a fortune' and spend 2 days in a dump, in my view! But why is there never an InterCon (with a free weekend night cert) when you need one?!

MACH81

You should then check how much is the rent for the apt if your company doesn't own it. Sit down when you make that call...

LHR Tim

Think that's bad? Try Amalfi coast. In April I was seeing prices of �600 for regular rooms at the Il San Pietro.

I think so. I've paid $300 at the real sh!tty Novotel
BTW, Renaissance is the high end we get to book there! At least the Renaissance has a nice gym.

travelmad478

I'd love to get an update from someone on this new service as soon as it goes into operation. I am scheduled to fly LHR-SVO on June 17 and, although I'm flying to LHR on BA, I just booked myself on SU for the flight into Moscow because I've always been so underwhelmed by BA's flight, and because the flight times are more convenient on the return. (It also helps that I will have already re-qualified for Gold for 2008 on the flight into LHR...)

I would like to fly BA if the product has improved. Would be interested in impressions of changes.

irmster

nah - I prefer the new Transaero lounge - quiet and comfortable reclining seats.

Flying Doctor

Sounds like there is the need for an open skies EU to Russia. Not very likley any time soon though.

Although I agree that Russia flights warrant more than the small CE seat of a flight to CDG where would you draw the line. CE to ATH or IST is about the same flight time and they are also always full in J and could do with a better seat.

FD

Raffles

Am currently in Moscow, having taken the BMI this morning. It was, without a doubt, the best flight I have ever done in short haul in Europe.

Seats - fantastic, 41 inch leg room, decent recline, foot rest. 2 x 2. Had 1C which meant I could stick my legs out as far as I wanted.

Service - great crew, but not hard when only 4 of 24 business seats taken. Why the 2nd couple were put behind us (so we could recline in their faces) I have no idea!

Food and drink - champagne after being seated, plus a 2nd glass offered before we'd even taken off! Choice of chicken in black bean sauce and penne pasta for mains, plus a great salad for starter and HOT PUDDING! Choice of treacle or chocolate sponge! PLUS ... a plate of cheese (2 types) plus water biscuits, a pack of Duchy oat biscuits and some decent grapes. Choice of red or white wines for the meal, served from a full size bottle. The guy even poured me a taster to see if I liked it. Nearer to landing, we got tea and coffee again plus 2 bars of Green & Black's chocolate each (these are decent sized bars as well) - one milk, one dark choc and orange.

Usual newspapers etc also offered on great. We were also offered a hard disk player but we both refused and stuck with the papers.

Truly excellent in flight product. Its only a shame the BMI lounge is so bad. You can't even use the Diamond Club section on a full J ticket to Russia, so we were sent upstairs to the Business Lounge. However, I had to go down to the DC bit (LH Gold card holder that I am) because only there do you get any food - and by food I mean a packet of cornflakes and one of those awful rubber croissants in an airtight bag!

Really, if you're going to Russia and the times suit then you really must try the BMI product. If you're BA Gold, use the BA lounge though!

travelmad478

Amazing. I just took BMI LHR-DUB in J and it was probably the worst short-haul flight I've done in Europe (even worse than flying domestic US F, which is saying something). The seats and bathroom were old and ratty, and the food pathetic. I flew BA to go DUB-LGW a few days later, and was much happier.

TheBaps

Which of course only happened becuase of a number of other carriers having better J or F seats at the time. Being first past the finish line for a new product type does not mean that that small innovation wasn't driven by competitive forces

Baps.

LHR Tim

Different kettle of fish.

As Moscow is 4 hours, BD treat it as mid-haul and thus have a different product for that market.

Now if you want patheic, take your DUB-LGW seat and sit in it for 4+ hours. Oh and make sure it is a bit tattier, and have IFE that will break down a third of the way into the flight. That is after you've paid £1,800+ for said flight.

travelmad478

I've done the BA from LHR-Moscow (both airports) many times over the years, which is why I decided to try SU on my next flight!

At least I don't care about the IFE. I just want a comfortable and spacious seat, which BA falls well short on to Moscow.

And I will be getting the conference rate at the Hyatt on this trip. Still an appalling $560, but it's better than �400.

Has anyone stayed at the new Swissotel? It's a hike from the center of town, but at least it's new.

irmster

yup - I've done around 10 flights on the route in J - it really is very good, although the loads are so small you do wonder how long they will persist with it.

Raffles

J load tonight - 2 out of 24 seats taken, and one was me on a redemption. Although Mon PM is not a time most people are heading back. Quite busy down the back though, and apparently it was busier in J on the way out (not surprising for Mon AM).

Transaero lounge at DME is very pleasant, but tediously dull. No English reading material, no computers - in fact no English language reading material for sale anywhere in the terminal! Nibbles and drinks OK, though. Luckily BMI had brought out a pile of FT's, Guardians, Times, Telegraphs and (hmm) Mail's I could plough through on the return.

For fun (I think) I decided to take the Airport Express train! Good news it is quick (2 metro stops from the Hyatt / Bolshoi / Red Square then a 40 min journey) and cheap (�3). Bad news is its a very, very old train indeed! However, it drops you in the terminal (Dom Arrivals, but not far to walk to Int Dep) and was quicker than a cab.

irmster

they have 5 or so PCs up the stairs - you wouldn't know they were there - I only found them by accident.

I hate the train - always find it hot and uncomfortable. Generally, I take the metro to Domodedovskaya station and then get a minibus or taxi from there.

Smirnoff

I think it's actually a new train. It just looks like an old train (or rather, like an old tin can on wheels). You should see what normal Russian trains look (and smell) like.