azepine00

UA, DL, AA - there are all practically giving away tickets to Moscow in april.
That being said, Moscow is not the easiest city to navigate so let's find out who is going when and share the plans and taxi fares.
Those interested in visa information can find quite a bit of advice on FT Russia forum.
Please post your travel dates, airlines etc.


Sunday May 3

7:00pm Dinner at Glavpivtorg (live music is from 8-11pm)
Link for menu: http://www.glavpivtorg.ru/menu/
Map here
Beer/Vodka tasting





Weekend of 4/26 DO info (coordinated by GreenFireflyer - Thanks!) see post 139

Tentative schedule according to PM requests:

4/23 - 6:30pm meet in front of Bolshoi Theatre, Turandot 7pm curtain

4/24 - Russian budget breakfast - blinis

4/25 - Red Square & St. Basil's Cathedral visit (possible tour)
7:00pm Dinner at Glavpivtorg (live music is from 8-11pm)
Link for menu: http://www.glavpivtorg.ru/menu/
Map here
Beer/Vodka tasting

4/26 - Tour - Moscow/Kremlin/?
Izmailovsky Park and Market

4/27 - lounge meet/lunch at airport (for those departing)
ex-KGB headquarters tour (for those not departing)
Link for details: http://www.threewhales.ru/t17.htm

azepine00

Please note that the dates listed are departure dates (meaning arriving in Moscow the following day)

chanp (+1) ORD-DME-ORD (AA) 4/2-4/5
mrwunrfl LAX-IAD-DME-IAD-LAX (UA) 4/2-4/11 (LED 4/6-10)
azepine00 IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/2-4/6
ozstamps IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/4-4/5
yadidim IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/9-4/12
badkray LGA-IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/9-4/12.
xtiaan DFW-ORD-DME-ORD-DME (AA) 4/9-4/12) Sheraton Palace
vaportrail123 IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/9-4/13 Swissotel Krasnye Holm
Pat+ ...-SVO DME-IAD (.., UA) 4/9-4/13
coolpunter ...-DME-... 4/9-4/13
the_happiness_store IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/11-4/12
spkg IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/11-4/13
big V IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/14-4/26 Courtyard by Marriott
LornaV IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/16-4/19 Holiday Inn Moscow-Suschevsky
bdesmond IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/16 - 4/22 Hilton
Madhouse24 LGA-IAD-DME-FRA-IAD (UA, LH) 4/18-4/20 Holiday Inn Sokolniki
hauteboy ORD-DME-ORD (AA) 4/18-4/20
langleyoaker (+1) DCA-ORD-DME-ORD-DCA (AA) 4/18-4/26
Madhouse24 ...-DME-FRA-IAD 4/19-4/20
AMRivlin (+1) LAX-IAD-DME-IAD-LAX (UA) 4/21-4/29 Maxima Zarya
as219 IAD-FRA-DME-IAD (UA) 4/22-4/27
GreenFireflyer SAN-IAD-DME-IAD-SAN (UA) 4/23-4/27 Holiday Inn Sokolinki
Tchaka (+12!!!) MIA-ORD-DME-ORD-MIA (AA) 4/23-4/27 Golden Apple
JenGal (+1) IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/23-4/27 Holiday Inn Sokolniki
TelevisionTdTina LAX-LHR-DME-LHR-BOS-LAX (AA, BA) 4/23-4/29 Holiday Inn Sokolinki
UNHBuzzard (+2) DCA-ORD-DME-ORD-DME (AA) 4/24-4/29 Holiday Inn Moscow-Suschevsky
lesenok ... 4/25-4/27 HI Lesnaya
SoxIn7 IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/25-4/26
dyung SEA-IAD-DME-IAD-SEA (UA) 4/25-4/26.
caribbean sun ORD-DME-ORD (AA) 4/29-... Holiday Inn Sokolniki
puppysara LAX-ORD-DME-ORD (AA) 4/30-5/3 Holiday Inn Sokolniki
iahphx (+1) ORD-DME-ORD (AA) 4/30-5/4 Holiday Inn Sokolniki
azepine00 (+1) IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 4/30-5/4
hauteboy ACT-DFW-LHR-LED-MSQ-VIE-FRA-DFW-ACT 4/30-5/10
NoVaRS IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 5/1-5/4 Hilton
kokonutz IAD-DME-IAD (UA) 5/1-5/8

apoivre

To make it CB-specific, we've been trying to organize a Moscow DO for ages (see my thread in the Russia forum)

BorgmanJayce

This is a really handy thread especially as I'm hoping to go to Moscow sometime next year to visit a friend of mine there...

iahphx

Should we move this to the Russia forum to benefit from the expertise of Russian travellers who are not in on this deal?

I've found this a useful placement for other mileagerun "surges" to unusual destinations, like the recent Belize fares.

I think the next 2 steps everyone will need to accomplish are hotels and visas. I'm planning on showing up in person at a Russian consulate to save the visa service fees. It seems that there is already some info on flyertalk about how to do this. I'll check it this weekend.

I've already booked my hotel -- the Holiday Inn Moscow Sokolniki. Four star reviews on tripadvisor and very convenient to the subway. Moscow has a reputation for expensive lodging, but there are a couple of good promos for Holiday Inn. There's a 2 for 1 prepaid rate that works out to about $100/night for 2 people all in (the hotel charges 600 rubles for a second person, so the rates are not as cheap as they immediately appear to be). There's also a "friends and family" rate that is a little more expensive for those needing a room for an "odd" night. The hotel is also 15000 priority points/night.

I looked at redeeming points at the other chain hotels, but nobody is having a promo so the Holiday Inn seems like a MUCH better deal. SPG has one hotel on cash & points, but the property is in an inflated pre-economic-collapse category.

chanp

Im thinking April 2-5. Anyone else going?

UNHBuzzard

Myself & Ms. UNHBuzzard (and another +1) are going DCA-ORD-DME-ORD-DME 4/24-4/29. Contemplating burning points at the Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya (Cat 5, 35k points/night)

Update: Staying on the 2-4-1 deal at the IC Moscow-Suschevsky.

azepine00

Stayed there in the past - definitely a good pick. Internet is expensive but there was a coffee shop (that IIRC served breakfast as well) with free wifi across the street.

LornaV

I'll be on UA 0964 to DME 10:45AM Arrives Apr 17, leaving on Sun, Apr 19, 2009 UA 0965
Depart: DME 12:35PM.

Anybody on the same flights, interested in sharing cab to somewhere? (MOSCOW-SUSCHEVSKY Holiday Inn 2 for 1 Thanks, Chan!)

Lorna

puppysara

Haven't booked a hotel yet, but looking at Peter the First for convenience. Want to see a performance of the Bolshoi (it's nearby), red square, the Pushkin, the underground. Should be a good weekend. PM me if you're ticketed for similar dates.

iahphx

My wife and I are on the ORD-DME outbound 4/30 and return 5/4, with a stay at that Holiday Inn Sokolniki. Happy to split a cab (minibus? ) with my fellow flyertalkers. My suspicion is that this will turn out to be the Official Flyertalk Moscow Deals Hotel because for the April/May time period, it offers much better value than the alternatives.

To get the most input, I think we should discuss deal logistics (like who's going where they're staying and how they're getting around) here and more general Moscow questions in the Russia forum. I've already posted a visa question there.

yadidim

I am on the UA IAD-DME on April 9, returning April 12

Is anyone going these days?

chanp

Ok, just purchased my ticket. Ill be with my dad. April 3-5th in Moscow on AA if you want to add me to the list above. If anyone else is going, please PM me here.

Thanks

puppysara

Now booked at the Holiday Inn Moscow Sokolniki. Also booked the Bolshoi for 5/2/09.

chanp

http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/exclusive


There's the link for the 2-1 at the Holiday Inn's.