Connection at Sheremetyevo
 

I'm flying Aeroflot round trip from JFK to EVN with transfers at SVO each way. I know that all my flights arrive at/depart from Terminal D at SVO. My layovers are both well under 24 hours. That means I don't need a transit visa from the Russian Federation right? At any rate, do I have to go through Passport control? And is smoking allowed in the airport anywhere? Also, does anyone know how Aeroflot is about bags (i.e. do they lose them as often as Delta and Air France? Thanks.

You don't need a visa if you are not going to leave the airport. You will pass through a connecting passenger station, where they will check your tickets/passport then let you back in to the international departures section.

I've flown Aeroflot quite a lot and never had a bag lost (realizing that this has now probably cursed me to lose a bag on my next flight).

There is free wifi throughout Terminal D - quite nice for a layover.

-One more question, I normally bring my backpack (Personal Item) and a roll-aboard (carry-on) with me into the passenger compartment. Will that be ok on Aeroflot? I know it is on AF and DL. Also, does anyone know where you can smoke in SVO?

There are smoking areas in Terminal D. You can see at least one marked on this map near gate 31:

http://wwww.aeroflot.ru/download/svo-3-departure.pdf

For the carry on bags, they probably won't bother you when you're connecting. But when you leave Yerevan you might have a problem if your carry on is too heavy or large:

http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en/before...rry_on_baggage

Isn't the whole airport a de facto smoking area.

Isn't the whole country :eek:ne?!

I've personally checked into various moscow hotels, (Lotte, PH to name a few)
and ALWAYS found an ash tray in a NON SMOKING room.

The irony...

Certainly not.

Is there still a way to transit from SVOC to SVOD/E with no visa? I'm traveling with some non visa holders from DOK to JFK via SVO in August and would love to not have to get them visas. Is there still a sterile way from the other side of the complex over to the new terminal?

Anyone have experience missing their connection at SVO? I'm choosing between a 65 minute and a 19 hour layover to get from Seoul ICN to Stockholm ARN. The website says the minimum layover is 50 minutes but the ICN-SVO leg is only 60% on time.

Go for a 65 minutes connection. There's a good chance you will make it - D is not a very big terminal and if your first flight arrives on time you will have enough time to clear security and be at your gate 10 minutes before departure.

In case you miss it, they'll put you in a hotel and give you a food voucher. Their airside hotel is not a great place to stay but better than hanging around at the airport.

If you book a 19 hours connection you'll have to fend for yourself. Airline will be under no obligation to accomodate you at the hotel - this will be your very own decision to linger at the airport for 19 hours.

No and I don't believe there has ever been one.

Well people smoke all over the place in terminal F. They are probably more stringent in E and D with smoking lounges. I am so happy that all passengers have access to all terminals within security and airside. Being stuck in F is not fun at all. The terminal should be totally renovated and reorganized. Many gates are virtually stuck in between shops creating chaotic situations while boarding.

Well I would go for the 19 hr connection and obtain a transit visa and go into Moscow if one got the time.

Not that I expect SVO to be a bastion of common sense but wouldn't having a transit option at one commercial terminal kinda assume you'd need it for all commercial terminals?

Suggestions for what to do here? I have two US passengers who will have no visa connecting from a Ukraine flight to a US bound flight at SVO-D. We'll have about 3 hours to make the jaunt.

Does that VIP International service that meets you plane side still work in the SVOs? That might be an option. I think we just need to find a way to stay airside and get from C to D/E.

Just when I thought I had every oddity figured out, SVO strikes again!

Updated response from SVO BUT they seem to not definitively say anything about SVO C. I know when I think of SVO I think of all terminals but do they? Their response:


Мы признательны Вам за обращение на наш сайт и сообщаем, что транзитные пассажиры могут находиться в транзитной зоне Международного Аэропорта Шереметьево не более 24 часов, не оформляя транзитной визы.

С уважением, Иванова Иванна

Всего Вам доброго!

If you can fly Aeroflot all the way you would not have any problem since Aeroflot does not use C/B anymore.

They don't use its gates but they do park their planes there sometimes and ferry people over to the D/E complex. Had that happen to a coworker flying from Delhi a few months ago.

My flight is an SU code share on Aerosvit and Aerosvit only gets to use C it seems. I just got this back from their email address online (very timely are they in answering these emails...even in the evening their time):


Для удобства транзитных пассажиров между терминалами курсирует комфортабельный автобус.

При любых затруднениях обращайтесь к персоналу, работающему с транзитными пассажирами. Этих сотрудников вы увидите сразу после выхода из самолета, а также найдете за стойками «Транзит / Transfer desk», расположенными в аэропорту по маршруту движения пассажиров.

Всего доброго!
С уважением, Людмила Левчагова
Служба Информации Международного аэропорта Шереметьево.

So, I think it'll look a lot like the transit that used to run from the old SVO1 to SVO2 on SU. I'm sure hoping so. 3 hours is not a lot time for us.

Timatic seems to indicate that they would need a transit visa:

21JUL11 / 1331 UTC
National USA (US) /Embarkation Ukraine (UA)
Transit Russian Fed. (RU) /Destination USA (US)
ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW

[Visa Information - Transit] Russian Fed. (RU)

[Information For Normal Passports]
TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Holders of onward tickets for a max.
transit [[TIRULES/R32]] time of 24 hours.
- Not applicable if next country en-route is Belarus.
- If continuing to Belarus or if the airport of arrival is
different from the airport of departure within the same
Russian city (e.g. arriving at Sheremetyevo-Terminals B/C
and departing from Sheremetyevo- Terminals D/E/F in Moscow)
then a transit visa is required.


Not sure if this is the final truth but I guess this is what the check in agent would see.

I had such momentum building in my favor till I read your post. I do thank you for it though.

From another site I found online:

Иностранные пассажиры, не имеющие российской визы

Наличие визы стран СНГ позволяет безвизовый транзит через аэропорт "Шереметьево-1" и "Шереметьево-2".

Максимальный срок пребывания в аэропорту Шереметьево для пассажиров, не имеющих российской визы, составляет 24 часа.

Пассажиры остаются в транзитной зоне аэропорта или безвизовой гостинице при наличии заранее оплаченного ваучера.

При вылете багаж регистрируется до конечного пункта прибытия.

По прибытии в аэропорт "Шереметьево-2" пассажиры должны сразу же подойти к стойкам регистрации для транзитных пассажиров "Transit", зарегистрировать свой билет на продолжение полета, получить посадочный талон на последующий рейс и далее следовать указаниям диспетчера транзита.

Минимальное время стыковки между рейсами должно быть не менее 2,5 часов. Специальный автобус доставит зарегистрированных пассажиров в транзитную зону "Шереметьево-1" для посадки на стыковочный рейс.

The only thing about this that worries me is that the language is still SVO 1 and SVO 2 instead of Terminals D/E/F and B/C. I know the DEF/BC will be more fresh and relevant.

The note above says nothing about arrival at SVO-1 with departure from SVO-2 ... I note that even the SVO web site uses SVO-1 and SVO-2 as the designators for the two halves. The bus ride is rather c:cool::cool:l if you're an aerogeek!

The map is using SVO-1 and SVO-2 to mark public bus stops, not to refer to the two halves of the airport. You can see the designations continue at other bus stops around the field.

This makes sense because Terminal B used to be SVO-1 and Terminal F used to be SVO-2, before any of the additional terminals were built (ok, and even for awhile after C and E were built...)

There is an updated bus map here:

http://www.svo.aero/between-terminals/north/

Or in English:

http://www.svo.aero/en/between-terminals/north/

That doesn't use the SVO-1/2 terminology anymore.

Woody, the one thing that would worry me about this in your situation:

The pages refer to the shuttle leaving from Terminal B, not C, which would require leaving the secure zone and passing through immigration.

After looking at that page the part that worries me is:

Attention! You can not use the free shuttle bus to get from Terminal C to Terminal D, E, F.

They are talking here about the shuttle bus across the airfield and not the bus that runs around the southeast side of the airport right? If this is the across the airfield bus then there's my answer. It's NO!

Well, if you are already all boked and set, then print out this lovely note you've got from Sheremetyevo and have it on you when travelling. If (or rather when) lovely guys at the transfer desk in C will start giving you hard time re you transferring to a different terminal, show the note to them and ask for a supervisor. Hopefully you are travelling on weekday and they are able to fetch you someone who can take a decision.
It is anecdotal but they claim there were cases when people were shuttled from SVO-1 to SVO-2 in mini vans under similar circumstances (LHR flight arrived in C, as all gates in F were busy and a bunch of guys connecting to India was shuttled to F in a biz class van).

That implies that they've made it as far as SV:eek:. I think there is a high probability that the airline won't let passengers board the flight to SVO if they don't have a transit visa. The agent will likely refer to Timatic, the data from which is posted above.

That's kinda what I'm thinking. We send people to KBP through SVO and from KBP through SVO with no visa all the time since DL pulled their JFK to KBP flight but that entails a rather painless transfer through SVO D/E/F. The law allows it but it seems the facilities don't. A friend is checking with VV on the ground at SVO today. The mystery continues...

Connection from SVO F to C
 

Hi there

First time I transit via SVO and first time I fly Aeroflot so I think I'm in need of some serious help here :)

My plan...

SU0596 HKG to SVO arriving at 17:05 at Terminal F
... connection options...
1 - SU0353 Departs at 18:35 from Terminal D, or
2 - SU0115 Departs at 23:10 from Terminal D

Questions...
- will 90 mins transit be OK to catch SU0353 ?
- if I need to go for option 2 - being a 6 hours layover - I have a Priority Pass allowing me to use Classic Lounge and Amber Lounge both at Terminal F - will I be able to access the lounges (they are both airside)?

The transfer desk, especially in Terminal F, is prone to back ups. I'd be a bit nervous about a 90 minute transfer time. If it were 30 minutes more, a full two hours, I'd probably do it without hesitation, but 90 minutes seems close to me.

The terminals are now connected via secure passages airside, so after you clear the transfer desk you should be able to get back to F. That being said, neither of the two lounges you list is anything to write home about. The new Aeroflot lounges in D are very nice, but the F lounges are extremely dated.

Thanks for the quick reply - unfortunately I will be flying Y and I have no status with Aeroflot so the F lounges (PriorityPass) are my only option :(

Sounds like it's going to be a long time to kill...

I believe 90 minutes is enough to catch your next flight, provided your first flight arrives on time. Since you won't be clearing immigartions (and this is where seriously long delays tend to happen), clearing security check shouldn't take you long: 5-10 minutes for that (unless you are unlucky to arrive after SU Shanghai flight lands; then it could take good 20-25 minutes). Walking between terminals is 10-15 minutes depending on your pace.
So with 90 minutes connection time and your flight arriving on shedule you will be at the gate 50-40 minutes before departure time (or 20-30 minutes before they open the gate). Quite enough to check out one of the infamous lounges in F.
On a positive note Wifi is free across Sheremetyevo and there are a couple of decent cafes; so if I were you I would spend $20 they charge for lounge access for a pint of ale in TGIF (in D) and sip at at the table as I surf Flyer Talk communities.

UPD: I have just realized you have an option of accessing Galaxy Lounge in E. Terminal E is halfway between F and D, so it could be a better option for you since (a) it is closer to your departure gates and (b) it is a nicer facility.

So, could woody125 please let us know what's happened at the end to your transfer ?

I'm going to arrive at at Terminal C at SVO from Simferopol/Ukraine and I need to take my Delta Air Lines flight at Terminal D at SVO.

I hope a transit visa is not needed.

We decided to get a Double Entry visa for my friends. Arrived from DOK into SVO C and saw a Transfer sign and lane just before you go downstairs to immigration. Did not have time to go and sniff out what it looks like but that plus a note I got from Aeroflot Bonus' FF program tells me the buses across the runways still run. That is what I was wanting/needing/hoping to hear.

My only question is will VV board you in Ukraine seeing you don't have a visa for Russia. We were checked and rechecked in DOK by VV and by airport staff before moving on through the maze that is DOK's Soviet era international check in area. kinyip is now going to finally, once and for all, answer this question this coming Friday in Moscow. I await his report with sweaty palms!

Edited: kinyip is now flying to Frankfurt so as to not risk problems in Moscow. Can't blame him/her. The mystery remains unsolved...