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Dulles to Moscow on UA – the ULTIMATE double EQM run – right now anyway!

Dulles to Moscow on UA – the ULTIMATE double EQM run – right now anyway!

Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:04 am
  #61  
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Originally Posted by futureacnp

Did the UA check-in agent ever asked you about the visa situation?
No, I showed her the print out saying I did NOT need one, and she went to her own company's TIMATIC screen to confirm it, and of course saw I was correct.

No issues whatever. Why would there be? @:-)

Originally Posted by ozstamps
I printed out the wording in both Russian and English to take with me, that state NO VISA is needed if you stay in the transit area - in case I need to show either UA (to let me on!) or the Russians!

38. Транзитная виза выдается иностранному гражданину в целях транзитного проезда через территорию Российской Федерации либо в целях эвакуации иностранного гражданина, прибывшего в Российскую Федерацию в порядке, не требующем получения визы (пассажирам круизных судов, гражданам стран, с которыми Российская Федерация имеет соглашения о безвизовом въезде, и пассажирам, совершающим безвизовый транзит до 24 часов). Транзитная виза выдается на срок до 10 дней.

http://www.center-migracia.ru/law/resolution_335.htm


не требующем получения визы (пассажирам круизных судов, гражданам стран, с которыми Российская Федерация имеет соглашения о безвизовом въезде, и пассажирам, совершающим безвизовый транзит до 24 часов = no visa needed for ....., passengers, who make the visa-free transit up to 24 hours)

About 24-hours visa-free transit:

в случае следования иностранца транзитом через территорию России на самолете международной авиалинии с пересадкой в аэропорту на ее территории (п. 2 ст. 31 Закона о въезде и выезде). В таком случае виза не потребуется, только если иностранный пассажир в соответствии с расписанием полетов покинет российский аэропорт в течение 24 часов с момента прибытия. При этом он вправе находиться только на территории аэропорта (в пунктах пересадки аэропорта, где обеспечивается режим, исключающий свободный выход транзитных пассажиров за его пределы). Вместо визы у иностранца должны быть надлежащим образом оформленные документы на право въезда в государство назначения, а также авиабилет с подтвержденной датой вылета из российского аэропорта, в котором осуществляется пересадка в течение 24 часов с момента прибытия в него;

http://osppruch.futown.ru/1-7.html

Works for passenger who is in compliance with the following facts:

- Connection flight - Passenger should leave transit zone in 24 hours

- Passenger should have the correct paperwork for the inbound flight and ticket


==========================

OK .. AFAIK here are the OFFICIAL rules!

Hope this assists others in future as these appear quite clear.

http://www.delta.com/planning_reserv...t_information/

This TIMATIC service is what all the airlines use FROM the USA to determine if you will be admitted or not to Russia with no Visa.


=================


/ 29MAR09 / 1906 UTC

National Australia (AU) (Same wording below applies to USA citizens)

Transit Russian Federation (RU)/Destination U.S.A. (US)

ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW


Russian Federation (RU)


TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Those continuing their journey
within 24 hours without leaving the airside (international)
transit area:


- if continuing by a domestic flight (also including Belarus)
or if the airport of arrival is different from the airport
of departure within the same Russian city (e.g. arriving at
Sheremetyevo-2 and departing from Sheremetyevo-1 airport in
Moscow) then a transit visa is required, as one is entering
territory of the Russian Federation.

Additional Information:

- Passengers are required to hold return/onward tickets and

documents required for the next destination.


- Valid visas in expired passports or other expired travel
documents are not accepted.

Warning:

- Non-compliance with entry or transit regulations may result
in fines for carrier For details, click here

FOR U.S.A. (US)

Passport required.
- Nationals of Australia may enter with passports valid for
period of intended stay.


Passport Exemptions:

- Holders of a valid on arrival Form I-512 ( Authorization for

Parole of an Alien into the United States").
- Holders of a Temporary or Emergency passports.

Visa required, except for Those entitled to travel under the

U.S. Visa Waiver Permanent Program (V.W.P.P.), travelling on
holiday, business or for transit purposes only, and stay does
not exceed 90 days (see V.W.P.P conditions below):
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:17 am
  #62  
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Originally Posted by ozstamps
"Sure the UA departure lounge in DME can run one off for you"




They are not the "UA Departure Lounge" I referred to - LH Lounge is on another floor.
I am not aware of "UA departure lounge" at DME.
There are LX and LH lounges accessible by *G and OS lounge for F pax.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:21 am
  #63  
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Where you board the plane is your UA departure lounge.

Crawling with UA staffers who can of course print UA BP for anywhere on UA. @:-)
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:28 am
  #64  
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Originally Posted by ozstamps
No, I showed her the print out saying I did NOT need one, and she went to her own company's TIMATIC screen to confirm it, and of course saw I was correct.

No issues whatever. Why would there be? @:-)

Because this requires an agent to make a call with somewhat unclear rules. A possible misinterpretation of the rules may lead to a significant fine therefore an agent who for whatever reason has doubts is likely to refuse to issue a BP.

Unfortunately this already happened to one FT MRer and another one was warned over the phone. Obviously there are success stories too but there is risk involved. YMMV
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:33 am
  #65  
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Originally Posted by ozstamps
Where you board the plane is your UA departure lounge.

Crawling with UA staffers who can of course print UA BP for anywhere on UA. @:-)
Perhaps it had smth to do with my first rebooked flight being on LH but they told me to go back outside. Even there they printed my UA boarding pass at UA desk but sent me to LH to do the rest.
BTW at that point LH agent grabbed all my BPs and threw them away and then had to fish them out from trash as he couldn't reprint UA ones. Star Alliance my foot.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 12:34 am
  #66  
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Originally Posted by azepine00

Because this requires an agent to make a call with somewhat unclear rules. A possible misinterpretation of the rules may lead to a significant fine therefore an agent who for whatever reason has doubts is likely to refuse to issue a BP.
Well luckily for all FT'ers you do not work for UA, if you can't understand the following clear English and think you'll incur a company fine.

There is NOTHING unclear about this in ANY way for a same day turnaround I submit.

I have no knowledge or interest in what LH staffers do or do not do or think re LH flights, my comments have always been strictly about UNITED AIRLINES flights - IAD-DME-AD

"TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Those continuing their journey
within 24 hours without leaving the airside (international)
transit area"


As I have pointed out before the IAD gate staff (who double check for correct VISA paperwork) are the same ones doing the IAD-DME flight each day, and they know the Visa rules backwards, and they include fluent Russian speakers.

Glen
.

Last edited by ozstamps; Apr 13, 2009 at 12:50 am
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 1:17 am
  #67  
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Posting stuff in red font size 24 is not necessary

You advocate going to some possibly inexperienced UA agent with "I know this better than you" attitude and expect things to play out they way you want.
I am impressed by your confidence ^, would you be interested in volunteering your time to help FTer who was denied boarding and who doesn't have access to 1K desk 1K voice etc?


Originally Posted by ozstamps
Well luckily for all FT'ers you do not work for UA, if you can't understand the following clear English and think you'll incur a company fine.

There is NOTHING unclear about this in ANY way for a same day turnaround I submit.

I have no knowledge or interest in what LH staffers do or do not do or think re LH flights, my comments have always been strictly about UNITED AIRLINES flights - IAD-DME-AD

"TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Those continuing their journey
within 24 hours without leaving the airside (international)
transit area"


As I have pointed out before the IAD gate staff (who double check for correct VISA paperwork) are the same ones doing the IAD-DME flight each day, and they know the Visa rules backwards, and they include fluent Russian speakers.

Glen
.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 1:26 am
  #68  
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Originally Posted by azepine00

You advocate going to some possibly inexperienced UA agent with "I know this better than you" attitude and expect things to play out they way you want.
Whyever not? FT'ers do that at RCC's on a regular basis. Lots of agents make up their own 'rules'.

If you know them, and are holding a print out of the clear and simple RULES you will prevail. In EVERY case.

Do you fear going out the door as some cop 'MIGHT' wrongly arrest you as an Al Queda suspect?

Do you not drive on the roads as a falling half ton space rock 'might' hit you on the head?

You sound like it to me. @:-)

You posts seem to convey you worry too much about things there is absolutely no cause to.
.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 3:29 am
  #69  
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OK, let's change the subject somewhat.

At this very moment I am standing in front of UA aircraft in DME that was supposed to depart almost 1 hr ago.
They just just put a bunch of orange cones around it.
I wonder if it's gonna head to IAD today.

Update: they refueled the plane and it seems to be good to go. The cones are being removed.

Last edited by azepine00; Apr 13, 2009 at 3:54 am
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 7:10 am
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Just curious, how many times have UA cancelled DME-IAD due to mx or whatever reasons since 3/29?
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 8:58 am
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Originally Posted by ozstamps
Whyever not? FT'ers do that at RCC's on a regular basis. Lots of agents make up their own 'rules'.

If you know them, and are holding a print out of the clear and simple RULES you will prevail. In EVERY case.

Do you fear going out the door as some cop 'MIGHT' wrongly arrest you as an Al Queda suspect?

Do you not drive on the roads as a falling half ton space rock 'might' hit you on the head?

You sound like it to me. @:-)

You posts seem to convey you worry too much about things there is absolutely no cause to.
.
Are you kidding? Your comparisons make no sense at all. The chance that (a) a given UA employee doesn't understand the rules, (b) won't relent even when presented with a printout of the rules, and (c) a SD can be found who does know the rules and is willing to apply them correctly before one's flight leaves is immeasurably greater than being hit by an asteriod, being mistakenly arrested as a terrorist, or any other fanciful scenario you can concoct. Whenever one relies on other human beings to behave in a certain way within the confines of a specific time window one is rolling the dice.

Clearly you are less risk-averse than some -- armed with your research, a computer printout, a very good knowledge of how UA works, you took a chance by flying a same-day turn to DME without a visa. Yes, the rules appeared to be clearly on your side. Yes, you did you homework. But in the absence of a TR from someone else actually reporting that it worked, you had no way to know with any significant degree of certainty (a) that you'd be allowed to board and (b) that things would pan out at DME. This isn't to say you weren't at all sure -- you did your homework, to the benefit of yourself and all of us on FT (^). But come on, your risk of being denied boarding and/or being hassled at DME was surely greater than being hit by an asteriod, and definitely more difficult to measure ahead of time. I mean, who knows what some bonehead here or there would have done at T-30 minutes to departure?

I salute your pioneering spirit, and again, I think you've done a great service for the FT community by going out on a limb and reporting back. But in light of what happened to our friend at BOS, I think it's simply inaccurate to say that "there is absolutely no cause to" worry about things going wrong.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 10:45 am
  #72  
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Originally Posted by as219

in light of what happened to our friend at BOS, I think it's simply inaccurate to say that "there is absolutely no cause to" worry about things going wrong.

The newbie FT'er from BOS with 4 posts, who I do not know, and is not a "friend" in any way, failed to print out anything - as all are clearly advised to do on this thread before heading to airports.

If he/she follows my advice above, he/she will get all the miles and the bonuses without ever leaving BOS.

Not a bad result for him/her wouldn't you agree? The most painless MR in history I'd say.

No-one who HAS followed my clear advice has had any problem whatever that I am aware of. Are you aware of any? Nuf sed.

Glen

.
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 9:44 pm
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Confirmation before booking

deleted

Last edited by 6am at ORD; May 28, 2009 at 9:22 pm Reason: deleted
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Old Apr 13, 2009, 9:57 pm
  #74  
 
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I double checked with a 1P agent, she made sure that it is okay to transit for <24h within the airside without a visa, according to her computer.
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Old Apr 14, 2009, 3:39 pm
  #75  
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Originally Posted by 6am at ORD

Have people with US passports and no visa been able to do the same day turn to DME from the US? It's nice to know the rules are on my side, but it's still good to know UA will let me on the plane.
This member is also from ORD -

Originally Posted by the_happiness_store

Just got back from DME. As ozstamps said a visa is not necessary for a same day turn around.

I also made sure that I had my return boarding pass before departure.
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