Travelling to Israel through Russia

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Forum -> Vacation and Traveling

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lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 10:30 am

Hi,

Has anyone flown through Moscow on their way to Israel?

How was the flight and was it safe?

Chayalle

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 10:41 am

My brothers did this last year.

But now.....no way would I let anyone I love fly over Russia.

rachel91

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:24 pm

Why on earth wouldn't Russia be any less safe than another country? I know lots of people, who live there, go there...and Russia is huge, Moscow is nowhere near Ukraine. And my friend left for Kiev today, and guess what? She's fine! You are too worried.
You could worry about NY just the same...

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:26 pm

Thanks for the reassurance.

I just need to hear that people are still doing it these days and it's fine.

Do you know if you need a visa to go out of the airport for a few hours?

rachel91

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:28 pm

lst317 wrote:

Thanks for the reassurance.

I just need to hear that people are still doing it these days and it's fine.

Do you know if you need a visa to go out of the airport for a few hours?

I don't understand why you think it wouldn't be safe in the first place?
With my German passport I would need a Visa (but no transit visa), but I have no idea if Americans need a visa. Ask them, that will be the safest.

amother

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:43 pm

I know many people who visited Russia this Summer (Russians and non-Russian). Why wouldn't it be safe?

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:44 pm

Thanks for the reassurance.

Was that their final destination?

Which area in Russia?

amother

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:46 pm

lst317 wrote:

Thanks for the reassurance.

Was that their final destination?

Which area in Russia?

Moscow and St-Petersburg. Some also went to Ukraine to see relatives.

lkwdmommy

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:48 pm

Well, it's a good thing I'm only reading this today, after several family members returned from Israel: one set through Moscow, and the other with a stop in Kiev. Very Happy

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:52 pm

And all was fine with it?

Scrabble123

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:54 pm

I'm assuming that OP meant safe as "are planes being shot down around Russian air space?" No, planes are not being shot down. If the FAA allows planes to fly over a specific route it is safe. What happened in Ukraine is a travesty, an extremely extremely rare one, but if anything, has resulted in the FAA being even more on top of where planes are allowed to fly.

The only issue you may have flying through Russian is that the customer service on the airline may not be top, and the flight attendants may or may not speak English (yes, my friend had no English speaking flight attendants on her flight back from Israel after Pesach, go figure...) Have a safe flight. Also, make sure to be on top of your luggage, because the Russian airlines are not so good about returning it (and they only have a baggage claim phone number in operation a few hours a day!!)

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 12:57 pm

Regarding the luggage- did this person have a problem?

There's no automatic connection to Israel flights?

Scrabble123

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:04 pm

lst317 wrote:

Regarding the luggage- did this person have a problem?

There's no automatic connection to Israel flights?

Yes, my friend did not get her luggage back, and she still hasn't received the luggage. She has been emailing with her travel agent (who claims she will eventually get it back), but she understands its part of what may happen when you use this kind of airline. This is not a common event. Many people fly everyday with these airlines and have no problems with their luggage.

There is automatic connection, but I meant that you should be on top of loading your luggage in the right areas when checking in, ensuring that the correct stickers are on your luggage, and if you do not see your luggage at the luggage retrieval, please speak to someone in the airport ASAP.

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:05 pm

Thanks for all the tips.

Tamiri

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:47 pm

My boys flew to the U.S. through Moscow and took a picture of themselves davening there at the airport. This was in Feb.

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:50 pm

How long was their layover for?

Did they have any trouble with luggage?

Tamiri

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:56 pm

lst317 wrote:

How long was their layover for?

Did they have any trouble with luggage?

They flew TransAero into a secondary Moscow airport. I think that on the way there they had a 3?4? hour layover and on the way back less. No issues with anything at all. All that for $660 r/t.

amother

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 1:59 pm

lst317 wrote:

Thanks for the reassurance.

I just need to hear that people are still doing it these days and it's fine.

Do you know if you need a visa to go out of the airport for a few hours?

Just flew Aeroflot Thursday. My DH had huge shacharis minyan in airport. You cannot leave the airport w/o visa. The food was good out of JFK but from TLV-Moscow-NY was terrible food, so for return bring food along. Also you cant buy drinks in airport w/ dollars, so take a can of soda (get in beginning of flight bec they ran out!) or water for the airport in Moscow.

lst317

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 2:01 pm

So you are saying that for an eight hour stopover we will have to be stuck in the airport?

Thanks for all the tips.

amother

Mon, Aug 25 2014, 7:42 pm

Just flew Transaero through Moscow. Great flight, great service, great stopover. Food to Israel was good. Food from Israel to the U.S. was pretty bad. The shwarma was edible, but that's it.

Tips - after getting off the plane for your stopover, look out for a bathroom right before passport control. Once you go through the first passport check, there is no bathroom for a while.

Also, right by the first passport control, there is a screen on the wall with the gates listed. If you forget to check it, no one will be able to direct you (besides other passengers on your flight) because everyone working in the airport only speaks Russian!

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