Strengths and weaknesses of those who "take us home"
More flights - more freedom
Passengers have their own quirks. And not only among the rich. Airlines have competition and endless struggle for passengers. The carrier that the passengers ultimately entrust with the execution of those same "quirks" wins the battle. Such is the harmony of relations. How to achieve it? The question is not simple. We’ll try to formulate the answer together.
Here is a typical life situation for you - you urgently need to fly from Moscow to Dubai, or from Dubai to Moscow and after a while return. Only a couple of years ago at your service were only regular flights of Aeroflot twice a week, and several charters. Today, air carriers on the Moscow - Dubai - Moscow line have increased, has it only made passengers better, that is, us and you?
I’ll say with confidence - yes. In conditions of increased competition, airlines are trying to improve their undeniable advantages and to reach visible disadvantages to an acceptable level. But each of us has its own flight experience and its own criteria for evaluating the work of "air taxi drivers." That’s what the passenger pays attention to first of all, we’ll talk today.
I must say right away that this article does not in any way claim the status of a professionally prepared rating. The first places and the grand prix will not be either. Just try to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of those who "take us to their homelands." Information is valid as of February 2006. So…
"Aeroflot - Russian Airlines
Departure Frequency and Airports: 7 days a week. Dubai International Airport (Terminal-1), Sheremetyevo-2.
Departure time: from Dubai at 03.00; from Moscow - at 19.50.
Type of aircraftA-320 (noticeable progress, used to fly on IL-86).
Flight class: business and economic (the first is not).
Cost of the cheapest economy class ticket: 340$.
Baggage Allowance: 30 kg - for business class, 20 kg - for economic, plus 5 kg of hand luggage.
On-board catering: pretty decent and varied. On flights lasting more than 3 hours (and we fly as much as 5), light spirits (wine and beer), juices, mineral water, cold snacks, hot foods (fish, meat, chicken), tea, coffee, sweets (cake or roll) are offered . There is a special menu for vegetarians, the elderly and sick people, as well as for children (although special meals must be ordered in advance when buying a ticket, they won’t take extra money for this).
Onboard service and entertainment. In business class - watching movies. For music lovers - headphones. For children - special kits with a coloring book, pencils and Aeroflot branded cap (I don’t know if they really give out, but it’s written on the airline’s official website). Those who freeze will be given blankets. For fans of reading - an excellent logbook "Aeroflot". Another service is the sale on board of Sheremetyevo Duty Free goods (mainly perfumes, cosmetics, spirits and chocolate). Prices are appropriate. Service is not always impeccable, but it makes it more familiar and familiar. Russian, in a word. The flight attendants are reasonably polite.
Obvious advantages: your carrier, the whole state speaks their native language. Daily flights, which is very convenient.
Annoying Cons: flights are often delayed, not very convenient time of departure and arrival at the airport of arrival.
Emirates Airlines - UAE National Carrier
Departure Frequency and Airports: 7 days a week. Dubai International Airport (Terminal 1), Domodedovo.
Departure time: from Dubai at 09.30; from Moscow - at 17.30.
Type of aircraft: A-320 or A-330 (all aircraft are new)
Flight class: first, business and economic
The cost of the cheapest ticketeconomy class: 614$.
Baggage Allowance: 30 kg - for business class, 20 kg - for economic, plus 5 kg of hand luggage.
On-board catering: very tasty, varied and beautifully served. Light alcoholic drinks (wine and beer), juices, mineral water, cold snacks, hot drinks, tea, coffee, and breathtaking desserts are offered. Everything from the catering company Abella. Cutlery - not disposable, with the company logo. Onboard service and entertainment. Excellent service of one of the best airlines in the world. For music and movie lovers - headphones, watching videos. For comfort - rugs, special pillows under the neck and sleep masks. The flight attendants are very polite and smile all the time.
Obvious advantages: Daily flights are very convenient. Departures from Moscow are carried out from the reconstructed, and therefore more comfortable Domodedovo airport. The highest class of service. Special waiting rooms for company passengers at Dubai Airport and other pleasant little things that determine your membership in the caste of happy Emirates passengers.
Annoying Cons: The price of tickets is high, although for someone it’s an obvious plus.
Continental Airlines - charter carrier (operates joint flights with Space Travel)
Departure Frequency and Airports: on Tuesdays and Fridays from the 1st terminal of the Dubai International Airport at Sheremetyevo-2
Departure time: from Dubai - at 19.55; from Moscow - at 12.00.
Type of aircraft: good old IL-86.
Flight class: business and economic (first
not).
Cost of the cheapest economy class ticket: $ 220 (during the "low" season in summer) and up to $ 500 (during school holidays, New Year and May holidays in Russia).
Baggage Allowance: 30 kg - for business class, 20 kg - for economic, plus 5 kg of hand luggage.
On-board catering: as in Aeroflot, quite tasty and varied. They also offer beer, white and red wine.
Onboard service and entertainment. The service is decent, there are no special entertainments. Stewardesses are young and polite.
Obvious advantages: the price-quality ratio is maintained, during mass holidays (New Year, May, etc.) the number of flights can increase up to 3 per day (!).
Annoying cons: Flights delayed.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) - Pakistan's national carrier
Departure Frequency and Airports: On Wednesdays and Sundays from Terminal 1 of Dubai International Airport at Sheremetyevo-2
Departure time: from Dubai at 09.30; from Moscow - at 16.30.
Type of aircraft: A-320.
Flight class: business and economic (the first is not).
Cost of the cheapest economy class ticket: 300$.
Baggage Allowance: 50 kg - for economy class, plus 5 kg - hand luggage.
On-board catering: quite tasty. On hot, as a rule, chickens. Do not serve alcohol. Tea and coffee - please. Cutlery is reusable. It happens that they serve quite spicy food.
Onboard service and entertainment. For music lovers - headphones. Those who freeze are plaids. Cinema is not shown, but without it, not bad. The service is good and unobtrusive, there are usually not very many passengers.
Obvious advantages: Flights are operated on Wednesdays and Sundays, therefore they do not intersect on arrival with other carriers, which avoids crowding at the airport. Perhaps the best value for money. Excellent free baggage allowance is especially suitable for passionate shopping enthusiasts (50 kg is not 20).
Annoying Cons: rarely fly, though, maybe "better is less, but better." True, departures are sometimes delayed.
Siberia Airlines - an airline from Novosibirsk
Departure Frequency and Airports: On Tuesdays and Fridays from 1 terminal of the Dubai International Airport at Domodedovo.
Departure time: from Dubai - at 19.55; from Moscow - at 12.00.
Type of aircraft: IL-86.
Flight class: business and economic (the first is not).
Cost of the cheapest economy class ticket: from $ 180 ("low" season) to $ 450 ("high" season).
Baggage Allowance: 30 kg - for business class, 20 kg - for economic, plus 5 kg of hand luggage.
On-board catering: decent and varied. The flights offer light spirits (wine and beer), juices, mineral water, cold snacks, hot drinks, tea, coffee, dessert.
Onboard service and entertainment. For lovers of music - headphones. Those who freeze are plaids. Service is at a very good level, the crew is polite and smiling.
Obvious advantages: airline operates flights to Domodedovo airport, relatively cheap tickets, good service.
Annoying Cons: Flights arrive in Dubai simultaneously with others, which creates great inconvenience for passengers when passing through passport control and baggage claim.
In addition to the foregoing, it seems very important to me the moment of actually purchasing tickets in the "emergency urgency" mode. Immaculately from any point of view, only airline Emirates handles ticketing. Its airline sales offices operate at Dubai International Airport around the clock 365 days a year, regardless of holidays (social and religious), weekends, national days
talnyh mourning and other factors distracting from work.
Aeroflot - alas! In the words of a friend of mine, "he is more Catholic than the Pope himself." In addition to the fact that the company’s office closes at 19.00, all imaginable and unimaginable local holidays and weekends, holidays of all the Union republics of the former USSR, mourning events, the Indian Fire Festival and Bastille Day are also strictly observed ... Buy a ticket at the registration desk at the airport immediately before departure, and if there are seats, it’s possible, BUT for all other money. It's a shame for "ours." Moreover, daily flights fly almost half empty. Maybe lower prices, and people
will stretch?
PIA also observes all weekends and holidays; the company’s office in Dubai is open until 5 p.m. (extremely inconvenient). It reassures only that the PIA flies only twice a week.
You can always buy tickets for Continental Airlines charter flights and Siberia Airlines flights from representatives in Dubai (subject to availability). And one more thing: when buying a ticket, be sure to ask about the amount of airport fees, which greatly affects its cost.
What about purchasing tickets online, you ask? There is one snag. The service is undeniably convenient; but on the Internet they can sell you a ticket and make a confirmation on it even if there are no seats for this particular flight. The only guarantee is to still contact the sales office. It was not by chance that I tried to focus on the possibility of flying from Dubai to Moscow, given that the occupancy rate of flights from Moscow almost entirely depends on the work of tour operators, which include the cost of air travel in the price of a tour package. In order to reduce the cost of the tour and make it attractive for tourists, specialists from Russian travel agencies try to acquire “blocks of seats” on charter flights, so when departing from Dubai there may be no charter seats, and the price of the ticket may not be the same as directly with the carrier . Because of this, the largest flow of passengers from Moscow to the Dubai airport is recorded on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Businessmen and many other categories of travelers have their own travel requirements, which is why they choose the air carrier consciously, and not "by default" (this is a term for computer people, which means automatic actions of the program if a person has not asked her a change). Now we have more flights, and therefore more freedom. Set changes in your life yourself.
I wish you, dear passengers, the right choice and excellent flights! I wish you, dear air carriers, new achievements! Well, let's fly?
Elena Olkhovskaya
