PDX to SVO tomorrow - luggage question

[roykirk]

My wife and oldest daughter are leaving for a month long trip to Novosibirsk tomorrow.  It's the first time my wife will have traveled there in over 5 years, so I wanted to see if we can get some input on the latest practices as far as checking luggage through.  Back when we were traveling there a lot there never seemed to be any consistency on how they handled it. Her route with be:

PDX - JFK - SVO - OVB

PDX to JFK is on Delta, JFK onward on Aeroflot, all purchased on a single itinerary.  The boarding passes we just printed out seem to indicate their luggage will be checked through to SVO, but I'm wondering if they'll still have to retrieve them at JFK and recheck them with Aeroflot?  How about on the return trip?  Also, can anyone advise if you can purchase entry to any of the various business lounges (regardless of type of ticket) like you can in the United States?

Back when I was doing SEA-LAX-SVO-OVB frequently, it was different each time.  On one trip I checked my bags at SEA and didn't see them again until OVB (very nice!).  One month later I had to pick them up and recheck them at each stop. 

[LAman]

To honest, I don't see a problem with having to pick up bags in NY and recheck, I do think you will have to do this in Moscow but I am not 100% positive. Delta/Aeroflot do have several codeshare flights. I have always had to recheck bags in country I am visiting if I have a domestic flight also.

I have stayed in a lounge in Frankfurt, just cost of entry, I booked it ahead of time.

Last year, UIA would not book luggage though to USA, there were 2 stops, yet UIA and Lufthansa are codeshare partners, only booked through 1 of stops.

[GQBlues]

Roykirk-

Last I flew combo airline service via JFK (Delta/Austrian Air), I had to claim and recheck baggage on each airline check-ins. Wifey flew to Novo 2 years ago and she used Aeroflot all the way from LAX. Checked her baggage one time.

These things change and fluctuate so instead of steering you wrongly, best and brightest thing to do, I think, is to call your specific airline companies for that particular flight and have them tell you what their arrangements are.

[Turboguy]

My wife flew Delta to JFK and Aeroflot to Moscow 6 days ago.  She did not have to reclaim her bags at JFK.  They were booked through to Moscow.   She will have to claim them on the way back and go through customs however but not on the way to Moscow.   She did have to get them in Moscow and recheck them for Barnaul.  I don't think things will change in 6 days so that should be the same in your case.

[LAman]

Roykirk-

Last I flew combo airline service via JFK (Delta/Austrian Air), I had to claim and recheck baggage on each airline check-ins. Wifey flew to Novo 2 years ago and she used Aeroflot all the way from LAX. Checked her baggage one time.

These things change and fluctuate so instead of steering you wrongly, best and brightest thing to do, I think, is to call your specific airline companies for that particular flight and have them tell you what their arrangements are.

Maybe this rechecking was because Delta is Skyteam member and Austrian is associated with Star Alliance??
I do agree to check with airline/s, I just don't know if they can give a 'correct' answer valid on time of flights.....

[roykirk]

Thanks everyone.  I've since talked to a friend who flies through Moscow almost monthly and his report is similar to Turboguy.  He says they should check luggage all the way to Moscow after which she can retrieve it and recheck it immediately so she doesn't have to pack it around SVO all day.  I would welcome that.  I remember having to lug my suitcase through SVO for 10 hours one time before I could recheck it.  Not fun. 

[BillyB]

  I've since talked to a friend who flies through Moscow almost monthly and his report is similar to Turboguy.  He says they should check luggage all the way to Moscow after which she can retrieve it and recheck it immediately so she doesn't have to pack it around SVO all day.

TG's report sounds right. Just remember, there are two airports your wife will deal with in Moscow, SVO 1 for domestic flights and SVO 2 for international. After landing in Moscow, your wife will need to take the bus or mafia taxi to SVO 1 for her domestic flight.

[LAman]

TG's report sounds right. Just remember, there are two airports your wife will deal with in Moscow, SVO 1 for domestic flights and SVO 2 for international. After landing in Moscow, your wife will need to take the bus or mafia taxi to SVO 1 for her domestic flight.

 

Tell me Billy, did you cut and paste your info from a few years ago??? You know, I think the OP needed current info!!!!

[roykirk]

Tell me Billy, did you cut and paste your info from a few years ago??? You know, I think the OP needed current info!!!!

Ah, the mafia taxi days.  $50 one way to SVO-1, which I happily paid most trips just to avoid having some babushka knee me in the groin to cut in front of me to get on the free shuttle.   

[GQBlues]

Maybe this rechecking was because Delta is Skyteam member and Austrian is associated with Star Alliance?? I do agree to check with airline/s, I just don't know if they can give a 'correct' answer valid on time of flights.....

Yeah pretty much...those were days when I was going to Slovakia quite a bit. IINM, I think the return leg on that route was through DC. It was weird for the simple reason it was the only *direct route* to get to Pre-EU Slovakia from LA at the time.

Even my first trip to Moscow was through Austrian Airlines ( I like that company btw) via Vienna..not long after Lufthansa started serving EE routes. Lufthansa - Frankfurt connection to Russia. Then Aeroflot started LAX-SVO.

Anyway, these days I no longer fly combo flights. I'm a one company flyer. I don't mind paying the extra $$ just so I can fly with the least amount of lay-over and the quickest trip.

[roykirk]

Anyway, these days I no longer fly combo flights. I'm a one company flyer. I don't mind paying the extra $$ just so I can fly with the least amount of lay-over and the quickest trip.

Agreed.  Unfortunately it's not an option for those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest.  I wish Aeroflot still operated flights out of Seattle. 

[GQBlues]

I can see how Portland can be tough, Roykirk.

Aeroflot used to fly out of Seattle-Moscow direct IINM a while back before LA. Either way for you, you either have to fly somewhere just to catch a flight to SVO...having Novo as a destination just make these trips that much more taxiing.

I remember when Siberia Airlines serviced Frankfurt from Novo, but that didn't last long either. I hope everything goes smoothly for the missus and the child. Lot's of wonderful changes in Novosibirsk I understand.

[Chicagoguy]

Canceled or changed flights are my problem. Last year Delta sent me by way of Lot through Warsaw. Luggage arrived 1 week later after my many phone calls. Only missing 1 nice Swiss Army Knife.

A few years before Delta routed my wife through Paris on Air France. Luggage arrived 3 weeks later.

These are all supposed to be Ord - JFK - Svo. Our bags were never at SVO when we landed.

This year wife was sent on KLM through Amsterdam. Everything fine.  Now she wants to go this way all the time 

[Anotherkiwi]

Agreed.  Unfortunately it's not an option for those of us who live in the Pacific Northwest.  I wish Aeroflot still operated flights out of Seattle.

What about going west, Roykirk, as has been discussed before?  Wouldn't that be easier?  There are direct flights from Seattle (e.g. Delta), San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver to Beijing, and then you can fly directly to Novosibirsk.  That's surely a lot better than going two-thirds of the way around the world through Moscow.  You also get to be a tourist in China if you want.

[roykirk]

What about going west, Roykirk, as has been discussed before?  Wouldn't that be easier?  There are direct flights from Seattle (e.g. Delta), San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver to Beijing, and then you can fly directly to Novosibirsk.  That's surely a lot better than going two-thirds of the way around the world through Moscow.  You also get to be a tourist in China if you want.

I'm sure we will at some point.  I keep talking about doing it because the routing is so much faster (although usually quite a bit more expensive as well).  The first time all four of us make the trip there I'm sure that's what we'll do.  The extra money will be worth it to chop our travel time, in some cases, by half. 

As for luggage errors, I've always been lucky in my flights to SVO and OVB and have never had anything not arrive with me.  On my wife's first trip back 5 years ago, however, her suitcase was about 4 days behind her.  What really annoyed her was that they wouldn't even deliver it.  She had to have her father drive her to OVB to get it, a round trip of almost 2 hours from where her parents live.  The other horror she had to deal with, as some may recall from my posts around that time, was sitting around SVO for over 18 hours due to delays.  She was pregnant, everything was closed, and SU refused to give any of the passengers blankets or food (with the exception of a couple of bags of peanuts).  The way they got around the requirement to provide a hotel room was they kept telling people the flight would leave in "2 hours."  Once it got close to 2 hours, they'd delay it another 2 hours, and so on.  I kept telling her by SMS to leave the airport and get a hotel, but she was too worried about missing that flight in "2 hours."  I'll wait to see the report I get on this trip, but I wouldn't be surprised if she swears off ever going back in the near future.

[LAman]

I'm sure we will at some point.  I keep talking about doing it because the routing is so much faster (although usually quite a bit more expensive as well). The first time all four of us make the trip there I'm sure that's what we'll do. The extra money will be worth it to chop our travel time, in some cases, by half. 

Check out exactly what you're getting into going westward. I did check this out not long ago. Turns into a mess trying to match up 2 bookings with matching flight times. Seems only way is if you got 2 visas and spent some time in China also.... or spend many hours at airport waiting for flights. You are correct about it being more expensive. Not sure if any time is actually saved( flight +connections).

[roykirk]

Check out exactly what you're getting into going westward. I did check this out not long ago. Turns into a mess trying to match up 2 bookings with matching flight times. Seems only way is if you got 2 visas and spent some time in China also.... or spend many hours at airport waiting for flights. You are correct about it being more expensive. Not sure if any time is actually saved( flight +connections).

I also checked it out as an option when we were getting ready to buy my wife's tickets for this trip.  You're right in that you definitely need to be careful what you're buying because some westward routes have layovers that negate any time savings (unless you're looking for the short China trip).  With that being said, most of the eastward routes I had to choose from ran an average of 30 hours of total travel.  Going westward, I saw several options that were around 20 hours total travel, layovers included.  The cost of those routes was more than we could afford right now unfortunately.  The fares I saw were at least 40-50% higher (than eastward) just for coach.