Flying in/to Ukraine

[JayH]

There are many requests for information about flights to and around Ukraine -- so I thought I would post a few ideas here.
To start-- some links--
 
www.flyuia.com
www.aironix.ua
www.utair.ua/en/
www.dniproavia.com/en/
www.onurair.com.tr

The bigger better known international airlines  will appear in searching for flights.

When arranging a trip-- we often read of guys putting all their effort to arrive in Kiev  to arrive at some odd hour -- and then start asking about 24 hour train rides-- 7 hour taxi trips etc. The degree of difficulty when arriving in a country( especially on 1st visit) should be minimised. EG-- guys should do the most awkward link in US at start of flight-- ie-- if a flight is available to go  from Chicago to Donetsk-- fly to there to start flight from wherever--rather than   to Kiev and then do connecting flight. It is not such a good example as it is relatively easy in Ukraine to do. Another case-- easy to get flights from US to Istanbul-- where you can then get flights direct into various Ukrainian airports in destination city--or close to it.
Other start of points-- Moscow,Saint-Petersburg,Vienna,Warsaw,Amsterdam,Frankfurt,Munich,Dortmund -- and more--not forgetting Istanbul.

Why? International flights can be found cheaper to major cities and more  common routes. If you then look at alternative choices for additional leg--looking on airline website it is possible to buy bargain flights. eg-- a flight from Odessa to Kiev return-- can be significantly cheaper than in the other direction-- I  have paid as little as $12 and $18 return  buying on special -that is 10% of normal price and cheaper than the bus( & quicker!!). Just now in looking at airline site--they were offering one way to London from Kiev for $80 (UIA) on special. One way fares are usually more pricey-- so with full baggage allowance that is cheap flight.
Even in flying from the UK-- thinking laterally will save time and money-- and be less stressful all round. EG-- going to Odessa via Istanbul  is barely any longer than via Kiev as it has better connections possible.
Some of the cities with airports that receive international flights in Ukraine   are  --- KIEV,KHARKOV,DONETSK,LUGANSK,DNIPROPETROVOSK,LVIV,ODESSA,SIMFEROPAL-- there are more --search here:= www.flilightstats.com/go/

[JayH]

To explain further-- we often see guys asking about travel arrangements on arrival in Ukraine that can be awkward to difficult-to say the least! I am suggesting getting as close as possible at point of entry. To do that-- you need to look at local type airlines.
The cheapest international fares from distant countries ( Australia,USA,Canada etc)  tend to be from bigger cities to major eastern & western European cities.
What we have often seen is guys arriving in the middle of the night and not understanding how difficult they are making it for themselves. The planning is even more important when travelling into the winter-- and even from now on and for the next 6 months.

[steveboy]

I think when you try to suggest to anyone in this forum about saving costs, they are not interested! The more you spend the more it shows your love for the women, seems to be the general consensus. Of course I may be wrong! Im just a tight fisted penny pinching Brit

[JayH]

It is both cost and convenience.Guys make the mistake of putting all the effort into inititial flights and ignore the logistics at arrival end. Look at it this way-- gives a guy more money to spend on girl!!  Borrowing from another thread-- buy flowers for meeting!!

[Shadow]

I think when you try to suggest to anyone in this forum about saving costs, they are not interested! The more you spend the more it shows your love for the women, seems to be the general consensus. Of course I may be wrong! Im just a tight fisted penny pinching Brit

Of course they are interested. The more they save on flights, the more they can spens on the shuba.

[steveboy]

I did hear some billionaire had an idea to build a tunnel under the sea, maybe it will happen one day. But if its anything like the Channel  tunnel, I think the Russians will soon get peeed off sending all the Mexicans back!

[sleepycat]

After some info on Borispol airport in Kiev...
At the moment I'm trying to plan and match flights into Ukraine.
Do international and domestic flights for UIA operate from different terminals at Borispol?
With a 2 hr 25 min interval between arriving at Borispol  on an international flight and then departing Borispol on another domestic flight, is that enough time to make the second flight? I will have to clear passport control and collect luggage and check-in again between the two flights.

Thanks for any advice...

[ML]

With a 2 hr 25 min interval between arriving at Borispol  on an international flight and then departing Borispol on another domestic flight, is that enough time to make the second flight? I will have to clear passport control and collect luggage and check-in again between the two flights.

In these situations, you have to distinguish between possibilities and probabilities.  And you have to think of the consequences of worst case scenario.

My own rule is to never book a connecting flight with less than a 4 hour layover, if passport control and luggage retrieval will be involved.

[lonedrake]

With a 2 hr 25 min interval between arriving at Borispol  on an international flight and then departing Borispol on another domestic flight, is that enough time to make the second flight?

As long as the flights are on schedule....it is more than enough time.

[JayH]

After some info on Borispol airport in Kiev...
At the moment I'm trying to plan and match flights into Ukraine.
Do international and domestic flights for UIA operate from different terminals at Borispol?
With a 2 hr 25 min interval between arriving at Borispol  on an international flight and then departing Borispol on another domestic flight, is that enough time to make the second flight? I will have to clear passport control and collect luggage and check-in again between the two flights.

Thanks for any advice...

It should be enough time-all going well!!

Not just directing this at OP--but all who come and ask what is in fact a specific question-- tell us where you are flying from eg  it is UIA flight from Gatwick to Kiev  --or-- KLM from Chicago thru AMS connections to Kiev ( a flight that many have done and commented on it being late)  .The more information available will get the best advice.

[XMan]

I will speak just from personal experience of more than a dozen trips to Ukraine.

On one occasion my flights were switched and I wound up flying on a route that I was not planning on and arrived over 2 hours late.  However, my domestic flight in Ukraine was scheduled for 8 hours after my original arrival time in Ukraine.  With that one exception aside, I was through Customs and had my luggage within about 45 minutes every time I arrived from Amsterdam.  So generally a 2 hour and 25 minute gap is plenty.  I would still choose 3 hours or more because flight delay plus Customs delay could equal missed domestic flight.  If you don't want to risk losing and entire day, and dealing with taxis and hotels charging you triple the rate, then book a large layover.

Leaving Ukraine can take far longer.  I would be more concerned about when your domestic flight takes you back to Kiev and how long the layover is in Kiev before you depart.  Definitely a minimum of 3 hours.  It has taken me well over 2 hours to get through check-in and through Customs on several occasions. 

[steveboy]

Well , my answer to that is the US being the "BIG Be all and know all " of the planet that seems to do very little to reduce their emissions, other than some poxy amount just to say "We are doing our bit" China is a developing country!

The US is "Gods gift to the world" well so they think. They do relatively little really in real terms. Hell how would they all live without those gas guzzlers 

[Daveman]

I think when you try to suggest to anyone in this forum about saving costs, they are not interested! The more you spend the more it shows your love for the women, seems to be the general consensus. Of course I may be wrong! Im just a tight fisted penny pinching Brit

Only a troglodyte of the Ineptian tribe making his first foray from the cave into the realm of seduction would grunt thusly while waving his collection of rocks, teeth, and wooden beads to attract a mate.


Seems the general consensus could be summarized something like don't lead with your wallet, but also realize that this venture isn't without considerable expense.




btw, how did this thread morph into the topic of pollution?  Let's let the Will o' the Wisp (obviously comprised of overly abundant CO₂ molecules) drift off in celestial solitude while we break its spell - moving back to "Flying in/to Ukraine" .. 

[Daveman]

Topic was split...  seek and ye shall find..

[LAman]

It should be enough time-all going well!!

Not just directing this at OP--but all who come and ask what is in fact a specific question-- tell us where you are flying from eg  it is UIA flight from Gatwick to Kiev  --or-- KLM from Chicago thru AMS connections to Kiev ( a flight that many have done and commented on it being late)  .The more information available will get the best advice.

Well, IF flights take off and land at scheduled times, 2.5 hours is fine BUT as I found out UIA has problems following scheduled times. And the mess at Borispol adds to the flavor. More in depth in a trip report  I'll write up.

[JayH]

Well, IF flights take off and land at scheduled times, 2.5 hours is fine BUT as I found out UIA has problems following scheduled times. And the mess at Borispol adds to the flavor. More in depth in a trip report  I'll write up.

It is a pity you have not seen fit to post those details in this thread--instead you have chosen to start a new thread

One of the difficulties for those new to forum(or those not so new researching) is to find information that is fragmented over many threads with non obvious titles.hence I started thread hoping to attract the stories of specific experiences --sure--there is no rule about any of this--but common sense says it!!

Another issue that bugs me is when we get a newcomer(or not so new!) asking questions about specific arrangements--flights,taxis,trains,accommodation etc where numerous people contribute advice--- and we never hear from the op again !! Reading many threads--I often think the advice/comments mean a lot more to those who have already been on the ground and have had real experience of the issues involved and understand how difficult -or easy- some things are to handle. It would be of great interest to hear back what people now think of the advice given by members of the forum

[Daveman]

It is a pity you have not seen fit to post those details in this thread--instead you have chosen to start a new thread

...

You can always take a moment and link to any pertinent info... 


Such as LAman's thread found here:
http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=16528.msg344539;topicseen#msg344539

[SANDRO43]

Another issue that bugs me is when we get a newcomer(or not so new!) asking questions about specific arrangements--flights,taxis,trains,accommodation etc..and we never hear from the op again !!

Maybe his flight crashed, his cab driver robbed and killed him, his train derailed or his flat was flooded .

[JayH]

Maybe his flight crashed, his cab driver robbed and killed him, his train derailed or his flat was flooded .

Yeah-- all that--but why not tell us !!
What I am certain of is that many(most?) guys will get a fair  shock to their systems.Experienced guys say it-- but I am reasonably sure most newbies do not realise the significance of some comments and advice.

[JayH]

You can always take a moment and link to any pertinent info... 


Such as LAman's thread found here:
http://www.russianwomendiscussion.com/index.php?topic=16528.msg344539;topicseen#msg344539

I left it for you to do !!
 Most of op fits right into this thread. If the post was made in or as a TR my attitude would be different.

[cc3]

Well , my answer to that is the US being the "BIG Be all and know all " of the planet that seems to do very little to reduce their emissions, other than some poxy amount just to say "We are doing our bit" China is a developing country!

US doing very little to reduce emissions? Total ignorant nonsense as this link shows:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703579804575441683910246338.html

[SANDRO43]

Yeah-- all that--but why not tell us !!

Can't say much when you're dead, except through a séance, maybe .

[Anotherkiwi]

Maybe his flight crashed, his cab driver robbed and killed him, his train derailed or his flat was flooded .

or e: all of the above! 
 
Seriously, I've only been to Ukraine once, flying in and out of Boryspil and staying in Kyiv after the flight and before the return trip.  The Ukrainian gentleman who had been my seatmate on the flight from Moscow (and who spoke perfect English) urged me to get into the Diplomatic queue when he saw how slowly the line for foreigners was moving.  The immigration officer looked slightly taken aback, but still happily stamped my passport and waved me through.  I had to wait a while for my suitcase, but I think that a couple of hours to transfer to a domestic flight would have been ample in this instance.
 
However, getting back out was a different story.  I left plenty of time to go through the departure formalities, but it still took well over two hours to check in and work my way through Customs and Immigration, and then of course I still had to get through security.  Having a family of 10 Ultra-Orthodox Jews in the queue (returning to New York) was certainly interesting - eight children, ranging in age from about 20 to 3!  The officer on that desk gave up checking the passports after about the fifth child.  It took about 20 minutes just to get that one family through the gate, and by then the queue must have been halfway around the terminal because there were only three or four officers on duty.
 
Based solely on my own experience, I think that you would seriously want to allow at least three hours, and possibly more, to complete all the formalities after you arrive at the terminal.  If you're flying in from another part of the country (e.g. Odessa, L'viv, DPP) add another hour to be on the safe side.  Things may have improved in the three years since I was there, but it is Ukraine's gateway after all. 

[Daveman]

... but I am reasonably sure most newbies do not realise the significance of some comments and advice.

I'm reasonably in agreement with that statement.  Most newbies are still in lala fantasyland anyway, believing they've found "The One" and with a wave of the Magic Peck.. er.. Wand the fantasy will burst into reality..

So, there's some significance which becomes lost in the process...

[LAman]

It is a pity you have not seen fit to post those details in this thread--instead you have chosen to start a new thread

Sorry Jay.....lots of details but some are not in Ukraine. I was thinking of starting a trip report and if I choose to add more thoughts to report I would rather it stayed together. Didn't mean to defer from your thread.