NWA and AEROFLOT

[wxman]

I just got a brochure in the mail today from NWA/KLM (who I use to fly to Ukraine) and Russian airline AEROFLOT is now a member of the SkyTeam Global Alliance. I'm sure in the near future that some legs of the flights (mainly from Western European airports) to places in Russia and Ukraine will now be on board Aeroflot. I have been on flights from Amsterdam to Kiev via KLM, and many times the flights were not full, and I wondering if KLM no longer wants to handle those flights, thus the agreement with Aeroflot.   

[55North]

I too use KLM for flights to Kyiv from Amsterdam, and indeed from my home airport of Newcastle.  I notice that this is a code-share with Ukrainian International Airlines so surely Aeroflot will not get in on this.  Instead, it might mean a greater penetration of KLM Cityhoppers and the like into Russian territory, or at least access to SE Asia over Russia at other than the prohibitive charges presently levied by Russia.
   
More importantly, I find it strange that the Kiev flights do not substitute announcements in Dutch, or even English, into, at least, Russian, or preferably Ukrainian.  I would have thought they would score a major PR coup, with an increased loyalty factor when competition increases from whatever quarter.
 
But what do I know of this industry?

[Shadow]

You might be right, but as KLM is now part of Air France I would not expect them to make announcements in Russian any time soon.
Funny to realize that the Russians on the airplane mostly do not understand one word from what is announced during the flight. Gives you a good change to be he first at the emergency exit.

[ronin308]

There are actually 2 flights a day from Amsterdam, one via Ukraine Intl and the other through KLM.  The Ukr Intl flight is a code share, I took it last August.  It was summer and fairly full.

I doubt the Aeroflot relationship will get them anything in Ukraine but it will definately allow for a more integrated experience into Russia. 

[Muj]

As a member of NWA FF program I am happy to hear Aeroflot joins and even replaces KLM.  The KLM connections in Amsterdam were mostly inconvenient, requiring an overnight stay in Amsterdam, and I find the Airbus seats uncomfortable as compared to Boeing seats.  One of the best flights to Europe was via Aeroflot from Seattle, only 10.5 hrs to Moscow from Seattle.  Very reasonable price, service and food good.  Connections to Kiev from Moscow were good too.

[Bruce]

http://www.delta.com/skymiles/about_skymiles/skymiles_newsletter/europe/index.jsp

Aeroflot is part of Delta's skymile program now as well.  The question now becomes - How do all my Aeroflot miles transfer into Delta miles, or do they transfer at all???