Ukraine Air and delayed baggage fun!

[anm8tr]

Hello,

Was wondering if anyone here has had prior experience with delayed baggage and Ukraine air. I am in the last week of a month long trip to Kharkov, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnitsa. Upon my arrival from the states to Amsterdam, my connecting flight was with Ukraine air to Kiev and final destination Kharkov.

Whilst in Amsterdam Ukraine Air conveniently shipped my luggage to Vienna and then Dnipropetrovsk where they proceeded to just leave it there for 5 days until I could track it down on my own via help from Delta Airlines. Ukraine air left me stranded and did absolutely nothing to get me information or to transfer my bag to Kharkov. I had to hire someone to drive me to  Dnipropetrovsk to retrieve it from the airport. That airline, if you want to call it that, is the most useless piece of dog dung I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. this being my 4th trip to Ukraine and first time to Kharkov, I had a feeling something might happen, so I did purchase trip insurance which will cover my cost of buying new clothing etc. But what I wanted to know is if anyone has dealt with that airline and received any compensation.
[/size]
[/size]I have sent them three emails requesting information in regards to compensation, I have an email tracker setup so know they have been reading my emails, but I have not heard one word. I will not stop until they respond!
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[/size]Just curious,
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[/size]Thx!
[/size]
[/size]Richard

[HoundDaddyLee]

Hi,


Are you talking about Ukrainian International Airlines? I have flown them a few times and have never had an issue with them. Always professional service. The only airline that lost my luggage and required me to prompt them to find it was Lufthansa. I would recommend getting a Russian speaker to call them on your behalf.


HDL

[cc3]

Hello,

Was wondering if anyone here has had prior experience with delayed baggage and Ukraine air. I am in the last week of a month long trip to Kharkov, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk and Vinnitsa. Upon my arrival from the states to Amsterdam, my connecting flight was with Ukraine air to Kiev and final destination Kharkov.

Whilst in Amsterdam Ukraine Air conveniently shipped my luggage to Vienna and then Dnipropetrovsk where they proceeded to just leave it there for 5 days until I could track it down on my own via help from Delta Airlines. Ukraine air left me stranded and did absolutely nothing to get me information or to transfer my bag to Kharkov. I had to hire someone to drive me to  Dnipropetrovsk to retrieve it from the airport. That airline, if you want to call it that, is the most useless piece of dog dung I have ever had the displeasure of dealing with. this being my 4th trip to Ukraine and first time to Kharkov, I had a feeling something might happen, so I did purchase trip insurance which will cover my cost of buying new clothing etc. But what I wanted to know is if anyone has dealt with that airline and received any compensation.
[/size]
[/size]I have sent them three emails requesting information in regards to compensation, I have an email tracker setup so know they have been reading my emails, but I have not heard one word. I will not stop until they respond!
[/size]
[/size]Just curious,
[/size]
[/size]Thx!
[/size]
[/size]Richard

Don't ride on third world airlines to save a few bucks! Ukraine, although with first world literacy, is definitely third world economically...but, I love it, and I live in Lviv. I always take either Austrian or Lufthansa (when the pilots are not on strike) from Austria or Germany, after crossing the pond on United, Lufthansa, or Austrian (all Star Alliance). I use that airline alliance because it's the only one with nonstops from western Europe to Lviv. Flying to Kyiv from western Europe, you have the choice of all three major alliances: Star, SkyTeam, and Oneworld. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_alliance. The major first world carriers have much better delayed luggage delivery policies than non-aligned/third world carriers.

Also, Ukraine Int'l is the heir to the defunct Aerosvit, the former international carrier of Ukraine. It had one of the worst service reputations in the world. Maybe a lot of its former employees, with their bad attitudes, came to UIA after Aerosvit's bankruptcy.   

[LAman]

Don't ride on third world airlines to save a few bucks! Ukraine, although with first world literacy, is definitely third world economically...but, I love it, and I live in Lviv. I always take either Austrian or Lufthansa (when the pilots are not on strike) from Austria or Germany, after crossing the pond on United, Lufthansa, or Austrian (all Star Alliance). I use that airline alliance because it's the only one with nonstops from western Europe to Lviv. Flying to Kyiv from western Europe, you have the choice of all three major alliances: Star, SkyTeam, and Oneworld. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_alliance. The major first world carriers have much better delayed luggage delivery policies than non-aligned/third world carriers.

Also, Ukraine Int'l is the heir to the defunct Aerosvit, the former international carrier of Ukraine. It had one of the worst service reputations in the world. Maybe a lot of its former employees, with their bad attitudes, came to UIA after Aerosvit's bankruptcy.   

If flying into Ukraine it can be difficult to avoid UIA because of codesharing flights, even with the three major alliances.
    I had trouble with my luggage on this trip but not as bad as the OP. Just as OP mine got lost/left in Amsterdam while I proceeded to Kiev, I am just lucky I didn't have a connecting to another city. I filled out paperwork at airport and next day had my luggage delivered to apt. I doubt the OP will have any luck with 'compensation' but doesn't hurt to try.

BTW, anm8tr, the people at lost luggage area where you fill out paperwork are a separate company from airlines, their job is to process claim, find luggage, get it send to airport and deliver to you.

For some years UIA and aerosvit competed and the better run airline continued...not so much as an 'heir'.

[cc3]

For some years UIA and aerosvit competed and the better run airline continued...not so much as an 'heir'.

Actually, before its demise, Aerosvit was the 'long haul' Ukrainian carrier, crossing oceans and continents. UIA was intra-European, with a little Eurasian mixed in. So, yes, UIA was the successor (if you would rather that than "heir") to Aerosvit's intercontinental flying. They did not compete on long-haul widebody routes because UIA had no widebodies before Aerosvit's bankruptcy.

[ML]

. . . UIA had no widebodies before Aerosvit's bankruptcy.

I regularly see a lot of widebodies on planes.

[Wayne]

Aerosvit had a non-stop flight Kyiv JFK. I used them several times without any trouble.

I took Transaero on my last trip. No problems but basic service.

[BdHvA]

Actually, before its demise, Aerosvit was the 'long haul' Ukrainian carrier, crossing oceans and continents. UIA was intra-European, with a little Eurasian mixed in. So, yes, UIA was the successor (if you would rather that than "heir") to Aerosvit's intercontinental flying. They did not compete on long-haul widebody routes because UIA had no widebodies before Aerosvit's bankruptcy.

The actual owner of Aerosvit and Ukraine International are the same. A person in Israel. He has milked the system in a way that even Donald Trump could admire. Having said this service with Ukraine International has always been decent.

My only recent lost bag was with AirFrance.

[cc3]

The actual owner of Aerosvit and Ukraine International are the same. A person in Israel. He has milked the system in a way that even Donald Trump could admire. Having said this service with Ukraine International has always been decent.

My only recent lost bag was with AirFrance.

AirFrance=AirChance

[anm8tr]

If flying into Ukraine it can be difficult to avoid UIA because of codesharing flights, even with the three major alliances.
    I had trouble with my luggage on this trip but not as bad as the OP. Just as OP mine got lost/left in Amsterdam while I proceeded to Kiev, I am just lucky I didn't have a connecting to another city. I filled out paperwork at airport and next day had my luggage delivered to apt. I doubt the OP will have any luck with 'compensation' but doesn't hurt to try.

BTW, anm8tr, the people at lost luggage area where you fill out paperwork are a separate company from airlines, their job is to process claim, find luggage, get it send to airport and deliver to you.

For some years UIA and aerosvit competed and the better run airline continued...not so much as an 'heir'.

Ok that explains why they didn't give a damn. Every day I called them they just said to call back at 6pm and never answered the phone anyway. I was wondering exactly who I was dealing with there. There is an international site for baggage tracking and it was never being updated, so after the 3rd day I called Delta in the states
and they told me right where it was at and how it got there. The airport in Kharkov would tell me that the site was not updated so they couldn't do anything. I finally called the corporate office for UIA and they called the other airport and verified it had been sitting there the whole time, but nobody bothered to let me know. I did get insurance so I am hoping they will cover the transportation costs to retrieve it and of course all the clothing I purchased while waiting. It was getting rough walking miles each day in flip flops. Then I came to realize there are about 8 women's clothing stores to one mans, that was loads of fun!

[anm8tr]

Don't ride on third world airlines to save a few bucks! Ukraine, although with first world literacy, is definitely third world economically...but, I love it, and I live in Lviv. I always take either Austrian or Lufthansa (when the pilots are not on strike) from Austria or Germany, after crossing the pond on United, Lufthansa, or Austrian (all Star Alliance). I use that airline alliance because it's the only one with nonstops from western Europe to Lviv. Flying to Kyiv from western Europe, you have the choice of all three major alliances: Star, SkyTeam, and Oneworld. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_alliance. The major first world carriers have much better delayed luggage delivery policies than non-aligned/third world carriers.

Also, Ukraine Int'l is the heir to the defunct Aerosvit, the former international carrier of Ukraine. It had one of the worst service reputations in the world. Maybe a lot of its former employees, with their bad attitudes, came to UIA after Aerosvit's bankruptcy.   

Yes I agree! This was my 4th trip and I had never gone as far as Kiev and I had no choice re: UIA since my ticket was one of only two available at the time. I paid $1860 round trip to Kharkov from the west end of the states. All the other tickets were like $4K and up. That is one of the reasons I purchased insurance for the first time ever. My bag was brand new at about $700 and I had close to $1k of clothing in it, just purchased prior to the trip. I packed 3 weeks worth of clothing since I wasn't keen on figuring out how to use those washers over there. Although at one of my rentals the owner provided laundry service, well if you can call it that, Ukrainian style wash and wear that is 

BTW anyone know why the ironing boards in Ukraine are square on both ends? Am I missing something?  That was interesting trying to iron my jeans.

[anm8tr]

The only humor that came out of this whole episode was when I arrived to pick up my bag, I had to do the whole customs thing, so I walked over to another building and then they let me inside as if I had just exited a plane and went through the whole entry process and when they x rayed the bag it caught the attention of 3 people looking on the monitor, it started to take a little long so I offered to open the bag to speed things up and just then the lady turned to me and said something in Russian, so I said I did not understand, then she said in very broken English, you have food in the bag? And then I remembered I had it packed with bags of 5 different nuts from Whole Foods, including walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almond and cashews along with two bags of oatmeal and lots of freeze dried fruit. I told them it was breakfast, they laughed and let my bag go. BTW I save a small fortune in breakfast costs that way. I eat oatmeal in the morning with nuts and dried fruit and then take my long walks to sample cappuccino and other coffee drinks at various cafes.


On a last note: that was my 4th and most successful trip covering over 5 cities, cross country train rides, bus trips and 7 dates with girls in which the last girl ended up being lucky #7 for me. We are now a couple and I will return at the end of Nov to meet her family. I got really lucky! she's amazing and a real sweet heart! I will try to post the entire trip in the proper section as soon as I get some time.

[cc3]

Good luck with #7! I guess all the work and stress paid off!

 

[Wayne]

You can get a lower total cost on your travel, sometimes, if you book two seperate times.
 
For example, it was extremely expensive to get the 4 flight combination I needed from US to Crimea in one booking. So I did the first 3 flights on one booking, and the last flight from Moscow to Simferopol with Transaero on a seperate booking.
 
It saved thousands of dollars!

[anm8tr]

I see! Well live and learn!   I know the next time I go to meet my girls family in November/Dec, I will fly to Kiev and take the train to Poltava. That was super cheap! Poltava to Vinnitsa was like $19 US for a sleeper.

[anm8tr]

Good luck with #7! I guess all the work and stress paid off!

 

Thanks! Yes it has been a long 6 years making many mistakes, spending mucho dinero and learning as I go.  The first 7 days was hell week for me, not a clue what I was doing until one very nice and professional translator helped me out.

[BdHvA]

You can get a lower total cost on your travel, sometimes, if you book two seperate times.
 
For example, it was extremely expensive to get the 4 flight combination I needed from US to Crimea in one booking. So I did the first 3 flights on one booking, and the last flight from Moscow to Simferopol with Transaero on a seperate booking.
 
It saved thousands of dollars!

What Wayne is described sometimes as a sandwich ticket.

I am uncertain how adept you are booking flights, for some it like a fish in water, for others like trying to teach a turtle to fly.

There are a number of low cost carriers in Europe going from West Europe to destinations directly such as Khakov, L'viv and Odessa. But you need to be creative and manage going from a major airport, such as Schiphol or Heathrow to an airport say near Dortmund or perhaps Luton or Stanstead.

Also some Russian and Ukraine cities have strange connections. As an example the easiest way to get to Yekaterinburg is via Praag.

[cc3]

Despite what I wrote above, I am returning to Lviv from the US tomorrow, and, due to Octoberfest and other turmoil in Bavaria due to the influx of asylum seekers and illegal aliens from the moslem world, routing through MUC is impossible, so I'll be flying through FRA and on to KBP; from KBP to LWO on UIA. Baggage handling report to follow.

[Wayne]

Moscow Domodedovo Airport has both domestic and international flights. You can get tickets so that you do not need to change airports. You need to have enough time between flights in case your flight is delayed.
 
In the past, I used British Airways as far as Moscow; then Krasair to Krasnoyarsk. You can get flights from Domodedovo to most cities in Russia, Ukraine, etc. I think it is the largest airport in Moscow.

[msmobyone]

]In the past, I used British Airways as far as Moscow; then Krasair to Krasnoyarsk. You can get flights from Domodedovo to most cities in Russia, Ukraine, etc. I think it is the largest airport in Moscow.

Hi Wayne - very much in the past ... Krasair have been defunct nearly 8 years - S'metyevo has improved loads - with a decent rail link and swapping terminals is no longer a biggie.

Nowadays flying to KJA from London - it nearly always works out cheapest via Aeroflot.

re Aerosvit... as others have pointed out they competed on similar routes and I wasn't aware  - thanks BvHdB - that the same Oligarch was 'behind' them.

I found them 'OK' and when a 737 from Larnaca to Kyiv failed they immediately put us up in one of the best hotels in Cyprus and complied - fully - with the then new EU laws on delays and passenger rights.

I guess it is academic, now

Now, to the the subject of the thread..I had a client - earning a crust in retirement, by delivering 'lost baggage' to their owners in the UK... He suggested that 90 plus percent of bags are not 'lost' - that the Captain of the aircraft - refuses some bags - for operational reasons - weight / head winds, etc.,

Can this be true  ?

[BdHvA]

Sometimes for one reason or another the captain will not take all the baggage on the flight.

Sometimes it is for balancing the plane or for the conditions at the next destination. As well as getting the bird aloft.

[cc3]

I was an major airline pilot for 29 years, the last 20 as a captain on seven different aircraft types, flying domestic and international routes. I never refused to separate boarded passengers from their luggage. If weight limitation was a factor, we restricted the number of passengers we could board, obviously, with their accompanying luggage.

[msmobyone]

I was an major airline pilot for 29 years, the last 20 as a captain on seven different aircraft types, flying domestic and international routes. I never refused to separate boarded passengers from their luggage. If weight limitation was a factor, we restricted the number of passengers we could board, obviously, with their accompanying luggage.

Thanks cc3

I could not believe with he told me

[cc3]

It's great that I have airline employee flight benefits, but we only travel on any unsold seats. Here is the odyssey I have just completed today, begun on Monday, 21 Sept, at 1925 EDT in US: 1925, UA, Burlington, VT to IAD at 2100; Tuesday, 22Sept.,1017, UA, IAD to ORD at about 1125, three hour 'sit', then 1425, UA, ORD to FRA at 0545, Wednesday, 23 Sept., four hour 'sit around', then 0950, LH, FRA to KBP, two hour 'sit' then 1510, PS, KBP to LWO at 1620.
By the way, bag handling by UIA was uneventful. My own airline, United, broke one of my bag handles.

Time to go to bed.

[BdHvA]

Sometimes for one reason or another the captain will not take all the baggage on the flight.

Sometimes it is for balancing the plane or for the conditions at the next destination. As well as getting the bird aloft.

I was CDG>AMS with Air France (Chance) starboard aft of the wings with a smug smile I saw my suitcase loaded for departure. YES I thought. 30 minutes latter I watched my suitcase being thrown by a French baboon out on the tarmac. On arrival in Amsterdam they explained the forward cargo bay door was jammed and they could not take everyone's baggage on the flight.