Low Airline Fare to Moscow

[jpd]

My wife and step-daughter are flying from the East Coast to Moscow in the middle of June -
staying for 2 weeks and flying back.  Anybody have experience in this route - Washington or
JFK to Moscow and the cheapest tickets (without the 25 hr flight with layover)?  I would
appreciate any help.

Thanks,

Paul;

[Turboguy]

JFK probably would be your best bet.  I have made the east coast Moscow trip many, many times and was never routed through Washington.   I did go through Washington a lot going to Kiev but never to Moscow.

I liked it best when I got the Delta Flight 30 & 31 I believe it is which was non stop from JFK.  Usually my trip would be 13 to 16 hours with the JFK to SVO part taking about 9 1/2 to 10 hours if I recall correctly.  Aeroflot also has a direct flight but I like Delta better. 

The sites I used for the best prices were Kayak.com and BookingBuddy.com but Dan also has an Airfare tool on this site.  Look to the left under the Shopping Mall section.

[bobb]

United has a new direct flight (10 hrs, probably less going) from Dulles to DME for $784 leaving on 6 June returning 21 June.  Maybe JFK has a lower cost direct flight to Moscow.

[Turboguy]

I just did a quick check on  Kayak.  Someone going in the next two weeks can go as cheap as $ 505.00 but tickets in June are running in the $ 700+ range.  If I were really going I would check all the sites I could.   Rarely do the airline sites themselves come up with the cheapest price but one site can be high 80% of the time and by far the cheapest another time.   It also pays to check different days if there is some flexability in the travel times and to keep checking.   Fares can be high today and low tomorrow.  When you see the price you like grab it.

My wife is going next week but I had enough airline miles that it will be an inexpensive trip for us unless she has problems which she shouldn't this time of year.

[ConnerVT]

It used to be June 15 started the "Summer Season" for higher ticket prices, but they moved the dates up, with most starting June 1 (or earlier).

But there are now 4 players in the market for direct flights from the USA to Moscow.  Along with Delta and Aeroflot (JFK-SVO), there is now American out of Chicago (ORD-DME) and United from Washington DC (IAD-DME).

All were offering some ridiculously low fares a month or two ago ($300-400 round trip), but now expect to pay any of the above $800-900 for a direct flight.  You may be able to save $200 if you don't mind "cloud jumping" and visiting several intermediate airports on a multi-segment flight (been there, done that, got old quick).

Still, my favorite tool for exploring many possibilities.  It will find what you want, and explain every last cent of the ticket price.  Then go to the airlines site, and buy what you find:  http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/

[bobb]

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch/

I agree, a great site.  I always start here first and use the graphic presentation after options presented.  Some of the flights might be complicated, especially if more than one carrier and the use of a travel agent is suggested for these. 

[ConnerVT]

Some of the flights might be complicated, especially if more than one carrier and the use of a travel agent is suggested for these. 

Or better, just avoid these flights.  More complicated == More likely to cause you grief.

[Al_C]

I usually get the best pricing from www.priceline.com.  They usually beat the other big boys, www.travelocity.com and www.expedia.com hands down.

But check out www.airfare.com.  For my Ekaterinburg trip two weeks from now, they beat everyone else, priceline included, by 25%.

One warning, though:  ALWAYS look for the bottom line.  Some websites, like www.cheapoair.com, give you a low initial price and then pile on taxes and fees at the very end and are not so cheapo any more.

[JR]

cheaptickets.com

400ish with a 9 hour layover.

I paid 620 total round trip LAX to SVO with 1.5 hour layover.

[ConnerVT]

cheaptickets.com

400ish with a 9 hour layover.

I paid 620 total round trip LAX to SVO with 1.5 hour layover.

What travel dates and airlines?  Is that with all taxes and fees?