A couple of weeks back Delta announced some positive changes to the SkyMiles program, including that they’ve added more partner airlines to their online award search tool. This is great news, given how challenging it can be to ticket SkyMiles awards on partner airlines by phone. And this comes after Delta added a functional award calendar late last year, which has been awesome.
But adding partner award availability online has actually been a process over the past several months:
- In early January, China Eastern and China Southern awards became bookable through delta.com
- In late February, China Airlines awards became bookable through delta.com
- In early March, Gol awards became bookable through delta.com
- In mid March, Aerolineas Argentinas and Garuda Indonesia became bookable through delta.com
It looks like we can add another airline to the list. Aeroflot awards are now bookable on delta.com.
As a reminder, Aeroflot’s US destinations include Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Washington. As a general rule of thumb, Aeroflot seems to release up to two business class and up to four economy class award seats per flight.
For what it’s worth, Aeroflot’s new 777-300ER business class actually looks quite nice, with fully flat beds in business class.
And if you’re into sensual safety videos, I don’t think there will be a better use of your miles than Aeroflot…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b24wmw61zqA
Bottom line
Kudos to Delta for finally getting serious about adding partner airline award availability to their website. Given that you can no longer hold Delta award tickets, it makes things a bit easier at least when you can ticket awards instantly online.
(Tip of the hat to @yitzfrid)
I have flown Aeroflot over 40 times since 1977. My flights on Aeroflot have taken me to over 20 different cities around the world, including Santiago, Berlin, Magadan, Hanoi, New York, Volgograd and Beirut.
Every flight was on-time!
I fly business class and it is very obvious why Aeroflot was upgraded to a 4 star airline. Their flight attendants are extremely professional and probably the best dressed crew members anywhere.
The meal...
I have flown Aeroflot over 40 times since 1977. My flights on Aeroflot have taken me to over 20 different cities around the world, including Santiago, Berlin, Magadan, Hanoi, New York, Volgograd and Beirut.
Every flight was on-time!
I fly business class and it is very obvious why Aeroflot was upgraded to a 4 star airline. Their flight attendants are extremely professional and probably the best dressed crew members anywhere.
The meal service is superior to any U.S. airline business class and the presentation of the meal and set-ups are very well done. The flight attendants go out of their way to make you feel welcomed the minute you enter the aircraft.
@ flyingfish: There are many Chinese people here (and North Koreans, for that matter). But, English is more common than Chinese. Overall, however, it feels like you are in Europe when in Vlad. As far as tour guide, not a chance, ha. I will defend my master's thesis in June, then I plan to return to the US to begin the "fun" process of looking for a job as a new graduate.
@Adam K: I...
@ flyingfish: There are many Chinese people here (and North Koreans, for that matter). But, English is more common than Chinese. Overall, however, it feels like you are in Europe when in Vlad. As far as tour guide, not a chance, ha. I will defend my master's thesis in June, then I plan to return to the US to begin the "fun" process of looking for a job as a new graduate.
@Adam K: I would stay in the vicinity of the city if you will only be here for 3 days. I would recommend one day exploring Russky Island (accessible by bridge), as there is the FEFU campus and many forts and breathtaking hikes, and two days enjoying the city. Just curious, how will you go to Irkutsk and Yakutsk? Train, or by air?
Hi Jesse, I am actually planning on spending a few days in Vladivostok this summer and I very much appreciate your writeup on the city. I'll have about 3 days to spend in Vladivostok, and for that amount of time would you recommend staying in the city or venturing elsewhere? I'll be continuing onward to Irkutsk and Yakutsk afterward, so will hopefully get additional chances to experience the beautiful Siberian landscape.
@Jesse Thomas
Wow, thanks for your detailed write-up on VVO!
It looks like a very challenging city to visit at the moment. Maybe you can be a tour-guide for VVO, given your knowledge of the city and fluency in English, and I believe Russian as well.
Does anyone in VVO speak Chinese? I thought that city used to be part of China.
If you intend to set up something in VVO for tourist, do let...
@Jesse Thomas
Wow, thanks for your detailed write-up on VVO!
It looks like a very challenging city to visit at the moment. Maybe you can be a tour-guide for VVO, given your knowledge of the city and fluency in English, and I believe Russian as well.
Does anyone in VVO speak Chinese? I thought that city used to be part of China.
If you intend to set up something in VVO for tourist, do let me know here. I will certainly reach out to you if I can find a good way to visit VVO!
@flyingfish
VVO is not suitable for transit or positioning. Though it is a new terminal, it is very small, with very few amenities and very few gates (NO restaurants airside, last time I was there). And you for sure will need a visa.There is no airport hotel ( a few motor lodges nearby that resemble a Motel 6 in backwoods Alabama). The city is 50 km from the airport. The best option is to take...
@flyingfish
VVO is not suitable for transit or positioning. Though it is a new terminal, it is very small, with very few amenities and very few gates (NO restaurants airside, last time I was there). And you for sure will need a visa.There is no airport hotel ( a few motor lodges nearby that resemble a Motel 6 in backwoods Alabama). The city is 50 km from the airport. The best option is to take the train directly from the airport. Until 1 March, Aeroexpress ran an almost hourly express train to Vlad from the airport, and vice-versa, but they discontinued it. Now, Express Primorye owns the route, and it runs a limited schedule (Expect to spend only around $5 for the train or bus.....***the current train schedule on the VVO website is outdated and wildly inaccurate).There are buses and taxis, as well. However, Vlad traffic is atrocious, and is always jammed. Rule #1: never trust a Russian taxi driver. The taxis here are mostly non-metered, and they like to screw foreigners. They know just enough English to screw you. If you must get one, go to the "Taxi" desk at the airport and pay a flat fee (around 1500 RUB (~$25) to the city center), as they are the licensed companies.
Vladivostok really beefed up its infrastructure ahead of the APEC 2012 summit held here, as seen with the new bridges, roads, and new campus of Far Easter Federal University on Russky Island (where I live and study). However, there are scars left, as there are many projects that were meant to be completed for the summit, but did not make the deadline, and were abandoned. For example, a Hyatt and a Hyatt Regency sit half-completed and empty, with all the markings, but in a sad state of neglect and inactivity. The new aquarium never opened, and is going to waste. The new roads are falling into disrepair due to poor maintenance.
That said, the city is gorgeous, and a must-visit. The mix of pre-Soviet architecture in the center, and Soviet architecture mixed in, make it a gorgeous city. The sea and the rugged coastline are what dreams are made of. There are NO chain hotels here. But, I would recommend the Hyundai Hotel, which is the only "Western" hotel, and has a GREAT location in the center, and great views of the Golden Horn Bay and the bridge. Also, check Trip Adviser, as they list the several hotels in the city.
All of the bus stops and street signs are in both Russian and English, but don't expect to find many people who speak fluent English (busses also do not announce the stops in English, only in Russian). This is not Moscow, and very few expats live here.
As far as exploring the Far East, do it by train. It is an unbelievable experience. Of course it is not glamorous, but the experience is one I can't describe. Vlad is the terminus of the Trans-Siberian railway, so many trains depart and arrive here. I have visited Artem, Arsenyev, Ussuriysk, Khabarovsk, Belogorsk, and Blagoveshchensk in the Far East. Each unique. There are many nature preserves to explore in Primor'ye, home of the Siberian Tiger. There is so much to do here, especially if you are a lover of nature.
So, to summarize, it is not a very "touristy" place. In fact, it is difficult to be a tourist here without a guide and/or translator. But, the experience is "Russia" as many never experience it. Don't count on transiting or positioning from the airport here, as it is virtually impossible. But, please come visit. I can't say enough how much this place changed this backwoods Alabama redneck's perspective on the world.
Just don't expect an "easy, stress-free" visit.
@Jesse Thomas,
Wow, I have been wanting to ask more info on Vladivostok, and VVO in general.
It looks like an interesting place to start journeys in the Far East (award tickets, revenue tickets), but how is the city for tourist? Is English widely spoken there?
How about taxis and other forms of transport? Will it be costly and if the taxi drivers are honest (metered taxis? or?)
How about Hotels (good...
@Jesse Thomas,
Wow, I have been wanting to ask more info on Vladivostok, and VVO in general.
It looks like an interesting place to start journeys in the Far East (award tickets, revenue tickets), but how is the city for tourist? Is English widely spoken there?
How about taxis and other forms of transport? Will it be costly and if the taxi drivers are honest (metered taxis? or?)
How about Hotels (good class or mainly inns-like?) ?
Also, if I just want to transit at VVO, am I right to say that I must clear immigration (and hence needed Russian Visas?)
Is there any Airport hotels at VVO?
Bonus Qn: Any other cities in East Russia that you would recommend for transits / positioning for Ex-Russia Award/Revenue tickets, if you have visited them?
Another horrible move for Delta, imo. We flew Aeroflot to the Maldives in February; they cancelled and then changed our flight without notifying us, causing us to have to spend out-of-pocket for another night + meals (a blessing to stay a night longer in paradise but a curse at it was an unexpected ~$1,300) and have refused to return a single email or telephone call after the first email saying "we'll look into it." Planning...
Another horrible move for Delta, imo. We flew Aeroflot to the Maldives in February; they cancelled and then changed our flight without notifying us, causing us to have to spend out-of-pocket for another night + meals (a blessing to stay a night longer in paradise but a curse at it was an unexpected ~$1,300) and have refused to return a single email or telephone call after the first email saying "we'll look into it." Planning to issue a chargeback this week though it won't even cover half of our lost costs.
@ No Name
You are correct. My mistake about transit visa. Admittedly, I only have ever arrived at SVO on a tourist or student visa.
You also are correct about the biz class seats. I am not much of an expert on Aeroflot biz class seats, as I am a poor student ;) The one time I did fly biz was on the A330 and it was angled flat. However, the service was nice ( Russians are know for their hospitality).
@Jesse Thomas
Thank you for the replay, no worry about smoking in the toilets. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke.
Are you sure about the transit visa? Just checked timaticweb that KLM uses for visa requirement and they list Russia as having 24 hours Transit Without Visa when traveling to a third country?
Wikipedia lists these five airports as possible for transit without visa?
Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) - terminals D, E and F
@Jesse Thomas
Thank you for the replay, no worry about smoking in the toilets. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke.
Are you sure about the transit visa? Just checked timaticweb that KLM uses for visa requirement and they list Russia as having 24 hours Transit Without Visa when traveling to a third country?
Wikipedia lists these five airports as possible for transit without visa?
Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) - terminals D, E and F
Moscow's Domodedovo International Airport (DME)
Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) - terminal A
Saint Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport (LED) - new terminal 1, opened on February 14, 2014
Yekaterinburg's Koltsovo International Airport (SVX) - international terminal.
Seen some great rates to Asia with Aeroflot, but if I need a visa it's not worth the bother.
From seatguru it seems that just the B777 have the new biz product? All the other long range airplanes are still angle flat?
@ No Name
I have yet to come across anyone smoking in an Aeroflot plane. In fact, Russians are surprisingly strict about smoking in many places ( smoking banned at my university, for example, and strictly enforced).
As far as transit, you will need to go through immigration, thus need transit visa if not planning a visit with other type of visa.
The amenities are decent (even a TGI Fridays in terminal...
@ No Name
I have yet to come across anyone smoking in an Aeroflot plane. In fact, Russians are surprisingly strict about smoking in many places ( smoking banned at my university, for example, and strictly enforced).
As far as transit, you will need to go through immigration, thus need transit visa if not planning a visit with other type of visa.
The amenities are decent (even a TGI Fridays in terminal D), and Terminal D is modern with nice toilets. Just dont smoke in the toilet. One Russian guy did and was arrested on the spot. As far as smoking facilities, I have no clue, as I do not smoke
@Lantean
Are thinking about the Y+ cabin? That is 8 across and does not look too bad, The Y is 10 across in 3-4-3 which is as bad as it gets.
@Jesse Thomas
I see that the trolly dolly video mentions that their flights are non-smoking, but is this enforced in real life? Or is it like in Turkish where you sometime can smell smoke coming from the cockpit?
And how SVO to transit these days, thinking about cigarette smoking and comfort in general?
@ Lucky / @ David -- If I recall correctly from reviewing Delta's new charts when they were still available, Delta now treats anything east of the Ural mountains as Asia. That includes Ural cities as well. For example, SVO-ROV prices at 15000 one-way but SVO-SVX at 50000 (both in Y).
Of course, that's beyond ridiculous and one more reason to keep a healthy stash of Avios as you usually get much better deals, e.g. DME-ROV for 4500 and DME-SVX for 7500.
SU has been bookable on DL.com for a few months now....
@David: Delta charging you more miles than you expect - that's a feature, not a bug of their system! This why they deleted their award chart.
Looks like this is more setup for international flights vs. internal Russian flights. It did recognize Irkutsk (IKT), but not Krasnoyarsk (KJA). Even so, it still prices the flights outrageosly (100,000 miles for economy roundtrip) which means the software is pricing as if this were a Europe to Asia flight even though this is the equivalent of flying domestic US coast to coast. Appears to be a half baked improvement...
I currently live and study in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, and have been here since 2013. I also visited once before, in 2012. Needless to say, I fly Aeroflot A LOT when I visit home (Alabama), Moscow, Europe, etc.. Their business and economy product, even domestically, is nicer than any garbage the US airlines offer. Prior to my first Aeroflot experience, I had heard horror stories about their old IL-96 planes and...
I currently live and study in the Russian Far East city of Vladivostok, and have been here since 2013. I also visited once before, in 2012. Needless to say, I fly Aeroflot A LOT when I visit home (Alabama), Moscow, Europe, etc.. Their business and economy product, even domestically, is nicer than any garbage the US airlines offer. Prior to my first Aeroflot experience, I had heard horror stories about their old IL-96 planes and their service, but their fleet now is nicely updated, and has one of the most comfortable economy experiences I have ever had. Their 777's and A330's are nice, and once I flew their A320 from SVO-FCO. In fact, I prefer Aeroflot to Korean or Asiana (both of which service VVO, but are generally much more expensive). Not to mention, their hub, Terminal D at Sheremetyevo, is very nice and has an efficient immigration checkpoint. I always end up flying Delta from ATL-JFK, then Aeroflot from JFK-SVO, then SVO-VVO, or vice-versa when returning to the USA. I would love to see a review of their business product from your perspective. Any plans in the future of trying them out? Russia now has a 3-year multi-entry tourist visa that is easy to get, so maybe you can try for it? It would be a great opportunity for you to try Aeroflot's business class and Transaero's Imperial Class in one shot ;)
Had no idea that SU had lay-flat now. We flew them LAX-SVO-LAX abour 4 years ago on angled-flat and it was miserable. I am definitely up for another trip to Russia now!
but do they serve caviar and give out faberge eggs in their amenity kits? ;)
actually the cabins look nice. especially coach looks very decent compared to other coach products.
obviously biz is not all aisle access... but many are still not. will you fly them?
More related to the safety video really but...what is it with safety videos/safety cards and remote controlled cars? Almost every one seems to have some reference to a remote controlled car, yet I have never seen anyone on a plane with one, never mind attempting to drive it round the cabin. It would just seem a totally bizarre thing to do - surely there must be more pertinent risks in terms of safety that actually arise from day to day???