[This message has been edited by Philb]
A few observations.
This was my fourth and fifth times entering and leaving Ukraine. In the past I had always filled out the immigration card and customs forms and just walked through. Not this time.
During both entries I was questioned in regards to the purpose of my trip and was asked for the actual names of whom I was going to be visiting. Upon exiting Ukraine I was taken into a room and had my bags searched.
The customs and immigration agents were all polite about this (even downright friendly). No one ever asked for any money or attempted to take anything from me. I even had a couple of items they probably could have given me trouble over if they had wanted to (a few old Greek and Roman coins and a few contemporary hand painted icons).
I don't know if I was just lucky in the past or if this signals a bit of a change. The only thing I had done differently in regards to my entry and exits is that I was using a multiple entry visa this time.
Aerosvit airlines. My advice in a nutshell is beware. I used them to fly from Kiev to Larnaca. I bought my tickets through the ticket office in NYC and had them Fedexed to my home. I was told that I would be emailed if there was any schedule changes.
I was suppused to leave Kiev on a 0715 flight. I had called the airport and checked my email the evening before in regards to my flight status. Everything was OK. When I arrived at the airport in the morning the flight was canceled. They had reticketed my for a flight leaving at 1330 later that day. I politely mentioned to the ticketing agent that I was supposed to be notified of any schedule changes and that I had called the airport less then 24 hours before to check on my flight status. Her response was that it was my problem for purchasing my tickets directly from Aerosvit and not using a travel agency. She also told me that if I wanted a refund they would not be able to give me one and that this could only be done through the office which issued the ticket.
When I got on the 1330 flight there was a grand total of 12 passengers. The plane was a Boeing 727 that was a bit long in the tooth. My assumption from all of this is that Aerosvit still cancels flights when they do not sell enough tickets (at least on flights originating in Ukraine).
Cyprus itself is a kick. Much of it has been ruined by excessive tourism, while in other parts the impact is minimal. The beaches in or near to the larger towns and cities are always packed and over developed. Paradoxically I could drive out of town about 10 or 15 miles, hit the beach and not see more than a couple of other people. Sadly, in a few years I think much of this will also be gone.
Also, I think that getting the girl you are seeing out of her own environment is useful. You get to see how they react outside of there comfort zone. I think that this is just as useful and important as seeing them in their home environment and is something more guys should do. It gives you a bit of an idea on how they will react if you bring them to the US.
Lufthansa airlines. Unfortunately they were no better than Aerosvit. I was booked on United into Munich and from there on Lufthansa into Kiev (opposite on the return). Both arriving and departing Lufthansa cancelled the Munich/Kiev leg. Coming in I was rerouted through Frankfurt. On departure the cancellation was not done until a couple of hours before take off.
Lufthansa's agents in Kiev were of no help. They delivered the typical level of service you often find in the FSU. I was told that the flight had been canceled by the Ukrainian government and that it was not their problem instead it was my problem. There was an 0800 flight leaving for Frankfurt, but they refused to reticket until after this flight had departed. Instead they put me on the 1400 flight to Frankfurt. Then they told me I would have to spend the night in Frankfurt and that they could reserve a hotel for me for 120 EUR.
I knew there was a flight leaving Frankfurt for Washington IAD on United that I would have time to make. They refused to ticket me for this because it "was a United Flight". Fine, I took the flight to Frankfurt and as soon as I got there I hit the United desk ready to raise heck if necessary (I had been dealing with FSU style service for too long). Instead the United people were helpfule to the extreme they got me on the flight to Washington and from there to Denver. I would arrive in Denver to late to catch the last flight to Casper so United said they would pay for and reserve a hotel room for me along with a couple of meal vouchers. This is something the Lufthansa people in Kiev wouldn't or couldn't do for me. I plan on firing off a letter to Lufthansa about all of this not that it will do any good.
