experience flying with Aerosvit

[gator70]

Does anyone have experience flying with Aerosvit from Kiev to Toronto?

I wonder if there is any problems with my fiancée using Toronto to catch another flight to the west coast of  the USA?

She does not have a visa for Canada only for the USA, will this be a problem?

What about typical late flights and scheduling the connecting flight?

Thanks,

[gator70]

... in response to experience flying with Aerosvit , posted by gator70 on Jul 21, 2004

Well scratch that idea to meet her in the Toronto airport! I wanted to help her with the USA POE. Canada has such a crazy transit visa policy it became impossible.

[Rags]

... in response to experience flying with Aerosvit , posted by gator70 on Jul 21, 2004

My in-laws just flew AeroSvit (KBP-JFK) 7/1 and the flight was 1.5 hours late getting in. Luckily, United put them on their last flight to SFO and they got here OK. One bag got held up in Customs but was delivered the next day. I would advise against flying AeroSvit for three reasons: they "cancel flights" when it is to their economic advantage, they (as with other FSU airlines) don't adhere to scheduled departures or arrivals, and most important they do not have baggage agreements with connecting airlines so you must drag your bags to the next terminal and have them rechecked.

[tbirdjoy]

... in response to Re: experience flying with Aerosvit , posted by Rags on Jul 28, 2004

Well......not entirely ture on the baggage agreements with other airlines.  This past spring my wife flew on Aerosvit with a round trip from LAX to Kiev.  They partner with Delta from the west coast to JFK.  She checked her bags in LA and didn't see them again until she hit KBP.  They transfered them at JFK.  She also said she liked Aerosvit they ran on time and the food was good.  Unlike Delta which didn't provide an in flight meal and you had to pay for any food you wanted.  She still laughs about Delta (rather in embarrasment for me).  So like all airlines it depends on a negative expererience vs positives ones.  Unfortunately the more one flys the higher the chance on catching an airline on a bad day.  Aerosvit does have great connection times from KBP to Simferopol and reversed so she is able to connect the same day she arrives to KBP. For me that's worth it.  I've flown Aerosvit many times within Ukraine and I've been happy with them.  I personally though have not used them to fly trans Atlantic since I perfer to capture frequent flyer miles on the other carriers.  

Mark

[AllenB]

... in response to experience flying with Aerosvit , posted by gator70 on Jul 21, 2004

I have not heard of any problems with Aerosvit flying to Toronto but have heard that they will cancel flights within Ukraine if they do not have enough passengers.  More importantly, my MIL had a problem getting back to Ukraine via Toronto because Canada required here to have a transit visa.  This happened in May and I have heard that this has changed so no transit visa is now required but I would check further into that if I were you.

Good Luck.