Aeroflot

http://www.aeroflot.ru/cms/en

Types of Travelers

Business Travlers

3/5

Fair service and good reach in Russia and Eastern Europe

Family Traveler

3/5

Average service for families

Backpacker
Adventure Traveler

5/5

Service to adventure destinations in Russia and Central Asia

Student
Budget Traveler

2/5

Decent fares but often not the cheapest option.

Elderly
Disabled Traveler

4/5

Standard accessibility

Long Term Traveler

3/5

Good reach

Novice Traveler

2/5

Not known as a user-friendly airline

Introduction

Aeroflot is the national airline of Russia. It serves as a large domestic carrier and also flies to 48 countries around the world. The airline was once owned by the government of the then-USSR. It is now semi-private, but still considered the national carrier of Russia. There are plans to increase the size of its fleet and the number of daily flights.

With the help of the Soviet government, Aeroflot was the world’s largest airline in the late 1930s. The airline suffered as a result of the fall of the USSR in 1992. It was broken up into smaller regional airlines with international flights still operating under the name Aeroflot. The company is now traded publicly and has benefited from a series of mergers and take-overs of smaller regional airlines.

Ratings

Important Factors 3/5

Average Delay

20%

Cancelled Flights
(average per month)

Rare, >1%

Customer Satisfaction Rating

3-star airline (out of 5) by Skytrax

Types of Aircraft

Airbus A319, A320, A321, A330; Boeing 767; Ilyushin II-96

General 4/5

Number of Domestic Flights (Daily)

Number of International Flights (Daily)

Size of Fleet

91 (plus orders)

Major Airports and Destinations Served

Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Tokyo, Seoul, Tel Aviv, London Heathrow.

Location of Hub

Sheremetyevo International Moscow, Domodedovo Airport Moscow

Countries Served

Europe, Asia, Africa, North America

Number of Routes

Most Popular Routes

Moscow to New York, Moscow to Vladivostok, Moscow to London, Moscow to Tel Aviv.

In-Flight 2/5

Which Routes offer Meal Service?

Meal service offered on medium and long haul flights

Food Quality

1/5

In-flight Menu

Russian food, standard snacks and beverages

Average Leg Room

31-33 inches

Types of In-flight Entertainment

Movies, audio, magazines

Baggage 4/5

Baggage Fees

None for baggage under weight limit

Number of Bags Allowed

Weight Limits and Restrictions

44 lbs (50 lbs on some flights)

Web Site 4/5

Online Check-in

Yes, for flights out of Moscow and some other destinations.

Web Site Usability

Excellent

Special Needs 3/5

Handicap Accessibility

Fairly good by international standards

Pets

Yes, with proper documentation. Charged as excess baggage (per lb tariff)

Special Offers /Partners 4/5

Airline Alliance Membership

SkyTeam

Hotel Partners

Aeroflot Bonus

Competing Airlines

Lufthansa, British Airways, Finair

Strengths

Good reach, especially in Russia and Central Asia
Cheap fares to popular destination in Russia and Central Asia
Decent on-time performance
Good web site

Weaknesses

Poor service image
Have to connect in Russia for best fares

Frequent Flier Program and Airport Lounges

Aeroflot Bonus is the airline’s frequent flier program. Fliers can earn miles on Aeroflot and also on any other member airline of the Skyteam alliance. There are loyalty tiers with those traveling 25,000 and 50,000 receiving upgrades in status. Aeroflot has lounges at its hub airports and at major airports around the world.

Conclusion

Aeroflot has a poor image when it comes to quality in-flight service. It has had more than its share of incidents that have brought about bad PR. However, for people flying to Russia (especially Moscow) and onward to destinations in Central Asia, it is the obvious choice. These flights are generally the cheapest on the market – cheap enough to overlook the airline’s shortcomings.