The Grand Reschedule Ukraine 2008 - Russian Ukrainian Belarus Travel Music Woman Dating News

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The Grand Reschedule Ukraine 2008
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Posted by: Raspberry

Folks, I'm just getting ready for the rescheduled trip. This was supposed to happen early December, but had to postpone it---mainly due to lack of space on the planes out of Ukraine.

But once again, some tweaking of the schedule. I was unable to get Fri/Sat off of this this week, so now I am scrambling to add a couple of days at the end of the vacation. And probably leave Saturday night, on the red-eye

Oddly enough, first stop is Lugansk. Always have been leery about that place, due to the reputation. But my friend had no problems there, and there is this one lady there I have been writing. I think I'll stay just two days, since it is a first time over.

Another girl I had been writing somehow got my personal e-mail address(I had been using mail-forwarding at RWN) which I never gave to her(don't know how she got it), and gave me her phone number. I did call, and use personal e-mails but she knows almost no English. I sent her a personal e-mail saying I would be in Ukraine next week.

When trying to pull up her profile on RWN last night, it said, "This girl no longer available". So I went to fiance.com to check her profile, which was also removed. This morning, I got a personal e-mail saying she wants to meet me. So, apparently she is fed up with dealing with agencies. And if she's not there, oh well, I know my way around Mariupol to know what to do.

And of course, the lady in Zaporozhye. So it looks like it will be Lugansk-
Mariupol-Zaporozhye.

Still, there will be a lot of phone calls, e-mails, etc., to do in the next two days. Stay tuned.....

Posted by: bergy10

Make sure you let me know all about Lugansk, there's a possibility I might go there soon!

Wish you luck!

Posted by: Raspberry

Well, some changes in the schedule. The girl in Zaporozhye will need to be out of town for work assignment. She wanted me to postpone this trip a week, but with this being a paid vacation, I do not have enough time to reschedule this time off(trades and personal holidays are another story).

The one in Lugansk cannot meet with me at the time I originally planned, but with this cancellation, this opens a slot, and gives me the flexibility to change it. So I will meet her.....question is 1/14-15 or 1/20-21.

So, I may do another city in place of Zaporozhye. All depends on a number of factors. But I may just do Lugansk and Mariupol only.

Stay tuned.....this is getting interesting..

Posted by: Raspberry

Well, here's for some more tweaking....upon looking at the loads of the flights, it appears that there is little space to be had to get to Ukraine.
Keep in mind that I am on employee passes, and that we have to wait for those who paid full-fare to get on.

Quite dismal to ANY Ukrainian city on monday, as virtually all flights are sold out. Tuesday is not that great either. Kind of strange to see the flights so full in the winter, when it is usually slow. This is not the summer, you know.. Who in their right mind wants to go to Ukraine in January? Normally this will be a slam-dunk.

Certainly the opposite of my planned(but now rescheduled)December trip. Getting home was the problem last month. Instead, it's getting over. And the trans-Atlantic long portions look fine.

Next is to see if I can get at least two days at the end. Most likely I will fly from Munich to Donetsk on Wednesday, as it looks good and leave here for Deutschland on Monday night or Tuesday morning.

And, of course, I've got to get back with the girls, once I've got this figured out....and see if that's a workable option....

Posted by: Raspberry

Frustration central continues.......had a couple of things happen(some family/friends having a bit of a crisis)so now postponed until today(Wednesday). Got sick last night, too, and changed to a different flight.

Problem is, that it ended up cancelling, and I could not get on the other flight.
Which means, no Munich, and too late to catch anything near where I was going. Well, I could have possibly gone to Frankfurt, then Kiev. But have an expensive overnight, and a long train ride.

The thought of just bagging the whole trip, and going to Asia instead, had crossed my mind. But it bugs the living crap out of me that I cancelled my December trip, and this one is not starting off on the right foot.

OK, maybe just four full days in Ukraine if I go tomorrow, but I am going to try it, after being rested up. It's probably better for me to rest here at home, instead of spazzing out while on the road.

So, excercise, some naps, and plenty of fluids. And then another attempt to make the most of it.

Posted by: myshka

Sorry about your re-re-scheduling. i just wanted to say that dont be surprised the flights to Ukraine are full, when you live in an area where there are thousands of Ukrainians who are not very rich, and they go home for visits in the winter when the prices are right for flights.

Posted by: azamuner

Good luck on your trip, and let us know all the details.

Posted by: Raspberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by myshka

Sorry about your re-re-scheduling. i just wanted to say that dont be surprised the flights to Ukraine are full, when you live in an area where there are thousands of Ukrainians who are not very rich, and they go home for visits in the winter when the prices are right for flights.

Thank you, myshka......makes a lot of sense, now........when riding on employee passes, you always have to watch for the highs and lows

But still, all this other stuff happening here hasn't helped, either.

Posted by: Raspberry

This time it's officially cancelled. Got up early this morning, and still didn't feel all that great. It would be kind of futile to push myself, flying with the flu, and only being there 4-5 days.

So, it's stay at home and regroup.

Posted by: azamuner

That sucks.

Any plans to make a trip later this year?

Posted by: Raspberry

But of course....

I've got vacation coming up in May......

However, I will try to get some days off earlier than that, and go!!

Posted by: Pin Boy

sorry to hear that raspberry. 4-5 days does not allow for much, especially coming from the west coast.

pb

Posted by: TheWongs

Sorry to hear about the cancellation.

I was getting set to read another interesting TR.

When I was following this, I realised how easy it is for us in the UK. 3.5 hours and we're there! I feel sorry for you guys, having to take those LONG flights.

BUT!... IT'S WORTH IT WHEN YOU GET THERE!

Keep your head up and keep smiling. These things happen for a reason (so Larisa tells me)

Posted by: Ade

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheWongs

When I was following this, I realised how easy it is for us in the UK. 3.5 hours and we're there! I feel sorry for you guys, having to take those LONG flights.

Not for all of us.....when we go to Russia it's a 5 hour flight after getting to Moscow.....

Raspberry, we'll all be interested to hear about your adventures when you make it over. Fingers crossed for next time.

Ade

Posted by: Raspberry

I hoping I can get some days off in the end of February/early March.....which I think I may be able to do, doing some more day trades.

But I also have some vacation coming in May. I'm thinking of going to Sochi then, just out of general principle. Never set foot in Russia before---only Belarus and Ukraine. So it should be interesting. Of course it all depends on the girls, the flights, and other factors. As you know, things get crazy....
after all, Russia is involved.

And of course, the airline employee factors into this too. Since we are the last ones on the plane, after full-fare passengers, it could go either way. We may end up getting on the plane for practically nothing, and even sometimes get First Class.......but then there are the times where we get stuck in some major European city and fork over big bucks for hotels.

So sometimes, we have contingency plans to circumvent that, and doing wacked routings. Give an example---one of my friends had tickets to World Cup soccer, and didn't want to miss it. You couldn't even BUY a ticket from the U.S. direct to any city in Deutschland. In fact, they were even asking for people willing to bump, and go a future day.

But he made it to the game. Headed out a few days early. Went Seattle to Tokyo to Bangkok. Overnighted in Bangkok, then took Lufthansa to Frankfurt, then to Munich. A planned stop in Bangkok is certainly much cheaper than an unplanned stop in London. And chances are, he probably would not have got on standby. Not with all those other soccer fans. Besides, he goes and visits his girlfriend in Thailand anyway.....

Needless to say, me and my compadres always seem to be ready for all the possible situations.

SO, here I am, at home, fighting the flu, and thinking I should be waking up right about now in Mariupol(it's about 6:45am there).

But in the meantime, just getting things in order. Countdown is starting, and is roughly 38 days away.....

Posted by: Jutman

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Kind of strange to see the flights so full in the winter

Actually not, especially a monday. The question is who is flying domestically. Its businessmen who need a week or start in the beginning of the week. Secondly its college professors or chief administrators. Typically also going out monday and back friday.

Hope you have notice that SAS has open route to Kiev, actually to a fair price.

Anyway good luck with you 'enterprise'.

BR Jutman

Posted by: Raspberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jutman

HTML Code:

Kind of strange to see the flights so full in the winter

That is true in the US....so why would I not presume that is not true in the rest of the world?(Stupid me!) And of course, flying international from the USA to anywhere (Europe, Africa, Asia) on a Saturday is tough, too, due to the fact people need to be back to work on Monday.

SAS does have a flight direct from Seattle. But it leaves in the evening. Will check as soon as I get back to work, but I would imagine that it does not connect to Kiev......it misses many of the destinations that have only one or two flights...... But who knows, it might---I'll have to check.

Also, they have been talking to San Francisco, so there may be SAS out of SFO in the future.

Posted by: Raspberry

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ade

Not for all of us.....when we go to Russia it's a 5 hour flight after getting to Moscow.....Raspberry, we'll all be interested to hear about your adventures when you make it over. Fingers crossed for next time.
Ade

That is true. Not everyone is going to the major cities in the West, or even the East Coast(Vladivostok, Kamchatka, Sakhalin). So, places like Omsk, Novosibirsk, Barnaul, etc. are especially tough, with no service from Europe, and have to deal with going through Moscow. Not to mention those connecting even further to smaller towns.

Likewise, those in Alaska in Hawaii have it far worse. Alaska especially, since there are no Europe or even Asia flights(Korean Air pulled out about two years ago, and BA hasn't been there in many years).

Posted by: Raspberry

Jutman(and everyone else).........using SAS from the states

The SAS flight to Kiev/Borispol leaves at 9:15am.

The trips on SAS from Washington/Dulles and New York/Newark both arrive at 7:15am, giving two hours connection time.

The Chicago trip arrives Copenhagen at 1:20pm, and the Seattle at 1:25pm,
missing the Kiev connection.

So, if using Copenhagen, go out of Washington or Newark.....otherwise, it requires an overnight in CPH.

Posted by: Raspberry

One other note........it was not showing this week or next. I ended up pulling up some dates in June.

I am unsure of the status of this flight. SAS did fly to Kiev previously, then stopped.......Jutman, maybe you know.......is this permanent new daily service? Non-daily? Or summer seasonal??