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Cheap Airlines?
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Posted by: GoingToRussia

It was requested that a sticky be started about buying airline tickets via the Internet and getting the best price. Feel free to add to the list below.

www.travelocity.com
www.expedia.com
www.orbitz.com

Also check with your travel agent, sometimes their price can beat the websites.

Good luck and safe travels!

Posted by: AkMike

http://www.east-west-tours.com/index.php

http://www.cheaptickets.com/App/Home?z=3076&r=ec

http://www.farecrawler.com/index.aspx

http://www.priceline.com/flights/de...157847&plf=pcln

Thanks GTR!

Posted by: AkMike

http://www.bt-store.com/

http://www.russianconsulting.com/home.html

Posted by: BluesTraveler

http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch

Can't buy tickets from them, but they have a good search engine with more options for finding tickets.

www.vayam.com

Airline websites too!

www.delta.com
www.nwa.com
www.aa.com
www.airfrance.com

Posted by: AkMike

Add SwissAir to the airlines! Raspberry found some super cheap fares from them starting from Fla.

Posted by: Raspberry

Please note, on cheap fares.....most have penalties if you end up having to change dates.

Also, some are non-refundable. And in the case of HotWire and Priceline tickets, you can't accrue frequent flyer miles.

Posted by: AkMike

Jutman found this for cheap seats in Europe.

http://wizzair.com/skylights/cgi-bi...=SB&language=EN

Posted by: blucatz

The best deals I have found so far is thru the airlines themselves. I just booked thru Delta and Aeroflot directly and saved $120 compared to Orbitz and the other services.

Posted by: Jutman

Hi

Can tell that Ryanair is expecting Skyeurope to be the first victim among LCC to be out of business. They have now Eastern Europe and FSU in there expansions plans in the coming years.

Beside that. Sir Branson has plans of expanding Virgin to Russia. (in a JV)

So in the further, maybe it can be beneficial to look at LCC travel to Russia.

As written Wizzair has started up in Ukraine, Skyexpress already flying in Russia and it seems Red Wings finally will be airborne, with delivery of tickets system and new aircraft.

BR Jutman

Posted by: GentleGiant

Dont forget, direct flight cost more than flights with a transfer, my flight to Moscow via Zurich cost less than the flight to Zurich on its own!!!

Posted by: Buckeye5702

Not in every case GG. Irina and I went nonstop JFK to SVO (Moscow) for much less than anything else with a connection. And we got the priceline (cheapest quote) rate through our agent. Changing return dates through Delta in Moscow was only $50 each so we got off easy there.

Tim

Posted by: GentleGiant

Maybe US flights are different, but EVERY Uk flight I have checked has worked out much cheaper.
If I want to fly to meet Tina this Autumn, the cheapest direct flight I can find costs £784, but flying via Paris gives me a price of £440; a rather huge saving. If I want to fly direct from my local airport that price goes up to an astronomical amount. yet is still only £480 via the Paris connection; well worth it as the cost of driving down to Heathrow and parking there is far more than the £40 difference

Posted by: blucatz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckeye5702

Not in every case GG. Irina and I went nonstop JFK to SVO (Moscow) for much less than anything else with a connection. And we got the priceline (cheapest quote) rate through our agent. Changing return dates through Delta in Moscow was only $50 each so we got off easy there.

Tim

Buckeye, did you check Delta's website before you booked your flight? I booked directly thru Delta and it was cheaper than Priceline, Orbizt, or Travelocity. And that was JFK to SVO and back. I booked thru Aeroflots site also, cheaper than any other site offering flights in Russia.

Posted by: Raspberry

Austrian is offering this special fare between London and Kiev(via Vienna).
It requires a 14-day advance, other restrictions, and very limited quantities at this fare. The fare code is "SFLYOS5U" and is 89.00 GBP for the round trip.

Posted by: salvatore

I have a ticket booked for Dublin in September where I was going already and wanted to get to Minsk cheaply(well, relatively cheaply as Minsk seems to be the most expensive arrival in the FSU). I found a combo between Ryanair and Airbaltic to do the trick.
For less than 50 Euro I could get to Riga and for less than $250 I can get to Minsk.
Airbaltic go everywhere in the FSU and some Western Europe destinations very cheaply. Minsk is really the only exception as far as price goes.
So if you dont mind doing some legwork yourself then you can really save some money.
I would be able to get to Minsk even more cheaply if I were able to buy some Bus tickets online from Vilnius to Minsk. I would have to get a visa at the bus station to do this though and with the invite payment and almost $200 fee for the visa in Lithuania it doesnt make much sense. If I were to get the ticket online then I could get a visa here since I would be able to show the departure from Belarus.
Oh well, it is still cheap to fly anyway I guess.

Posted by: stevo

Quote:

Originally Posted by salvatore

If I were to get the ticket online then I could get a visa here since I would be able to show the departure from Belarus.

Do you really need to present your tickets when applying for a visa? I never have, and I don't see anything about this on the web site of the Belarusian Embassy in DC.

Posted by: GoingToRussia

When I got my last visa to Russia, almost 2 years ago, I had to send a copy of my itinerary to the Russian embassy before I could get a visa.

Posted by: salvatore

Stevo
In the list of requirements for a visa to Belarus it says that you need to show a departure. If you have had a different experience to Belarus then I would love to hear it as that would help me save some money. And I would actually get to Minsk a few hours earlier.

Posted by: stevo

I'm looking at the visa requirements on http://www.belarusembassy.org/consu...equirements.htm which is more or less identical to the list for British citizens. The application form is the same too. In the "itinerary" box I just put where I'm going and what dates. It was the same when I applied for a Russian visa too - I certainly didn't have to send them any tickets. Where are you seeing the requirement to show evidence of your travel plans?

Posted by: GoingToRussia

I had an agency get my visa for me. They said part of the documentation is a copy of my itinerary.

Posted by: salvatore

I had seen on several of the travel agent sites that I would need a copy of my ticket so they could see a return date. I cant find them now, but it doesn't matter anyway.
Thanks for the help Stevo. It is clear from the embassy website and from the agencies that they link to that a return ticket is not required. That saves me so much time and money!
Stevo, what did you think of Belarus? You can message me so that we dont hijack the thread if you wish to respond.

Posted by: blucatz

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoingToRussia

When I got my last visa to Russia, almost 2 years ago, I had to send a copy of my itinerary to the Russian embassy before I could get a visa.

Things must have changed then. I got my Visa in May and didn't need to show itinerary, I just told the service when I will arrive and depart. I getting ready to send off my passport next week to get my second visa, still no questions about itinerary, just told him my dates and he changed them on the application from the last time and changed the address and emailed it to me to sign and send back. Then never even asked about my plane tickets, if fact they offered to see if they could get them cheaper for me, but I had already bought them. I checked their site's airline service, would have been more expensive for me anyway.

Posted by: stevo

Quote:

Originally Posted by salvatore

Stevo, what did you think of Belarus? You can message me so that we dont hijack the thread if you wish to respond.

There's an active thread about Belarus on the UK & Ireland forum.

Posted by: salvatore

I booked a flight from Dublin to Vilnius on AIrbaltic for 40 euro. I wanted to book via Ryanair to Kaunas for 0 euro plus fees which came to 20 euro total, but since I am currently in the states I was not able to book on Ryanair. So $30 more is not much of an issue.
I will take a bus from Vilnius to Minsk for less that $20 roundtrip.
I was mistaken when I thought I needed to show a departure date for the sake of the visa. It is a departure that needs to be seen by the border guards before entering the country to be allowed in. Totally separate issue from the visa.
So for less than $100 I will be getting to Minsk.
For a city that is currently the most expensive city in Europe to travel to, I would say that is pretty good.
You just have to be creative!

Posted by: GoingToRussia

I hope all goes as planned and there aren't any hidden charges. Be prepared to have your luggage "pawed through" at the border.

I hear border guards like to ask a lot of questions and can give foreigners a hard time. Be sure to claim everything if they ask or else it can be confiscated or maybe they will want you to pay a "fine".

Good luck and safe travels.

Posted by: AkMike

I found a site that combines several travel searches.
Try
www.smartertravel.com

Posted by: Jutman

From Germany is there 2 LCC flying to S.P and MOW. Its germanwings and AirBerlin.