Noelg From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2590 times:
Following on from the IL-62 thread, and looking on various websites I find that flying on Russian airlines is incredibly cheap! This would be a good way to get a flight on a Tu-134/Tu-154/Yak-42 etc.
Which airlines fly these aircraft from within Europe (somewhere where you could get cheap flights on easyJet etc)?
We could even maybe organise a bit of an A.net meet including flying on a Russian airliner?
LOT767-300ER From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 1, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2556 times:
Quoting Noelg (Thread starter): Which airlines fly these aircraft from within Europe (somewhere where you could get cheap flights on easyJet etc)?
You can go to Warsaw, from there you can fly on a Tu-154M on Aeroflot or Belavia. You can on the rarer occasion still see a Belavia Tu-134 in Poland, something you wont see anywhere else in the EU probably.
TripleDelta From Croatia, joined Jul 2004, 1052 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2554 times:
AIRLINERS.NET CREW PHOTO SCREENER
Aeroflot Tu-154s are regular in countries that don't have strict noise regulations. ZAG gets them quite often (I think Aeroflot flies here 3 times a week). Sometimes they send a Bus, but usually it's the 154.
Judging from the films on FlightLevel 350, there are quite a few at PRG as well, even Tu-134s I think. Bulgarian operators (Balkan Hollidays Air, Bulgarian Air Charter, VIA) operate a few, as well as Siberia and Pulkovo. All these carriers fly to Western European countries so you may see them there (DUS, FRA and CGN have a relatively large number of them).
Cornish From United Kingdom, joined Feb 2005, 8187 posts, RR: 56 Reply 3, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2535 times:
Quoting Noelg (Thread starter): Which airlines fly these aircraft from within Europe (somewhere where you could get cheap flights on easyJet etc)?
you could hop straight on to a Balkan Holidays Tu154 from the UK if you wanted. Don't know if they sell seat only though.
I used to fly on Malev TU154s between LHR and BUD in the mid 90s. Fantastic old things. Word of advice is to sit as far forward as possible. Those three rear engines make it a tad noisy at the back
Just when I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel, it was some B*****d with a torch bringing me more work
L410Turbolet From Czech Republic, joined May 2004, 5394 posts, RR: 19 Reply 4, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2484 times:
Quoting Noelg (Thread starter): We could even maybe organise a bit of an A.net meet including flying on a Russian airliner?
Although I am not any special fan of Russian a/c, I've been thinking for couple of months about chartering one of the two Tu-154s owned by the Czech gov't for a sightseeing flight before they retire them for good - which should happen fairly soon. Haven't done any further research as far as feasibility, rates, terms and conditions etc., though.
Maybe it could be done through or in cooperation with airevents, these guys seem to be really experienced in this field. I am not sure how much interest there would be... PRG is well connected with the UK and Germany so maybe there would be some interested folks as well?
Noelg From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 2460 times:
Thanks guys for all your replies! Certainly looks like a trip to WAW or similar could be good!
Quoting L410Turbolet (Reply 4): Maybe it could be done through or in cooperation with airevents, these guys seem to be really experienced in this field. I am not sure how much interest there would be... PRG is well connected with the UK and Germany so maybe there would be some interested folks as well?
That sounds like a really cool idea and something I had thought about before - I'm sure they would be willing to help if there were enough people willing to do the flight. PRG is really easy to get to from the UK - and with cheap beer and good spotting I'm sure is something that we could easily get good numbers from!
Would anyone else be interested in something like this?
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6473 posts, RR: 27 Reply 6, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 1 day ago) and read 2445 times:
The only "negative" thing with flying on a Tu-154 or similar from WAW or PRG or even HAJ is that you will need to obtain a visa for your destination, as I don´t see a destination of these flights in a country that does not require a visa.
And obtaining a visa for these countries is a process I don´t like (just my )
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
OHLHD From Finland, joined Dec 2004, 3962 posts, RR: 27 Reply 7, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 23 hours ago) and read 2353 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 6): The only "negative" thing with flying on a Tu-154 or similar from WAW or PRG or even HAJ is that you will need to obtain a visa for your destination, as I don´t see a destination of these flights in a country that does not require a visa.
And obtaining a visa for these countries is a process I don´t like (just my )
-HT
Thats true, but (my 2cents ) at least when I look into my passport I know why my bank account looks poor
To many flights on airliners in visa countries.
Quoting Noelg (Reply 5): Quoting L410Turbolet (Reply 4):
Maybe it could be done through or in cooperation with airevents, these guys seem to be really experienced in this field. I am not sure how much interest there would be... PRG is well connected with the UK and Germany so maybe there would be some interested folks as well?
That sounds like a really cool idea and something I had thought about before - I'm sure they would be willing to help if there were enough people willing to do the flight. PRG is really easy to get to from the UK - and with cheap beer and good spotting I'm sure is something that we could easily get good numbers from!
Meridian From United Kingdom, joined Jul 2005, 65 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 22 hours ago) and read 2285 times:
Count me in! I've looked at flying with Balkan Holidays from East Midlands to Plovdiv with a Tu154. They seem to use an A320 in the summer though. The winter flight this year was a 154 every saturday. They offered flight only seats through their website. Very reasonable too. I'd love to fly on anything Russian.
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6473 posts, RR: 27 Reply 15, posted (7 years 10 months 1 week 5 hours ago) and read 1876 times:
Pulkovo also operates a Tu-154M on LED - HAJ - HAJ several times a week; while in 2004 it sometimes was replaced by a IL-86 due to high demands (especially on Saturdays) - however in 2005 I´ve not yet seen a IL-86 of FV in HAJ.
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
HT From Germany, joined May 2005, 6473 posts, RR: 27 Reply 17, posted (7 years 10 months 6 days 15 hours ago) and read 1665 times:
Quoting Meridian (Reply 16): Has anyone booked flights through Pulkovo's website? Just wondering how they got on with tickets etc.
No.
Apart from booking online on their website, I would also consider to see a specialized travel agency, as they can also be of help when dealing with the visa (plus often compulsory health insurance). At least in Germany there are some travel agents, that can build initeraries, that allow for some kind of "expediated" or "easier" issueing of visa.
-HT
Carpe diem ! Life is too short to waste your time ! Keep in mind, that today is the first day of the rest of your life !
Afay1 From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 1293 posts, RR: 3 Reply 19, posted (7 years 10 months 6 days 13 hours ago) and read 1572 times:
The IYHA youth hostel in St. Petersburg can issue cheap visa letters, which you can take to a consulate or embassy outside Russia. I believe German citizens get the cheapest visas of the Western European countries due to some sort of reciprocity agreement (but can only get them in Germany). Ukraine has $40 visas for Frenchmen on the other cheap front.
BuyantUkhaa From Mongolia, joined May 2004, 2779 posts, RR: 3 Reply 20, posted (7 years 10 months 6 days 12 hours ago) and read 1551 times:
Quoting HT (Reply 6): The only "negative" thing with flying on a Tu-154 or similar from WAW or PRG or even HAJ is that you will need to obtain a visa for your destination, as I don´t see a destination of these flights in a country that does not require a visa.
What about Bulgaria? No EU citizen needs a visa there.
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