Brissie_lions From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 6 hours ago) and read 910 times:
It has just been reported that Aeroflot has been "given approval" that they are now able to offer smoking on their flights to America, up to 16% of economy and 40% of business class may have smoking seats.
The only catch is, is that Aeroflot have to advise passengers when they book these flights that smoking is allowed.
Aeroflot's argument pretty much went along the lines that the US government has no "juridstiction" over the operations, in this respect, of a Russian carrier.
Good to see that some common sense has won out in the end though.
Johnboy From United States of America, joined Aug 1999, 2472 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 780 times:
Thanks for the info: note to self -- don't fly Aeroflot!
Mx5_boy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 766 times:
Hmmm,
I see Scotty's point, but smoking on aircraft was a thing of the past I thought..
I have no problem with airlines designating smoking areas, so long as it doesn't affect other passengers. There is little enough fresh air on flights as it is without the added burden of "smoke".
Brissie_lions From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 7, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 756 times:
The majority of SU passengers would in fact be Russian. The majority of their business travellers would be government and business travellers from America (but also from Russia).
Smoking is one of those things which is decreasing in the "west", but in places like China, Russia and Japan, smoking is still very popular.
And by Aeroflot, refusing to acknowledge this US government ban (which they did), they were catering to that proportion of their passenger who fall into the smoking category.
At least they have the decency to advise passengers when they book that the flights are smoking, and that smoking may occur in-flight. This passenger then has the CHOICE to fly with SU or with an airline which is non-smoking.
Ryanb741
Can you please tell me exactly what reputation Aeroflot: Russian Airlines has? Or is it the Aeroflot: Soviet Airlines you are talking of, in which case, has absolutely no bearing in anything Aeroflot does these days.
Ryanb741 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 3219 posts, RR: 17 Reply 8, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 748 times:
Sorry Brissie_Lions, no offence intended, just my warped British sense of humour.
I would be interested to know however if the modern Aeroflot is better than the old Soviet one. It's just that I recently turned down a cheap deal to fly LHR to BKK via Moscow because I wasn't keen on the idea of using an Ilyushin (don't ask me why, I just get the feeling they aren't as safe). So I paid full whack on BA/Qantas instead.
Let me know about the airline, as you obviously appear to know far more about them than I do.
I used to think the brain is the most fascinating part of my body. But, hey, who is telling me that?
SashA From Russia, joined May 1999, 858 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 3 hours ago) and read 734 times:
Ryanb741, Aeroflot (Soviet or nowadays) was NEVER unsafe to be treated with "British humour" like that.
I've flown on Aeroflot Soviet more than on any other airline and always felt that I was as safe on SU as on Western ones. To be completely honest, even if anything went wrong (smoke in cabin, engine problem, emergency landing) I'd still feel reasonably safe in hands of Aeroflot pilots (this never happened before though).
I think the problem with Aeroflot and its image is still coming from West people's heads. You're still under that Cold War influence, believing that anything assosiated with Russia is evil. How narrow minded...
Ryanb741 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 3219 posts, RR: 17 Reply 10, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 717 times:
Apologies. However, I don't believe Russia is evil or anything, nor do I have a particularly Western bias (this comes from having been born in the UAE and having lived in UAE, Bahrain, Iran, India, Australia, Thailand and UK). Indeed, the way the Americans handled the Cold War was like watching the Muppet Show at times. This also goes for George W Bush's irrational insistence on pressing on with the idiotic missiles-in-space-to-protect-us-from-those-nasty-Arabs-and-Ruskies idea.
I was just going on statistics which point out the fact that historically Aeroflot has had a bad safety record. I appreciate that with the newer aircraft they are acquiring that this may no longer be the case. Time shall tell.....
I used to think the brain is the most fascinating part of my body. But, hey, who is telling me that?
Republic From Canada, joined Dec 2012, 0 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 722 times:
Hi,
You take your victories where you can. The world is a better place if Russia and US are fighting over smoking on flights as opposed to imperialistic ambitions. Goes to show you how powerful Russia really is.
SashA From Russia, joined May 1999, 858 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 704 times:
Regarding somking, I'm really not impressed with Aeroflot's decision to support it on their flights. It may be a good business move, but in the long run Russia needs to devote more attention to their smoking problem. It's not gonna do any good and worst of all, a few people are on track to give it up in Russia .
USA won't need missiles to defeat Russia, they may simply keep supplying their trendy cig brands to Russia and kill all population slowly...
SashA From Russia, joined May 1999, 858 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days 1 hour ago) and read 700 times:
BTW, are those stats showing that Aeroflot planes are less safe than Western airlines really do exist??
I might believe more in stats showing that CIS (ex-USSR) planes have crashed more. BUT, look at operators who done that! It's mainly 3rd world carriers where maintenance is extremely poor. Soviet planes were the only ones they could afford and probably the only ones that could actually serve them in poor conditions, due to being built generally tougher than Western counterparts. If they used more of Western types, maybe they'd be out of the air even faster!
So, those crash horror stories have nothing or little to do with Russian airlines at all.
Andrei From Russia, joined Jan 2001, 70 posts, RR: 2 Reply 15, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 2 days ago) and read 685 times:
Hi!
The Soviet Union there was one airline - AEROFLOT. And this airline had unique advertising - " FLY by PLANES of AEROFLOT !"
So - "FLY by PLANES of AEROFLOT "
Regards.
Andrei.
RIX From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 1785 posts, RR: 1 Reply 16, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 667 times:
Ryanb741, you have just apologized twice for one incorrect statement while made another one right away... "George W Bush's irrational insistence" has nothing to do with your attitude to Aeroflot... so be ready to apologize again
...BTW, I dislike both things, the "missiles-in-space-to-protect-us-from-those-nasty...", and smoking in flight... But Aeroflot now is just great (at least their First and Business international was one of my best flight experience ever).
Ryanb741 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 3219 posts, RR: 17 Reply 18, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 640 times:
Okay RIX, again I apologise. Maybe my statements have been taken rather too much at face value. I possibly was too cavalier in my use of politics, and the whole thing started because I made a tongue in cheek remark about Aeroflot in the first place.
So lets clear things up once and for all.
I was joking about the smoke in the cabin thing, and I have now been made fully aware that I am not the world's greatest comedian.
I also had some reservations about Soviet aircraft - but I accept that this has been due to ignorance.
As for Aeroflot itself - I have heard bad reports, but these relate to flights taken several years ago. I am perfectly happy to accept that the airline is now much improved, and I will take everybody's advice on board and will now not be reticent about using them - especially as a Business Class flight LHR - BKK costs the same as a restricted BA economy ticket.
To the Russian people I may have offended, I apologise unreservedly. Let us take up our glasses, and drink vodka to toast a new age of Anglo-Russian Aviation Comradeship.
RIX From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 1785 posts, RR: 1 Reply 19, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 625 times:
I was mostly joking (trying to joke!) too. "Drinking vodka to toast a new age of Anglo-Russian Aviation Comradeship" (or for whatever else) don't forget us here, on the other coast of the Atlantic!
Polaris From Canada, joined Feb 2000, 1118 posts, RR: 1 Reply 20, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 614 times:
I know governments issue service licences to foreign airlines based on adequate insurance coverage and proper maintenance procedures. I didn't realize they had the "right" to dictate on-board service to foreign carriers serving their country. I could see the US government dictating on-board rules for its own registered carriers but didn't think they could do that to foreign registered airlines.
TWA902fly From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 3048 posts, RR: 4 Reply 22, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 607 times:
My grandparents and parents have flown ORD-SVO and SVO-ORD at leas 15 times, and every single time there are smoking seats.
-TWA902fly
Chicago Illinois
life wasn't worth the balance, or the crumpled paper it was written on
An-225 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 3950 posts, RR: 45 Reply 23, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 598 times:
I was unimpressed by Aeroflot's decision to allow smoking again. This is bad, but I hope that circumstances will force them to reverse their decision.
Money does not bring you happiness. But it's better to cry in your own private limo than on a cold bus stop.
Ryanb741 From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2002, 3219 posts, RR: 17 Reply 24, posted (12 years 3 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 587 times:
Sorry JAT, it is too late, but seeing as I travel LHR - BKK on average at least twice a year I won't hesitate to use Aeroflot if I get a good deal next time.
By the way, in all honesty, would I notice any difference between BA and SU in terms of service etc? (Assuming it was one of the BA flights where the F/A's decided not to be pompous and sanctimonious). This is obviously one of the factors I take into consideration on a 13 hour flight.
I used to think the brain is the most fascinating part of my body. But, hey, who is telling me that?
25 Brissie_lions: It looks like the real reason that the White House backed down on this issue is because they didn't want to face the embarrasment of facing Russia in
26 RIX: To compare BA and SU service, etc. - I don't know whether I was too lucky but on all of my flights with BA the F/A's (or do they still call them in Eu
27 Alle: I've never flow'n Aeroflot (neither one), and i'm not intending to fly them. If you fly them, don't fly the old Soviet jets (An Aeroflot IL62 disappea
28 Travelin man: "Aeroflot, which proclaimed smoking a sovereign and fundamental right under a UN charter." While I agree with the decision, I really don't consider sm
29 Kevin: I see all of you guys are mistaken. You can't remember that in Russia there is no more 1 big airline, but dozens of small and mediums ones and all of
30 Brissie_lions: Polaris The American government, nor any government, does not have the right to extend their laws to another country, in aviation, or any other area.
31 WiLdmanVzla: To all yankees... Where can I take Aeroflot?????????????????????????!!!!!!
32 Jaysit: So does this mean that other carriers like JAL, ANA, Lufthansa, etc which carry a large number of passengers who smoke will also enjoy the same specia
33 Toxtethogrady: ...we should fly Aeroflot. I mean, if they're going to pander to abusers of one dangerous substance, why not? I guess they will assert the US would no
34 Brissie_lions: Toxtethogrady You know that is a bullshit analogy, so why even bring it up? NO airline in this world has ever, or will ever, allow heroin to be used o
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