Hi There,
I just happened to read a review on areoflot and so decided to share my nightmarish experience with this airline and the Bombay immigration authorities.
In May last year I flew to Moscow from Bombay on this airline.The whole experience from the time I arrived at the Bombay international airport till I reached Moscow the next morning was absolutely hellish.
It all began when I went to the aeroflot counter to check -in.An Indian at the counter (There was a russian person there but maybe he had a language problem so he let the Indian guy do the talking)looked at my passport and said that I can’t fly as ECNR (emigration clearance not required) was struck off in my passport which meant that I had to get get emigration clearance from the passport office that issued the passport before I am allowed to fly.I was shocked and at a complete loss.When I pressed him for further information he asked me to go to the immigration officials at the airport.I went to them and met a person at their office inside the airport.He saw the anxiety on my face and at first said nothing can be done.When I requested him to ’find a way out’ he spoke to his superior on his walkie-talkie.He again repeated to me that I will not be given permission to fly.He then slowly came to the point.He said it is a big risk and that even if I pay him 10, 000 INR he won’t allow me to fly.I knew what he was getting at as he dropped the hint of money.I then called him aside and started negotiating with him.These guys are like hungry wolves waiting to prey upon an unsuspecting victim.Finally he took 60 euros from me and put the immigration seal on my passport and let me proceed for security check.
I finally boarded the plane by which time I was mentally exhausted with the hard time I had to go through.Walking into the plane was like jumping into fire from a frying pan.It was like an oven.Imagine how warm it must have been inside a closed plane without the air con running in the month of May in Bombay.They put us through this suffering for about 45 minutes as the flight was delayed and for some reason they didn’t want to turn on the air con till the plane started moving.
Then came dinner time?They actually turned on the lights at 2.30 am in the morning to serve dinner.The noise and commotion woke up all the passengers who were sleeping.When my turn came I was handed a chicken dish.I wasn’t too comfortable with it so I asked for a vegetarian meal instead which they didn’t have.I decided to skip the late night/early morning dinner or breakfast, call it whatever and went to sleep.At six am they served a stale cake which was hard to swallow.Had no choice as I was hungry.When I asked for water the steward brought me half glass and pretended he didn’t hear me when I asked for some more.I didn’t bother with him.After the plane touched down one heavy built air hostess demanded that all the passengers fold the blankets and place them on the seat in an incoherent russian accent.I couldn’t wait to disembark from the plane.I was surprised to say the least when she smiled at me when I was stepping out.Maybe she was happy to see all of us getting out of her sight.
The experience at the customs and immigration at the Moscow sheremetyevo wasn’t too pleasant either.The airport staff was very rude to all the passengers.It made me wonder if we are guests of russia or refugees?I was appalled when one Russian immigration department woman literally yelled at an elderly indian co-passenger for being in the wrong queue.It wasn’t his fault as there was nobody there to tell us which queue we are supposed to stand in.I finally got through the ordeal after going through many more cold and unfriendly glances from the immigration/customs officials.I felt I made the biggest mistake of my life by going to Russia.Thankfully, I was proven wrong and my stay went off very well and I happened to come across more friendly and hospitable russians than the other kind.
On the return journey we were put on a plane so old that I felt it belonged in a museum than anywhere else.The sight of the plane made everyone nervous and we weren’t sure if the aircraft had the legs to take off, let alone fly to Bombay.Thankfully it did and we reached safely and I lived to tell the tale.
Credit must be given where it is due.The service and approach of the airline staff was pathetic but that cannot be said about the quality of the pilots.Both ways the flight was very smooth.The take off and landing was immaculate.
To sum it up all I can say is that if you want economy then service is something u will have to compromise with.
Best of luck in case u do decide to fly aeroflot.