To those about to fly to R/U/B

[shikarnov 7]

The "VIP service" I am familair with does not cause anyone else to wait longer. It completely bypasses the customs process. It is nothing but a $40 bribe to be personally escorted around the line, through the office and back out into the baggage area. I sincerely doubt anyone else would even be aware it was occuring.

I TOTALLY need to try this next time... I'd happily spend even $100 to bypass the lines at Passport Control... How does one go about this? Just approach a uniformed person and say "I'd like to get through the line faster. Can you help?" and hand over a Benjamin?

Edited May 16, 2010 by shikarnov

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I TOTALLY need to try this next time... I'd happily spend even $100 to bypass the lines at Passport Control... How does one go about this? Just approach a uniformed person and say "I'd like to get through the line faster. Can you help?" and hand over a Benjamin?

You can try that. I the past I was approached by them. DO NOT tell them you will be happy to pay $100. The going rate in the past was $40 tops and that was on a busy day. IF you want to initiate it, do so with a $20. Go from there.

[Brad and Vika 129]

You can try that. I the past I was approached by them. DO NOT tell them you will be happy to pay $100. The going rate in the past was $40 tops and that was on a busy day. IF you want to initiate it, do so with a $20. Go from there.

VIP is $120 now.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

VIP is $120 now.

Oh, what the...

See what happoens when they say "I would gladly pay $100..." I never used it anyway.

[Brad and Vika 129]

VIP is $120 now.

A little further explanation,now that Vika isn't hanging over me asking when we are going to run errands

VIP is a prepay service in most airports in Eastern Europe. I swear by it, and use it most of the time when flying solo. In Odessa and Kiev, the service is around $80 if you pay direct, and $120 if you pay a transport service or rental agency in conjunction with your ride in from the airport. They have a separate waiting area, and VIP employees actually get your boarding passes and check your luggage (or fetch your checked bags on arrival). There is a separate passport control and customs office, and the questions and inspections are minimal. Here is an example of a company in Odessa that does VIP, rents apartments, has an English speaking staff, and provides airport transport supposedly free Odessa Exec. Suites.

In Kiev, you may also be approached by an airline or airport employee that offers VIP check in service for $20-$40. This is not the service I described above, but simply a line cutting for a bribe scheme. As mentioned above it does work, and yes it does irritate the rest of the line. We used it.

Edited May 16, 2010 by Brad and Vika

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

A little further explanation,now that Vika isn't hanging over me asking when we are going to run errands

VIP is a prepay service in most airports in Eastern Europe. I swear by it, and use it most of the time when flying solo. In Odessa and Kiev, the service is around $80 if you pay direct, and $120 if you pay a transport service or rental agency in conjunction with your ride in from the airport. They have a separate waiting area, and VIP employees actually get your boarding passes and check your luggage (or fetch your checked bags on arrival). There is a separate passport control and customs office, and the questions and inspections are minimal. Here is an example of a company in Odessa that does VIP, rents apartments, has an English speaking staff, and provides airport transport supposedly free Odessa Exec. Suites.

In Kiev, you may also be approached by an airline or airport employee that offers VIP check in service for $20-$40. This is not the service I described above, but simply a line cutting for a bribe scheme. As mentioned above it does work, and yes it does irritate the rest of the line. We used it.

I think you told me about this Brad. I never used it but I have been approached by "officials" in Kiev and offered to avoid the line for $40. I never did it, but I watched people that did and the guy took them through an office off to the side and then I saw the people coming out the other side into the baggage area. They didn't seem to hinder anyone else and if you didn;lt know what was going on you would never even know it happened. I guess I have never been in that much of a hurry to get through customs so I never tried it.

[Brad and Vika 129]

I think you told me about this Brad. I never used it but I have been approached by "officials" in Kiev and offered to avoid the line for $40. I never did it, but I watched people that did and the guy took them through an office off to the side and then I saw the people coming out the other side into the baggage area. They didn't seem to hinder anyone else and if you didn;lt know what was going on you would never even know it happened. I guess I have never been in that much of a hurry to get through customs so I never tried it.

Gary, the VIP service in Odessa has separate doors, and a separate building. You won't see the clients after they get into the VIP van for the ride to the VIP terminal. Some one fetches your bags and brings them to you while you fill out the declaration. I even lost my declaration receipt once, and they just laughed and told me to be more careful next time. Same treatment when I brought four bottles of whiskey once. No questions, no hassles. And we talked about the HUGE hassle I had my first time through. It isn't the speed, but the no-hassle entry that I like.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Gary, the VIP service in Odessa has separate doors, and a separate building. You won't see the clients after they get into the VIP van for the ride to the VIP terminal. Some one fetches your bags and brings them to you while you fill out the declaration. I even lost my declaration receipt once, and they just laughed and told me to be more careful next time. Same treatment when I brought four bottles of whiskey once. No questions, no hassles. And we talked about the HUGE hassle I had my first time through. It isn't the speed, but the no-hassle entry that I like.

Never used it and never paid attention to it. I rode the bus into the terminal and waited while the cocker spaniels sniffed my bags for a place to pee. I never had any problem bringing anything into Ukraine and never had my bags checked or any hassels, ever. I don't think I have ever been so much as asked a question. I brought all kinds of stuff, including computers for Alla and Sergey and never had a question asked. I did cause a near riot in Istanbul once for having two bottles of vodka (gifts) in my checked bag. They took it from me Brad! Two bottles of the finest Ukrainian potato vodka you could buy for 8 Hryvnia! And THAT was when the Hryvnia was worth something!

[Brad and Vika 129]

The only problem I have had in VIP was that time I left with two pounds of Turkish Delight in my bag. Apparently the candy looks like explosives when scanned Lots of hassles in the regular customs area though. I must have one of those weak looking faces. Lots of trouble around currency - and had to take my money out - count it, declare it, etc. even when it was always well below the legal limit.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The only problem I have had in VIP was that time I left with two pounds of Turkish Delight in my bag. Apparently the candy looks like explosives when scanned Lots of hassles in the regular customs area though. I must have one of those weak looking faces. Lots of trouble around currency - and had to take my money out - count it, declare it, etc. even when it was always well below the legal limit.

I just never had an issue at all with customs in Ukraine. Not in Odessa, Kiev or Donetsk. Go figure. I probably should have for all the stuff I imported and exported but never did. I have been asked about money but just told them I didn;t have any cash and they never checked.

OK, so here is the deal...

Alla got to Donets'k OK. I cannot complain about Aerosvit and must compliment them actually. Her flight WAS delayed leaving, not their fault there is a volcano, but they updated her and when she checked in they changed her to a later flight without being asked and without a fee. In a way, she was glad she got a good long day in New York and she IS on vacation, so what the heck?

[Brad and Vika 129]

I just never had an issue at all with customs in Ukraine. Not in Odessa, Kiev or Donetsk. Go figure. I probably should have for all the stuff I imported and exported but never did. I have been asked about money but just told them I didn;t have any cash and they never checked.

OK, so here is the deal...

Alla got to Donets'k OK. I cannot complain about Aerosvit and must compliment them actually. Her flight WAS delayed leaving, not their fault there is a volcano, but they updated her and when she checked in they changed her to a later flight without being asked and without a fee. In a way, she was glad she got a good long day in New York and she IS on vacation, so what the heck?

Good deal - happy she made it OK.

[mendeleev 68]

Good advice.

Also, if anyone is connecting through Sheremetyevo *ever*, leave at least 4 hours between connections, and 6 if you can manage it.

Mox is right on target here.

My wife just flew home for an extended visit. This time, she connected through Domodedovo. Her flight from the states arrived one hour late -- nothing to do with the volcano, though. So she had "just" two hours to make her connection. Absolutely no problem. She had more than an hour to spare.

And the best part was that this routing involved only one overnight flight, while if you go through Sheremetyevo to just about anywhere further east, you have back-to-back overnight flights.

[mendeleev 68]

Some folks sure have had awful luck with airports in Russia. I haven't. (It feels a bit weird to be agreeing with VV, but there it is.) I've flown to Russia 20-25 times in the past 8 years. I've had issues with bags delayed, but it was always the fault of the western (not Russian) service provider. That is, the bags didn't arrive in Russia on time, and I had to travel on from SVO leaving only a description of them. They always arrived. (Sometimes small items, like cosmetics for the woman who is now my wife, had disappeared, but that was it.)

In the past 2 years, United has delayed my bags on domestic trips 3 times. USAir played the same trick once. Once my bag caught up with me after I returned home. (That was a fun business trip!) I don't want to think about the flights that were canceled or delayed by hours because there was a cloud somewhere in southern Illinois. I live in Colorado, for Pete's sake!

My take is that, on the whole, Russian airlines provide way better service than US airlines. And, once you get out of the USA or get onto a non-USA-flagged airline, things get a lot better. It sad to say it, but there it is.

[payxibka 10,045]

My wife and two kids successfully transited to Odessa yesterday/today reasonably on-time on LOT via Warsaw.

[Brad and Vika 129]

My wife and two kids successfully transited to Odessa yesterday/today reasonably on-time on LOT via Warsaw.

Our typical experience - thanks for confirming. Let me know how she finds the road to Kherson, if they take the raod. I have been hearing horror stories, and reports that the roads are being repaired frantically.