Way to Russia Talk Lounge

Siberian Spireite · Just Starting Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 9

Hi. I was queueing to register for a Vim Avia flight from Chita to Moscow on Friday 29th and of course, when the check-in desk opened, the queue dissolved into an elbowing crowd. I stepped back, confident that I'd get on the flight and that there was no need to rush. I was wrong. Vim Avia closed the checkin and left a hundred or so of us stranded. After a couple of hours of confusion, crying women, mat-shouting men and a brief appearance behind reinforced glass from a Vim Avia rep who departed swiftly when he realised his life was in danger, we were told to return the following day.

On Saturday, we limped across Russia via Bratsk and Ekaterinburg to Domododevo, arriving late on the evening of 30th. The problem was that this meant I missed my Swiss Air flight to London at 7am on 30th. No Swiss personnel were around, so I called their UK number and they refused me any assistance. My only option was to buy a Transaero flight (Sunday morning departure) to Heathrow on the spot for 21000 roubles, and to stay in a hotel overnight.

I have the 'pretenzia' to make a claim for compensation to Vim Avia. My question is, does anybody have experience of trying to claim compensation from Russian airlines? Am I likely to see any one of those 21000 roubles again?

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 620 Location: Moscow

That sounds like a horror of an experience. Dreadful. Sad

Of course you should pursue your very legitimate complaint and demand for reimbursement with Vim Avia, but I doubt it will do any good. Who are they, is it a charter airline? Did you save your ticket? It should have the airline's policy and guarantees on it (albeit in Russian....).

Russian *customer service* is absolutely dreadful no matter what the industry. Sorry they jacked you up so badly. Hope someone here can give you a heads up as to your best strategy of recourse.

Siberian Spireite · Just Starting Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 9

Thanks. Vim Avia are a commercial airline- quite well known in Russia, I believe.

I filled in the 'pretenzia' (in English), photocopied the Vim Avia ticket (with annotation by airport staff, to confirm its lateness), the Swiss ticket and the Transaero ticket, then sent the whole lot to Moscow.

No replies yet, but fingers crossed!

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 620 Location: Moscow

I just googled Vim Avia and they are a charter airline. I just lived 5 years in Russia and never heard of them. Russia has a number of no account fly-by-night charter airlines.

Pursue your interest, but I think you have a very slim hope of any financial satisfaction. In the future, avoid doing business with this type of under the radar charter airlines. They come and go a lot.