{"id":80634,"date":"2018-09-01T14:58:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-01T21:58:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=80634"},"modified":"2018-09-01T14:58:20","modified_gmt":"2018-09-01T21:58:20","slug":"does-aeroflot-still-use-russian-planes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2018\/09\/01\/does-aeroflot-still-use-russian-planes\/","title":{"rendered":"DOES AEROFLOT STILL USE RUSSIAN PLANES?"},"content":{"rendered":"

MATTHEW\u00a0Courtesy live and lets fly<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n

I have three problem airlines\u201d at\u00a0Award Expert<\/a>, airlines that clients are very hesitant to fly.<\/h3>\n

The first is Turkish Airlines. I have made\u00a0the case for why Turkish is safe<\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0slam-dunk choice<\/a>, but the resistance continues. The second is EgyptAir. I went\u00a0out of my way to fly EgyptAir<\/a>\u00a0recently, ready to either stop even proposing it to clients or start making a stronger case for it. It turned out that I had an\u00a0excellent experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The third airlines is Aeroflot Russian Airlines. I get that the reputation of the airline in its Soviet days was rightfully poor. Nevertheless, the Aeroflot of today is nothing like the Aeroflot of the past. I flew Aeroflot a decade ago from Moscow to Hong Kong in business class and had a great experience. Lucky and Tiffany\u00a0recently flew<\/a>\u00a0Aeroflot and also had a good experience. With lie-flat seats in business class, modern aircraft, tremendous food, and great service, there is no\u00a0rational<\/em>\u00a0reason to avoid Aeroflot.<\/p>\n

But that modern aircraft\u201d concern continues to be a roadblock for many. Just last week, we received an Award Expert trip request from a client for a trip to Russia. The instructions were crystal clear: No Russian airlines because I don\u2019t trust\u00a0their<\/em>\u00a0airplanes\u201d. After I explained that Aeroflot has modern Boeing and Airbus aircraft, the client was happy to book on Aeroflot and fly non-stop. But the client\u2019s confusion is something I hear a lot. So let\u2019s discuss it.<\/p>\n

Does Aeroflot Still Use Russian Planes?<\/h3>\n

Yes, it does. BUT not for any long-haul flights and not for the shuttle between St. Petersburg and Moscow. Unless you are going deeper into Russia, you\u2019ll find yourself on modern American or European planes. If you do go deeper into Russia, you\u2019ll find yourself on brand-new, modern Russian jets.<\/p>\n

Aeroflot Fleet<\/h4>\n

Aeroflot\u00a0boasts<\/a>\u00a0that is has one of the youngest in the world\u201d. As of March 1, 2017 Aeroflot includes 190 passenger aircraft, with an average age of 4.3 years.<\/p>\n

The Aeroflot fleets consists of:<\/p>\n