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Author Topic: Return to Kiev  (Read 27530 times)

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Offline Dogsoldier

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Return to Kiev
« on: July 18, 2015, 12:23:50 PM »
The DS clan, with a new addition, is returning to Kiev after an absence of two years. The absence was an enforced one, primarily due to having to apply for ILR last summer followed by Mrs DS's pregnancy.
Now that we have nothing to stop us and with the school summer holidays almost on us we will be departing next Thursday.
It will be an interesting visit as we have a family wedding to attend as Mrs DS's sister is returning from the U.S. to marry her intended, a Yankee, no less. So in a few days we will add a yank to our extended family. Still, we are looking forward to some family time and celebrations, food and drink.
The girls will be able to meet up with family and revert to conversing in Russian, their fluency in which is fast disappearing. Hopefully, a month of hearing and speaking Russian will restore a bit of fluency to them.
Also, given all that has happened in the past year and more, it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes there are, on the ground , in Kiev.

Offline Volshe

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2015, 12:39:58 PM »
Awesome! Will follow with interest  :)
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Offline Manny

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2015, 01:54:47 PM »
So in a few days we will add a yank to our extended family. Still,

Stiff upper lip. He might be alright.  ;D

Also, given all that has happened in the past year and more, it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes there are, on the ground , in Kiev.

Very interesting it will be to read your observations. I look forward to it.  :nod:
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Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2015, 02:28:12 PM »
Awesome! Will follow with interest  :)
:thumbsup:

Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2015, 02:29:28 PM »
So in a few days we will add a yank to our extended family. Still,

Stiff upper lip. He might be alright.  ;D
One never knows.

Also, given all that has happened in the past year and more, it will be interesting to see what, if any, changes there are, on the ground , in Kiev.

Very interesting it will be to read your observations. I look forward to it.  :nod:
I will try and update IRT, if possible.

Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2015, 03:23:46 PM »
Our travel plans went a bit awry, as I booked tickets for Mrs DS and the kids a while ago but held back on booking for myself and my younger lad for various reasons.
By the time I was able to book tickets there were no seats on the flight Mrs DS was on so I had to book on a later flight which gets into KBP at 0400.   :Zzzzsleep:
That means on my first day there I will be pretty kippered.
Another thing to look forward to; UIA no longer do a meal service. Just water. Everything else is pay as you go.
They used to operate a 737-800 but have changed to an Embraer (not sure which configuration). First time on one so let's see how that goes.


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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2015, 04:04:31 PM »

By the time I was able to book tickets there were no seats on the flight Mrs DS was on so I had to book on a later flight which gets into KBP at 0400.   :Zzzzsleep:

Sorry for this  :(

Quote
Another thing to look forward to; UIA no longer do a meal service. Just water. Everything else is pay as you go.

How long is the flight?
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Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2015, 04:10:01 PM »

By the time I was able to book tickets there were no seats on the flight Mrs DS was on so I had to book on a later flight which gets into KBP at 0400.   :Zzzzsleep:

Sorry for this  :(

Quote
Another thing to look forward to; UIA no longer do a meal service. Just water. Everything else is pay as you go.

How long is the flight?
3 hrs. A bit shorter if there is a tail wind. Not too bad really. I'll just have take my goody bag with me along with a few cans of best to while away the hours...oh and a good book.

Offline Volshe

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #8 on: July 18, 2015, 04:34:53 PM »

3 hrs. A bit shorter if there is a tail wind. Not too bad really. I'll just have take my goody bag with me along with a few cans of best to while away the hours...oh and a good book.

Right... not too bad, but better to have some snacks as there's nothing else to do, but read and snack (unless you can sleep, which is the best ;))   Sometimes (rarely) there are interesting sojourners, but your flight is at such time that i doubt you'll feel talkative  ;D
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Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #9 on: July 19, 2015, 01:49:54 AM »

3 hrs. A bit shorter if there is a tail wind. Not too bad really. I'll just have take my goody bag with me along with a few cans of best to while away the hours...oh and a good book.

Right... not too bad, but better to have some snacks as there's nothing else to do, but read and snack (unless you can sleep, which is the best ;))   Sometimes (rarely) there are interesting sojourners, but your flight is at such time that i doubt you'll feel talkative  ;D
Yes, I'll stock up on munchies. Hmmmm, I wonder what are no nos going through airport security.

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #10 on: July 19, 2015, 02:11:07 AM »
looking at the menu - if the pricing in Euros is up to date .. I'd 'risk' the meal - esp. considering the strength of the GBP

http://www.flyuia.com/assets/images/Menu_MAU_420x297.pdf
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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #11 on: July 19, 2015, 02:19:16 AM »

Yes, I'll stock up on munchies. Hmmmm, I wonder what are no nos going through airport security.

I think it varies from country to country... Liquids are certainly no-no (any liquid, except those bought after all the controls where small mineral water is 3e  :duh:), EU is usually wicked, my heart was bleeding seeing all the stuff i bought in our airport's duty free (olive oil, vine, local brandy - 200e of goodies ) being thrown away at Vienna's airport (on my transit to Budapest), it was all in duty free bags and i had a bill, but it wasn't sealed acc. to EU standards  :( In Monte you can take your own food, in Russia too (again, in both all but liquids, ours are concerned with safety, that it's not explosive, everything else so far has been ok.)
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Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #12 on: July 19, 2015, 02:21:39 AM »
looking at the menu - if the pricing in Euros is up to date .. I'd 'risk' the meal - esp. considering the strength of the GBP

http://www.flyuia.com/assets/images/Menu_MAU_420x297.pdf
Except for that little disclaimer that what you actually get could be different to what's on the menu.

Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #13 on: July 19, 2015, 02:23:04 AM »

Yes, I'll stock up on munchies. Hmmmm, I wonder what are no nos going through airport security.

I think it varies from country to country... Liquids are certainly no-no (any liquid, except those bought after all the controls where small mineral water is 3e  :duh:), EU is usually wicked, my heart was bleeding seeing all the stuff i bought in our airport's duty free (olive oil, vine, local brandy - 200e of goodies ) being thrown away at Vienna's airport (on my transit to Budapest), it was all in duty free bags and i had a bill, but it wasn't sealed acc. to EU standards  :( In Monte you can take your own food, in Russia too (again, in both all but liquids, ours are concerned with safety, that it's not explosive, everything else so far has been ok.)
I had a similar experience at Vienna. It seems they specialise in this particular form of EU torture.

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #14 on: July 19, 2015, 02:25:25 AM »
looking at the menu - if the pricing in Euros is up to date .. I'd 'risk' the meal - esp. considering the strength of the GBP

http://www.flyuia.com/assets/images/Menu_MAU_420x297.pdf

I usually manage to take in my own food, not because of prices, but because i don't eat pork, don't mix diary with meat etc. and they usually don't have kosher options (besides, that food served in airplanes is probably among most disgusting and most unsanitary of all)  :biggrin:
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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #15 on: July 19, 2015, 02:30:51 AM »

I had a similar experience at Vienna. It seems they specialise in this particular form of EU torture.

Yes  :( I was heading to the congress of PEN and those were presents for writers from various countries whom i only see only once in several years on such occasions... I had papers (invitation, my speech that was accepted and confirmed etc.), i asked" can i please write a statement, in presence of local police if necessary, so you (custom officers) take that with you, don't throw it away,it's a sin" (those products sold in our duty free in Podgorica, good part of them are made by our monks by hand,  it's a sin to dispose them like that)... Nope :(
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Offline msmoby

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #16 on: July 19, 2015, 02:47:55 AM »
You would like Turkish airlines food...

.

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #17 on: July 19, 2015, 02:52:03 AM »
You would like Turkish airlines food...

.

I bet ;) Last time i flew from Podgorica to Moscow i shared my food with couple of Turks, they also can't eat what's served and they were hungry... They bought me perfume on the board  :king: (That's probably the best deal i ever got on my mother's meat fritters!  ;D)
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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #18 on: July 19, 2015, 03:07:55 AM »

Yes, I'll stock up on munchies. Hmmmm, I wonder what are no nos going through airport security.

I think it varies from country to country... Liquids are certainly no-no (any liquid, except those bought after all the controls where small mineral water is 3e  :duh:), EU is usually wicked, my heart was bleeding seeing all the stuff i bought in our airport's duty free (olive oil, vine, local brandy - 200e of goodies ) being thrown away at Vienna's airport (on my transit to Budapest), it was all in duty free bags and i had a bill, but it wasn't sealed acc. to EU standards  :( In Monte you can take your own food, in Russia too (again, in both all but liquids, ours are concerned with safety, that it's not explosive, everything else so far has been ok.)
I had a similar experience at Vienna. It seems they specialise in this particular form of EU torture.
Ask them to store it, because you specificly do NOT give up your stuff, it is yours and stays that way.

They will suddently become much more lenient about what to take and what not.
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Offline Ste

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #19 on: July 19, 2015, 03:10:46 AM »
On Russian internal flights they are not allowed to serve alcohol.

Unbelievable or what?!


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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #20 on: July 19, 2015, 03:21:22 AM »
On Russian internal flights they are not allowed to serve alcohol.

Unbelievable or what?!



Really .. 'news' to me ...  :o

What airline / class did you fly ...
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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #21 on: July 19, 2015, 03:23:35 AM »

On Russian internal flights they are not allowed to serve alcohol.

Unbelievable or what?!



Really .. 'news' to me ...  :o

What airline / class did you fly ...

S7 cattle class. The stewardess announced it over the tannoy on both internal flights we took 'In accordance with Russian law, blah blah...'


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Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #22 on: July 19, 2015, 03:33:47 AM »
On Russian internal flights they are not allowed to serve alcohol.

Unbelievable or what?!


.
There is a similar rule in India, too. I was flying out from Calcutta some years ago and they were doing a drinks service ( soft drinks only) and I asked for a beer and was told would only serve alcohol after clearing indian airspace???!

Offline Dogsoldier

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #23 on: July 19, 2015, 03:36:20 AM »

Yes, I'll stock up on munchies. Hmmmm, I wonder what are no nos going through airport security.

I think it varies from country to country... Liquids are certainly no-no (any liquid, except those bought after all the controls where small mineral water is 3e  :duh:), EU is usually wicked, my heart was bleeding seeing all the stuff i bought in our airport's duty free (olive oil, vine, local brandy - 200e of goodies ) being thrown away at Vienna's airport (on my transit to Budapest), it was all in duty free bags and i had a bill, but it wasn't sealed acc. to EU standards  :( In Monte you can take your own food, in Russia too (again, in both all but liquids, ours are concerned with safety, that it's not explosive, everything else so far has been ok.)
I had a similar experience at Vienna. It seems they specialise in this particular form of EU torture.
Ask them to store it, because you specificly do NOT give up your stuff, it is yours and stays that way.

They will suddently become much more lenient about what to take and what not.
It was only a bottle of something. Not worth the hassle of arguing. This was flying in from a non EU country and transiting through VIE do the usual security palava.

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Re: Return to Kiev
« Reply #24 on: July 19, 2015, 03:38:06 AM »

Ask them to store it, because you specificly do NOT give up your stuff, it is yours and stays that way.

They will suddently become much more lenient about what to take and what not.


Thanks for the tip, Mark!!! I really didn't know about that possibility!  ;D


On Russian internal flights they are not allowed to serve alcohol.

Unbelievable or what?!


.

On Montenegroairlines flights to Moscow there is always a very nice, yet suspiciously big (muscular) gentleman of accompanying the flight... not flight attendant, obviously not co-pilot, he bears a badge with first name and his work title which in the context means nothing in our language (facilitator / mediator, something like that); so i asked around what's their job, what they do there and learned it's a courtesy of our airlines, in case someone of passengers drinks too much on the board and starts making fuss  ;D
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