One of the best rated and most popular airlines is AK Russia. User reviews among the most attractive qualities of the company mention punctuality, professional pilots, clean airplanes and relatively low ticket prices. “Russia” is one of the 5 largest carriers in our country.
Carrier History
Rossiya Airlines OJSC was founded in May 1934. The start date of the activity is the signing of a document on the creation of a detachment for the Leningrad - Moscow air line. In the Great Patriotic War, this unit actively participated in hostilities.
Important historical events for the company:
- 1956 - the formation of a special aviation detachment 235, attached to the Vnukovo airport;
- 1992 - transformation of the detachment into the SCC "Russia";
- 2006 - the union of "Russia" and the airline "Pulkovo" under the general name FSUE STC "Russia";
- 2008 - transfer of 100% of the carrier’s shares to Russian Technologies (decree 1052 of the President of the Russian Federation) and its exclusion from the list of strategically significant objects of the country;
- 2009 - a special flight squad was formed by decree of the President of the Russian Federation;
- 2010 - corporatization of "Russia" and its merger with the company "Aeroflot";
- 2011 - transformation of the enterprise into JSC “Rossiya Airlines”;
- November 2011 - OJSC Aeroflot acquired a 75% stake in the company;
- December 2011 - 25% of the shares of “Russia” were donated to the city of St. Petersburg.
Airline today
In 2013, Roshydromet issued a license to Rossiya Airlines for the creation of its own weather forecasters department for weather meteorological support.
In 2014, Aeroflot took over the commercial management of Russia. Now the carrier makes all flights under the code SU. In the same year, a cooperation agreement was signed with the Zenit Sports Club. One of the aircraft was even painted in recognizable colors of champions.
In 2015, D.P. Saprykin was appointed head of the company, then
Deputy General Director of Aeroflot, as well as Managing Director of the bankrupt Transaero.
2016 is a significant year for the company. Its name changes to JSC “Rossiya Airlines”, as well as the three subsidiaries of Aeroflot are merging. Now carriers Donavia and Orenburg Airlines will operate all flights under the flag of Russia. It is planned to serve up to 10 million passengers a year. The base airports were: Vnukovo in Moscow, Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, the Orenburg-Central named after cosmonaut Yu. A. Gagarin in Orenburg and the eponymous Rostov-on-Don.
Airline Directions
JSC "Russia" flies to 13 international points, 20 - on the territory of the Russian Federation and 5 - to the CIS countries. You can trace the carrier’s route network in the table below.
| Domestic flights | Arkhangelsk, Vladivostok, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnodar, Mineral waters, Magadan, Murmansk, Moscow, Orenburg, Novosibirsk, Perm, Omsk Sochi, Samara, Simferopol, Syktyvkar, Surgut, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Khabarovsk, Ufa, Yuzhno- Sakhalinsk |
| Flights to CIS countries | Astana, Alma-Ata, Baku, Tashkent, Samarkand, Urgench |
| International flights | Barcelona, Burgas, Berlin, Vienna, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Geneva, Munich, Milan, Rome, Paris, Nice, Prague, Larnaca, Tel Aviv, Paphos, Punta Cana, Phuket |
Airplanes Airlines
The airline has a fleet of 74 units, including the Boeing 747 and the modern Boeing 777. In the table below, you can see the characteristics of the aircraft.
| Aircraft model name | number | The newest | the oldest |
| Boeing 777-200 | 2 | VP-BLA - 17 years old | VQ-BNU - 17.1 g. |
| Boeing 777-300 | 5 | EI-XLP - 17 years old | EI-UNP - 18 years old |
| Boeing 767-300 | 3 | EI-JI - 13 years old | EI-EAR - 16 years old |
| An-148-100B | 6 | RA-61706 - 4 years | RA-61701 - 5 years |
| Airbus-A319 | 27 | VQ-BCP - 7 years | VP-BIU - 20 years |
| Airbus-A320 | thirteen | VP-BWI - 13 years | VQ-BDR - 17 years old |
| Boeing 737-800 | fifteen | VQ-BWJ - 1 year | VQ-BJC - 17 years old |
| Boeing 747-400 | 6 | EI-XLJ - 15.0 years | EI-XLE - 18 years old |
The table did not include special purpose liners (Tu).
Air crash company
AK Rossiya has several major air crashes. They are all listed in the table below:
| Scene | date | Death toll | Flight | Cause |
| Bolshoye Savino Airport (Perm city) | July 24, 2014 | 0 | AN-148-100V, flight 6714 Perm - St. Petersburg | Failure of the air conditioning system. An emergency landing has been completed. |
| Domodedovo Airport (Moscow city) | August 12, 2015 | 0 | Airbus A319, flight St. Petersburg - Moscow | An engine failure occurred and the liner made an emergency landing. |
| Pulkovo Airport (city of St. Petersburg) | August 23, 2013 | 0 | AN-148-100V, Mineralnye Vody - St. Petersburg flight | Damage to the chassis during take-off, and detachment of its fragments. |
| Near the city of Donetsk (Ukraine) | August 22, 2006 | 170 | Tu-154M (flight number RA-85185) Pulkovo Airlines, flight Anapa - St. Petersburg | Autopilot shutdown when bypassing a thundercloud. The fall of the plane in a flat corkscrew. |
| Near Sheremetyevo Airport (Moscow city) | July 22, 2002 | 14 | IL-86 (flight number RA-86060) Pulkovo Airlines, flight Moscow - St. Petersburg | The liner crashed during takeoff at the end of GDP. Surviving passengers were in the tail of the plane. |
Airline Features
AK "Russia" is engaged in freight, charter, post and passenger transportation.
Freight transport include:
- transportation of perishable goods;
- express delivery (medicines, chemistry and other materials);
- goods for which a low storage temperature is needed;
- expensive goods;
- dangerous goods.
The company has several hubs. At each airport, companies have their own characteristics, although in the bulk they are similar. The main ones are:
- the shops;
- banks and ATMs;
- pharmacies;
- medical Center;
- bars and restaurants;
- departure waiting rooms;
- VIP rooms;
- parking for cars;
- bus stops;
- taxi call;
- left-luggage offices;
- placement of mother and child;
- duty free zone.
Some airports have a hotel and their own print media.
Obligatory services provided by the airline
During the flight, the user has the right to a range of services provided by the carrier. The airliner should have the necessary personnel on board, able to ensure safety and be able to provide first aid.
The scope of services provided to a passenger depends on the type of aircraft, its equipment and travel time.
On board an airplane, the airline provides 2 types of services:
- included in the ticket price;
- additional.
On board the aircraft of the company "Russia" is provided:
- Nutrition. On short-term flights, passengers give candies and drinks (juice, tea, coffee, mineral water). A flight that takes more than 3 hours provides a full lunch or dinner. The volume and variety of food depends on the flight range and class. For the first and business class provides an improved range of food and the provision of cutlery made of metal. On transcontinental flights, they are fed hot food every 4 hours. And each time the dishes are different. The main requirement for food is calorie content and small volume.
- Radio and television. In the economy class, a ceiling-mounted TV is located for every 5 seats. In business and first grades, an individual television set is provided with a choice of programs.
- Press (on-board and entertainment magazines).
- Restroom.
- Air transportation of baggage (hand luggage weighing up to 20 kg for economy class and 30 kg for the first).
Classes of service on board airlines
The variety of services included in the ticket price depends on the class of service. There are 2 main classes:
Business class passengers are arranged in the first cabin, where they are located in comfortable seats. During the flight they are given sleeping sets for a comfortable rest in flight. Meals are offered on the menu with a choice of 5-6 dishes. The advantages of the business class are: unhindered access to the airport lounges, increased baggage allowance, priority boarding and boarding.
In economy class salons standard seats are offered. The amount of food depends on the duration of the flight. Services - standard, included in the ticket price.
The algorithm for the provision of services on board the aircraft of the airline "Russia"
During the entire flight time and before the passenger leaves the cabin, he is under the care of flight attendants. Their duties include individual, medical, informational services to users, as well as their nutrition. The algorithm of their work is as follows:
- Meeting and accommodation of passengers on board. Meeting on the ladder or at the entrance door to the salon. Assisting people with disabilities, the elderly and people with children, as well as in placing luggage on special shelves. Checking the presence of all passengers on board, according to the statement. Report to the crew commander on the completion of landing and readiness for departure.
- Passenger service before take-off. Flight attendants offer printed products to people. They read a “greeting” and tell passengers about the emergency equipment of the aircraft. Check seat belt anchorages. They talk about the location of the toilet rooms.
- Service in flight. Flight attendants respond to individual challenges in a timely manner. In due time, drinks and food are served. Maintain order on board the aircraft, as well as the serviceability of light displays and alarms in the cabin. Inform about the correct fastening of seat belts.
- After a successful landing of the aircraft, flight attendants announce on SSU information about landing, weather overboard, check the fastening of the delivered ladder and help people when leaving.
Additional airline services
Additional services must be ordered through the agency where the ticket is purchased. A positive response or refusal to provide is given within 24 hours of JSC "Russia". Feedback on the speed of the request is positive.
Free additional services:
- Booking your favorite or necessary place in the cabin (at the window, with a cot, for a disabled person, etc.).
- Special food. It is better to order such a service no later than 36 hours before the start of the flight and be sure to confirm it.
Paid services:
- Meeting, escort and assistance to passengers at the airport of arrival and departure. If necessary, a wheelchair is provided.
- Accompanying minors with whom there are no adults.
- Special service for the disabled.
- Transportation of excess baggage, oversized items and baggage with declared value.
- Transportation of animals.
- Extra passenger seat.
Reviews about the airline on domestic routes
Most of the carrier's services are services on board the liner. Having bought a ticket, a person wants to have a good time in flight, having received all the services that the airline offers (JSC "Russia"). Reviews of passengers about it are different. It all depends on the needs of the person and his habits. Among the negative responses, there are general details:
- Dissatisfaction with the food on board the aircraft. Lack of information about him on official resources, excluding international flights. Savings in food, resulting in poor food quality. People would like to have an additional selection of drinks and dishes, even if you have to pay extra for this. Although Donavia, Orenburg Airlines and AK Rossiya are Aeroflot group, their reviews are not as positive with regard to food as they are about the parent company.
- The condition of the cabin. Many passengers complain about the very small personal space in flight, which creates discomfort, as well as the “battered” state of interior decoration and equipment. The use of old-style aircraft is a reality for many Russian carriers, including Russia. User reviews mostly mention that the knees rest in an adjacent chair and the seat does not recline well.
- Dirt in the airplane and toilet room. Reviews of this mention mainly the hygienic condition of the cabin at the end of the flight.
- Frequent flight delays. This happens for various reasons, often unknown to the passengers of AK Rossiya. Their reviews note the following: the absence of any information on the measures taken to correct the situation, the delay time is not defined, and when using charter flights, the transfer disappears.
A lot of people like to travel with AK "Russia". Reviews of passengers satisfied with the service of the carrier are very numerous. The friendly staff and professionalism of the pilots are noted. A large number of people do not attach importance to the quality of food in flight, considering it acceptable.
An alternative to the economy class of JSC "Russia" is a business class. Reviews about him are different. But many passengers want a variety of services and food, so they choose the best conditions for a high cost. They note a wide distance between the seats in the business class lounge, tablecloths on tables and metal appliances for eating. But the food is not very different from the economy class.
Negative feedback on airline operations on international routes
The carrier carries out about 20 international routes. A lot of private notes about these flights made by Rossiya Airlines have been posted on the Internet. Moscow - Phuket (reviews about this destination are highly controversial) - a route that is often criticized. People complain about poor nutrition. When flying up to 12 hours they serve it at the very beginning of the flight and at the end, leaving people hungry for 8 hours. Passengers write about flight delays (vacation days in a paid hotel disappear). Moreover, for a long time they were not given information about this by the employees of AK Rossiya (Thailand - the reviews relate to this particular route). Uncomfortable seats on airplanes are often mentioned. Even people of average height, not to mention tall passengers, have a hard time sitting for more than 10 hours, cowering, not having the opportunity to relax and rest. Often, dissatisfaction is caused by broken monitors in the cabin of the plane of JSC "Russia". Moscow - Punta Cana (reviews of this route are far from ideal) - a route that is often criticized. On board there are no children's sets and pillows. Not enough warm blankets for kids. Some situations that caused the delay in departure can be attributed to force majeure that occurred during the preparation of the aircraft. This could cause understanding among passengers who want to successfully fly to the resting place, if they were correctly informed about it. Keeping it in suspense for several hours with virtually no food or water is sometimes a common thing for employees of AK Rossiya. Punta Cana (reviews of such situations in this case are very numerous), as a direction, it is especially famous for this.
Positive feedback on the work of company employees on international routes
Despite a lot of negative feedback, there are the same number of positive notes about the work of employees of the international directions of AK "Russia". Phuket (reviews of flights to this sunny city with the help of this carrier are very friendly), as a direction, for example, is always mentioned in a good way. Passengers note the high professionalism of the pilots of the company, the sociability and friendliness of the flight attendants, who are able to pack up and calm people in a crisis situation. And it costs a lot, because the human factor is one of the most important components of the company's image.
For the prosperity and further development of the airline you need to take into account the needs of different passengers and their individual desires. Based on this, to formulate an algorithm for the process of providing services. Feedback in this case plays a major role. It is necessary to identify service deficiencies in the airline and correct all deficiencies, making the carrier attractive to users.