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AKguy

How long was your flight?

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Just shy of 10 hours JFK-SVO

A 6 1/2 hour wait.

Then a 15 hour train ride to Yoshkar Ola. Total of 31 1/2 hours not counting the check in and wait time at JFK.

One of these days we're gonna get a deluxe berth, but we've had nice roomies so far and the dinning car is great.

Any reason you didn't fly SVO - Kazan? IIRC, the flight is pretty inexpensive, and I think less than 4 hours. Then it's less than a few hours by taxi.

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Filed: Citizen (apr) Country: Russia
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Your analysis is spot on ... you need to find a way for the pet to immigrate. Be sure to check into whether there are US customs barriers to pet immigration.

If you knew me, you'd know that I THOROUGHLY looked into that before telling Lesya it was ok. As long as it's a healthy cat or small dog into the lower 48, it's not much of a problem. Most of the "hassle" is getting the animal out of Russia, but even that's not a very big deal. The only obstacle is S7. They're applying for membership into one of the alliances (OneWorld, if I remember correctly) so they're going to have to change the pet policy eventually, but that doesn't do me much good now.

For those who might be considering bringing pets with them, note-

1) be SURE to tell the airline about the pet when you reserve your tickets. There is usually a limit on the number of pets allowed in the cabin on any given flight.

2) be prepared to pay for the privilege --- anywhere from $50 to $150 per flight segment

3) If you're going to have an overnight layover, search ahead of time for hotels that will allow non-service animals to stay. At JFK, for example, there are few hotels close to the airport that will allow it, and those that will are going to charge a hefty price for the privilege. I have found a couple of hotels a little further out that will allow it without huge fees. I'm hoping we'll be able to schedule our flights in a way that will avoid the overnight layover, but we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Once we actually do this, I'll post the details about the experience so that the infomation will be in the achives.

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Filed: Country: Ukraine
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Just shy of 10 hours JFK-SVO

A 6 1/2 hour wait.

Then a 15 hour train ride to Yoshkar Ola. Total of 31 1/2 hours not counting the check in and wait time at JFK.

One of these days we're gonna get a deluxe berth, but we've had nice roomies so far and the dinning car is great.

Any reason you didn't fly SVO - Kazan? IIRC, the flight is pretty inexpensive, and I think less than 4 hours. Then it's less than a few hours by taxi.

Well, because she said "we take train". There's actually air service direct to Y/O from Moscow. We saw the schedule at a travel service around the corner from mama's last year and Virginia Agency (part of maxim) has the same think posted on their site, but we would have to book through them from this end. I've searched until I dropped, but can't seem to find any airline website that posts that info. Maybe the girl Friday could help with that next trip. I have to say thought, that I slept like a baby on the train and only woke when we pulled into a station. We arrived fairly fresh and relaxed. Our berth was clean and comfy so no complaints there. The other issue with the flights is that they only go back and forth three days a week and there's no easy connection same day. I'll look at the SVO to Kazan thing though.

And speaking of the Russian Girl Friday, I have her booked to handle Irina's logistics (transport from train station to room to SVO) when she returns next month. The price she quoted me was more than satisfactory.

За Жезни С Смехом

I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.

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I went to Moscow one time and that's the only time I've been to Russia. Since my wife's been here, she hasn't been back. Our life is here. We're not financially well-off to the point where we can spend a couple months of the year jet-setting around the world and not working. That said, we're tentatively scheduled for a 2010 trip to see mama and 'nem but with the current state of affairs here in our household (she's f'king nuts) coupled with the economy, and relative ease in obtaining tourist visas for Russians now, mama and 'nem may just have to come here and see us.

I left Cincinnati in the afternoon, flew to JFK and left there late that evening, arrived at SVO next afternoon. I wanna say crossing the pond was only about 8 hours. And really, it only took one good afternoon nap and I was on Moscow time. Well, that and the fact that my buddy and I hit up the Propaganda club that first night. A few drinks, a few more, boom! Moscow time!

My wife met me there a few days later at DME. She'd flown for something like 11 hours overnight from VVO. She actually flew farther than I did to get there.

AKguy, next time you go, you may want to consider routing through either SEA/SFO/LAX to SEL/ICN/NRT to VVO/KHV to your destination. I believe Anchorage actually has direct flights to Seoul and/or Tokyo and maybe even Beijing. Once you're in the Far East, the rest of Russia is less than 12 hours away! (I said that all enthusiastically like it was really going to help you out or something.) At least it'll keep you out of shitholes like Amsterdam and Prague - which I'm sure were the shitholes of your trip when compared to places like Chicago, Newark or Laguardia.

Русский форум член.

Ensure your beneficiary makes and brings with them to the States a copy of the DS-3025 (vaccination form)

If the government is going to force me to exercise my "right" to health care, then they better start requiring people to exercise their Right to Bear Arms. - "Where's my public option rifle?"

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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Denver->LAX 2.5 hours

2 hour layover

LAX-ICH (Seoul)->13 freaking hours

2 hour layover

ICH->VVO Vladivostok -> 2.25

On the way back it was 2.25 again, 11 hours across the sea to LAX, and 2 more to Denver.

When Katya flies here, she'll go from VVO->Moscow for the interview and then, hopefully, Moscow->NY->Denver - or something similar

06/05/08 - First meeting on dating Website

05/04/09 - First Face to Face meeting in Vladivostok

07/06/09 - I-129F delivered to CSC via UPS

07/09/09 - NOA1 Received

07/12/09 - Touched

10/02/09 - NOA2 Notification

10/05/09 - NOA2 Hard Copy

10/15/09 - NVC Receipt

10/26/09 - MOW Receipt

12/07/09 - Interview Successful!!

12/12/09 - Entry to USA

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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AKguy, next time you go, you may want to consider routing through either SEA/SFO/LAX to SEL/ICN/NRT to VVO/KHV to your destination. I believe Anchorage actually has direct flights to Seoul and/or Tokyo and maybe even Beijing. Once you're in the Far East, the rest of Russia is less than 12 hours away! (I said that all enthusiastically like it was really going to help you out or something.) At least it'll keep you out of shitholes like Amsterdam and Prague - which I'm sure were the shitholes of your trip when compared to places like Chicago, Newark or Laguardia.

If I was flying to Russia during the summer I'd take the Condorair routes. They fly straight from Anchorage, over the pole, and drop into Frankfurt. I think it's a 13hr flight, then onwards to Moscow and then south.

I'll look into the Asian routes in the future though.

Yeah, Amsterdam and Prague were just #######.... :innocent:

11/13/2009 -- Mailed I-129F

11/17/2009 -- Received NOA 1

02/10/2010 -- NOA 2 Mailed

02/16/2010 -- NOA 2 Received (via email)

02/19/2010 -- Petition forwarded to Moscow

04/23/2010 -- Scheduled Interview - SUCCESS

07/20/2010 -- Entrance to USA POE Anchorage

08/21/2010 -- Wedding

11/04/2010 -- Mailed AOS

01/25/2011 -- AOS Interview - SUCCESS

Member of the RUB group, where high horses meet low brows.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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When Svetlana came here from Saint-Petersburg, I thought I had it planned as good as possible.

Only 14 hours total, with one stop in Paris.

But there was a mistake on Svetlana's dog's boarding pass on the trip from Paris to Miami. That's right ---her DOG's boarding pass. By the time everything was straightened out, she missed the flight, and Air France had to put her and the dog up in a hotel.

So she arrived the next day.

I hate Miami airport --- so when I traveled to SpB I always left from Fort Lauderdale. But there are no one-stops from FLL. :crying: , so it always took me about 22 hours.

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Filed: Country: Ukraine
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Hmm. Unless the flights to YO are new, as of a few years ago the airport in YO was completely shutdown.

Anyway, it's always best to do what your girl suggests, so the train was probably a good idea for reasons you or I don't even know. :D

Actually IIRC she was surprised to see it was an option so I think the airport is only recently (as of 2008) open. The problem is the infrequency of the flights. It would entail an overnight in Moscow both ways. Taking the train we get into SVO in plenty of time to clear passport control grab a cab (or have one grab you) and get to the train station with a few hours left to kill. Coming back it's an overnight stay.

Also the airport is about 9 km from the city center while the train station is a five minute walk from Mama's house.

YO used to be a major missile base (I think ICBMs) and was not shown on any maps. The airport was an airbase if my info is right.

За Жезни С Смехом

I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was.

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YO used to be a major missile base (I think ICBMs) and was not shown on any maps. The airport was an airbase if my info is right.

Still is. There's a big area just outside the city limits that's fenced off and guarded by lots and lots of guys with lots and lots of guns.

If she hasn't taken you to Kazan yet, go. It's my second favorite city in Russia, right behind St. Pete.

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Filed: K-1 Visa Country: Russia
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I hate Miami airport

Yuck, me too. The only one I have hated more was Athens.

Actually, Sheremieteva-1 is pretty much a dump, but I have such fond associations with it - the golden road to see my love.

T- minus 36 hours! Will be back with trip report in a couple of weeks.

05/04/09 -- K1 visa, NOA-1

09/18/09 -- K1, NOA-2

01/26/09 -- Interview passed in Moscow

03/02/10 -- POE, JFK airport

05/23/10 -- Wedding!

11/16/10 -- 2-year green card approved

04/01/13 -- 10-year green card approved

11/23/13 -- N-400 mailed

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Filed: Country: Russia
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Trip past January:

SFO - Chicago - DME - Train to Izhevsk -> 37 hrs with 7 hours of non-traveling time.

Trip this August:

SFO - Chicago - DME - Izhevsk -> 25 hours with 8 1/2 hrs of non-traveling time.

Returning August with Luba:

Train to Moscow - Taxi to DME - Chicago - SFO -> 40 1/2 hrs with maybe 7 hours non-traveling time, which includes taxi to DME from Kazansky Rail Station.

Timeline:

17 Nov 2008 - Sent I-129F to CSC

19 Nov 2008 - NOA1

03 Apr 2009 - NOA2 approval (email)

09 Apr 2009 - NVC received

13 Apr 2009 - Sent to Embassy

23 Jun 2009 - Interview date USEM - Posted USEM website 30 Apr 2009

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YO used to be a major missile base (I think ICBMs) and was not shown on any maps. The airport was an airbase if my info is right.

Still is. There's a big area just outside the city limits that's fenced off and guarded by lots and lots of guys with lots and lots of guns.

If you head over to Google, click on the maps, punch in YO and then switch to the satellite mode, you can see a HUGE weapons storage area to the west of YO adjacent to the area called "krasnooktyabr'skiy."

What's really neat about this map is it's green and summery in the expanded mode but once you zoom in a little, it switches to winter mode! Awesome for aerial recon because it's a lot easier to see "the path less traveled" when there's snow covering it. When you can see roads with tire tracks on them, it's pretty much a given that it's being used. Same with clear parking lots, etc. Cars with snow on them haven't moved in a while. Clean cars have. Fencelines are easily recognized as a straight white path through the brown trees. Pretty simple, huh?

If you look at this particular piece of satellite imagery you'll notice certain things right away about this place. First of all, there's an awesome triple fence all the way around the area, complete with perimeter lighting and fighting positions, outposts, even a few guardshacks. A nice paved road, too! Many of the buildings have berms built around them, and we all know what those are for! And for some reason, there are more than a few long trucks/trailers. Some are snow covered, some are not. Hmmmmm.

To really grasp the size of this place, check out one of ours that's just up highway 83 in Minot, North Dakota. Can't believe all this stuff is on the freaking internet? Neither can Al Qaida! "Thank you Mr. Bush."

Русский форум член.

Ensure your beneficiary makes and brings with them to the States a copy of the DS-3025 (vaccination form)

If the government is going to force me to exercise my "right" to health care, then they better start requiring people to exercise their Right to Bear Arms. - "Where's my public option rifle?"

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Yeah, we drove past the scary men/guns/fences on our way to Cheboksari, and it seemed pretty damn big. Couldn't really see much from the road, but it was pretty obvious that this is a high-value target installation. I'll have to go check out the Google satellite pics, thanks for pointing that out!

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About 14 hours in the air from Kentucky to Odessa. About four hours layover, then four hours driving to Kherson.

3dflags_ukr0001-0001a.gif3dflags_usa0001-0001a.gif

Travelers - not tourists

Friday.gif

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