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The planes they used before didn't meet US Federal Aviation noise standards
They were upgraded years ago.
The only problem is lack of sufficient demand. That's why Alaska left Russia, and why recently Aeroflot/Vladavia stopped flying to Alaska.
LAX would be much more popular, but it's also much more expensive, and needs $300 mln planes. I really can't see many people pay a couple thousands more to avoid one change of planes during a very long flight.
Maybe, if Soviet subsidies return... For now only seniors and students travelling domestically out of the FE are subsidized.
I don't honestly know if i should be impressed or not, if a country the size of russia can boast having enough skateboarders to get four of them in one picture.
The only problem is lack of sufficient demand. That's why Alaska left Russia, and why recently Aeroflot/Vladavia stopped flying to Alaska.
They weren't upgraded before the flights stopped. Alaska didn't leave Russia due to lack of demand. It left due to a serious red tape problem that developed at the airport in Khabarovsk, whereby their plane wasn't allowed to leave. It got very messy. No one was allowed to deplane and wait in the airport, everyone was trapped on the plane, I think it was overnight. Anyway, the airline gave up trying to do business with Russia as a result of that incident. And when they quit, then the US Federal Aviation authorities cancelled their waiver of the noise standard requirements for the Aeroflot planes. It was all very sad, but now Alaska is considering trying again. I don't imagine there will be as much tourism as before (from the US side), but there will be business travel.
It left due to a serious red tape problem that developed at the airport in Khabarovsk, whereby their plane wasn't allowed to leave.
The were stupid to put American executive in charge, but they quit not because of that. From the book Character & Characters: The Spirit of Alaska Airlines
As the allure of visiting the Soviet Union began to fade, traffic flow started to shrink. There were other factors as well, such as unsatisfactory profitability and safety issues like the wet tar incident. Ultimately the decision to discontinue service to Russia followed government approval of nonstop service between the Russian Far East and Seattle, something that state-owned Aeroflot long-range aircraft could do, but Alaska's MD-80's, without the range, simply couldn't.
You're saying AK Airlines didn't have long-range planes? That's ridiculous. My info comes directly from Alaska Air headquarters. And fyi, the allure of visiting Russia (it was no longer the Sov. Union, hello?) did not begin to fade. Alaska Airlines was running planeloads of their own tour groups to Khabarovsk and taking them to Baikal for years. They would have continued that, but there were coordination/service problems locally as well as around Baikal. One problem may have been that Aeroflot was getting some of Alaska's clientele, because Aeroflot kept cutting the price of their airfare lower and lower. But there were other factors. And the big tour groups Alaska was taking over there filled their planes entirely; people doing business in Russia had no choice but use Aeroflot for a time, because the Alaska flights were full.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 09-20-2012 at 03:55 PM..
My info comes directly from Alaska Air headquarters.
Then they are liers. But then they (one person?) could lie to you, not the whole world and their shareholders.
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And fyi, the allure of visiting Russia (it was no longer the Sov. Union, hello?) did not begin to fade.
Americans flocked to Russia to see some communist weirdness - and they were not happy with what they saw.
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Alaska Airlines was running planeloads of their own tour groups to Khabarovsk and taking them to Baikal for years. They would have continued that, but there were coordination/service problems locally as well as around Baikal.
And in 1998 the financial crisis put Russians on their knees.
Obviously, there wasn't enough revenue. And the story repeated recently, when Vladavia abandoned the route. As demand increased, it reopened it for the Summer, but with only a couple flights per month.
Americans flocked to Russia to see some communist weirdness - and they were not happy with what they saw.
The USSR had been over for years when AA started organizing their tours. It had nothing to do with communism. Baikal and the Amur have nothing to do with communism.
The 1998 crisis did have something to do with it. Especially when the jet fuel refinery outside Khabarovsk shut down.
Last edited by Ruth4Truth; 09-20-2012 at 11:21 PM..
I will tell you something that now sounds hilarious, but years ago, when I came here I didn't found it funny at all...
Mind that I came here from (West) Germany not from Poland, but it doesn't really matter.
Spoiler
Anyway: short after I came here, still living in an apartment I did used the common laundry area to wash my clothes.
Places like that something trigger a casual conversation. So, there I am, waiting for the dryer to finish dry my clothes, and here comes a middle aged man who asked me few questions about the laundry ( don't remember what - maybe he asked if I have extra change, or if I know which machine will be available soon ) and we started a small talk. He said something that he just moved there because of job transfer, I don't remember where, but I DO remember that he said something about having BA or maybe even MA - and some higher level job.
He noticed my strong accent and we were talking about travel and such. He told me about his travel experiences, books etc. Actually it was a pleasant conversation and he did show a lots of common sense till we start to talk about Poland, communism and life in a communistic countries.
He asked me where I am from and I said - Poland. Then he said: welcome to our beautiful country. I hope you love it here. But tell me, do you have a hard time adjusting?
I gave him a curious look and he continued: you know... all the stores full of goodies, the electronics, the beautiful houses, cars, everything you ever dreamed of. Civilized world. Like this laundry... aren't you glad that you live here and have water and electricity delivered to your home? You can watch TV, stay in a cool place with A/C, swimming pool etc. A machine wash and dry your clothes ...
I remember being speechless for a moment and then said that yes, I am glad and very fortunate. Now I don't have to ride a donkey and wash my clothes in a river. And I was amazed when I saw an electric bulb, but I am still learning how to operate the TV. I touched my clothes and said that they are so beautiful and soft and that life in America is like a fairy tale.
Obviously I was mocking him, but he didn't noticed it and seriously continued to ask me all those odd questions about transportation, and housing. I was very close to say that in Poland, I was living in a cave and used candles...
It happen many years ago, but I will never forget this conversation.
Later on I learned that lots of seemingly intelligent people have very warped knowledge about other countries and cultures. From a conversation with many people from a different backgrounds and education, I learned that lots of them think all Africans still live in a jungle with monkeys and hunt with spears. They think that all (now former) communistic countries are third world, completely underdeveloped, poor, uneducated, corrupt, and travel there would terrify them to death. In their imagination in those countries is nothing to see, nothing to eat, people will rob them, the food will poison them (drink only bottled water!!), they will die of unknown diseases, because they would not trust doctors or hospitals. Kids are running filthy, with nothing to do just begging for food or money. People are alcoholics, lazy, depressed, suicidal, and life there is hopeless.
Even at my work, I have lots of poster and pictures from my homeland, and people will come and ask questions, and point on the pictures in awe like they didn't expect to see what they saw there.
You think I am little exaggerating? Think twice, or read some of the bizarre questions people would ask in World or Travel Forums.
So I don't wonder when people from those countries post pictures - they try to tell us: see, we have houses, cars, schools, water and electricity, TV's, and gadgets. Our countries are beautiful too, cities are clean, we have hotels and restaurants, museums, libraries and we have life.
Our kids look like your kids: they are clean, wear jeans, sneakers and play with skateboards. They are outside, have friends, they smile and are happy.
Yes, we are poorer than the top developed countries, but now the gap is getting smaller every day....
Just open your eyes and don't judge us or stereotype.
.
elnina, your story is somewhat amusing. I take it the experience was in SA, or Houston, but no matter. Not to defend, but to reflect on the experience with the laundry man...
As recent as the 60's or 70's, there are stories of Americans who have visited various Euro cities and come back with stories of restrictive water use requirements, having to pay extra to use the shower, how Euro's have arm pit odor, or just imagine it and it was probably reported as life in Europe as told by an American contemporary. Then as the citizen gets older, they don't realize, learn, or care that Europe has modernized along with the rest of the world. Then of course, there were the sad tales of Olympians from communist countries and stories of their hardships. Not realizing that Euro athletes from Olga Korbut to Novak Djokovic are doing just fine.
My own experience as a child in the early 50's, we lived just west of Lisbon, not far from Gypsy Beach. Not that I remember a lot but we had a kerosene stove, and had to pastueurize our milk. And shop for groceries at a local open market. Living near the beach, I was aware of the nearby Romani Gypsies. I actually tried to make friends with one boy, just my size. My first experience with discrimination.
Now, I've been to London, Paris, Lisbon, and other Euro points since and I know better. My first reality was that Europe sometimes gets better and they get it before Americans. But many Americans choose to dwell in their own American lives without thinking of Euro progress. And Europe doesn't do a lot to keep Americans informed of their progress.
The USSR had been over for years when AA started organizing their tours. It had nothing to do with communism.
Don't be ridiculous - most Americans visited Russia to see something communist. Their numbers are getting less each year, but I'm sure many still come for this reason.
No, it's called just rollercoaster. It's a Russian myth that in the West, they are called Russian hills (Russkie gorki). They are not.
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