This is the first part of the trip. The return story will only be available after the 30th of July, hopefully some photos as well...

I started searching for cheap flights from Budapest to Moscow in February and, excluding AirBerlin from Vienna and GermanWings from Stuttgart or Köln-Bonn, Lufthansa offered by far the best fare, connecting through Munich or Frankfurt. When I actually bought the tickets, the 21st of May, I paid 260 EUR return ticket on Lufthansa. AirBerlin would have been 230 EUR return, but from Vienna Schwechat, not from Budapest. So I decided to fly on Lufthansa. What is very interesting is that, although Malev and Aeroflot operate two direct flights per day between Budapest and Moscow, the prices started from around 330 EUR return ticket.

BUD-FRA, LH 3445
Aircraft: Airbus A 319
Scheduled time: 14.40 - 16.20
Actual time: 15:20 - 16:45
Load factor: Approx. 80%
Seat: 23A

I arrived at Ferihegy Terminal 2 exactly two hours before the flight. I went to the Lufthansa check-in and I waited for the flight to Frankfurt to be announced. As this didn't happen in the following twenty minutes I just asked if I could check-in for that flight. First they looked for the Russian visa in my passport and only afterwards they printed the two boarding passes and the luggage tag. I asked for window seats for both flights.

I went afterwards through the passport control. I had such a strong desire to pull my ID card out of the wallet, but I thought this would be absurd, as long as my final destination was a non-EU country, so I used my passport instead, only a quick UV check, no data-base check, no stamp. Security control was fast. Not too much activity in Ferihegy on that Saturday afternoon. While waiting in the departure area I saw a Delta airplane taking off, it must have been the flight to New York.

The plane arrived already late from Germany. After we hopped in the captain told us that we still had to wait for another 15 - 20 minutes, as we lost the time-slot for taking off. We finally rolled down and got airborne 20 minutes before 15:00. The flight was uneventful. We just received a small snack, some tea and some apple juice. I browsed the in flight magazine that I found on board. If you’re interested, Lufthansa is selling used aircraft seats. Wanna buy one? Just email juergen.rumstig@dlh.de or call 00 49 69 69 69 34 85!

In Frankfurt the weather was nice, just a few clouds. I spotted the city's skyscrapers on final approach. After landing, the plane taxied far away from the airport buildings and we were taken by a bus to the terminal. I started to search for gate B20, where the flight to Moscow was scheduled to depart.

FRA-SVO, LH 3188
Aircraft: Airbus A 300-600
Scheduled time: 17:35-22:35
Actual time: 18:15-22:50
Load factor: 75% (?)
Seat: 44K

After I reached the gate I handed in my boarding pass and my passport. They checked again the visa and afterwards I was allowed in. This flight was an interesting one. First time for me on an wide-body aircraft. After I occupied my seat I saw that they were still uploading some cargo on the plane. I also saw my luggage being brought. The captain spoke and told us that we are going to be late, as a piece of cargo wrongly got on the plane and must be taken out. He added that the flight duration was expected to be around two hours and a half instead of three so, even with this delay, we were still able to make it in time for Moscow. For the next twenty minutes I saw lots of boxes being unloaded from the plane and then uploaded again. One box was carried away. In the mean time, I saw three 747 and a 340 leaving for the runway and than taking off.

We took off shortly after six o’clock. The weather was nice, the climb was fast and soon we were heading for Berlin. For dinner we had two choices, some pasta with spargel and a turkey dish. Quite tasty, I may say. French cheese and lemon cake for desert.

After we left Berlin behind (I couldn’t get a glimpse of the city, but the pilot told us that we are somewhere near Berlin) we entered some kind of fog, very thick. No sunlight anymore, it was just like landing thorugh the clouds. Light turbulences started to occur. After ten minutes the seat-belt sign was turned on and the pilot told us that we got into some kind of storm and we can encounter some turbulence. He also stated that in maximum 20 minutes we should see the sun light again. After another 10 or 15 minutes of light turbulence, a voice was to be heard through the speakers: “Cabin crew be seated! Cabin crew be seated!” Although it didn’t seem like a panic announcement, the voice was very firm. I thought that starting that moment on, it was really gonna start shakin’ up and down. But, luckily, it didn’t happen. Only minor turbulence for the next few minutes and then we were out of the fog and we could see, in the left side of the aircraft, the sun going down. I wonder now what they expected to happen when they asked the crew to sit down.

After another 10 minutes we started to descend on Moscow and we spotted the city’s first lights. We had to fill in the immigration forms and the custom declarations. The forms were for both the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus. Lots of turns followed and, I would say, I high rate of descent. Almost no turbulence at all in the last part of the descent. It was almost dark outside, but the sky was still red-coloured towards the west. One or two minutes before touchdown, all lights were switched off throughout the cabin. Only the exit signs remained on. Normally I only experienced a “black-out” on take-offs, not on landings. Any ideas on why this happened?

The landing was smooth and we taxied to the terminal. Russian authorities were very kind to allow us off the plane in a very short time. Two custom officials were already standing and waiting by the aircraft’s door. Passport control took around half an hour, but no questions, just close scrutiny of the passport and visa. I’ve got half of my immigration form stamped and received it back. As my luggage was the last to be put on the plane in Frankfurt, it came out the first in Moscow. Three customs officials were waiting for me in the “Nothing to declare” channel, I smiled to them, they smiled back and I smoothly went through. Outside the airport building, Moscow was rainy that night.

Very interesting report Mihai.
A few notes:
1. prices on the BUD MOW route start at 238 EUR taxes included, I'm surprised you dind't find these so well in advance.
2. did LH mention the price of used seats?
3. How did you find SVO? Has it been improved as they say?

I meanwhile found the link for the offer. Click here!

Excellent report Mihai!
So you will be staying in Moscow for more than a month?
I want to pay a visit to Russia someday soon… I know that getting the visa is a bit complicated, you have to go to a travel agency, isn’t it? How did you get the visa?

I only bought the tickets after I've received my visa, on the 21st of May. Malev price was 330 EUR that moment.

As concerns SVO, I really don't know what to say, since I don't know how it looked before. It seems to me that it looks like the old terminal in Köln-Bonn, the one that Germanwings used. But in SVO, the toilets were dirtier and, of course, no toilet paper... I'll write more about SVO after my return. I'll have more time in the airport than now.

Hi,

Just two weeks. I came on the 16th of June and I'll fly back on the 30th. Getting the visa was not that complicated. Normally you need your passport and a letter of invitation from a Russian citizen or, if you travel on your own, a hotel reservation. The best way is to contact a hotel in Russia and they'll provide everything. I applied for the visa at the Russian embassy in Budapest, no hurdles at all, no questions. They just wanted to see my passport and the fax from the hotel. I don't think that in Bucharest the procedure could be somehow different.

Good luck!