International Airfare
to and from Russia

SRAS is not in the business of selling plane tickets, with the exception of group educational tours and domestic flights not available for purchase outside of Russia. In addition to checking the standards sites like Travelocity and Expedia, we also recommend checking the following sites to find the best rates:

• STA Travel offers special rates for students (including low costs for changing tickets)
• Glavs Travel is a New York based travel agent specializing in travel and tickets to Russia (Tel: 1-800-336-5727 - ask for Tsilya and tell her Renee Stillings of SRAS sent you!)
• Singapore Airlines and Korean Airlines are favorites among frequent travelers between Russia and the US for their low prices and good service. 
• Delta often has promotional fares that could match your schedule. Even better, subscribe to get their e-announcements well ahead of your planned travel/study.

An economy-class, round-trip ticket from New York to Moscow, as of January, 2010, averages between $800-1300, depending on the time of year, carrier, and other factors.

Before you buy your ticket, there are several important issues you should be aware of: 

Types of tickets
Round trip tickets are almost always cheapest and we generally recommend them even if you are not exactly sure of your return date.  Check with the travel company first about student discounts on both the ticket and possible exchange rates. (You may need to get an international student card first.) 

Other options include: a one-way ticket, an open-ended ticket, and a standard fixed ticket. Open-ended tickets as a rule are very expensive, though of course quite convenient. The one-way option varies, but is risky as you don't know what kind of prices will be available for your return ticket. If you think you may need to change your return date, we recommend purchasing a fixed ticket but please weigh the possible costs of changing tickets first.

Costs involved with changing tickets
Student tickets are often changeable for only $25. Regular (non-student) tickets often have a change fee of $150 or more. These costs should be weighed closely with the cost of an open-ended ticket. There may also be a price differential between the two tickets that you will need to pay. Depending on the airline, this difference may depend on "high" and "low" travel seasons as well as the duration of your trip.

Multiple legs
For those who will be switching planes in Moscow (say, to Irkutsk or Vladivostok), you should buy your domestic and international tickets together - preferably from the same airline. For those on domestic Russian flights, the limit is 20 kg of checked baggage and 10 kg of carry on. Most international flights will allow you more than double that amount. If your tickets are unrelated, you will likely be charged per kilogram over the limit.

The train has a theoretical limit of 35 kg, but it is more a question of whether it fits in the compartment. Remember that in 2nd class trains, there are three other people with considerable luggage. If your trip will be only a few hours, you may not have much problem, but Russia is a big country with train trips that sometimes take a week or more. 

For programs of more than a year
Another issue to note is that tickets may only be purchased a maximum of eleven months in advance. This means that if you are staying abroad for more than eleven months, you will not be able to purchase a round-trip ticket directly. Sometimes sales agents will recommend that you purchase a round-trip ticket with a return date of eleven months in advance - and then change the return date to the date you actually need closer to that date. Make sure you understand any fees that may be involved in this.

If you plan on returning to the U.S. during the course of your program (e.g. for the holidays), we recommend you buy a separate round-trip ticket for that trip. So, you might buy two tickets: one for August-March and a second from December-January. Even if you need to change these tickets, it is usually the least expensive option. Make sure to inform your SRAS consultant about your plans as soon as possible as there may be issues connected with your visa to consider as well. 

Be sure to inform SRAS about all your travel plans (including entry and exit dates) as soon as you know them.  Declaring approximate entry and exit dates are necessary in applying for your visa. Also inform SRAS of any plans to travel abroad prior to going to Russia as this could affect visa processing. If you have any questions, please contact SRAS. 

See also: Domestic Air Travel in Russia
See also: Train Travel in Russia

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