Air carrier "Russia", according to Natalia Anisimova, receives positive reviews for the quality of service, the condition of the airplanes and the absence of baggage-free tariffs, but claims to delay flights are also often found. “Russian passengers also complain about tasteless food and are also happy to have a light snack on short flights up to 2.5 hours,” says Anisimova.
In the tail of the Tutu.ru rating were the Severny Veter, Pobeda and VIM-Avia airlines, which received less than 8 points on a 10-point scale (see table). According to the authors of the study, the rating of the North Wind airline company deteriorated significantly at the end of May. This is due to strong flight delays - for several hours, not minutes.
Low ratings of “Victory” are mainly due to the lack of knowledge of airline rules by passengers. “The dimensions of luggage are specified in the rules of the low-cost airline, there is a clarification that meals are not included in the price of the ticket, and hand luggage is paid separately,” says Natalya Anisimova. “However, passengers often do not learn the rules in advance and are ultimately unhappy.”
Also, negative reviews are associated with non-reclining seat backs and a small distance between them. The topic of many reviews is the surcharge for choosing a seat and the inability to change seats on board. However, the passengers of Pobeda are satisfied with the punctuality of the carrier and the absence of flight delays.
VIM-Avia passengers, on the contrary, are unhappy with the frequent delayed flights, the old fleet of aircraft, and the fact that there is little legroom in the cabin. Often there are problems with hand luggage, and in the cabin there is not enough space for all things. However, passengers acknowledge that the tickets of this airline are generally cheap, and the staff is very professional and helpful.
In general, passengers of all airlines most often complain about flight delays, incomprehensible baggage rules, old planes, lack of enough legroom and hand luggage, paid food and tasteless cold sandwiches. Gratitude is caused by the friendliness of the staff and the professionalism of the pilots. Pleasantly surprised by the pilots who communicate with passengers and talk about the cities over which the plane is currently flying. The quality of food on board excites all passengers. According to their reviews, they are best served at Aeroflot, S7 and ALROSA Airlines.
How to choose an airline
Interviewed by RBC experts generally agree with the results of the study. “Among the airlines that fly to the south of Russia, our customers most often choose Aeroflot, S7 and Russia,” says Maya Kotlyar, Director of Individual Tourism at MAYEL Travel. The expert also draws attention to the fact that an additional criterion for evaluating and choosing a flight should be its type: charter or regular. “The charter is bought at a reduced rate and, as a rule, fresh flights do not get on such flights,” Kotlyar says. “Due to this, the cost of the tariff is reduced.”
At the same time, the passenger should remember that a charter is a private booking of a tour operator, which is not a priority for the airport. Accordingly, if there is a change in the schedule, the airport issues regular flights first of all, and the owner of a charter flight ticket may not leave on time, the expert warns.
Maya Kotlyar also recommends choosing airlines that have relatively new aircraft in the fleet - they should be no more than 15 years old. “The airline must have a modern fleet, and it must comply with all safety requirements for transportation,” agrees Alexander Sizintsev, general director of the Biletix service. In his opinion, the quality of food, the availability of entertainment multimedia systems on board, the appearance of stewardesses, etc. - this is, of course, an important, but subjective parameter for evaluating the airline.
“From the point of view of service,“ punctuality of the airline ”comes first, that is, an indicator of the number of delays and canceled flights,” says Sizintsev. “It’s not difficult to find appropriate ratings and data on the Web that demonstrate this indicator for most of the largest Russian and international airlines.”
OneTwoTrip Development Director Arkady Gines adds that you should pay attention to the distance between the backs of the seats. On new models of aircraft, as a rule, the equipment is better (there are USB sockets, more advanced multimedia systems, interesting interior lighting). And if you are traveling with a baby, you should find out if the airline provides a cradle for the baby during the flight - this will greatly facilitate the trip.
It is important to examine the issue of baggage. “For low-cost airlines, as a rule, only hand luggage up to 7-10 kg can be carried for free, for classic airlines luggage is most often included in the price, but just in case, always check the conditions of your fare,” advises Arkady Gines.
If the passenger has an acute issue with special nutrition: vegetarian, kosher, diet - it is worth clarifying whether this or that airline has such an option. “It is important that the passenger has a choice, and that they have on board vegetarian, kosher, halal and other dishes, as well as baby food,” summarizes Arkady Gines of OneTwoTrip.
Ahead of a magical vacation! ... and a ton of new experiences! But before you find yourself on vacation of your dreams, you will have some trouble. We are referring to the very fuss associated with air travel and everything related to this. Have you decided which airline to fly with? Decided which class and flight to choose? Do you know what household items it is better to leave at home so as not to lose them at the customs inspection? We have prepared a series of articles for you that will help you deal with many issues.
Low cost airlines are companies specializing in flights at the lowest possible prices, and here you do not have to wait for any additional services. And even such standard services as choosing a place, placing luggage or ordering food on board are provided for a fee. In addition, tickets for such airlines are extremely disadvantageous to hand over.
There are frequent delays in low cost airlines, although it is worth noting that the fleet consists mainly of new airliners. The explanation for this is savings. New aircraft do not need frequent repairs and are able to fly the same distances as their not-so-new counterparts, but with greater fuel economy.
If you prefer to make flights with comfort, I advise you to standard, so-called traditional, airlines. Convenient and comfortable airliners, modern design, the presence of such additional services as a telephone, TV, Internet on board, a large selection of food and drinks, and also, if necessary, the provision of pillows and blankets for passengers. (Although a really wide range of services can be expected exclusively in the "business" and "first" classes, in the "economy" class everything is much more modest).
If you do not want to get into an awkward situation, I do not recommend choosing little-known companies with a possibly unstable financial situation.
Agree, it’s completely unpleasant to be at any airport and wait for hours to wait for a flight delayed by the fault of the airline. To reduce the risk of getting into such situations, I advise you to give preference to well-known large carriers, for example, such as Aeroflot or Siberia, however, the airfare here will be significantly higher.
By the way, about the prices. Many people do not want to overpay for the cost of the ticket and try to save. In this case, there are several options. Although the lowest cost for airline tickets is from budget companies, it is possible to fly at a reduced price with much greater comfort with traditional airline flights. The fact is that many even eminent companies sometimes announce special promotions, offers to buy tickets to attract even more customers. And yet, the price of a flight will be much lower if the ticket is purchased in advance, for example, two months before the upcoming departure.
Well, of course, do not forget about the loyalty programs that exist in many airlines. If you give preference to any of the companies and fly only with it, with each subsequent purchase of a ticket you accumulate a certain amount of bonuses, which, as a result, can cover the full cost of the flight. We will tell you more about the profitable purchase of airline tickets in our next articles.
There are many more nuances associated with the work of airlines, but these are the main points that should be paid attention in the first place.
P.S. In the next article, you will learn all the pros and cons of regular and charter flights, we will tell you about all the nuances associated with the correct choice of flight.
P.S.S. Please write your opinion and comments at the end of the article. Did you like everything? Perhaps have questions? It is very important for me.
Regards,
Ekaterina Rudnitskaya
Santa Avia Tourism Manager
Airlines - they have existed for a very long time and in recent years there have been a huge number of small companies providing flight services. People are already used to traveling by air, but despite this great experience, the question often arises as to which airline is better.
Ticket price and food on the plane
People are used to choosing an airline precisely for this indicator, but few people think where this price comes from and why we pay so expensive or cheap. Many save on everything, just to buy a cheaper ticket, absolutely not thinking that their life can depend on the quality of the company.
It’s worth overpaying for the name of the airline, because our safety and our life depend on it. Of course, still looking at what airline. There are airlines that are not sorry to overpay, because you know for sure that they are guaranteed to take you to the place you need to be safe and sound. Personally, I am ready to overpay for such airlines as China Airlines, Aeroflot, Dragon Air.
Man from the forum
Cheap flight (Economy class) may not include food at all, even for the money you can’t buy anything on board such an aircraft. In middle-class flights, it becomes possible to choose food from several options, and there is also the opportunity to order something additionally, for example, coffee or tea. 
In the most expensive and comfortable flights (business class or first-class) There is an opportunity to order food from a full menu and not even one. For example, there are separate menus for vegetarian food or for children. Personal preferences are also taken into account, for example, food can be made less oily.
How to save money on airlines
It has already been written above that not only your comfort, but also life can depend on the quality and cost of the company, so before you cut your budget for flights you need to look at the average cost of all the airlines available to you and not lower the budget below this level. 
This is very important because companies providing extremely cheap flights may not meet many basic requirements. In them, in principle, there may be no middle or first class.
Type of aircraft
Of course, additional services and the name of the airline are very important indicators, but they absolutely do not matter if you are flying on a small and old plane.
Good to know. If there are ashtrays on the armrests of the plane, the flight attendant is drawn on the call button and the monitors are not mounted in the seats, then you are clearly flying in the old model of the plane.
At the moment, one of the largest flight companies in Russia - Aeroflot, is using a Boeing 767 or newer models. Its maximum capacity is 235 people and it can correspond to all the above classes. 
Many large airlines can replace the Boeing with IL-62 without warning, the flight quality and ticket price will not change, but many unprepared people are very surprised. 
Also, Tu-204 aircraft, about which there are positive rumors and Airbus A-310, which differ in very large sizes, can be used for flights.
Service on airplanes
In all popular airlines, the level of service is almost at the same level. Air conditioning, a video and audio system with headphones, and three meals a day are all part and parcel of a good flight.
In some companies, for example, Transaero, it is possible to choose between two types of economy class. There is a premium economy class and tourist economy class, you can learn more about each from the company itself.
I flew Aeroflot and Transaero more than once and I can say with full confidence that the first class in Aeroflot is much better. Although Transaero probably suits perfectly for economy flights, none of my friends have ever complained.
Man from the forum
Airline Reliability
If your budget is very limited, additional services are not important for you and you need to fly away urgently, then you still need to pay attention to the reliability of the airline.
Recently, even large companies are increasingly subject to sanctions, one of these situations can be viewed on visual infographics. 
It is also worth considering the possible problems associated with the low price:
- A small number of aircraft. At the slightest malfunction, the plane does not have the right to release into the air, they happen quite often and large companies simply allocate another plane so as not to delay the flight.
But small and cheap companies cannot allow this, so there is a possibility of a delay of several hours or even a whole day. Well, of course, completely unscrupulous companies can put you on a faulty plane, which is a very strict violation of the law.
- Outdated aircraft models. If a small company has enough aircraft, they are likely to be of very low quality (old or refurbished used)
- No equipment on the plane. There will be no air conditioning, no audio, no video. For several hours of flight, you can forget about them.
- Food and drinks. If they will be sold, then at a clearly inflated price, which, most likely, will not suit you if you chose a similar class of flight.
- Departure time. It will almost always be extremely inconvenient, because, as mentioned above, such companies have very few aircraft.
- The airport is far from the city. You have to spend extra money on a transfer, of course, you can also hitchhiking, but this is not suitable for everyone and not in every country.
- Returning or exchanging a ticket is almost impossible. There are probably a few very persistent people who managed to do this. Almost always, small airlines fight to the last just not to give back the money you paid.
Video about choosing an airline
This video will clearly show the scale of one of the best and largest flight company in Russia.
Conclusion
When choosing an airline you need to understand well what level of service you need and how much money you are willing to spend on it. When choosing a cheap airline, be sure to read reviews and focus on the quality of aircraft.
Summing up the results of 2017, the Federal Air Transport Agency published brief statistics on the work of the civil aviation of the Russian Federation. Overall picture for the participants russian airlines rating 2018it looks good. The air transportation market continues to evolve, and almost all of the reliable Russian airlines on the list showed an average increase of 15% in the number of passengers and flown kilometers. At the same time, the weight of the first five airlines continues to grow. If in 2017 they occupied 67.4% of the total, then in 2018 it is already 85%.
Travel with a reliable tour operator: .
Read also: , the best air carriers of the year according to Skytrax.
Opens the rating of the largest airlines in Russia Nordwind Airlines, it is also the "North Wind". Over the past year, the number of passengers amounted to 3.5 million people and compared to 2016 increased by 95%. Passenger turnover also showed growth, an increase of 44%.
One of the largest charter carriers in Russia, which transported more than 2.2 million passengers in 2017, was summoned to the Federal Air Transport Agency in the summer of 2016 due to constant long-term flight delays up to several tens of hours. The carrier promised to take action. In case of inability to establish regular departures at the exact time, the company faces a restriction on transportation.
Azur Air was a subsidiary of UTair, but two years ago launched into independent navigation. In 2017, the number of passengers of the company amounted to 3.6 million people, almost 2/3 more compared to 2016.
Globus is a member of the S7 Group, being a subsidiary of the Siberian airline giant, which ranked second in the ranking of the best airlines. 2017 was a favorable year for the company - the number of passengers increased by 20.2%, amounting to 4.1 million people.
A subsidiary of Aeroflot, which took over the baton from Dobroleta, which died as a result of sanctions, is positioned as a budget. Although the first tickets for flights of the new airline were sold only two years ago, it confidently entered the top 10 airlines in Russia.
The number of passengers in 2017 amounted to 4.3 million people, an increase of 5% compared to 2016. Despite his youth, the flights of the "Victory" have already gained scandals. User dissatisfaction is caused by the policy of silence of the real price of the flight, the requirements to pay for the opportunity to sit together with families, flight delays and cases where more tickets are sold than the number of seats.
In fifth place in the ranking of Russian airlines in 2018 are Ural Airlines, which transported 7.5 million people in 2017, showing an increase of 25%. In the meantime, the company requires the Federal Air Transport Agency to pay for the transportation of veterans of the Great Patriotic War to celebrate the anniversary of Victory in 2015. Rosaviatsia rejected the application for payment, complaining that it does not contain the words “including VAT” and other points of the same degree of importance.
The owner of the world's largest operating helicopter fleet, it seems, has recovered from the crisis of late 2014. In 2017, the number of passengers carried by this company amounted to 6.8 million people, an increase of 9.1% compared to 2016.
The second subsidiary airline of the giant Aeroflot, which entered the top ten of the rating of Russian airlines in 2018, transported more than 10.6 million people last year, showing an impressive increase in the number of passengers by 41.5% - the highest of the airlines participating in the rating. At the same time, the passenger turnover increased by 55.3%.
Siberia is in second place in the rating of the largest airlines in Russia, it is also S7 Airlines, which carries out transportation to 83 destinations both in Russia and abroad. Most of the latter, however, are served by partner airlines. In total, 9.3 million passengers were transported in 2017.
The Russians continue to fly Aeroflot airplanes. In 2017, the company transported more than 30.5 million people, having outstripped the runner-up in Siberia by more than 3 times in terms of this indicator. Not surprisingly, Aeroflot is the largest and oldest Russian airline that has been carrying passengers since 1923. Although the company was blacklisted in Ukraine, this does not prevent the increase in the number of shipments.
According to criteria such as the number of passengers and passenger turnover, the company over the past year recorded an increase of 12%. By the way Aeroflot can also be called one of the safest airlines in 2018 in Russia - not a single major plane crash occurred on its lines, considering, of course, subsidiaries and the misfortunes caused by the actions of third parties. In the airline safety rating published in 2017 by the audit company JACDEC, Aeroflot is in 37th place.
World Airlines Safety Rating 2017 (JACDEC)
| Rank | Airline | Country | Carrier code | Safety index |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cathay Pacific Airways | China, Hong-Kong | CX, CPA | 0,005 |
| 2 | Air new zealand | New zealand | NZ, ANZ | 0,007 |
| 3 | Hainan airlines | China | Hu chh | 0,009 |
| 4 | Qatar Airways | Qatar | QR, QTR | 0,009 |
| 5 | K L M | Netherlands | KL, KLM | 0,011 |
| 6 | EVA Air | Taiwan | BR, EVA | 0,012 |
| 7 | Emirates | United arab emirates | EK, UAE | 0,013 |
| 8 | Etihad airways | United arab emirates | EY, ETD | 0,014 |
| 9 | QANTAS | Australia | QF, QFA | 0,015 |
| 10 | Japan airlines | Japan | JL, JAL | 0,015 |
| 11 | All nippon airways | Japan | NH, ANA | 0,016 |
| 12 | Lufthansa | Germany | LH, DLH | 0,016 |
| 13 | TAP Portugal | Portugal | TP, TAP | 0,017 |
| 14 | Virgin atlantic airways | United kingdom | VS, VIR | 0,017 |
| 15 | Delta air lines | USA | DL, DAL | 0,018 |
| 16 | Air canada | Canada | AC, ACA | 0,02 |
| 17 | jetBlue Airways | USA | B6, JBU | 0,02 |
| 18 | Virgin australia | Australia | VA, VOZ | 0,02 |
| 19 | British airways | United kingdom | BA, BAW | 0,023 |
| 20 | Air berlin | Germany | AB, BER | 0,023 |
| 21 | Westjet airlines | Canada | WS, WJA | 0,023 |
| 22 | Sichuan airlines | China | 3U, CSC | 0,028 |
| 23 | Norwegian air shuttle | Norway | DY, NAX | 0,032 |
| 24 | Shenzhen airlines | China | ZH, CSZ | 0,032 |
| 25 | Iberia | Spain | IB, IBE | 0,034 |
| 26 | Jetstar airways | Australia | JQ, JST | 0,036 |
| 27 | Southwest airlines | USA | WN, SWA | 0,037 |
| 28 | Easyjet | United kingdom | U2, EZY | 0,037 |
| 29 | Airasia | Malaysia | AK, AXM | 0,043 |
| 30 | Thomson airways | United kingdom | BY, TOM | 0,047 |
| 31 | United airlines | USA | UA, UAL | 0,051 |
| 32 | Singapore Airlines | Singapore | SQ, SIA | 0,051 |
| 33 | China Eastern Airlines | China | MU, CES | 0,061 |
| 34 | Ryairair | Ireland | FR, RYR | 0,064 |
| 35 | Swiss | Switzerland | LX, SWR | 0,064 |
| 36 | Latam chile | Chile | LA, LAN | 0,095 |
| 37 | Aeroflot | Russia | SU, AFL | 0,101 |
| 38 | Jet airways | India | 9W, JAI | 0,109 |
| 39 | Alitalia | Italy | AZ, AZA | 0,113 |
| 40 | Air india | India | AI, AIC | 0,115 |
| 58 | Garuda indonesia | Indonesia | GA, GIA | 0,77 |
| 59 | Avianca colombia | Colombia | AV, AVA | 0,914 |
| 60 | China airlines | Taiwan | CI, CAL | 0,977 |
Choosing one or another airline for a flight, almost everyone is based on the concept of reliability and safety. This applies to the design of the liner, as well as the upcoming flight. According to the sites conducting research in the field of flights among Russian airlines for safety, the best airlines in Russia still hold their positions.
The airline market is constantly under development, and passenger traffic is growing every day.
What should I look for when choosing an airline?
In many airlines, in order to increase passenger flow, various promotions are held that promote discounts on reuse or lower airfare. What can it be connected with and what can be reflected in?
- Customer service level.
When purchasing tickets, it is imperative to pay attention to what category you fall into. Depending on the class of service, the difference in service and, consequently, in the cost of tickets appears in the future. Even at the best Russian airlines, airfare prices are distributed depending on the class chosen by the client: economy, business and first.
- Frequency of flight delays.
Sometimes it happens that some carriers experience frequent departure delays. As a rule, this happens with charter flights. But sometimes departures are delayed on regular flights. The reasons may be different. For example, many departures in one direction, waiting in line, additional checks on board or emergency repairs. Developed companies strictly monitor the technical condition of air transport and equipment, and also calculate flight times in such a way as not to create flight delays, taking care that customers are delivered to their destination on time and on time.
- Service on board.
Thousands of flights are made every day, often their routes intersect. Due to this, there is a lot of competition. In order to attract customers to themselves, carriers try to diversify the additional services offered on board. Nowadays, many people at work need a constant Internet connection, including at the height. Such a service has now become available among the best airlines in Russia. For an additional fee, you can be online during the flight and work on the Web.
In the event that the journey lasts more than 6 hours, passengers are given pillows and blankets. But even if the flight takes a very short time, there is always the opportunity to ask for a pillow and a blanket.
- Meals on board.
Flights over 3 hours are already considered long and, as a rule, include meals on board. Depending on the class of service and airline, the menu for passengers differs in its selection. Usually, if the flight takes place at night or early in the morning, a choice of juice, tea, coffee and a light meal is served, and a hot dish, tea, coffee or juice with snacks are served day and night.
- The technical condition of the liners.
Not all airlines regularly update their fleet. Many customers before the flight still study information about the state and number of aircraft in the fleet of the selected carrier. As a rule, among the best airlines in Russia, the fleet is regularly updated. The new aircraft subconsciously evokes a feeling of greater reliability than a liner with cracked skin. The new aircraft have modern equipment, they are equipped with the latest developments in the field of technology specializing in aviation. They can develop high speeds, while consuming less fuel. It is known that in the fleet of low-cost companies, as a rule, most liners are completely new, because less money is spent on their maintenance. This makes it possible to lower ticket prices.
- Airfare
For most customers, the price of the ticket plays a decisive role in choosing a flight. Air carriers arrange various promotions or temporarily reduce the cost of a certain direction during a non-seasonal period. To attract more customer attention, many airlines have resorted to such a marketing move, as indicating next to the price information that there are only a few seats at this cost.
Airline Marketing Tricks
It is also noted that if you request the same date on the same site, then initially the low price is no longer displayed. In order to see cheap tickets again, you need to go from another ip-address. You can try just changing your browser. Tickets purchased a few months before departure are usually 25% cheaper than those sold a few days before the flight.
Among the top 10 airlines in Russia, the most important ones can be distinguished by rating, security and the number of flights made.
Aeroflot
Aeroflot still holds the leading position, transporting more than 20 million people over the previous year. Being one of the oldest and largest airlines in the world, it regularly carries passengers since the mid 20-ies of the XX century.
According to studies conducted in 2016, it is considered one of the safest airlines in the world. Over the previous year, passenger traffic grew by 12% compared to 2015. Today, the company ranks first in the ranking of the best airlines in Russia.
S7
For many years now, the Siberian air carrier has shown itself as a reliable company and is gaining confidence among more and more customers. Carrying out communication with the largest cities of Russia, she often holds campaigns and places special offers on her site. Thanks to this, many people fly S7 flights in Russia in business class at fairly affordable prices.
According to a study to identify which airline is the best in Russia in 2016, carried out on the basis of an anonymous questionnaire, the number of reserved seats in classes with increased comfort was made by people making flights on business and business trips. By operating flights to 80 destinations in Russia and abroad, the company cooperates with partner airlines, including even the world famous British Airways.
By selling combined tickets, S7 manages to reduce the cost of flights by making transfers and connecting flights. Over the past year, about 10 million people took advantage of airline flights.
"Russia"
As a subsidiary of Aeroflot, Russia is also among the top best airlines in Russia. Over the past year, more than 7 million people have used the services of this carrier in various areas of the country and abroad.
The growth dynamics of air tickets sold amounted to more than 40% compared with previous years. The airline is based in St. Petersburg and carries out most of its flights from Pulkovo. Flights with numbers 6 are operated on behalf of Aeroflot, and flights starting at 5 are operated under the name of Russia.
Utair
The Russian airline Utair has been operating since the mid-20th century and is also considered one of the best airlines in Russia. In addition to the fleet of airliners, with more than 60 airliners, it also has a fleet of helicopters.
Over the past year, the airline transported more than 5 million people, which increased its turnover by about 19%. Based at Moscow Vnukovo Airport.
Ural Airlines
The air carrier has been operating regular and charter flights on the Russian aviation market for more than 20 years. During flights within the country and abroad, the company transported more than 5 million people last year. It has a wide fleet of liners, which are mainly air buses, and is one of the five best airlines in Russia.
The company is based in Koltsovo in Yekaterinburg and Moscow Domodedovo Airport and operates flights to more than 200 destinations. A few years ago, she opened her own simulator for the training and education of pilots.
Summarizing
In this case, it is difficult to answer the question of which airline is the best in Russia. The answer may be subjective. After all, each person has their own preferences and tastes. Which airline to give preference to, will have to decide on their own based on personal wishes and experience.