Aeroflot? I'd Rather not.

by Pa Rock

Retired Globetrotter

A friend of mine posted a funny tweet the other evening linking Senator Ted Cruz to Russia's national airline, Aeroflot.  That reminded me of a personal journey that I once took on Aeroflot, and I tweeted back that I would relate that tale via this blog.

My flight on Aeroflot was from London to Moscow in May of 1999, just a week or so after the birth of my first grandchild - who is now about to graduate from college (yea, Boone!).  I was headed to Russia and then on to Sweden as part of a social work tour for graduate students from several universities.  My particular small group (three of us) from the University of Missouri flew out of St. Louis to Newark, New Jersey, on an American Airlines passenger jet.  At Newark we boarded an elegant British Airways airliner for the flight to London - which took us directly over the New York City skyline where I had my first and only view of the World Trade Center's twin towers.  We disembarked at Heathrow in London and minutes later boarded a much less elegant, and much older, Aeroflot for the flight on to Moscow.  

Because I knew we were going to be in the air for a long damned time, I packed everything that I could in my checked bag so that I would not have to lug it through multiple airports.  Unfortunately, one of the items that I stuffed into the checked bag was a smaller bag containing my diabetes medications.  That was a mistake that I have never repeated!

By the time our bumpy, low altitude flight reached Moscow, I was way overdue in taking my meds.  While out group waitied in the airpot for the arrival of the tour bus that would take us to the hotel, I went through my checked bag and discovered that my medications and a leather belt had disappeared.  Everyone with whom I discussed the matter told me that the crime was not unusual, and that it had certainly been conducted by Aeroflot staff - and that there was nothing that could be done about it.  

That night I was examined by hotel doctors, transported by ambulance to a Russian hospital on the other side of Moscow, and examined by chain-smoking hospital doctors who were open in their resentment of having to leave the comfort of the hospital cafeteria in order to deal with me.   The evening culminated around midnight with our young British tour guide teaching me how to hitchhike in Moscow as we made our way back to the hotel on our own.  I remember amusing myself by whistling "Midnight in Moscow" while Cornelius was busy flagging down Ladas.

I recounted the complete adventure in this blog on February 10, 2008, in a piece entitled "Midnight in Moscow."  This morning I reread it for the first time in fourteen years and found the entry to be a passable and somewhat amusing account of my first night in Russia's capital.   (For those who would like the full story, it might be easiest to access by googling "Pa Rock's Ramble, Midnight in Moscow.")

Now, unfortunately, it looks as though it may be awhile before Americans are once again allowed to hitchhike around Moscow at all hours of the day or night!

Vlad, you suck - and so does Aeroflot!