The young Russian airline Nordwind airlines is considered part of the Pegas-Touristik enterprise, specializing in cargo and passenger transportation to anywhere in the world. The main office is located at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow.
Today, aviation is considered the most reliable, convenient and fastest way to travel. To work in this industry, you need to be not only a professional in love with the sky, but also understand the responsibility for the safety of each flight.
Russian civil aviation began its history in 1923. And the official birthday of the Russian fleet is considered to be February 9th. Already in July, an internal line in the direction of Moscow-Nizhny Novgorod began to work. The Ministry of Civil Aviation was created in 1964, and since 2004, all responsibility has been transferred to the Federal Air Transport Agency.
Today, Russian civil aviation has about 3,930 aircraft and 2,040 helicopters in its fleet. This branch of the economy of our country is considered the most dynamically developing. Qualitywork meets the declared world standards, and the route network of transportation (freight and passenger) is developing at a rapid pace.
Rating of Russian airlines
1. Yamal Airlines can boast of the best quality of service and the minimum flight waiting time. According to passengers, they were also pleasantly surprised by the ticket prices.
2. Honorary silver from the Russian charter airline Ifly, which operates flights to the most popular tourist destinations in Russia and abroad.
3. The bronze rating was taken by KogalymAvia, which operates frequent domestic flights and less often international flights.
4. The firm four in the rating and in terms of quality of service was occupied by Ural Airlines.
5. Aeroflot, the largest and oldest company in Russia, took the 5th position. Despite the rather high status for the service, 3 was received. The expensive cost of tickets is in no way compatible with constant delays or cancellations of flights without the knowledge of passengers.
6. For the discrepancy between the cost and quality of services, another major airline, Transaero, received a C grade.
7. The "Siberian" airline could compete for 6th place, if not for the feedback from passengers about frequent delays and untimely departures.
8. The rating is completed by UTair. Despite the low cost of tickets, it has one interesting problem: the frequent replacement of the aircraft. For example, you bought a ticket in business class, but ended up flying on another plane and in economy. Yes, that happens too.
Please note that not all aviation representatives of our country are included in the rating of Russian airlines, but this does not mean that it is dangerous to use their services. And remember that flying is considered the safest mode of transport, so fly with pleasure.
Creation and development of the airline
Nordwind Airlines, reviews of which you will read a little later, is considered the most dynamically developing in the Russian aviation market. It appeared in 2008 and by the time of its foundation it had only 3 aircraft in its fleet. But despite this, she operated regular charter flights to 6 resort destinations.
Already five years later, the route network expanded and began to include 97 destinations in 27 points of the world. The development did not stop there, and by 2014 Nordwind Airlines began operating flights to South America, Africa, and Asia.
If in 2008 the company carried only 20,000 passengers, the next year this figure exceeded half a million. By 2010, the mark exceeded 1 million, and this figure only grew every year. According to official figures, by the end of 2014, the number of passengers carried reached 4.5 million.
With the active growth of passenger traffic, not only the geography of flights, but also the aircraft fleet has expanded. It is hard to believe that a company that had only 3 aircraft at the beginning of its journey will have 44 aircraft in its fleet in 5 years, most of which are Boeing 767-300ER.
Parkaircraft
According to the representatives of the "North Wind", the company has been constantly striving to meet high standards on board its aircraft since its foundation in order to ensure the safety, convenience and timeliness of flights for each passenger. This bar and goal has also been reflected in the fleet of Nordwind Airlines.
Passenger reviews of airliners are positive, as many noted the novelty and convenience of aircraft. Also, the high professional training of pilots, who know how to "softly" land the ship, without causing discomfort to passengers, did not go unnoticed.
This year the airline owns Boeing 767-300ER (18 units), 737-800 (6 units), 757-200ER (8 units), 777-200ER (3 units), Airbus 320 -232 (1 unit) and Airbus 321-200 (8 units). The expansion of the fleet does not stop, and in the near future "Northern Wind" plans to purchase 5 of the latest Irkut MS-21 airliners.
Flights & Destinations
At present, not only flight programs are expanding, but the number of cities is also increasing. In 2013, Pegas-Touristik signed an agreement with Ikar Airlines and Kharkiv Airlines. But, as representatives of the "North Wind" said, these charter airlines are not their property. Agree that, in fact, it doesn’t matter to passengers whose services they use, for them safety, comfort, the type of airliner and a high level of service are in the first place.
Since Pegas-Touristik is considered the main operator of the airliner,the routes are specialized in tourist destinations. It is impossible to schedule all Nordwind Airlines flights, so we focus on the most popular.
The most popular destination is the Turkish city of Antalya. Egypt, Tunisia, Istanbul and Ankara became no less popular in terms of attendance.
The company's planes will take you to Spain or the Canary Islands, Greece or Mexico, the Emirates or Germany, and a long flight to Thailand will simply fly by for you.
Positive opinions from passengers
Any company, regardless of its status, should be able to listen to the dissatisfaction of passengers and try to correct mistakes as quickly as possible, this fate did not bypass Nordwind Airlines. Reviews of tourists are sometimes so contradictory, it seems that we are talking about completely different carriers. But after carefully sorting out all the dissatisfaction, a fairly large number of positive points were found:
- credit must be given to the safety, high professionalism of the pilots and other crew members. Many passengers, comparing the carrier with others, are more inclined to the services of Nordwind Airlines.
- tickets for tour operators and tourists are inexpensive. This advantage will be appreciated by those who want to save a little on vacation.
- the friendliness of the staff also did not go unnoticed. According to passengers, flight attendants are friendly and try to create maximum comfort during the flight, not only for adults, but also for children. Small tourists are given inflatable toys anddrawing kits.
Although the food, according to many passengers, is rated as satisfactory, there were no sharp complaints about this. If you are flying with children, then tourists with "experience" recommend taking your own food with you.
Reasons for dissatisfaction
There were slightly more negative reviews than positive ones. The main dissatisfaction was caused by constant transfers or delays of flights. According to the opinion of one of the passengers, who was able to compare the level of service thanks to his work, as many as 3 times he flew out of schedule. But one could turn a blind eye to this if the duration of the delay did not vary from 2 hours to a day! Because of this, many have received significant problems at work, as they did not start their duties on time.
Most of the dissatisfaction was caused by the inconvenience of the airliner:
- in Airbus 321 the space between the seats is too narrow;
- sometimes it is very cold in the cabin, and there are not enough blankets;
- toilet malfunction.
Additional services
Consist in the transportation of special valuable baggage by special transportation. The company also accepts fragile baggage for flights, but on one condition: they are not responsible for the safety of the packaging.
For example, breakable or fragile items are accepted into the passenger cabin only upon prior agreement with the airline representatives and additional screening.
Documents, money and precious jewelry cannot be checked in with baggage, so passengersshould keep them to yourself. The list of contents of checked baggage must not contain perishable food, valuables, tablets, keys, official documents.
Business Class
Any self-respecting company should offer services for VIP passengers. The high level of business class service will allow passengers to enjoy every second of the flight, and exclusive treats will make the flight unforgettable.
Specially composed menu includes cuisines from many countries of the world. When ordering a dish you like, you can be sure that the airline's chef will cook it at the highest level.
An important detail is the distance between the seats (96 cm), which will allow you to forget about the narrow aisle and inconvenience during the flight.
Is there online registration?
This question often worries many Nordwind Airlines passengers. Check-in for the flight is carried out 2 hours before departure and ends 40 minutes. With regard to online registration, it is currently under development and is currently temporarily unavailable.
Family travel
If you decide to go on vacation with the whole family, then this information is for you. Each passenger under the age of two travels by plane without a separate seat. When buying a ticket, you must indicate the date of birth by presenting a document confirming the age of the baby.
If you are flying on board an aircraft equipped with a children's stationarybassinet, this service is available only for children under 1 year old.
By contacting the company representatives in advance, you can also order baby food. If you forgot to notify the airline staff, then babies under 2 years of age will not be served meals.
The subtleties of the flight for pregnant women
Before the flight, the expectant mother and the Russian charter airline enter into an agreement. A medical certificate on the condition of the pregnant woman must be issued no earlier than a week before the flight. A pregnant woman is allowed to board the aircraft no later than 28 days before the due date.
Conclusion
Summing up about Nordwind Airlines (reviewed above), we can say that the airline will be an excellent solution for those who are willing to sacrifice possible discomfort for the sake of a safe and budget trip.
And for demanding people, we advise you either to turn to the services of another air carrier, or not to expect too much from the flight and service.
