The 2018 World Cup is being held in Russia, with most matches being hosted in the country’s capital of Moscow. Additionally, some auxiliary matches are being held in smaller cities surrounding Moscow in European Russia.
In this article, I’ll give you a rundown of the best routing to Russia for the World Cup. Do note that award availability may be limited during the World Cup due to increased tourism. However, keep persisting and searching for award travel, and you may be able to score a decent award ticket (hopefully in first or business class, too!)
I’ve broken the flight options down by alliance and have noted the best routing options for each, taking into account business class product, flight duration, and point cost. Note this article only covers flights from the United States to Moscow.
SkyTeam: Direct Flights From the USA
Aeroflot —the flag carrier of Russia—is the only carrier currently operating nonstop flights from the United States to Moscow, Russia’s Sheremetyevo airport (SVO). The carrier runs direct flights between Moscow and New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Miami on its 777-300ER aircraft.
This aircraft is fitted with economy, premium economy, and business class seats. In business, the aircraft has respectable lie-flat seats arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration. Economy seats are arranged 3-4-3 and have personal entertainment.
You can book Aeroflot tickets with most SkyTeam award miles. The best deal is booking the flight with FlyingBlue miles. Currently, a roundtrip business class award costs 125,000 points while an economy round trip is just 50,000 round trip. Alternatively, you can redeem Delta miles for the same award at a rate of 170,000 SkyMiles in business class and 70,000 round trip in economy.
You can also fly to Moscow via Amsterdam or Paris on Air France, KLM, and Delta Airlines. These carriers may have better award availability and have identical pricing when booked with FlyingBlue.
You can transfer points to FlyingBlue from American Express, Chase, SPG, and Citi ThankYou.
Star Alliance: More Choice
Star Alliance has a ton of routing options from the United States to Moscow. Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SAS, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, and LOT Polish Airlines all operate flights from their respective hubs to Moscow. Additionally, these airlines operate flights to many major American hubs. Alternatively, you can fly United Airlines to a European hub (Frankfurt, for example) and connect onwards with one of the listed carriers.
Even better, most of these airlines have solid business class products. One of my favorites is Austrian Airlines. The carrier’s long-haul fleet has excellent seats and other amenities like on-board espresso. Alternatively, those wanting to fly on a A380 or 747 may prefer flying Lufthansa through Frankfurt.
There are a number of ways to book these awards. Singapore Airlines charges just 55,000 points round trip in economy from the United States to Russia. Those wanting business class can choose from ANA or United Miles; ANA costs 88,000 miles round trip and United costs 140,000 roundtrip. However, ANA may tack on pricey surcharges.
You can transfer miles from American Express to ANA. Additionally, United miles transfer in from Chase while Singapore accepts transfers from American Express, Chase, SPG, and Citi ThankYou points.
Oneworld: Cheap Award Tickets
The best way to fly from the United States to Russia on a Oneworld carrier is on Finnair. They fly a relatively new fleet of aircraft with posh business class seats from all most U.S. gateways. Further, Finnair doesn’t impose hefty fuel surcharges like British Airways on any of partners—even if you book with British Airways Avios.
The best way to book this award is by using Asia Miles. These points transfer in from American Express and SPG, and the awards cost just 80,000 miles round trip in business class and 45,000 miles in economy. What a steal!
If you’re out of Amex and SPG points, don’t fret. You can book these awards online using most major Oneworld currencies like British Airways Avios and American Airlines miles. These awards cost 65,000 and 60,000 miles in economy and 180,000 and 115,000 miles in business using Avios and American miles respectively.
A Note on Intra-Russia Flights
Plan on connecting to St. Petersburg or another Russian city for a match? We recommend paying cash for these flights. Ticket prices are often less than $75 one-way on budget carriers, which, considering the flight is less than an hour-and-a-half, shouldn’t be a big deal.
Enjoy the World Cup!
Let me know which flights you plan on taking in the comments if you’re going to the World Cup in Russia!
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