Pobeda Airlines, a self-described "low-cost" airline, plans to launch flights from Tbilisi to Yekaterinburg and Perm this fall. The company has also planned at least one more route to Tbilisi, according to a Travel.ru correspondent.
Flights to Yekaterinburg will begin on October 30th and will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Departure from Tbilisi is at 12:50 AM, arriving in Yekaterinburg at 5:15 AM. Return departure is at 6:05 AM, arriving in Tbilisi at 8:25 AM.
The Perm line will open on October 29 and will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Departure from Tbilisi is at 0:50 AM, arriving in Perm at 5:10 AM. Return departure is at 6:00 AM, arriving in Tbilisi at 8:25 AM.
The lowest one-way ticket price currently available on both routes is 3,299 rubles, excluding baggage, seat selection, and other fees. Tickets for select dates were also available for 509 rubles when sales opened. The route will be operated on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a single-class configuration and 189 seats.
It remains unclear where Pobeda's plane will arrive in Tbilisi by midnight and where it will depart from there in the morning. It's possible it will be Krasnodar, from which flights to Tbilisi may begin in October.
Passengers planning to fly with Pobeda should be aware of a number of specific features of this airline, exercise extreme caution and attentiveness, and be prepared for various complications and surprises both when booking a ticket and during the flight itself. As a reminder, Pobeda only allows free carry-on baggage with the unusual dimensions of 36 x 30 x 27 centimeters. Furthermore, the company, under false pretenses, refuses to allow passengers to carry items that are absolutely free according to Federal Aviation Regulations, including briefcases, handbags, and outerwear. The carrier has already lost the case in the first instance court, but continues to appeal the rules in subsequent courts, simultaneously continuing to ignore the law and passengers' rights.
Moreover, the company is demanding that the Ministry of Transport enshrine its wishes in law. Soon, passengers of all Russian airlines may lose their guarantee of free carriage of briefcases, handbags, backpacks, outerwear, as well as baby food, medications, canes, crutches, and other medically necessary items. This is according to a draft order from the Ministry of Transport, prepared following a request from Pobeda Airlines, which demanded that passengers be stripped of all these guarantees. If approved, all Russian carriers will be able to limit passengers to 5 kilograms of carry-on baggage, with the airlines themselves being able to determine the permissible dimensions of such baggage (Pobeda Airlines already uses a tiny "calibrator" measuring 36x30x27 centimeters, which is unable to accommodate many standard small city bags, as well as some mobile electronics, such as some laptops).
Meanwhile, Pobeda's small checked baggage allowance, although no longer free, remains affordable. Pobeda has introduced a new fee for 10 kilograms of checked baggage, now 499 rubles (1,000 rubles when paid at the airport). A 20-kilogram baggage allowance remains at 1,499 rubles (3,000 rubles at the airport). It's worth remembering that 2% must be added to all online fees and Pobeda fares.
There is no onboard food service, regardless of the flight duration, and attempts to bring your own food in a separate bag may result in a 2,000-ruble check-in fee (unless it fits into Pobeda's baggage checker along with the rest of your carry-on baggage). When purchasing a ticket on the Pobeda website at the minimum "Standard" fare, the company includes paid insurance by default. To opt out, you must uncheck the relevant options at the bottom of the additional services selection page.
There are also problems with returning or changing a ticket in the event of flight disruptions or schedule changes - Pobeda hides the toll-free call center for forced changes and refunds. There are also problems with boarding a flight - Pobeda can herd passengers into the apron bus even before the plane itself appears at the airport. Seat selection is paid, and to encourage the purchase of this service, Pobeda can deliberately seat passengers flying together at opposite ends of the cabin and prohibit them from changing seats. The year before last, this led to a loud scandal: Pobeda turned in a family with a baby to the police for an attempt by the parents to reunite on the plane - after the airline itself deliberately seated them in different rows in an attempt to earn an extra 149 rubles from each of the passengers for changing seats.
Source: travel.ru