Pobeda Airlines, a self-described "low-cost" airline, plans to launch flights from St. Petersburg to Bergamo, near Milan, this fall. The route will open on October 11 and will operate three times a week—on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, according to a Travel.ru correspondent.
From October 11th to 25th, departure from St. Petersburg is at 10:30 AM, arriving in Bergamo at 12:55 PM. Return departure is at 1:25 PM, arriving in St. Petersburg at 5:40 PM. From October 28th, departure from St. Petersburg is at 11:00 AM, arriving in Bergamo at 12:25 PM. Return departure is at 12:55 PM, arriving in St. Petersburg at 6:10 PM.
The lowest one-way ticket price currently available is 3,149 rubles, excluding baggage, seat selection, airport check-in, and other fees. The route will use a Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a single-class configuration and 189 seats.
Check-in at Pobeda Airlines departure counters from international airports (including Bergamo) will be subject to a fee of 25 euros starting October 28. To avoid this fee, passengers will have to check in online in advance (and only during a very limited window from 24 to 4 hours before departure) and present their boarding pass at the airport. Pobeda Airlines' website claims that an electronic boarding pass on a mobile phone will be sufficient, but its representatives insisted on social media that a printed copy of the online boarding pass will also be required. Should Pobeda Airlines fail to reach an agreement on this issue, passengers should consider printing it. This is most easily done at almost any hotel (even if the passenger is not staying there) by contacting the check-in desk or concierge.
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 a case on this issue in the Supreme Court, but continues to file appeals while simultaneously ignoring 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