Russian tour operators can start selling trips to Georgia in the next two weeks, that is, until the end of May. On this subject informed Vestnik ATOR (Association of Tour Operators of Russia) with reference to market players interviewed.
Now their clients have access to “land programs” of visits to Georgia – by road from North Ossetia through the Upper Lars checkpoint. However, with the resumption of direct flights, it will be possible to form tours based on the flights of Russian and Georgian airlines.
The company “Intourist” explained that this will become possible as soon as the carriers “standardize the schedules”, and the direct flights “will be recorded on the GDS” (Global Distribution System, global reservation system). FUN&SUN agreed with the view that Georgia tours with airfare could go on sale within two weeks. The Russian Express travel agency has announced that it is ready to start forming packages “a few days” after the flights appear in the reservation system.
Tickets for Moscow-Tbilisi-Moscow flights are already sold by the Russian airline Azimuth, which is licensed to serve this route. After the opening of sales, its website became unstable, but tickets can also be purchased on various aggregators.
The Russian airline Red Wings deposit to the Federal Air Transport Agency a request for flights to Tbilisi not only from Moscow, but also from Samara and Kazan. What other Russian carriers have requested from the Civil Aviation Agency of Georgia is still unknown.
Price order
Judging by data from the Azimuth website, the minimum cost of a one-way flight is about 17.5 thousand rubles in May and about 20.8 thousand rubles in June. This price is formed taking into account the situation in the market and is comparable to the cost of flights by Azimuth from Moscow to Yerevan, explain RBC co-owner and chairman of the board of the airline Pavel Udod.
“There is a price in the range of 15-20 thousand rubles. This is a justified price (for flight reimbursement). So far, nothing supernatural (with prizes for Tbilisi) has been done. Then we will see – we will respond to the market”, said the general director of Azimut. According to him, ticket sales for direct flights to Tbilisi “are going well, actively, but there is no excitement “.
Vestnik ATOR notes that with such prices and a flight time of about 4 hours, a Georgian Airways and Air Dilijans flight with a technical landing in Yerevan seems to be more convenient – the flight time difference is half a hour and tickets are 10% cheaper.
In addition, the aviation authorities of Georgia approved an application for admission to the service of the same direction with the national carrier Georgian Airways – it will start operating flights from May 20. Posts from her have just appeared in aggregators – and they are clearly cheaper than that of Azimuth. So, a flight from Vnukovo to Tbilisi on May 27 costs 11,664 rubles. For comparison: Azimuth sells tickets for 28,443 rubles on this day. In addition, the flight of the Georgian airline is one hour less.
The idea that How much will it cost package tours with direct flights can be compiled taking into account the price of tickets (at least 20.8 thousand rubles from Azimuth for June) and data from the tour operator TEZ TOUR, which so far only offers to book hotels in Georgia without flight. Seven nights for two at the Crystal Kobuleti 3* in the Adjara region with arrival on June 1 cost from 23,266 rubles, at the London Palace 3* in Tbilisi — from 27,117 rubles.
“Yes, superjet”
Russian airlines will only be able to fly the Russia-Georgia route with SSJ-100 planes, as the Georgian Civil Aviation Agency said the plane should not face international sanctions. A similar warning was issued by United Airports of Georgia.
The SSJ-100 is part of the fleet of national carriers Rossiya, Severstal, Azimuth, Iraero and Red Wings. Azimuth alone will not be able to satisfy the market demand for direct flights, since its planes have a small capacity (up to 100 people), declared in an interview with TASS, Artur Muradyan, vice president of ATOR, general manager of tour operator Space Travel. At the same time, Georgian Airwais plans to operate seven flights per week on Boeing 737-700 and -800 with a capacity of 141 and 180 seats respectively.
Russian travel bloggers received the news of the resumption of direct flights to Georgia with little optimism. So, the author of the travel telegram channel “I go I go I run” advise do not buy tickets yet. “Let the flights at least start flying, and do at least a week of regular flights. And there, the route, the schedule, the regularity will become clear and the prices could drop (should)”, he argues. ” Yes Dear. Yes, it is outrageously expensive. Yes, superjet. But he is,” commented news about the start of ticket sales Azimuth, the author of the Real Zakharkov channel.
Read the Latest Ukraine War News on The Eastern Herald.
