Propellors over the mountains
Written: Nov 05 '03
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Western aircraft, cosy, better than driving.
Cons: No onboard service, limited carry-on, regular ticket price quite high.
The Bottom Line: ---
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| vodkaboy's Full Review: Caucasus Airlines |
The Caucasus republics comprise Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan, nestling in the Caucasus mountains. Although close together, not far apart, travelling between them has always been time consuming. A drive from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Yerevan, Armenia, takes around five hours assuming good weather through the mountains; the train takes twice as long. From Baku, Azerbaijan to Tbilisi the drive is seven hours, or an overnight train. There is no way to get between Tbilisi and Yerevan as the border has been closed for ten years owing to the conflict over Nagorno Karabakh.
So getting between the Caucasus republics is a royal pain in the butt. There used to be a twice weekly service between Yerevan and Tbilisi but that has not operated for years. There is a thrice weekly flight between Baku and Tbilisi flown by Azerbaijan Airlines operated by ageing Yak40 airplanes.
Caucasus Airlines was set up last year, based in Tbilisi. They operate three times weekly to between Tbilisi and Baku and also three times between Tbilisi and Yerevan. The flights are all in the morning. They also fly from Tbilisi to Batumi on the coast.
Caucasus Airlines was set up by a US company, Pacific Island Airways, who are a Northwest partner, so there is a good management team behind them, even if they do operate in a very non-US environment! The aircraft are two Embraer turboprop planes with 30 seats.
I flew with Caucasus Airlines earlier this year and again a few weeks ago. Both flights were very similar.
Check in and boarding
Check in was quick, I was given a boarding card with no seat number. The aircraft was parked away from the terminal so there was a bus to take us over. On both flights there was a total of about seven or eight passengers including myself.
The Embraer aircraft was painted blue and looked clean and well kept. I climbed the steps into the cabin (don't forget to duck as you go in). The first time there was a cheerful, smiling young lady welcoming us at the foot of the steps, the second time a chap in trousers and white V-neck jumper wandered forward from the back of the plane but didn't say a word. It was about five minutes before I realised that he was the steward!
There is room for cabin baggage but not much. Laptop bags, suit carriers yes folded in half. But don't even think about taking on roller bags, there is nowhere to put them on these small airplanes.
Seats and cabin
There are ten rows with one seat on the left and two on the right side of the plane. The seats and legroom are small, but if you are one of the first people to get on then you can take a seat on the right at row 8, where there is an exit. Alternatively the very back, row 10, the left seat seemed to have a bit more room too. The back of the cabin is also a bit quieter on these propellor planes.
The seat pocket contained the safety instruction card, and a couple of brochures for hotels and businesses in Georgia. There was no in flight magazine.
Off we go
The steward did a welcome on board announcement standing at the front of the cabin, which gave it a more personal touch. The announcements were done in Georgian, English and Russian. After the welcome, he did the emergency briefing, which he demonstrated to a recorded announcement.
We left five minutes early and took of, then we were on hour way. About five minutes into the flight I heard a cell phone ring, and a woman a few rows in front of me had a brief conversation. The steward could hardly fail to notice but didn't say anything.
The flight takes about fifty minutes, and the view as you cruise over the Caucasus mountains is breathtaking.
There is barely any in flight service. After take off the steward sat in row two with a glass of coke or coffee. Once he had finished that, he came round offering coke or water to everyone. When that was done, we started reducing altitude and approached Tbilisi airport.
Arrival
We landed at Tbilisi a little ahead of schedule and parked up to one side of the terminal with the other smaller airplanes. A coach took us into the terminal to passport control.
Summary
The flight is quite basic, with no service other than coke or water, but on a fifty minute flight who needs more. The Embraer is a small plane but it is perfectly fine for a short flight. What Caucasus Airlines are offering is a quick, easy way to get between the Caucasus countries safely and reliably.
Tickets cost about US$200 one way between Tbilisi and Yerevan or Tbilisi and Baku, which is quite high. I've been told that people who hold a Georgian, Armenian or Azerbaijan passport get it for half price (can you imagine the outrage if a US airline ran that system the USA!). It's not cheap but it saves a day in a car!
Recommended:
Yes
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vodkaboy
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