Aeroflot Check In

There are two ways to check in to an Aeroflot flight. You can either use the online check in, or you can do it the traditional way and present yourself, in person, at the Aeroflot check in desk at the airport.

The easiest way, of course, is to check in online. This is a relatively new service offered by Aeroflot – it was only introduced in October 2009. It’s been rolled out to most major Aeroflot destinations, and can be used if you are flying out of Moscow, or if you are about to get on flights to Russia. For a full list of destinations, visit our Aeroflot online check in article. There are two notable exceptions, however – online check-in is NOT available if you are flying to or from the USA or India.

The process is pretty easy – you simply visit the Aeroflot check in page (http://www.seatguru.com/airlines/aeroflot_russian_airlines/checkin.php) and fill in your details. You can do this up to 24 hours before the flight, but bear in mind that online check in closes 90 minutes before boarding. Note, that you can’t use the online checkin if you are travelling with a child under the age of two, or if you require special assistance.

The alternative option, of course, is to do it the old fashioned way. I’m not going to go into too much detail here – manual check in procedures are the same for every airline. As is normal, Aeroflot normally recommend that you arrive at the check in desk at least three hours before the scheduled takeoff time. You should always check the exact timings direct with the airline, however.

If you will get a connecting flight, you should check the status of your luggage, and whether it will be checked all the way through to your destination. Russian rules mean that sometimes baggage needs to be offloaded with you when you arrive in Russia, and then checked in again to your final destination. For more information about luggage, especially the Aeroflot baggage allowance, read our additional article.

You should also bear in mind that there are actually two Sheremetyevo airports in Moscow – one mainly for international flights, the other mainly for domestic flights. The two airports are approximately 20-30 minutes apart by taxi, depending on traffic, so make sure you know which airport your connecting flight takes off for, and that you have enough time to make the connection.