Aerosvit and Borispol Airport

I have already travelled once with Aerosvit from Moscow to Kiev and was really pleased: tidy, new planes of western production and also nice and friendly service, which is an exception regarding Russian/Ukrainian airlines
Concerning Borispol Airport in Kiev: I wouldn't want to spend a night there. I once had to wait there 5 hours for my flight and it was terrible. It's a very tiny airport with almost no infrastructure. The waiting area was not well heated (I froze) and crowded. No place to sit let alone sleep - alhough I don't know what it's like at night. There is a nice restaurant on the first floor, but it's difficult to find. Maybe you can stay there and sleep on the plane.

Not good news. And I am thinking about spending 12hrs there.

Are there any internet cafes at the airport to spend the night?? And I am talking about transit area. I do not plan to have a visa to go out of transit zone.

I wouldn't go as far as #1 in criticising Boryspil...it's a basic but fairly decent place these days and plenty of people spend the night there before travelling on the next morning...as far as I am aware there is a 24 hour self-service cafeteria/McDonald's type of place and also internet through the night although a little pricey and also some reports refer to loud loudspeaker announcements...

If you don't fancy going into town then you could perhaps walk down to the nearby Boryspil Airport Hotel where the restaurant is open 24 hours a day...in saying this I'm presuming you can drink or dine there as a non-resident...

Does it worth to go to downtown Kiev after 6pm?

Kiev is a great night-time city so if you like good night-life then you'd enjoy this city which never sleeps really...the Marshrutki (mini-buses) run to and from the airport to the train station through the night...

It's been 5 years since I've been to Boryspil, but I'd have to agree with #1. If they have a self-service cafeteria/McDonald's type of place then things have certainly changed a lot since I was there (always possible I guess). There is no place to sleep and the chairs are uncomfortable. On one trip I had to wait about 10 hours to get to Vienna as my flight was canceled due mechanical problems and we had to wait for a replacement plane and crew to arrive from Vienna on a special flight just to pick us up. It was not fun.

Nobody in the Boryspil Airport Hotel restaurant will speak English, so a Russian phrasebook would be helpful. I think that they would let a traveler sit there for a long time as they aren't that busy, especially if said traveler was willing to tip them for that privilege. Of course you will need a visa to leave the airport to go there.

Aerosvit is fine for international service.

It's been 5 years since I've been to Boryspil, but I'd have to agree with #1. If they have a self-service cafeteria/McDonald's type of place then things have certainly changed a lot since I was there (always possible I guess). There is no place to sleep and the chairs are uncomfortable.

jman, here's some up to date reviews from the sleepinginairports web-site...

[http://www.sleepinginairports.com/list.asp?region=1&country=Ukraine&city=Kiev]...

I was there myself a few months ago and found it to be better than I expected so it looks like things have moved on a bit in recent years...

Thank you for your quick response. I will buy this ticket and try my chances with Aerosvit. I guess a cheap trip to Bangkok and Vietnam worths spending 12hrs in Kiev Airport.

Thanks again to all.

I had credit card/atm problems and ended up spending almost an entire day at and around Borispol airport last year. I ended up wiring home for some cash, using the Western Union office, which took some time but did finally arrive. The restaurant there was okay, someone at the internet cafe let me talk to my sister in the USA after I gave up trying to use the pay phones which are tucked away in a corner of one of the two main buildings. Look for some stairs leading up to a balcony area that was a little quieter to catch some sleep. Take a minibus to save the hassle and expense of dealing with the groups of drivers looking to "help" you, if you have time to see some of Kiev. The prices at the airport are higher, just make sure you have some local or US currency tucked away when traveling through here.

I am also thinking of booking a flight from BKK to Toronto using this airline. Just wondering about the layover time. The flight arrives in Borispol at 11:25am and departs for Canada at 1:05pm. Is the 1hour40min layover enough time to make the connecting flight? Any advice on this, because I know in some airports it's fine and others you need a couple hours just to make it through the airport.
Thanks in advance!

misschel, 1hour 40min layover is enough time to make the connecting flight but only in case your first flight arrives strictly in time. A delay for 15-25 mins is not something extraordinaire even in Western Europe, needless to say about Eastern one. I do not advise you to risk in such a way, really. You'd better have not less than 2 hours between your flights.