Flying to and from Moscow has become easier in 1998 especially in terms of customs clearance and airport services. See AIRPORTS.
The former state-run domestic Aeroflot has disintegrated into literally dozens of independent privatized airlines which try to cooperate to give some semblance of order to internal flights. There are reports of canceled flights and overbooking. On long domestic flights, still bring along your own food and beverages.
Alternatives to the ex-Aeroflot companies have emerged, the best known and best run being Transaero. Some international carriers, especially Finnair, have landing rights in cities other than Moscow and Saint Petersburg.
Aeroflot International Russian Airlines, however, has held together and actually improved service on many international flights with Boeing 767s and 777s and is competitive with all major international airlines.
TYPHint: To speed your way through passport control, it is useful to have a photocopy of your passport and visa (both on the same page) to give to the passport officer. It simplifies their work and they are grateful.
Check-in: Allow one hour for check-in on most domestic flights, 1 1/2 hours if flying on the large Il-86. Most international carriers ask you to check in two-hours in advance because clearing customs and immigration can take a long time. See CUSTOMS.
TYPHint 1: Some international carriers close check-in exactly one-half hour before departure and prevent you from boarding even though your airplane may sit there for an hour after the scheduled departure time. Check for this "drop-dead deadline" or you may spend an extra night in Moscow.
TYPHint 2: Before standing in line for customs, prepare your second"exit" declaratsia listing money and valuables you are taking with you. Basically, there are no problems if the values are equal to or less than the amounts you brought in. If you cashed a large check for dollars, etc., be sure to have your official exchange receipt.
TYPHint 3: Many airlines are enforcing cabin baggage rules, especially for very overweight carry-ons.
TYPHint 4: Bring extra good photocopies of your visa to give to the Passport Control agent. It reduces the time it takes to clear passport control and he/she will be grateful for your thoughtfulness.
Seats reservation. Passengers have a possibility to reserve seats on flights of airlines ahead of time. This can be done either in an airline's city office or in sales flight ticket agencies at Sheremetyevo airport. Besides there is at the airport 24-hour operating counters making reservations and sales on all international and domestic flights. Phones: (095) 578-13-96 , (095) 578-11-69.
If you send all necessary information in your application by fax (095) 578-77-36 beforehand you may receive ready flight tickets immediately on your arrival at the airport. When buying a ticket, pay attention to the column "STATUS": "OK" means the confirmation of a reserved seat, but "RQ" code means lack of possibility to confirm the requested seat so far. All inquiries concerning reconfirmation or cancellation of seat reservations as well as catering, tariffs, discounts, luggage restrictions in traffic rules of airlines should be made to representations of carriers. (Sheremetyvo information center).
Arrival. Be prepared for long lines at passport control. Baggage handling and customs clearance has improved over previous years. Major changes have occurred in Customs Clearance which now has a "Green Lane" for "nothing to declare". As of June 1998, they do not even stamp your"declaratsia" (customs declaration) in this lane, but if you have any particularly valuable items or large amounts of currency, it is recommended that you get your "declaratsia" stamped on arrival. Baggage carts can be rented in Sheremetevo-2 for about $2. Baggage handlers expect about $3 dollars per bag.
Departure. See "Arrival". The basic difference is in the cost of renting baggage carts at Sheremetevo-2. The cost is $2 per hour up to the time of your flight's departure.
Get to the airport about two hours ahead of scheduled take-off. Be prepared for long lines, both at baggage and passport. On Aeroflot domestic flights, still bring along your own food and beverages for long trips.
Approximate flight times and distances from Moscow to selected cities are listed below.

City Distance(km) Time Alma-Ata 3049 4 hr 50 min Amsterdam 2177 3 hr 15 min Berlin 1627 2 hr 20 min Budapest 1500 2 hr 30 min Frankfurt 2044 3 hr 10 min Helsinki 936 1 hr 45 min Irkutsk 4060 7 hr 15 min Khabarovsk 6170 8 hr 30 min Kiev 745 1 hr 20 min London 2507 3 hr 45 min New York 8200 11 hr 35 min Omsk 2223 3 hr 5 min Paris 2000 3 hr 25 min Prague 1100 2 hr 40 min Riga 877 1 hr 30 min Rome 2392 4 hr Samarkand 2790 3 hr 45 min St. Petersburg 650 1 hr 10 min Simferopol 1189 2 hr 55 min Sochi 1338 2 hr 35 min Stockholm 1276 1 hr 45 min Tbilisi 1630 2 hr 30 min Tallinn 902 1 hr 30 min Tashkent 2810 2 hr 30 min Tokyo 7506 9 hr 35 min Vilnius 810 1 hr 30 min Vladivostok 6398 9 hr 20 min Warsaw 1164 2 hr 10 min