Does anyone have any recent information regarding flights from Vladivostock to Alaska or Canada?

Mid August to Mid Sept ...read below.Emails to air cargo are unanswered so far...
Vladivostok air.
**********************************
Hello,
>>
>>flight XF 367 on route Vladivostok - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is carried
>>out on Mondays(schedule from August, 25 till September, 15).
>>The departure time is 14:30, the arrival time is 19:35.
>>
>>Flight XF 711 on route Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Anchorage is carried
>>out on Mondays(schedule from August, 25 till September, 15).
>>The departure time is 22:00, the arrival time is 05:45.
>>Minimal cost for the flight on route Vladivostok -
>>Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Anchorage at a given moment is 75428 roubles.
>>Nota that the price can vary.
All information will be on the web site Ïðîäàæà àâèàáèëåòîâ, ðàñïèñàíèå ðåéñîâ, ïîêóïêà ýëåêòðîííîãî áèëåòà, ðàñïðîäàæà àâèàáèëåòîâ ïî âåá-òàðèôàì — àâèàêîìïàíèÿ Âëàäèâîñòîê Àâèà
To transport the motor you are to address to Air-Cargo Company by e-mail
air-cargo@mail.ru or by phone 8 (4232) 307-631


>>
>>Best regards,
>>the dispatcher of the call-center
>>Natalia

__________________
Go slow, be well.

We're currently in Vladivostok (12th July 2008). We understand that Vladivostok Air began a twice weekly flight to Anchorage 2 weeks ago, .. no idea if they will tranposrt bikes yet,.. or the costs. If you find any further information, .. then we'd be happy to hear,.. and likewise we will reciprocate.
Geoff ('Poor Circulation': Riding Around The World, ....................... on £20 per Day)

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http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com

I have a Russian speaking friend calling them to fnd out. This flight is actually two legs.
Vlad - Petropavlosk, and then Petropavlosk to Alaska.
I have bought my ticket for PKC - ANC for Sept 8 ($1076) and am planning to fly from VVO - PKC a few days earlier ($511). There are plenty of optoins for this first leg.

I will clear customs in PKC. What my friend has told me so far is that it is TECHNICALLY possible to fly the moto to USA, he is finding out the max size of the crate possible for that aircraft, and also that always important price.

I am entering Russia today to Mongolia, internet may be few and far between.
Will continue to post any news here.

__________________
Go slow, be well.

In Vladivostok we hear from a local shiping agent that if we use flight: Petropavlovsk - Kamchatsky - Anchorage, ... we will still need 'Customs Clearance' in Kamchatsky,.. which can be expensive,.. we hear.

Can anybody confirm this?

Max Crate Dimensions: 95cm High, 100cm Wide, 230cm Long

Charge to Kamchatsky seems to be 3.50 USD per Kg.
Charge onward to Anchorage seems to be 6.20 Euro per Kg.

We're looking at a 'Container' direct Vladivostok to Anchorage, total $5,000. It will take 5 weeks and we're looking for additonal bikes to share the container/cost, .......... any interest?. (Hope to depart approx 1 week from this post, 14th July 2008)

call: +7 964 810 8816

Many thanks, .... Geoff

__________________
http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com

Hi guys,

I am in Ulan Bator, Mongolia and heading to Vlad tomorrow. I presume I will need one week to get there. My plan is to take the ferry from Zarubino to South Koreea and than get the bike shipped by plane to Anchorage. It will be fast and cost about 5000USD but I won't spend money waiting for things to happen, I will be in the same plane with the bike, I won't deal with Russian bureaocracy (customs in Zarubino are much better than the ones in Vlad) and I know it's gonna happen. If you want to join, we can get the bikes crated together and get cheaper (you pay for volume or weight, which one is more expensive and it's the volume that costs more; also instead of getting one crate for 1 bike, we'll get 1 crate for 3 bikes). If you have any other clear plan, with a clear price tag and a clear schedule, I'm joining.

So, if you can wait one week, let me know, SMS me at:
+40726177700

Best regards,
Dan

Dan Honciuc photography

Dan,.. I'm sitting in the 'Iron Tigers Box' in Vlad, .. and I just got your SMS.

We hear that currently 'Korea' is not the place to be taking a bike, .... ban on temporary importation,.. but it's third hand news.

Flights from Vlad seem to be as folows:

Monday Flights Vlad to Kamchatka, Kamchatka to Anchorage.

$3.50 per Kg (Plus $120) Vlad to Kam
$6.20 per Kg Kam to Anchorage
Personal Flight $1,500.00

Max Crate Size: 95cm H, 100cm W, 230cm L
(I guess only 1 std. bike per crate)

We're holding out for LCL shipping to North America, but Flight option is there.
I'll SMS you from here, but Amur Highway is currently awash with water, mini cyclone from Vladivostok north. Guy called Rik on BMW R100GS is hot on your heels coming out of UB to Chita,.. he's going to meet us at Iron Tigers in Vlad.

Ride safe,.. Geoff

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http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com

hi Guys,
In Olgi, heading slowly to UB.
I contcted Korean Air and they told me that they stop for refueling only, not unloading of cargo.
Is there another carrier? Or perhaps I got wrong info...
Rene

Geoff - do you know if those prices are for a cubic meter or just the net weight of the box? Normaly air freight is done to the cubic meter..

__________________
Go slow, be well.

Guys...contact wendychoi2 "hat" gmail "dot" com to confirm that a temporary ban exists...I doubt it as I would have heard about it, BUT stranger things have happened.

Wendy has shipped probably 10 bikes/vehicles out of Russian in the past 2 years. She works closely with the Dong Chung ferry folk.

edde

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edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com

Blue 88,

Thanks for the invaluable info on exiting Vlad. We're planning to arrive in Vlad on Aug 6th and somehow get the bikes to North America (like you, preferably Alaska quickly).

How long will shipping the bikes from Korea to Anchorage take? One thing that scares us about the marine shipping option is that we're told there's always additional costs like port charges, etc. that add up quickly.

Another thing we've been told to fear is that customs clearance out of Russia can cost up to $1,000 US. I really don't understand that bs because it's no different than us riding our own bikes over a land border. Maybe taking the ferry to Korea will avoid that customs clearance charge?

It seems that we can fit our bikes into the minimum Vlad Air crate dimensions (if we take the windscreen and the tyres off for the min height). Thanks so much for the quotes you put up here on HUBB. Judging by those quotes ($3.50/kg first leg and $6.20/kg second leg) we would each have to pay $787 for the first leg and $1,395 for the second leg (our GS's with crates will be 225kg each). That's about $2,200 before paying for customs clearance and other bureaucratic bs.

Then the $1,500 per person to fly ourselves. Yikes!

Anyway, we hadn't initially taken Korea as a serious option but now we'll start looking at options. Thanks again for all your pioneering on this.

Cheers, Mike

Your cheapest/quickest option is to fly into Seattle/Vancouver...and ride up to Alaska and back there are two routes up there and back and the scenery is spectacular.

Messing around in Vlad will cost you more than the promised shipping when you account for Vlad customs clearance fees, air ticket differential, hotel/meals costs to arrange shipping etc.

edde

PS I heard back from my shipping contacts in Korea and they are unaware of a temporary ban...I'm wondering if Russian shippers started this as a rumor to reel bikers into shipping via Vlad?

__________________
edde
93 BMW K75s
www.motoedde.com

Hi Folks -

this is Volker and Hans writing from Vladivostok.
Find enclosed the recent email, we were sending to Wendy - we will publish the result here, as soon as we get some.

Our Vlad Air experience so far is rather confusing. We have our bikes boxed now at the Vlad Airport, cost per box is 17.000 Rubel, storage cost adds another 2000 Rubel/bike/day. A 650 GS Dakar sums up with 2 boxes to about 320 kg !, the box gets included.

The given rates for shipping above seem correct, regardless nobody in the company is capable of telling us a complete price from Vlad to Anchorage. We are only given details til Kamchatka, and from there its all a new story - so far not the very most professional approach to the matter.
In addition creditcardpayment is not accepted unless 3,5% extracharge on the bill - our estimated bill pointed out for the total of 2 bikes and 2 person to Anchorage lies roundabout 250.000 Rubels (approx. 6850 Euro ) This does not involve any Customs clearance whatsoever might turn up on the way !
That is as far as we know by today- Sunday 20 July - if you guys have any further information to help along, please do not hesitate to contact us !

We may not forget to say, that the Russian bikers all over Siberia and the Far east, namely now the people around Friedrich, Julyi, Jelena, Paulina and Ruslan , the Russian Samurais, The Iron Tigers and Cerberus Guys from Kemerobo and so many more on our way have given us the greatest support you ever can get in a bikers life !!!! THANK YOU FOREVER FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR US !!!

Cheers for now

Volker and Hans

www.ride-of-change-2008.de


""Hello Wendy,

this is Hans and Volker adressing you.
We are 2 german motocyclers on a worldtrip. Right now we reached Vladivostok/Russia and need to get to Ancorage/Alasca (either directly via Kamchatka or as an alternative via Seoul and Seattle/USA or Vancouver/Cannada). We checked Vladivostok Air and it seems to be very difficult and costy, including major customs bureaucracy.

Spreading the internetnews on Horizons unlimited forum and meeting Felix Bergmeister ( he sends his regards by the way ) we only now found out , that you handle shipping to Korea and sending bikes (and us) by Korean Air to the US.

Is there any trueth about rumours we heard from travellers, that Korean Air has stopped to fly motorcycles ? And if so, is that a temporary or permanent stop. Would there still be an alternative seaway to ship the bikes?

If we shipped the bikes by you via Korea to the US, what would the exact procedure then be?
Could you maybe give us a short manual of procedures and rough prices included.
The bikes are now packed at the Vladivostok Airport though not embarked yet.
The Box dimensions are 220 x 100 x 90 cm, the aproxximate weight is 230 kg per box and bike.
If needed, we can also ride them again.

Any URGENT INFORMATION is highly appreciated and expected by some more travellers who are on their way to Vlad with the same question - we will forward it as soon as available.
We all are pretty much pushed for time for the Alascan winter being on the way.

Thank you so much in advance !

right now you can also try to call us temporarily in Vladivostok at + 7 423 26 35 474
or on our mobile +49 170 435 92 48 ""

__________________
Ride safe - BABA
homepage: http://www.ride-of-change-2008.de/start2/index2.html

BLOG : http://ride-of-change-2008.blogspot.com/

Mike: Big Bike Rally in Hoddka on I think 7th August,... 'Facing The Ocean Rally',.. well worth a visit if your here. (South of Vladivostok)

Hans & Volker,.. we will call you guys tomorrow (Monday) and we are talking with Wendy too.

The 'Bike Importation Ban Korea' turned out to be incorrect (As much info out here is),.. so sorry about that.

Also we hear that 7 Dutch guys are heading to Vlad,.. currently Chita +500Km,... the Amur Highway is one mighty busy road at the moment.

We understand that customs clearance exit Vladivostok is circa $500,.. but that's local information which means it's actually anything from $0 to $1,000.

Geoff

__________________
http://www.poorcirculation.blogspot.com

Except 2 germans, here are the british/nz couple. If somebody else, call or sms me at +79241313041, we've got idea to come together tomorrow evening (22 July) for a little party before everybody leaving.

This is Thursday 22nd of July !

Eevrybody on their way from Vlad to Alaska !

Vladivostok Cargo is regarding our experience from the last 6 months and especially the last 4 days a total mess and chaos- sorry for the harsh words.
Since we contact them they keep telling us new prices everyday, adding more than 1000 Euro to the bill from yesterday to today by exactly the same person telling us the prices. Prices will only be given to Kamtschatka, fumigation transportboxes and customs clearance stays fully unclear.
According to our information unfumigated wooden boxes will not be allowed to enter US. Great idea to find that out, once U are there ??

Once we had the bikes boxed for a ridicoulous amount of 40.000 Rubel !!! they said they will not do fumigation, as according to international rules this was not necessary with plywood. As a matter of fact the wooden boxes were half plywood and half substantial wood. No Certificate or stamp would have been given to us. They only kept saying , this was no problem. The Compannies storage room was nothing but a mess compared to UPS or DHL storage. So were the desks in the office.The whole setup is highly unprofessional.Yet people are very friendly nevertheless- nothing wrong with personal relations at all.

Regarding all the above we decided to stop all Vladivostok Air traffic , paid an enourmous bill for 2 wooden boxes and got the bikes together driving out of the boxes again. Thebikes are now parked in Vladivostok Centre.

We will now forward them through Wendy Choi in Southkorea via Zarubino and recommend the same procedure to you - unless you wanna do some real pioneertask - at the real risk of being stucked in Kamtschatka ( which is very beautiful indeed) or maybe you like a new pricesurprise every morning ?!

It was a steep learning curve we took - but it was one !

Just our 2 cents - hope that helps somebody to prepare better.

Hombre and BABA
www.ride-of-change-2008.de

__________________
Ride safe - BABA
homepage: http://www.ride-of-change-2008.de/start2/index2.html

BLOG : http://ride-of-change-2008.blogspot.com/