My Epic April 2025 Road Trip: Flights, Seat Selection, and Meal Fiascos from Krasnoyarsk to Sochi

Hello!

I finally got to try out S7 Airlines, and it was my first time flying with them. I'd booked a trip for the end of March and start of April, and I'd been using the 'Travelers' option with Yandex Plus for a few months - it costs 200 rubles a month, and I'd racked up around 25,000 miles. I figured it was worth using those miles to save on flights, so we booked directly with the airline.

I kept an eye on the prices for a few days, and then I got an email about a closed sale for Yandex Plus subscribers. We waited for it to go live and snapped up our tickets.

The route was from Sochi to Sochi and back to Krasnoyarsk, but since they don't have direct flights, we had to fly with a layover in Novosibirsk.

So, for two adults with full seat selection, the total came out to 55,516 rubles. It was actually cheaper than I'd expected.

I'd read a ton of reviews saying that they sell more tickets than seats, and I was getting a bit spooked - I thought there must be some catch. But let's see what actually happened.

Food!

I'll start with this, because it's super important to me. I have a pretty severe lactose intolerance, and if I even get a whiff of dairy, I'm talking non-stop vomiting, heart palpitations, and a total system crash. I also have a few food allergies, including wheat, which seems to be everywhere.

So, as a responsible person, I was freaking out the moment I saw that there's no information on the ingredients available in the open. That's just sad, you know?

First, I tried reaching out to the customer support through the chat on their official website. But, of course, it was a total waste of time. The bot responded first, and then they switched me to a human operator who literally told me to 'bring some fruits'. Um, great... I'm lugging around a ton of luggage, and I want to eat a decent meal for the 8-hour flight and all the layovers.

As a bit of a perfectionist, I managed to dig up a few email addresses and sent them a message. To my surprise, someone actually responded! The wait time was around a month, but they did provide the ingredient list for an additional fee. I was super stoked about that.

They also threw in a free list that didn't match the actual meal options. The paid list, which was lactose-free, had only two options, which I'll get to later.

Baggage.

For us, it's always hand luggage, because it's just more convenient. One big suitcase and a backpack.

They allow you to bring up to 10 kg of baggage per person for free. The dimensions are 55×40×23 cm.

You can bring liquids up to 1 liter per person, but each container can't be more than 100 ml, and they need to be packed in a ziplock.

And, of course, there's a whole list of things you can't bring, which is all on their website.

Registration.

We were all set to set the alarm for 5 am and register online, but I got an email notification that we'd already been registered, even before the 30-hour window mentioned on the website. We hadn't even enabled the auto-registration option, but it was a welcome surprise – no need to wake up early!

When we arrived at the airport, we just walked up to the kiosk, scanned the QR codes from our boarding passes, which had been sent to my email, printed them out, and we were good to go. We always do it this way, no need to stand in long, pointless lines.

I was also glad to see that they'd finally installed a jetway in Krasnoyarsk, rather than making us take a bus.

Our first flight was on March 30th at 11:20 from Krasnoyarsk to Novosibirsk at 12:50. The flight number was S7 5306, and the aircraft was an Embraer 170.

The flight departed on time, which was a first for me in a plane this small. There were only 20 rows, no business class, just a single row of 'enhanced comfort' seats. Each row had two seats, and we paid 300 rubles per seat, which came out to 600 rubles for our seats on row 10, on the left side. I always fly on the left side and near the wing, I love watching the flaps and slats deploy during takeoff and the pre-flight ground checks.

Sitting on the plane was quite pleasant. The overhead panel looked like it had been recently replaced, it was clean and bright. The air conditioning system, on the other hand, was a bit yellow. The seats weren't wobbly, and the legroom was standard. I'm 157 or 158 cm tall, and it was comfortable. The guy in front of me was around 178 cm, and he was a bit cramped. The flight attendants were friendly, and there were two of them.

On this super-fast flight, they offered cold drinks - soda water or plain water. We also bought the meal in advance (you need to do this before checking in, I think it's not later than 30 hours) for an extra fee - a chicken sandwich.

It looked like he got punched.

The ingredients! I think it's super important to write down any food allergies or sensitivities in advance, for example on the airline's website, since many people have them. I have a lactose intolerance, as I mentioned earlier. There's no milk here, and the bread is soft from Harry's.

I didn't get to eat it because I couldn't stomach breakfast that early. The filling was decent, not exactly wow-worthy, but it'll do for a snack.

I just sipped it, and 10-15 minutes later, we were getting ready for landing. Super quick – I didn't even have time to get bored. We landed ahead of schedule.

I'm not afraid of flights, takeoff and landing don't faze me. But according to the stats, those are the most hazardous moments in a flight, when something could go wrong.

In the Embraer 170, I felt pretty comfortable, with a bit of a wobble during takeoff and landing – the wind wasn't the weakest, but everything was fine. The crew and flight were both top-notch.

In Novosibirsk, they didn't provide a jetway, and we had to sweat it out in the bus (not fun).

The transfer was quick, taking around an hour. We managed to get through security, print new boarding passes, and chill out.

Second flight: Novosibirsk to Sochi, 14:25 – 15:35. Flight number: S7 5105. Aircraft: Boeing 737-800.

I had to walk to the aircraft – that's better than the bus, I guess.

It was a standard, typical flight, with the usual interior – the exterior was in good condition, and the aircon was working fine.

We also bought seats on the left side, this time in row 14, which is a full Extra Space. The extra charge is $1500 per ticket = $3000 for two, near the emergency exit on the wing. What's the privilege? Well, in case of an emergency, if the fuel tank doesn't explode, the compartment won't detach, or in the event of a collision (and a bunch of other reasons), you get to evacuate first, which is nice. But seriously, it's a great spot for your feet!

With my height, the bed is basically a mattress. The recline feature is a game-changer, and people in row 13 weren't so lucky - their seats don't recline, but we're happy since no one is going to fall onto our knees. I'm obsessed with this spot near the emergency exit. Behind us was a guy with a pet, sounded like a small puppy or a small dog, and it was crying a lot, which made me feel concerned and sympathetic. I have a cat, I'd never be able to take it with me on a plane, I'd have a heart attack seeing it suffer… So, in this flight, I didn't recline my seat to avoid making the animal uncomfortable.First, they served the food. And so, you have three options to choose from: chicken with rice, fish casserole, or buckwheat with vegetables.

There's no information about allergens in the free meal option. I ordered the special with chicken (you need to do it before check-in, also no later than 30 hours before departure). And there's nothing written about allergens in the paid option either…

This is a hot dish with chicken breast fillet allegedly grilled on a grill, bulgur, zucchini, and some kind of vegetable pulp. The meat was as dry as a cracker and wouldn't even cut with a knife. I had to gnaw on it like an animal. To be honest, there was some salt, but zero pepper - that's just weird. And get this, there was no pepper packet inside the box at all! The taste was pretty awful, to be blunt. Inside my box, everything was inedible - milk and dairy products everywhere. Even the bloody biscuit was a no-go.

My cat, MCH, ended up eating all the inedible food - he just grabbed the free chicken and rice. He said it was edible, but I wouldn't know. Inside his box, it was the same story.

I wasn't exactly hungry, but the food was a bit of a letdown – I couldn't even stomach the tasteless bulgur. I did manage to pick at the chicken, but there were no milk products on offer, I checked.

The drinks were served after the meal, which felt a bit off. I was parched after that dry chicken snack. We had a choice of tea, coffee, water, or juices – I opted for tomato juice.

The flight attendants were friendly, and everything seemed to be in order. I can only imagine how tough their job must be – explaining the same safety procedures to passengers over and over again. I mean, it's not just about buckling up and keeping your seatbelt fastened during takeoff and landing – it's about keeping your backside firmly attached to the seat until the plane comes to a complete stop.

Our flight was a bit of a snooze-fest, clocking in at around 5 hours. It was a long, drawn-out experience, but at least my back and legs were comfortable.

One thing that did bother me was the door near our emergency exit – it was rattling like crazy during takeoff and landing, and gave me a headache.

Despite the long wait, we landed on time and had a jetway to disembark from.

Third Flight Sochi - Novosibirsk on April 8-9, departing at 16:35 and arriving at 01:15. Flight Number - S7 5106. Aircraft - Airbus A320.

Our flight was delayed, by about 40 minutes, I think. I've never seen a flight out of Sochi Airport leave on time before. We were originally supposed to be on a Boeing 737-800, but somehow they switched us to an Airbus A320 just a week or two before our flight. I was a bit worried because we'd already paid for Extra Space seats, but fortunately, they automatically upgraded us to the same class on the Airbus. We were in row 12, Extra Space, and it was perfect. The seat reclined, there was plenty of legroom, and we had an emergency exit right in front of us. The person behind us didn't have a pet, so I could recline my seat without worrying.

It was so comfortable! The cabin was spotless, it looked like it had just been renovated. This time, we had both flight attendants and flight stewards, and they were all super friendly. The only thing that was a bit off was that they didn't introduce themselves before the flight started. They did a great job of serving food and drinks at the same time, so we didn't have to wait. The free meal was pretty much the same as last time: chicken with pasta, fish casserole, and rice with veggies. I had the special meal for an extra fee, which was gluten-free this time. I was able to eat the veggies, nuts, and even the hot dish, except for the sliced sausage and cheese. I had chicken, rice, and green beans. The chicken was tender and flavorful, not dry at all. The rice was cooked just right, not mushy. I double-checked to make sure there were no dairy products. It was actually really good, I was stuffed. My partner had the chicken with pasta, which was free.

I could smell something dairy-like coming from the hot food. I'm not sure why they don't offer hot sauce, only salt.

Everyone was fed, watered, and their dirty dishes were taken away. The lights were turned off, since it was a nighttime flight, and some people were trying to sleep. But I'm not one of them - I need a bed, I can't sleep sitting up.

Disappointment.

I've got to say, after a while, the drink I had started to make its presence known, and we headed to the bathroom in the dark cabin. Taking a few steps, I almost tripped over a kid sitting on a potty in the aisle. It was just... (censored). The madam told me he was almost done... The smell was unmistakable... We exchanged a look of cultural shock, and I was already backing away quickly, but we got passed by, with the kid and his mess in the potty being pushed closer to their seat. Seriously? I was... This is just a complete lack of respect for people in general – I wouldn't even imagine how the other passengers must have felt, smelling that while they'd just eaten... Yes, all living creatures do their business, but have some decency... Take the kid to the bathroom for 10 minutes, don't just go in the middle of the cabin... There's even a changing table in the bathroom. It was a shock. I'm wondering what the crew's reaction was – seeing the passengers' faces, their pinched noses... On the way back, the aroma was strong, but thankfully, our section didn't smell.

xa0

Other than that, the flight was smooth. We arrived in Novosibirsk with a small delay. And, of course, no teleportation, just a bus ((( It was cold and harsh. On disembarkation, I met the transit ladies with megaphones, sending everyone up to the upper deck – this time, there was no security check either.

The Fourth and Final Flight Novosibirsk - Krasnoyarsk 02:35 - 03:55. Flight Number - S7 5309. Aircraft - Embraer 170. We were delayed by 5-10 minutes. When I boarded, I was a bit disappointed. The state of the plane was drastically different from the previous ones. The entire seatbelt was frayed, everything was old and looked like it was on the verge of falling apart. We also paid for seats 10 left (600 rubles for two seats).

I love flying with the wings on.

During takeoff and landing, there was this deafening, ear-piercing whine coming from the front of the plane. It felt like something was off, like the air was rushing out with a hiss. But everything turned out okay. The crew was as friendly as ever, no complaints, just a steward and a stewardess. They also brought us cold drinks, and we ordered the chicken MCH sandwich again. This time, I even had the sandwich, we ate on the plane, it was already late/early morning, all I wanted was a shower and some sleep. We landed really quickly, a bit shaky on takeoff and landing, just like the first Embraer, not critical. In Krasnoyarsk, they gave us the jetway again The Verdict:

Hands down, this airline is a pleasure to fly with. Luckily, we didn't have any issues with seat assignments, so we got to sit where we paid for. The crew is always super friendly. One of the planes, however, is seriously in need of some TLC inside - it's like they forgot to do a deep clean! If you're an allergy sufferer or have dietary restrictions, make sure to research the meal options beforehand, or you might find yourself going hungry on the flight. To ask general questions or request a full breakdown of the meal options, email them - it's a lot easier to do it that way, and you'll get a more comprehensive answer. As for the free meal, they might swap it out for you on the flight, but it's not guaranteed. It would be awesome if they made the ingredient list available upfront, like most airlines do.

I've got to say, the in-flight bathroom situation left a bit of a bad taste in my mouth, to be honest...