by Art Saborio
If you are traveling to Kiev, Ukraine for the very first time, it will be an experience. Break through the clouds and you will notice a land of abundance nature and beauty. A landscape of trees covers the countryside. The abundance of rainfall and annual snow makes Kiev a wonder of forests, lakes, rivers and pristine landscapes.
Boryspil International Airport is the main hub for The Ukraine. It services not only all international flights, but also domestic flights. Boryspil has a very large accessible runway for any type of aircraft. During the Soviet era, Boryspil International Airport was strictly a military airfield. Later after The Ukraine claimed independence, it was converted into a civilian airport hub.
All flights with the exception of a few carriers such as Delta and Air France park away from the terminal and bus in their passengers. It is a short bus trip to the International Terminal B.
Upon arriving to the terminal, you are greeted with an old still Soviet Era passport control center. Ensure your paperwork is correct and ready. During peak hours wait times can be up to two hours. Lines are long and customer service is not a priority. Not being prepared will cost you added time, so have all relevant documents filled out and legible. In the seven times I have been to the Ukraine, I have only waited two hours one time. After that bad experience I always booked my flight to arrive very early in the morning or late at night. 9 am to 2 pm are peak hours at Boryspil Airport.
When in the passport control line be polite and patient. Joke around with the Ukrainian passport officers is not appreciated. Be respectful and answer all questions fully. Officers will speak to you in English if you do not speak Ukrainian or Russian.
Once you leave passport control, you will immediately see baggage claim. Boryspil is like all airports it has digital readouts of incoming flights and matches them with a baggage claim area.
If the airline loses your baggage, there is a lost baggage office that will assist you in tracking down your bags. I have traveled seven times to the Ukraine and only had to use the service once. It was a surprise to me, but the people that worked there were very helpful and spoke very good English. They were immediately able to track down my luggage. The representative called New York for me and found my baggage still there. Apparently my luggage never made the flight.
In the morning I had my luggage in hand. I paid a nice tip for the one minute service of retrieving my luggage. Now if you don’t know what I am talking about, Ukraine runs on tips. Think of giving a tip that is too small and Ukrainians have no problem in pointing out your grave mistake. Normal tip fair for getting your baggage reclaimed $6.00. Taxi trip to get back to the airport to retrieve your baggage $55.00. Knowing that you paid the right tip and avoiding the embarrassment of getting screamed at for failing to understand the tip policy, priceless.
Now that you are out of baggage claim it is just a short walk up a small incline into the heart of the Kiev, Boryspil Airport. Walk through the double doors and you are greeted with a large crowd of families, friends and business associates awaiting the arriving passenger. Get through the crowd and you are bombarded with taxi drivers willing to take you anywhere in Kiev.
Stay clear of the taxi drivers and find your way to one of the many kiosks in the airport that will help you find a taxi. The price is fair and shown to you up front. Taxi kiosks are easy to find and the word “TAXI” is written across them.
In the international terminal, you will find four currency exchange booths. The worst exchange rates can be found at the airport. It is best to only exchange a small portion of your money here. Wait until you get to the center of the city where the rate is much better. I usually only exchange $200 dollars at the airport. This covers my taxi, food and most other expenses. No worries about finding a currency exchange booth in the center of the city. They are all over the place. The US Dollar, Euro and Russian Ruble are accepted everywhere.
Only newer bills are accepted at the exchange booth. I learned this the hard way when I was not able to exchange $500 of my money because of the condition of the currency. All exchange booths will first inspect your money by eyeballing it and then put it under a ultraviolet light to ensure it does not have water spots.
If you are traveling to another part of the Ukraine, it is a very short walk to terminal A. This terminal handles all domestic flights. You can easily buy a ticket to anywhere in the Ukraine by going to one of the two booths inside this terminal. Pay close attention to your flight status in this terminal. Although all flights are digitally displayed, often times boarding calls are done vocally. These vocal announcements are done in Ukrainian or Russian. If in doubt, ask someone and they will tell you where to board.
Finally, if you want to avoid all the rush and crowds, the VIP service is for you. Terminal C houses a very comfortable environment for anyone that would like to pay $150.00 USD or up for this service. A private coach will come pick you up from your plane. Your luggage will be taken from the plane separately and brought to you. Exit passport control in 15 minutes or less. The services arrival in terminal C range from wireless internet service to fax and phone service all available from the comfort of a environmentally controlled lounge. If you are interested in this service, Google Boryspil Airport and contact the VIP office. All VIP representatives speak English.
Enjoy your stay in the Ukraine!