Ukraine International

JFK-KIEV-JFK in economy class. Pleasantly surprised by the flight crews politeness. Both flights on time with smooth check-in. 767 is old but well maintained. Food is so-so. Would fly again.

BKK - Kiev. Its like Ryanair but long distance. It was an old Boeing with super old big screens which were not properly working same as the sound. Food was pretty bad and the flight attendants as unfriendly as one could be. People on the plane were getting super drunk and making noise all night - flight attendants just ignored it. All in all probably the worst flight I have ever been on.

I recently flew with Ukraine International Airlines PS231 Kiev - New York(JFK) in their Premium Economy Class and was pleasantly surprised at the product they offered - dedicated check-in pre-boarding better seats and much better seat pitch than in economy class and two hot meals (with choice of entree) served on china with metal cutlery. There were free drinks including wine and beer. The aircraft was a Boeing 767-300 and looked nice inside (toilets although very clean looked tired inside). We departed on time and arrived 30mins early into JFK. Flying non-stop makes a big difference to going via Europe.

My return flight on PS232 on 24Sep from New York (JFK) to Kiev was in Premium Economy Class. Check-in was good on time departure and again two hot meals served with choice of entree. Meals served on china was a nice touch. Strong tailwinds meant an early arrival into Kiev. Great flight and flying non-stop makes a big difference.

Both flights on time landing and taking off. Terminal D at Boryspil is getting better but still not enamoured by the bus connection from plane to terminal. Seats are a bit close together but expected on a low cost airline. I am tall but my knees were not as cramped as on some other flights I just get an aisle seat so I can stretch! Crew nice and friendly I have used UIA to Boryspil and Donetsk 15 times in the last 2 years. Only major problem I had was the handling crew in Donetsk who wrecked my case but as with other problems with this airline it's the service handlers that caused the problems not the airline itself.

IST to LGW via KBP. I only booked the flight because it was incredibly cheap compared to other airlines - only £ £176 return from IST to LGW (during the summer holidays). Big contrast between the first and second legs of the journey. First leg of the journey was surprisingly smooth and comfortable. After queuing in long queues at Ataturk the flight departed on time. The plane was the new B737-900. Surprisingly comfortable seats and beautiful LEDs in the cabin. FAs also spoke very good English. Dismemberment to Terminal D was very efficient but the boarding of passengers on to the Gatwick flight was very long and tiring. Connection time was supposed to be 1hr 55min instead it was over 3hr! The second plane was a B737-300. Incredibly uncomfortable cramped seating and noisy air conditioners. Food was not great either. In addition to the delays the plane cruised at low cruising speeds so the flight time was extended. The flight felt like it would take forever. May recommend the airline for short and direct flights only. By the end of the journey I was completely deprived of sleep. Next time I would book direct flights.

PS 0232 JFK-KBP 27 August 2014. New York - Kiev aircraft Boeing 767-300 was modified. Instead of 7 standard seats in economy class UIA installed 8 seats. Because of this the seat was too small for a 9 hours flight.

Had a terrible flight on one of UIA new 737-800 aircraft (ex Aerosvit) from KBP-AMS. The seats are really cramped with hardly any legroom. UIA introduced a new drinks and food policy. Only water is free. A cup of tea will cost you EUR 2. Flight crew appear to speak only Russian. A few words in English can be understood most is not. UIA has not improved after the take-over of Aerosvit. I have used this airline in the past but now I do not like them. It appears they want to be a low cost airline but their ticket prices are not low cost and I do not see how the will compete with airlines like Wizz. The flight was somewhat delayed but arrived on time.

PS114 & PS711 - LGW to IST via KBP. Only booked the flight because it was very cheap -££176 return during July and August. Flight boarding was painfully slow - the plane finally departed more than 75 minutes after gates open. The first leg was on a B737-800 the seats were incredibly cramped with little legroom. Leaving your own seat was almost impossible when the passenger sitting in front reclined his seat. Food and drinks service was a joke it commenced towards the end of the flight. The veg meal was extremely basic a tiny aluminium tin of rice some peppers and mushroom in a trace of some cheese. We had to wait for two hours for the drinks trolley to come to the back of the plane. The only "tasty" food was the bread spread with butter and sugar. Cabin crew had some smiles. In great contrast the flight connection was very quick around 20 minutes from plane to plane. The second leg was on a B737-500 seats were even more cramped. However there were lots more smiles although no food or drinks were served for free but cups of water were distributed for free which helped re-hydrate me. Overall it was not a very good flight experience. I would choose direct flights instead.

I flew with UIA From June 20 to July 21 from JFK-LWO via Kiev in premium economy. Check in was very fast I had seat 7A which was right in front of the plane before business class. Staff were very helpful they spoke English Ukrainian and Russian. We got 3 meals for Premium Economy which were very good and you were given a choice. Drinks were also included. All flights were professional and good for the price. I would recommend this airline.