A glamorous Russian blogger says she has proved that the US is open for foreign tourism again, despite the pandemic, according to video ob...
A glamorous Russian blogger says she has proved that the US is open for foreign tourism again, despite the pandemic, according to video obtained .
Sofia Semyonova, 33, a fitness model, told how she traveled on a crammed Aeroflot flight with 500-plus passengers with 'no social distancing' from Moscow to New York City.
She used her B2 tourist visa to enter America from Russia's coronavirus epicentre 'in 30 seconds without any extra questions'.
After taking time to pose for pictures in a deserted lockdown New York, she flew to Miami on a domestic flight for her vacation.
Her trip from Moscow was on the Russian state airline Aeroflot, which had claimed it was not flying scheduled services until August. Russia currently is reporting 309,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with just under 3,000 deaths.
The airline today declined to comment on this May 14 flight and the apparent lack of social distancing.
Sofia Semyonova, a glamorous Russian blogger says she has proved the US is open for foreign tourism again, despite the pandemic
After taking time to pose for pictures in a deserted lockdown New York, she flew to Miami on a domestic flight for her vacation
The fitness model, traveled on a crammed Aeroflot flight with 500-plus passengers with 'no social distancing' from Moscow to New York City. She used her B2 tourist visa to enter America from Russia's coronavirus epicentre 'in 30 seconds without any extra questions'
!['And just so you understand, there were no [free] seats on the plane,' she said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/05/20/19/28632008-8341063-image-a-36_1589999382759.jpg)
Her trip from Moscow was on the Russian state airline Aeroflot, which had claimed it was not flying scheduled services until August. There was social distancing at the airport in Moscow but not on the Boeing 777. 'And just so you understand, there were no [free] seats on the plane,' she said
In contrast, tourists who have visited any countries in the European Union, the UK, China and Iran in the past 14 days are not currently permitted to enter the US.
Russian fitness icon Sonya posted: 'We rang Aeroflot in Moscow and we were told: ''Yes, we are putting tourists on the flight''. They took tourists with (USA) B1 and B2 visas on board.
'This wasn't a repatriation flight. It is a regular flight.
'When Aeroflot says they are not working until August 1, they're doing such a flight.
'At first I did not believe that, but what happened makes me believe in miracles.'
The initial price for an economy ticket was $475, but then closer to the departure it soared to $2,355 with no shortage of buyers, she said.
Business class seats were selling for $7,265.
There was social distancing at the airport in Moscow but not on the Boeing 777.
'And just so you understand, there were no [free] seats on the plane,' she said.
She sat with a woman heading to Los Angeles who traveled with her Pomeranian dogs.
'People were in masks on board but it is hard to fly in a mask for 10 hours,' she said.
'When food was served, everyone removed their masks, and then put them back. No one was panicking. There were over 500 of them [passengers], there were no free seats.'
Semyonova showed her one million followers the empty New York streets saying that it was on lockdown until June. The Big Apple does not require people to carry passes that Muscovites have been required to use when they go out
The initial price for an economy ticket was $475, but then closer to the departure it soared to $2,355 with no shortage of buyers, she said. Business class seats were selling for $7,265. There was social distancing at the airport in Moscow but not on the Boeing 777. She sat with a woman heading to Los Angeles who traveled with her Pomeranian dogs
She completed her US health declaration, but added that 'no one checked anything'
She added: 'Mainly US citizens and people with green cards, but there were (Russian) tourists too.'
She completed her US health declaration, but added that 'no one checked anything'.
She boasted: 'I'll have a cool trip in the States, I am here until June.'
Semyonova showed her one million followers the empty New York streets saying that it was on lockdown until June. The Big Apple does not require people to carry passes that Muscovites have been required to use when they go out.
'The US doesn't have any 14-day quarantine upon arrival,' she said.
'No one even measured my temperature either in the US, nor in Russia.'
Semyonova said she was a regular traveler and had no other option in seeking to get out of Moscow 'for some good climate, sun and ocean'.
On her flight to Miami 'there was a 6-ft distance, we were not sitting close on the plane.
'All flight attendants were in masks and gloves, there was no service apart from drinking water.'
She said: 'Aeroflot put up this flight on their website.
'Anyone who has a visa could buy it. [...] I rang Aeroflot in Russia, Aeroflot in USA.
She continued: 'My US friends rang immigration at JFK airport, they confirmed that there is no ban for Russian citizens to enter, if there is a normal visa and no violations.
'I decided to try and I did not violate any rules of Russian Federation.
'I obtained a pass to get to the airport. Before that I was self-isolating, not violating anything.
'I even had a test for coronavirus and for antibodies done before traveling.'
While Aeroflot declined to discuss the flight, some commenters said it was ostensibly a repatriation flight for US citizens, but suggest the airline then sold spare seats.
Semyonova - who has joint Russian-Armenian citizenship and is a three times bronze winner in Moscow's fitness bikini cup - said: 'I have a very strong immune system.
'I am not afraid of getting sick with coronavirus.
'Even if I get infected, I will definitely have it in a mild form, that's why I am not afraid.'
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