Is it graft? AZAL Moscow/Baku

The first frustration that kind of set the stage for everything that's happened in the last 24 hours or so occurred in Moscow. Ray had warned me to get ready to experience Central Asia, saying, "they don't really understand the concept of a line." But what I'm coming to understand is that you've got to watch out for people taking advantage of you and looking for graft opportunities--not that you can do anything about it.

The woman at the ticket counter in Moscow sent my checked luggage away on the conveyor belt to who-knows-where and then began making some calculations. "2090 rubles." What? For what? Of course, I couldn't understand the conversation, and thanks to Ray for having accompanied me all the way to the airport (a 40 minute commuter train ride from Moscow). Apparently, my luggage was overweight. I'd run into this issue at JFK and had to quickly buy a duffle bag to put in the very heavy accounting textbooks and check this bag separately. That way, each piece of checked luggage was under 23 kilos (50 pounds). Well, I was looking at the scale when the gal in Moscow weighed my heavier bag and it was indeed 23 kilos. Apparently, however, the rule for AZAL (Azerbaijan Airlines) is 20 kilos total--my pieces were 23 and 8 for a total of 31 kilos, 11 over.

It get suspicious when they refused to accept a credit card for payment...and when we needed change for the cash paid, one of the people behind the counter made change out of his own pocket--I guess they'll settle up later when they divide up the day's "earnings."

I did get a receipt for payment of this fee and on the reverse of the receipt there was an official-looking explanation of charges for luggage on international flights. However, the immigration official here in Baku took my receipt, would not give it back, and refused to provide a photocopy. "There is no time," he said in a heavy accent--though I was looking at 5 hours layover in Baku! This guy was going to make me buy an Azerbaijan visa for $40 (I shouldn't have had to buy one since I would not be leaving the airport), but I think once he saw I'd been scammed already in Moscow he decided not push me too far. Who knows what he'll do with that receipt, but I just hope I'll be able to get PRagma to reimburse me for the charge...

The more I think about it, the more frustrating it is--this guy is supposedly with immigration, not the airline, so why would he keep my receipt from the airline!? But, on second thought, I think that AZAL is state-owned, so immigration and AZAL employees may be one in the same...