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Travel Bank

The Travel Bank system can be used for individual travellers or corporations. You, the airline, choose who and what can be refunded into a Travel Bank account. Plus you can direct your travellers to your website to spend the accrued credits increasing your online market share. How does a passenger join the Travel Bank program? When a passenger changes travel plans and the ticket needs to be refunded or exchanged the outstanding balance is credited to either an existing account or a new account is created for a passenger that has not had a refund previously. Refunds or part exchange balances are credited to a Travel Bank account as 'soft' dollars that can only be used to purchase a new ticket for further travel. Purchasing a new ticket can be fulfilled either online throught the airlines booking engine or via the airlines agent reservations system. Credit expiry limits are set by the airline so unused dollars do not become a financial liability for the airline. The program is beneficial for both the airline and the passenger. Travel Bank assists the airline to build loyalty amongst passengers by allowing credits on unused tickets towards future travel. Travel Bank can be used for both individual travellers and corporations. For more information about Travel Bank contact %1

Not as simple as it seems: How to use JetBlue Travel Bank

Whenever you cancel a JetBlue flight, the refund — if you're eligible — is credited to your Travel Bank account. This is essentially a holding account that keeps the value of canceled flights for one year. You can use these credits to book a new flight within a year.

On paper, this is pretty simple: The funds accumulate, and you can redeem them for flights when the time comes. In practice, though, the process is a bit more complicated. TPG readers have reached out to the Points and Miles team to discuss mishaps they've had finding Travel Bank funds and using them to book flights.

Since 2020, many travelers have racked up Travel Bank funds from flights canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic . Because of this, we want to give you the lowdown on using them so you know what to expect when redeeming your funds.

Things to know about the JetBlue Travel Bank

Before we dive into using the JetBlue Travel Bank, let's discuss a few of the program's nuances. We'll cover how Travel Bank funds are allocated, their validity and other bits of "good to know" information.

Related: How to earn points in the JetBlue TrueBlue program

Travel Bank funds are distributed per flyer

The biggest annoyance with JetBlue Travel Bank is how funds are distributed. After you cancel a paid flight , refunds are issued to each traveler individually, even if they're all on the same record locator.

This causes a massive headache for families that travel together . In 2020, TPG's Nick Ewen canceled a JetBlue reservation that included flights for himself, his wife and his daughter. When rebooking, each family member was given a refund to their respective Travel Bank accounts despite being on the same reservation.

You can only use one Travel Bank per reservation. So when it came time to rebook, Nick had to rebook each family member separately and combine all reservations into a single record locator over the phone.

Things get even more confusing when it comes to canceling flights on a combined record locator. Nick had to cancel the rebooked flight due to the coronavirus pandemic. He couldn't do this online as the JetBlue website gave him an error stating that the ticket didn't match his Travel Bank balance. Again, he had to call in to cancel the flights.

This can be incredibly inconvenient if you're booking travel for a friend or even a co-worker. The traveler gets the Travel Bank credit, making it challenging for the person that booked the ticket to get a refund.

Related: 10 things families should know when flying JetBlue

Funds are valid for 1 year from the date of issuance

Typically, Travel Bank funds can be used within one year from the date of issuance. So if you cancel a flight on Dec. 1, you must use the credit by Dec. 1 of the following year. Unfortunately, there is no way to extend this credit.

Related: What to do if you can't use your airline credit by its expiration date

You can only use Travel Bank funds for flights

Unfortunately, you can only use your Travel Bank funds for a new flight's fare and taxes. You cannot use it to redeem for assigned seating, priority boarding , checked bags or other ancillary fees. This is likely because these add-ons are refunded to your original form of payment when you cancel a flight.

You can, however, use your Travel Bank credit to book a flight for someone else.

Accessing your Travel Bank funds

You can view your JetBlue Travel Bank funds on the airline's dedicated Travel Bank website . This is automatically linked to your TrueBlue account when you cancel a ticket associated with your frequent flyer number. JetBlue will email you instructions on how to sign in to your account.

If you cancel a ticket for someone who isn't a TrueBlue member, they will receive an email with credentials to log in to their Travel Bank. Remember, even if all travelers are on the same record locator, they will receive their own Travel Bank refund.

Related: TPG Lemonade session: JetBlue TrueBlue

Once signed in, you can view your Travel Bank balance and when your funds expire. You can also click the "Account Statement" link to view a list of recent Travel Bank transactions.

Related: What is JetBlue elite status worth in 2022?

Booking flights with Travel Bank funds

Once you have access to your JetBlue Travel Bank account, using available funds is relatively simple. Head to the JetBlue website and sign in before booking a flight. Search for a flight as you usually would and enter your passenger information.

On the payment screen, select the "Travel Bank" option located above the credit card entry field. You'll be prompted to sign in to your Travel Bank account if you're not a TrueBlue member.

Once signed in, you'll get the option to use as much or as little of your credit as you'd like. Note that you can only use credits to cover the fare and its associated taxes and fees (as discussed). Seat selection fees and other add-ons are not eligible. Click the "Apply Travel Bank Credits" button to apply the funds to your purchase.

And that's all there is to it: You've successfully used your JetBlue Travel Bank funds. It's easy enough once you have the hang of it, but bookmark this page just in case you need a refresher.

Related: Why you should wait to change or cancel your flight if you want your money back

Bottom line

JetBlue's Travel Bank program is a little tricky to use, but hopefully, this guide helps you navigate it better.

Keep in mind that these funds are accessible under a separate login from your JetBlue account. And that even if multiple travelers are under the same record locator, each traveler is allocated refunds to their own Travel Bank account.

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6 Things to Know About United TravelBank

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Whether you're saving up for a special occasion — like a honeymoon — or just an upcoming getaway, many travelers opt to save future travel funds in a dedicated bank account. For United Airlines loyalists, this process can be even simpler.

United MileagePlus account members can access a budgeting tool called United TravelBank. Let's dive into the things you'll want to know about the service, how to use it and if it's worth "saving" money in this account at all.

What is United TravelBank? How does it work?

United's TravelBank is pretty much what it sounds like — an online account designed for accumulating travel funds for future United flights. It aims to simplify United MileagePlus members’ budgeting for future personal and/or business flights.

Once the account is set up and has money in it, it syncs with both united.com or the United mobile app as a payment option.

» Learn more: How to use the United MileagePlus X app to earn miles

What to know about United TravelBank

1. you can purchase united travelbank credits for your account.

United gives MileagePlus members the opportunity to buy deposits for their own TravelBank account. However, you can only purchase TravelBank credits in one of six amounts:

If you want to deposit a different amount, you can do so across multiple transactions. Say you want to deposit $150. Just purchase $50 in funds and then make another purchase of $100.

The only limitation is that you can't exceed $5,000 per day per MileagePlus account, meaning that you can do at least five purchases per day.

2. United TravelBank credits are valid for five years

Does United TravelBank expire? Yes. Purchased funds are valid for five years from the date the funds are deposited into your TravelBank account. That gives you plenty of time to use the funds.

That's a much longer validity than other types of airline travel credits. For instance, when purchasing airfare on United, you generally only have 12 months from the date of purchase to use those funds for a flight. So, if you really aren't sure that you'll be able to travel in the next year, you can use the United TravelBank to stash money away for future airfare purchases.

Even with the generous expiration policy, we recommend using up your full TravelBank balance whenever possible to avoid leaving money on the table.

3. You can get United TravelBank credits by holding an IHG card

One of the unexpected ways to get United TravelBank credits is through select IHG credit cards. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card customers can enroll to get up to $50 in TravelBank Cash each calendar year. Cardholders get one deposit of $25 in early January of each year and another $25 deposit in early July.

However, these funds work differently from purchased TravelBank funds. Instead of having five years of validity, you only have a little over six months to use these funds before they expire. The $25 deposited in early January expires on July 15 of the same calendar year, and the $25 funded in July will expire on Jan. 15 of the next year.

During the two-week crossover period, you could have up to $50 in active TravelBank funds from this IHG credit card benefit. That's probably not going to be enough to cover an entire flight, but at least it can save you some out-of-pocket cost on your next United flight.

Eligible cardholders can go to ihg.com/united to register to start receiving this new card benefit. You'll need to log into your IHG One Rewards account and then provide your United MileagePlus number and last name to complete registration. The terms and conditions note that it may take up to two weeks after registration before you receive your first $25 TravelBank deposit.

on Chase's website

4. It’s possible to use credit card travel credits to fund your United TravelBank

United TravelBank purchases often code as travel expenses on your credit card bill. That means you can earn bonus points when using credit cards with a travel bonus category. And you might even be able to use credit card travel credits — such as the Chase Sapphire Reserve® $300 annual travel credit , the Citi Prestige® Card $250 air travel credit or certain other credit card incidental fee credits.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

5. You can't use United TravelBank funds for other travel purchases

A major downside of the United TravelBank is that funds can only be used to book United-operated or United Express-operated flights, plus certain subscription products.

Travelers living near an airport with a strong United presence may not mind being limited to flying United. However, if Delta Air Lines, Alaska Airlines or American Airlines offers a much cheaper airfare, you won't be able to use your United TravelBank funds to purchase those flights.

Likewise, United TravelBank funds can't be used for hotels or car rental purchases.

» Learn more: United vs. Delta — Which is best?

6. The United TravelBank doesn't earn interest

Another downside of saving funds through the United TravelBank is that you won't earn interest on the saved funds. Over the past few years, interest rates have been so low that you wouldn't have missed out on much interest income by placing funds in the United TravelBank instead.

However, now that interest rates are increasing , you might be able to grow your travel funds faster by saving funds in an actual savings account rather than the United TravelBank.

» Learn more: Compare savings account rates in your ZIP code

How to use United TravelBank

Once you’ve added money to the TravelBank account, you can select TravelBank cash as a payment option when logged into united.com or the United app.

When you're ready to use your travel funds, just log into your United MileagePlus account and search for a paid flight. On the checkout page, select the TravelBank payment option. Then, you can then enter precisely how much of your funds you want to apply to this booking.

Note that you can only use TravelBank funds for flights priced in U.S. dollars. And unfortunately, you can't use TravelBank funds to pay taxes and fees on a MileagePlus award ticket. For cash bookings, TravelBank monies can be used to cover the ticket price, taxes and surcharges.

Even if you have enough funds to cover the entire purchase, you may want to charge part of your flight booking to a credit card that provides travel insurance .

TravelBank cash can be used alone or in combination with other accepted forms of payment, such as Apple Pay, Visa Checkout or PayPal.

Is United TravelBank worth it?

The United TravelBank provides travelers with another way of stashing away funds for future travel. MileagePlus members can fund as little as $50 at a time, up to $5,000 per day. Your funds are valid for five years from the date of deposit, giving you plenty of time to use them.

However, funding the United TravelBank locks you into booking paid flights through United, decreasing the flexibility of your money. You can't even use TravelBank to pay for taxes and fees on award travel. So, you may only want to deposit funds in the TravelBank if you're sure that you will be paying for a United flight in the near future.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75000 Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-3x Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

Do you want to install app?

Add a shortcut to your home screen: Share button at the bottom of the browser. Scroll left (if needed) to find the Add to Home Screen button.

Request your JetBlue Travel Bank login ID

The official ‘login look-up’ form.

Can’t locate your Travel Bank welcome email or 10-digit login ID? No worries.

If you booked with a TrueBlue account:

 from the account menu.

If you didn't book with a TrueBlue account:

Just complete and submit the form below and we’ll send you an email with your login ID within three minutes. Please note: if your travel credit balance is zero, you will not receive an email.

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Moscow International Business Center (Moscow City)

• Guide to Russia

What can you do at Moscow City?

• Dine in style: Moscow City is home to 100+ cafes and restaurants, including Europe’s highest restaurant and ice-cream shop
• See Moscow like never before: Ascend to one of Moscow City’s observation decks for an unparalleled panorama of Moscow
• Admire world-class architecture: Each of Moscow City’s skyscrapers has distinctive architecture and design
• Learn something new: Visit the Museum of High-Rise Architecture in Moscow or the Metro Museum

Moscow City is a multifunctional complex in the west of Moscow, which has come to represent the booming business of Russia’s capital. Its skyscrapers enrich Moscow’s skyline, contrasting the medieval cupolas and Stalinist high-rises. Visitors to Moscow City can enjoy entertainment high in the sky, as the complex is home not just to offices, but to restaurants, cinemas, viewing platforms, and museums.

Photo by Alex Zarubi on Unsplash

History of Moscow City

Moscow City was first conceived in 1991 by honoured Soviet architect Boris Tkhor, who proposed to construct a business center in Moscow. It would be complete with gleaming skyscrapers rivalling those of New York and London, to reflect the new life and growing ambitions of post-Soviet Russia.

The chosen site was a stone quarry and disused industrial zone in western Moscow, in between the Third Ring Road and Moskva River. Initially, the territory was divided into 20 sections arranged in a horseshoe shape around a central zone. The skyscrapers would increase in height as they spiralled around the central section, with shorter structures built on the waterfront to give the taller buildings behind a view of the river. 

Architect Gennady Sirota, who contributed to iconic projects such as the Olympic Sports Complex on Prospekt Mira, was selected as the chief architect, and many other world-famous architects were attracted to Moscow to realise their visions in Moscow City.

What can you see and do at Moscow City?

Where Moscow’s cityscape was once dominated by Stalin’s Seven Sisters skyscrapers , this is no more. Moscow City is home to eight of Russia’s ten tallest buildings, six of which exceed 300 metres in height. More buildings are still under construction there today, including the One Tower (which will be Europe’s second-tallest building). Once completed, Moscow City will comprise more than 20 innovative structures.

Each of Moscow City’s skyscrapers was designed by its own architect, lending the cluster of skyscrapers a unique appearance. Aside from being a site of architectural wonder, Moscow City is a place for leisure and entertainment with over 100 cafes and restaurants, exhibition spaces, cinemas, viewing platforms, and more.

Photo by Nikita Karimov on Unsplash

Federation Tower

• East Tower: 374m, 97 floors; West Tower: 243m, 63 floors
• Completed in 2017
• Architects: Sergey Tchoban and Peter Schweger

The East Federation Tower is the tallest building in Moscow, and the second-tallest building in Europe after the Lakhta Centre in St Petersburg. Visitors can enjoy a luxurious meal of seafood, truffles or steak at restaurant ‘Sixty’ on the 62nd floor of the West Tower, or visit Europe’s highest observation deck, ‘Panorama 360’, on the 89th floor of the East Tower.

Did you know? The ice cream and chocolate shop on the 360 observation deck are the highest in the world!

• South Tower: 354m, 85 floors; North Tower: 254m, 49 floors
• Completed in 2015
• Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP

The South OKO Tower is the third-tallest building in Russia and Europe. Here, you can visit ‘Ruski’ to dine on hearty Russian cuisine cooked on a real Russian stove, and have a drink in the ice bar. Alternatively, visit restaurant, nightclub and performance space ‘Birds’; the restaurant is the highest in Europe, situated on the 86th floor roof terrace alongside an observation deck. The OKO Towers are also home to karaoke club ‘City Voice’.

Did you know? Underneath OKO Towers is the largest underground parking in Europe, with 16 levels and 3,400 parking spaces.

Mercury Tower

• 339m tall, 75 floors
• Architects : Mikhail Posokhin, Frank Williams, Gennady Sirota

Another multifunctional skyscraper, which was designed as the first truly ‘green’ building in Moscow. The Mercury Tower has a distinct geometric shape and copper-coloured glazing, and was the tallest building in Europe upon completion. Visit ‘More i myaso’ (Sea and meat) on the first floor of the tower to enjoy European and Mediterranean cuisine whilst surrounded by greenery. On the 2nd and 40th floors a modern art gallery, the ‘ILONA-K artspace’, has just opened.

City of Capitals

• Moscow Tower: 302m, 76 floors; St Petersburg Tower: 257m, 65 floors
• Completed in 2009
• Architect: Bureau NBBJ

The unique geometric design of the City of Capitals towers resembles stacks of rotating blocks, and is rooted in Constructivism of the early Soviet period (many Soviet Constructivist buildings can be found in Moscow). Visitors to the Moscow Tower can enjoy a range of cuisines – traditional Italian dishes on the summer terrace of ‘Tutto Bene’, Panasian cuisine in the tropical luxury of the ‘Bamboo Bar’ on the 1st floor’, and poke or smoothie bowls at ‘Soul in the Bowl’ cafe on the 80th floor.

Tower on the Embankment

• Tower A: 84m; Tower B:127m; Tower C: 268m, 61 floors
• Completed in 2007
• Architects: Vehbi Inan and Olcay Erturk

After completion, the Tower on the Embankment was the tallest building in Europe, and is now the 13th tallest. It houses the headquarters of several large Russian and international  companies, including IBM and KPMG. There are two cafes located on the 1st floor of Tower C – self-service café ‘Obed Bufet’ (Lunch Buffet) and Bakery Chain ‘Khleb Nasushchny’ (Daily Bread).

Evolution Tower

• 255m tall, 54 floors
• Architects: Philip Nikandrov and RMJM Scotland Ltd

Evolution is Moscow City’s most recognisable tower, and the 11th tallest building in Russia. Its façade is a true architectural marvel, comprising continuous strips of curved glazing spiralling high into  the sky. According to the architect, Philip Nikandrov, the spiral shape of the tower honours centuries of architectural design in Russia, from the onion domes of St Basil's Cathedral to Vladimir Shukhov’s Tatlin Tower, a masterpiece of Constructivist design. Outside the Evolution tower is a landscaped terrace and pedestrian zone descending to the Presnenskaya Embankment, which was also designed by Nikandrov.

Did you know? Moscow’s largest wedding palace was supposed to be built on the site of the Evolution tower, though the project was abandoned.

• 239m tall, 60 floors
• Completed in 2011

Imperia’s interesting design has a curved roof and an arched glass façade. Inside the tower are various cafes including ‘City Friends’ for all-day breakfasts and light lunches, ‘Mama in the City’ for simple meals of Russian cuisine, and ‘abc kitchen’ for European and Indian-inspired dishes. Alternatively, visit ‘High Bar’ on the 56th floor for cocktails with a view. In Imperia you’ll also find the Museum of High-Rise Construction in Moscow (suitably located on the 56th floor), and the Camera Immersive Theatre.

Did you know? Inside Vystavochnaya metro station is the Metro Museum , dedicated to the history of the beautiful Moscow Metro!

• 130m tall, 26 floors
• Completed in 2001
• Architect: Boris Tkhor

Tower 2000 was Moscow City’s first tower. It stands on the opposite bank of the Moskva River, and houses a viewing platform from which visitors can admire an unparalleled panorama of Moscow City. The Bagration Bridge reaches across the river from the tower to Moscow City, and underneath are piers from where you can take boat trips.

Photo by Alexander Popov on Unsplash

Afimall is Moscow’s largest entertainment and shopping complex, home to 450 shops, cafes and restaurants, a cinema, and a virtual-reality game park. The shopping centre is located in the central section of Moscow City, and a cinema and concert hall are currently under construction there.

What’s nearby?

Sechenov Botanical Gardens: The botanical gardens of the First Moscow State Medical University was created for students’ training and research in 1946. Today it is open for free visits, and is home to a large arboretum.

Park Krasnaya Presnya: This park belonged to the Studenets estate of the Gagarin princes. It is a monument of 18th and 19th century landscaping, with Dutch ponds, ornate bridges, and tree-lined alleys. There are also sports facilities, sports equipment rental, and cafes.

Photo by Akkit  on Wikipedia

Essential information for visitors

Website: https://www.citymoscow.ru/

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +7 (495) 730-23-33

Nearest metro: Mezhdunarodnaya (closest to the skyscrapers), Delovoy Tsentr (underneath Afimall), Vystavochnaya (closest to Expocentre)

Related Tours

Moscow - St. Petersburg 3-star cruise by Vodohod

This is our most popular cruise covering Moscow and St. Petersburg and all of the significant towns between these 2 cities. Besides the Two Capitals, you will visit the ancient towns of Uglich, Yaroslavl and Goritsy, the island of Kizhi, and Mandrogui village.

Cruise Ship

Two Capitals and the Golden Ring

This tour covers the best sights of Moscow and St. Petersburg along with a trip to the Golden Ring - a group of medieval towns to the northeast of Moscow. Ancient Kremlins, onion-shaped domes and wooden architecture is just a small part of what awaits you on this amazing tour.

Accommodation

PRIVATE TOUR

Classic Moscow

This is our most popular Moscow tour that includes all the most prominent sights. You will become acquainted with ancient Russia in the Kremlin, admire Russian art in the Tretyakov Gallery, listen to street musicians as you stroll along the Old Arbat street, and learn about Soviet times on the Moscow Metro tour.

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A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

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Moscow-City: 7 surprising facts about the Russian capital’s business center

1. Guinness World Record in highlining

The record was set in 2019 by a team of seven athletes from Russia, Germany, France and Canada. They did it on September 8, on which the ‘Moscow-City Day’ is celebrated. The cord was stretched at the height of 350 m between the ‘OKO’ (“Eye”) and ‘Neva Towers’ skyscrapers. The distance between them is 245 m. The first of the athletes to cross was Friede Kuhne from Germany. The athletes didn't just walk, but also performed some daredevil tricks. Their record is 103 meters higher than the previous one set in Mexico City in December 2016.

2. Domination of Europe's top-10 highest skyscrapers

7 out of 10 Europe’s highest skyscrapers are located in Moscow-City. Earlier, the  ‘Federation Tower’ complex’s ‘Vostok’ (“East”) skyscraper was the considered the tallest in Europe.

Left to right: the lower of the ‘Neva Towers’ (296 m), Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt (300 m), Gorod Stolits (“City of Capitals”) Moscow tower (302 m), Eurasia tower (309 m), The Shard’ skyscraper in London (310 m), Mercury City Tower (339 m), Neva Towers (345 m).

However, in 2018, the construction of the 462 meter tall ‘Lakhta Center’ in Saint-Petersburg was completed, pushing ‘Vostok’ (374 m) into 2nd place. The 3rd place is taken by OKO’s southern tower (354 m).

3. The unrealized ‘Rossiya’ tower

If all the building plans of Moscow-City were realized, the ‘Lakhta Center’ in St. Petersburg wouldn't have a chance to be Europe's highest skyscraper. Boris Tkhor, the architect who designed the concept of Moscow-City, had planned for the ‘Rossiya’ tower to be the tallest. In his project, it was a 600 meter tall golden cylindrical skyscraper ending with a spire that was inspired by traditional Russian bell towers. Then, the project was reinvented by famous British architect Sir Norman Foster. He had designed ‘Rossiya’ as a pyramid ending with a spire. The skyscraper itself would have been 612 meters tall, and the height including the spire would have reached 744,5 meters (for comparison, the ‘Burj Khalifa’ in Dubai, UAE, would have been just 83,5 meters taller). Unfortunately, the investors faced a lot of economic problems, due to the 2008 financial crisis, so the ‘Rossiya’ skyscraper was never built. A shopping mall and the ‘Neva Towers’ complex was constructed at its place in 2019.

4. Changed appearance of ‘Federation Tower’

In its first project, the ‘Federation Tower’ was designed to resemble a ship with a mast and two sails. The mast was to be represented by a tall glass spire with passages between the towers. It was planned to make a high-speed lift in it. The top of the spire was going to be turned into an observation deck. But the ship lost its mast in the middle of its construction. Experts at the Moscow-city Museum based in the ‘Imperia’ (“Empire”) tower say, that the construction of the spire was stopped, firstly, due to fire safety reasons and secondly, because it posed a threat to helicopter flights – the flickering glass of the spire could potentially blind the pilots. So, the half-built construction was disassembled. However, an observation deck was opened in the ‘Vostok’ tower.

5. Open windows of ‘Federation Tower’

We all know that the windows of the upper floors in different buildings don’t usually open. Experts say that it’s not actually for people’s safety. Falling from a big height is likely to be fatal in any building. The actual reason is the ventilation system. In a skyscraper, it’s managed with a mechanical system, and the building has its own climate. But in the ‘Zapad’ (“West”) tower of the ‘Federation Tower’ complex, the windows can open. The 62nd and last floor of the tower are taken up by a restaurant called ‘Sixty’. There, the windows are equipped with a special hydraulic system. They open for a short period of time accompanied by classical music, so the guests can take breathtaking photos of Moscow.

6. Broken glass units of ‘Federation Tower’

The guests of the ‘Sixty’ restaurant at the top of the ‘Zapad’ tower can be surprised to see cracked glass window panes. It is particularly strange, if we take into consideration the special type of this glass. It is extremely solid and can’t be broken once installed. For example, during experiments people threw all sorts of heavy items at the windows, but the glass wouldn’t break. The broken glass units of ‘Zapad’ were already damaged during shipment . As each of them is curved in its own way to make the tower’s curvature smooth, making a new set of window panes and bringing them to Russia was deemed too expensive . Moreover, the investors had financial problems (again, due to the 2008 financial crisis), so the ‘Vostok’ tower even stood unfinished for several years. Eventually, the cracked window panes were installed in their place.

7. The highest restaurant in Europe

‘Birds’, another restaurant in Moscow-City, is remarkable for its location. It was opened at the end of 2019 on the 84th floor of the ‘OKO’ complex’s southern tower. Guests at the restaurant can enjoy an amazing panoramic view at a height of 336 meters. On January 28, the experts of ‘Kniga Recordov Rossii’ (“Russian Records Book”) declared ‘Birds’ the highest restaurant in Europe, a step toward an application for a Guinness World Record.

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