Which tickets can be returned or exchanged?
A passenger of any airline has the right to return a ticket of any type. Based on the law “Approval of Aviation Rules of the Russian Federation,” each passenger has a legal basis to request the provision of this service.
All Russian airlines fall under this rule in 2021:
- Aeroflot,
- Victory,
- Ural Airlines,
- S7,
- Russia,
- UTair and others.
Only in rare cases will a passenger be able to receive the full amount for a ticket purchase. In other situations, each airline has its own conditions for returning a boarding ticket. For example, funds may be withheld based on the following:
On what grounds can funds be withheld?
- Return fees.
- Fine.
- Penalty amounts.
Upon receipt of the returned funds, the withheld amount should not exceed 25%. However, to expect compliance with this rule by the air carrier, the customer must act within the rules established for passengers.
For example, it is better to inform him about your decision to return a ticket as soon as possible, maximum 24 hours before the aircraft’s departure. Otherwise, the client may be denied a refund service for the purchase.
Tickets purchased from foreign carriers
Foreign companies operate in a similar way, and the amount of the return fee can be quite small. But still, you should not quickly scroll through the terms of the agreement and rush to put a “tick” as a sign of your consent. Some sections deserve special attention, so you need to familiarize yourself with them in advance so as not to put yourself in an awkward situation.
Foreign flights are subject to individual conditions. The amount of the fine can vary from 40 to 300 €. Some companies do not adhere to the policy of applying fines at all.
When working with ticket registration on the website of a foreign company, language difficulties may arise. Therefore, understanding the meaning of the information indicated on the ticket will prevent you from being left in the dark about its type and subsequent possibilities. Knowing the following terms may be helpful:
- Refundable - subject to return.
- Non - refundable - not subject to return.
- Non - refundable in case of no - show - is not refundable in case of no-show of the passenger.
- Charge, fees apply - subject to exchange, but the service is paid.
- Charge 100 € – the commission fee is 100 €.
Situation No. 9: I don’t understand why the Aviasales search contains flights to countries that have closed their borders
We are a meta search for airline tickets and show what we get from agencies and airlines. No matter how strange it may sound, after the borders are closed, some time must pass for tickets to be removed from sale.
First, airlines are instructed to stop flights, then they remove tickets from sale, after which agencies also stop selling tickets. As soon as the agencies lose the ticket, we won’t have it either.
However, airlines are now taking their citizens out of third countries and returning them home. This means that when the border is closed, foreigners fly out of the country, and only citizens fly in.
So, if in any doubt, it is better to check flight information on airline websites.
Non-refundable tickets
There are so-called non-refundable boarding tickets that are available for sale from foreign companies and Russian airlines. They are in great demand among travelers who want to save money on flying abroad. But even for these tickets you can get a certain amount of refunded funds, although it will be very small.
The bulk of the money will be lost, but you can hope for a refund of the fee for booking a seat or for other taxes set by the airport.
So-called economy tickets have the least favorable conditions for refunding the purchase fee. On average, you can estimate that 900–1500 rubles will be retained by the company.
In the event of an emergency or situation that was not the fault of the client, the airline undertakes to return the full cost of the amount spent for the purchase of the ticket. Such valid reasons include the following:
Cases in which you can get a refund for a non-refundable ticket
- An airline customer has been diagnosed with an illness that may require urgent medical attention, causing in-flight difficulties and a threat to life.
- A passenger's close relative died, causing the trip to be cancelled.
- The airline did not fulfill the terms of the contract.
Any of the above reasons is grounds for the airline to refund the full amount spent on the travel document.
The client must ensure that there is an appropriate document that can prove the authenticity of the situation.
If an application for a visa is rejected, the passenger must provide photocopies of the pages of his passport, in particular, the pages with a mark indicating the refusal to issue a visa. The identified disease must be confirmed by a corresponding entry in the patient’s medical record or other documents from the hospital. In the situation of the death of a loved one, it is important for the passenger to provide a death certificate and a document that can confirm family ties.
A full refund of the ticket purchase price is possible if the flight was canceled by the airline or was delayed, was rescheduled or caused the connection to not be made as scheduled. It is quite rare for a company to admit fault, so passengers should be well aware of their rights.
More information about non-refundable tickets and how to get a refund in the video.
Read on our portal about how you can get your money back for a non-refundable plane ticket.
Where and how to return a plane ticket?
There are several options where a company’s client can apply to request a refund operation. The passenger can use one of the available options:
Ticket return options
- Go to the official website.
- Contact the hotline.
- Ask a travel agency employee for help.
- Return through the airport ticket office.
When deciding to return a travel document through the company’s website, you must go to the ticket booking section. Each of them has its own number, after entering which the operation of returning the travel card and returning the remaining money will begin.
Each carrier company website has a similar interface, where a hotline contact number is provided at the end of the main page. To return the ticket, you need to provide the reservation number to the operator. It is worth being prepared to explain the reasons to an authorized employee.
You can also return a ticket purchased through a travel agency through the company’s website, or by calling one of the contact phone numbers. Next, you will need to follow the employee's instructions.
If a passenger bought an air ticket at the ticket office, then it can be returned in the same way. The cashier will need a seat ticket and a citizen's passport. The money will be refunded immediately minus the withheld fee.
If the owner cannot return the ticket himself, then an authorized person can do this. In this case, a power of attorney must be drawn up, which must be certified by a notary office. This solution will allow you to easily resolve the issue of a refund without the personal participation of the owner of the boarding ticket.
S7
Tickets for flights to/from China purchased before May 1, 2021, with departure from February 1, 2020
Tickets for other routes (domestic and international), purchased before May 1, 2021, with departures from March 18, 2020
The airline offers options:
1) A voucher valid for 3 years from the departure date of the flight indicated on the ticket.
It can be used to pay:
- tickets at any available rate of the Basic or Flex group;
- excess baggage;
- transportation of an animal in the aircraft cabin or in the luggage compartment;
- special food;
- advance reservation of seats in the cabin;
- places of increased comfort.
2) Refund after three years from the date of flight departure. The airline accepts applications in the following ways:
- in person when a passenger contacts the representative office of Avia JSC;
- by letter to the address: Russian Federation, NSO, Ob, Mozzherina Avenue, 10, office 201.
The following categories of citizens are entitled to an early refund:
- veterans of the Great Patriotic War,
- members of large families,
- disabled people and their accompanying persons.
Tickets purchased after May 1, 2021
Refunds are possible either in cash or by voucher. If the flight was not cancelled, a ticket can only be returned if it was purchased at a refundable rate. Refunds are subject to deduction of fees according to the fare rules. If the flight is cancelled, a full (forced) refund is issued.
Tickets for uncancelled flights purchased after May 1 and before July 9, 2020
A cash refund is possible according to the fare rules or a refund in the form of a voucher. You can use a voucher to return the cost of even non-refundable tickets, but with a deduction of 1000 rubles.
Electronic tickets and features of their return
Electronic tickets that were purchased on the carrier’s official website must be returned through the website. Companies may have specifics regarding the return operation, but the general scheme is identical.
By entering the section, the client has the opportunity to familiarize himself with a special form and fill it out electronically. The site visitor will be required to provide his personal information and contacts. After filling out and sending the questionnaire, you should expect feedback from a company employee.
You can come and write a statement yourself in the presence of the manager. He will tell you about the rules for filling out the form, the amount of the withheld amount and options for exchanging one boarding pass for another.
The refund amount may be even less than the agency client expects. The funds withheld will be from 30 to 35%, since part of the money will go to airline fines and to the travel agency’s account. After the time has passed, the money will be automatically returned to the client’s bank card.
You can find out about the return of tickets and e-tickets in the video.
A lot of useful information about returning an electronic plane ticket can be found on our website.
Smartavia
All refunds, voluntary and involuntary, are made directly to the airline.
For this:
1. Cancel the flight strictly before the departure of your flight in your personal Tutu.ru account. Go to the “Ticket Refund” section, select the reason “The airline canceled or changed the flight.”
2. Submit a request for a refund via the feedback form on the airline website
Tickets for canceled flights or if there are schedule changes
The airline offers options:
- forced exchange on the same route for any flight code N4 for departure dates before December 31, 2021;
- refund of the ticket price. All refunds are processed only after confirmation by the airline. The review period is usually not limited and can take from several weeks to several months.
Boarding ticket exchange
The options for exchanging one ticket for another are influenced by several factors. For example, the reasons why the passenger needed to take such a step, tariffs for the company’s services and the date of the flight, as well as the advance time of the client’s request to perform this procedure.
The owner of the ticket can only change it to his own name. The ticket must be purchased from the same company and travel in the same class.
Application form
The application specifies who can fill it out:
Who can fill out the application?
- Passenger.
- Trusted representative.
- The owner of the bank card from which the ticket was purchased.
Required data:
- Full Name.
- Series and passport number.
- When and by whom the document was issued.
The request must explain the following needs of the client of the carrier company:
- Request to terminate the air travel contract.
- A request for a refund of the money spent on the purchase of a landing document.
- Confirmation that the passenger is aware of the amount that will be refunded to his account.
- Confirmation of awareness of the amount withheld as a fine or fee.
Order details include the following:
- PNR - order number.
- Route direction.
- Number of ticket.
- Departure date.
- Full name of passengers.
- Amount requested for refund.
Next, in the application you must fill out a table with bank details:
- Full name of the recipient.
- Recipient's TIN.
- Card number.
- Full name of the bank.
- Checking account.
- Correspondent bank account.
- BIC.
- Citizenship.
The applicant must indicate a contact phone number, the date the document was completed and sign.
Azimut
Tickets for canceled flights
The airline offers options:
- exchange for other dates. Fill out an application for exchange in your personal account at Tutu.ru.
- forced return. To return the cost of a ticket in the form of a certificate, you need to send the ticket number, reservation number and a scan of your identity document by email. To receive a refund, you need to fill out an application and send it to [email protected]
The certificate can be used to pay for airline tickets for new dates with departures until December 31, 2021. The ticket can be issued for another person - to do this you need to provide a scan of his passport. More details
Tickets for uncancelled flights
Only voluntary returns are available - only refundable tickets can be returned. When returning, fees will be charged according to the ticket fare. To receive a refund certificate, you need to send your ticket number, reservation number and a scan of your identification document by email. To receive a refund, you need to fill out an application and send it to [email protected]
If there was an error in issuing a ticket
When purchasing a ticket on the official website, passengers may make a mistake and accidentally confuse the flight date or other data. If a buyer discovers this, it is important to act immediately.
You need to call the company’s contact number and ask an employee for assistance in resolving this misunderstanding.
Customer support in this area may vary from airline to airline. In most cases, it is possible to make changes before midnight on the day the ticket was purchased, or within 24 hours.
Even “non-refundable” tickets have a rule that allows them to be changed within the first 24 hours without loss of value. Unless the fee for booking a seat may be withheld. These rules are followed by American airlines and the following carriers:
Airlines that allow you to exchange your ticket without losing money
- EasyJet;
- Finnair;
- Emirates;
- Air France;
- British Airways.
An experienced company employee can understand the current situation and offer available options for solving it. For example, he may not begin the operation of returning the ticket and refunding the funds, but simply make corrections. Such assistance will be provided free of charge.
Read about what to do if you make a mistake when purchasing air tickets on our website.
"RusLine"
Tickets for canceled flights
The airline offers options:
- exchange for other dates. Fill out an application for exchange in your personal account at Tutu.ru. Specify the reason for the return “Flight cancellation or delay” and the desired dates of the new departure.
- refund of the ticket price. All refunds are processed only after confirmation by the airline. The review period is usually not limited and can take from several weeks to several months.
If a passenger is late for a flight
If a passenger is late for a flight, they can take decisive action to urgently return the ticket. To avoid maximum losses, you must submit your request at least four hours before registration begins.
When passengers on a flight have already boarded, the chances of minimal losses begin to decrease sharply due to increased fines coming into effect.
Even if the ticket cannot be returned and the money cannot be returned, it is worth informing your airline about what happened. Especially if such a situation occurred with a passenger for whom this flight was not the only one, and was followed by more flights. This action is extremely important, since most companies adhere to the rule of canceling subsequent flights.
For example, if a passenger flies from St. Petersburg to Prague, and then to Barcelona and back, but is late for the Barcelona-Prague flight, then his return boarding ticket will be completely lost.
Find out what to do if you are already late for check-in and boarding the plane by following the link.
