We answer the most common questions related to the return and exchange of air tickets during the pandemic.
Important information: according to the decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated July 6, 2021, airlines can refund the cost of tickets for canceled flights using a voucher. If the voucher is not spent within three years, the carrier must return the money after this period. Preferential categories of citizens have the right to receive a refund earlier: veterans of the Great Patriotic War, disabled people of groups I and II, accompanying a disabled person of group I or a disabled child of group II, large families. To do this, you need to contact the airline with a statement.
What determines whether a plane ticket can be returned?
First of all, it depends on the ticket tariff - whether it is refundable or non-refundable. When you select a ticket, you see the fare conditions: whether the ticket can be returned, whether baggage is included, and so on. Tickets purchased at the cheapest fare are usually non-refundable.
Nordwind airline fares
By buying a non-refundable ticket, you take a risk: if circumstances prevent you from flying, you won’t be able to simply return the ticket. It will be possible to return the money only in exceptional cases when the return is forced. Moreover, the list of these exceptional cases is determined by the airline.
Refundable air tickets are more expensive than non-refundable ones. In fact, when you buy a more expensive ticket, you pay for the opportunity to get the entire amount back if your plans change.
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What are forced and voluntary returns, what is their difference?
The difference between a forced and voluntary return lies in the reason why you want to return the ticket - whether you are forced by insurmountable circumstances or you act of your own free will. This reason affects how much money the airline is willing to refund for the purchased ticket.
If a refund is considered forced, the passenger will be refunded the entire amount, with the exception of the service fee for issuing the ticket. Recently, many airlines have changed their rules and issue refunds not in money, but in the form of a certificate or voucher.
An involuntary refund is the return of a ticket in a situation where you are unable to make the flight. From the point of view of airlines, there are few such circumstances:
- flight cancellation or change,
- refusal of a visa,
- passenger illness (not applicable for all airlines),
- death of a close relative.
Reasons such as self-isolation, quarantine or fear of contracting a virus are not on this list, that is, they cannot be grounds for a forced return. To receive a refund in the event of illness, death of a relative and refusal of a visa, you must provide the relevant certificates and certificates.
If the reason why you want to return your ticket is not included in the list above, and the flight will take place as scheduled, the refund is voluntary. Voluntary refund is possible only for tickets whose fare allows for a refund. In this case, the airline has the right to refund not the entire cost of the ticket and to withhold fees. The refund amount depends on the ticket fare and the carrier's conditions.
The same principle applies to ticket exchange. Forced exchange - without penalties and with minimal additional payments. Voluntary exchange - the airline may request a significant additional payment.
Customer Reviews
Gratitude to Vasily Anatolyevich Dear Lyubov Vladimirovna.
I would like to express my gratitude to Vasily Anatolyevich for his competent legal assistance in solving my difficult case. I wish you and your company further prosperity and success in your hard work.
From the bottom of my heart and with best wishes. 05/03/2018
Gratitude from Marina Kuleshova I express my deep gratitude to Alexander Viktorovich Pavlyuchenko for his competent legal work and professionalism, as well as to his assistant Elena Vladimirovna for the qualified assistance provided. I wish you prosperity and achievement of professional heights.
Sincerely, Marina Kuleshova. 08/15/2018
Gratitude from Komardin I ask you to express my gratitude to lawyer Alexander Viktorovich, who competently and clearly explained to me my further actions to solve the problem that my relatives found themselves in.
02/11/18 Komardin S.I.
Review by B.I. Goreky Gratitude to Yuri Vladimirovich from B.I. Goreky for the consultation on family rights.
Gratitude from Loseva S.I. I express my deep gratitude to Sergei Vyacheslavovich (lawyer of the firm) for his very clear, accessible help in solving my problem (protecting rights as a consumer). This is the second time I have contacted you to solve my problems. Always everything......and in full.
With gratitude, Svetlana Ivanovna Loseva, 02/15/2019
Gratitude from Volkova N.E. I express my gratitude to Vasily Anatolyevich for his professional and competent assistance in resolving the issue of protecting my consumer rights. As a result, I received decent compensation from. Thank you!
Volkova N.E. November 30, 2018
Gratitude from Matvey Fomin I, Matvey Alekseevich Fomin, am grateful to Vasily Anatolyevich Kavalyauskas for the timely legal advice and prompt assistance in resolving my issue. Calm and decisive. Thank you.
Fomin M.A.
Review by Minina M.V. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Yuri Vladimirovich Sukhovarov for his competent advice and qualified assistance on my issue.
With gratitude, Minina Margarita Vladimirovna.
Thanks from Radhuan M.R. Dear Kavaliauskas Vasily Anatolievich. Let me express my sincere gratitude for the qualified legal assistance provided. Thanks to your professionalism, I was able to achieve a decision in my favor. I wish you further prosperity and professionalism.
Radhuan M.R. 06/08/2018
Gratitude from gr. Voronova T.A. I express my gratitude to Yuri Vladimirovich for competent, highly professional advice on the issue of “Protection of Consumer Rights”, a clear explanation of my further actions in my situation, as well as gratitude to Olga Anatolyevna for her attentive and sensitive attitude towards visitors. I was glad to meet your agency!
Voronova Tatyana Anatolyevna
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How to return a plane ticket due to coronavirus?
Ticket refunds due to the COVID-2019 pandemic depend on the specific situation you find yourself in.
1) If the airline cancels the flight, this is an involuntary return. The airline will refund you the full amount.
2) Some airlines issue an involuntary return in the event of a passenger’s illness, confirmed by a medical certificate.
3) Your event or business trip was cancelled, but the airline did not cancel the flight - only a voluntary return or exchange is possible.
4) A self-isolation regime has been introduced in your region or there is an unfavorable epidemiological situation at your destination, but the airline did not cancel the flight - a return or exchange will still be considered voluntary.
If your flight is not soon, wait. Perhaps the situation will return to normal, or if not, the airline will cancel the flight. Then you can issue a forced refund and get more money back for the ticket. This is a risk, because if the flight is not cancelled, the money for the ticket will not be refunded.
Is a full refund possible?
The only condition under which you can return the full price of an air ticket is if there is a compelling reason. That is, according to the law, one of the following reasons must occur:
- serious illness of the applicant or his relative who is a traveling companion;
- death of a family member or loved one;
- Departure delay due to the fault of the airline.
Important! Even if there are forced reasons, a number of companies may refuse a full refund if the client does not contact the company before registration begins.
My flight was cancelled. What should I do now?
If you bought a ticket for Tutu, go to your personal account and fill out an application for a refund or exchange. It will take you a few minutes and will be faster than calling an operator. Instructions on how to return a ticket. Indicate the reason for the return - flight cancellation or change. If you want to exchange your ticket, please indicate your desired departure date in your application. You can leave your wishes in the comments.
When the reservations manager receives your request, he will check the fare rules for your ticket and inform you of the exchange or refund conditions based on your request. Once you receive the information from us, you will need to confirm your consent to proceed with the ticket. When the calculation is sent by email, you will receive an SMS.
Please note: Due to widespread flight cancellations, our contact center is receiving a lot of inquiries. We send your requests to airlines, which are now also answering a large number of calls. Because of this, the response time to your requests has been increased. We are currently processing requests for departure today or tomorrow. If your flight is later, we will definitely contact you within 30 days, but no later than 3 hours before departure. We apologize!
If you bought a ticket on the airline's website, call the carrier's hotline for details. If you purchased your ticket on a ticket booking website, please contact the service directly.
Validity of the document: contracts and terms
Regulation No. 991 applies only to contracts subject to execution:
- from February 1, 2020 – for international air transportation with China ;
- from March 18, 2020 - for all domestic and other international air transportation concluded before 05/01/2020 .
In addition, Regulation No. 991 does not apply to charter flights (transportation of passengers under an aircraft charter agreement).
How do I know what ticket I have?
Before purchasing a ticket, please read the fare rules.
These can usually be found on the booking and payment screen. On OneTwoTrip, a link to the rules is located on the ticket selection page and looks like this:
The rules for applying the fare include a lot of nuances, including information about ticket returns and exchanges. Look for the item called CANCELLATIONS and pay attention to the following phrases:
● TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE - the ticket is not refundable;
● TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE FOR CANCEL/REFUND - the ticket is not refundable;
● REFUND IS NOT PERMITTED - the ticket is not refundable;
● ANY TIME TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE - the ticket is not refundable at any time;
● TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE IN CASE OF NO-SHOW - the ticket is not refundable in case of no-show for the flight;
● CHANGE IS NOT PERMITTED - exchange is prohibited;
● CHANGE NOT PERMITTED IN CASE OF NO SHOW - exchange is prohibited in case of no-show for the flight.
The rules can be not only in English, but also in Russian.
Non-refundable tickets: when is it profitable to buy?
A non-refundable rate has a lower cost than bookings under other conditions. Therefore, it should be chosen in the case of:
- The flight is carried out only with hand luggage;
- a visa has already been received;
- The low cost of services is important.
It is not recommended to use the tariff if you have a small child or elderly relatives who may suddenly become ill. But you need to take into account that force majeure circumstances will allow you to return the amount paid if you notify the air carrier about the cancellation of your reservation in time. The timing of informing company employees must be clarified in advance on the carrier’s website or at the airport ticket office.
When booking a flight, you must read the company's terms and conditions, which spell out all the details when changing any data. Low-cost airlines may offer travel at a reduced cost, but any adjustments to the data on the travel document are prohibited. There are tariffs where, for an additional fee, the passenger can change the date or time at any time if unforeseen circumstances arise.
