You can return air tickets purchased online. How to return an electronic air ticket with minimal financial losses

The procedure for returning air tickets depends not only on the type of ticket, but also on the timing of its return, on the reason for returning the travel coupon, etc. Let's look at each condition separately.

Types of air tickets

Air tickets can be divided into:

Tickets purchased through the airport ticket office.
Electronic tickets purchased through specialized websites or airline websites.

Both the first and second types of tickets are divided into two more categories:

Tickets that can be refunded.
Non-refundable tickets that either cannot be returned at all, or those for which you can return only part of the paid ticket price.

Reasons for refunding air tickets

If a passenger decides to return his air ticket, then one of the reasons for this should be:

The passenger is late due to his own fault (traffic jams, did not calculate the time, did not make it to the “Check-in” of the flight).
Being late for a flight due to the death of a passenger or some other accident.
Missing a flight due to serious illness.
Desire to exchange a ticket for another date.
Returning a ticket for personal reasons due to its further uselessness.
The flight is rescheduled or canceled completely, causing the passenger to return the ticket.

What determines the amount of monetary compensation for the return of an air ticket?

How much time is left before the flight starts. The sooner a passenger decides to return his ticket, the more he will be able to return in the end.
From the air carrier company where the ticket was purchased. Each airline has its own rules and conditions for issuing tickets.
Depending on how much the ticket costs. How more expensive ticket, the fewer problems will arise during the process of returning it.

Conditions for returning an air ticket purchased online

An air ticket purchased through the website can be returned there. For this:

Go to the website where you purchased your ticket. Find the “Return” box. An application form will be presented there, in which you need to enter all the details of the purchased air ticket.
Open the email you received at the email address you provided when booking.
The email will contain the following information: flight number, air ticket number, reservation number, time and day of departure.
All of the above data must be entered into the application on the website where you purchased the ticket.

If you are returning your air ticket purchased online at the airport ticket office, the return procedure also involves submitting:

Data of the purchased air ticket: flight numbers, air ticket and reservation, as well as the day and time of flight start.
Passport data indicated on the ticket.
The bank card used to pay for the air ticket.

Conditions for returning an air ticket purchased at the ticket office through the ticket office

If you decide to return an air ticket purchased at the ticket office through the ticket office, the return procedure will not differ in any way from returning an electronic ticket. The only difference is that instead of a printed air ticket, you will provide the airport ticket office employee with a paper ticket.

Amount of monetary compensation

To understand how much you will receive if you decide to return the ticket, you need to study what the total cost of the ticket consists of. It folds:

from repayment of the fuel that the plane will spend on the flight from point “A” to point “B”.
paying taxes for the trip
payment of fees (about 1,500 rubles from the full cost of the ticket), which are intended to compensate for cases of refund of air tickets.

For the return of an air ticket by the air carrier, payment of a fine (about 25%) and a commission fee are required. So, the sooner the passenger decided to return his ticket, the greater the amount refunded for the ticket purchase will be:

If a passenger returns a ticket a day or more before the start of the flight, the airline is ready to refund the full cost of the ticket to the passenger. However, payment of fees will be withheld. Some airlines may also require you to pay a fine.
If the passenger wants to return the ticket in less than 24 hours, the refund amount will be about ¾ of the original ticket price. In this case, payment of fees will be withheld. Some airlines may also require you to pay a fine.
If a passenger returns a ticket four hours before the start of the flight, he will be asked to issue a refund of ¾ of the original cost of the paid ticket + payment of fees and a fine (depending on the air carrier).
If a passenger returns a ticket less than four hours before the flight, the cost of the return depends on the type of airline. And the fine can be increased several times.

Warning

If the ticket you purchased was “business class”, then the amount of the refund penalty may be reduced or canceled altogether.

Deadline for receiving compensation

The refund period for a returned ticket also depends on how long before the flight it was returned, as well as on the cost of the ticket. On average, money is returned from 10 days to 3 months.

How to speed up your return time

In order not to wait for a refund within three months, at the airport ticket office you need to fill out the appropriate application, where you need to indicate the following list of data:

Personal data of the passenger for whom the ticket was issued (last name, first name, patronymic, passport details).
Bank name and current account number.
Bank identification code.
Correspondent account.

If the air ticket is refunded by proxy, then:

A power of attorney must be notarized in order to have legal force.
The authorized representative must present two passports at the ticket office: his own and the passenger whose ticket is being returned.
Information on the bank account and current account also belongs to the passenger whose ticket is issued for refund.

If you paid for the ticket via an electronic wallet, then in the application you must indicate:

Last name, first name, patronymic of the passenger for whom the ticket was purchased.
His electronic account number.
Type of this account (webmoney, Yandex.money, qiwi, etc.)

Rules for returning a non-refundable ticket

Before explaining the conditions for returning a non-refundable ticket, you need to understand which tickets belong to this category. Thus, the following are considered non-refundable tickets:

Electronic airline tickets, opposite which are marked “Non Ref”. “Non Ref” means “irrevocable”. Such tickets are considered the cheapest available at the moment.
Tickets purchased on low-cost airline sites that offer the most budget options air tickets.
Tickets purchased at a promotion, discount or sale (however, exchange for another date is allowed).
Tickets fare R, N, E, T, Q.

Information

A refund of the full cost of an air ticket at such fares is possible only as a result of the unexpected death of a passenger or a serious accident to a passenger.

In other cases, the amount of compensation for the returned air ticket should be half the original cost of the ticket. Those. the passenger can expect a refund of fees and taxes.

The main conditions for returning a non-refundable ticket are:

Deadlines. It is best to return your non-refundable ticket as early as possible. The best time is the day before the start of the flight. Thus, the passenger can avoid paying a 25% return fee.
The main condition for returning a non-refundable ticket is to arrive before the flight starts.

Return non-refundable ticket can be done in the following ways:

Through the website of the airline or travel agency where the ticket was purchased.
By phone (as when purchasing through tourist agency, and in the airline).
At the airport ticket office.

Rules for returning non-refundable air tickets if you are late

If you are late, the holder of a non-refundable ticket can:

On the website where the air ticket was purchased, fill out the so-called “notification form”, where you need to enter personal data and also explain the reason for being late.
If a refusal follows, a similar form should be sent to the post office of the legal address of the air carrier serving you.
In case of double refusal, it is recommended to consult with a lawyer and resolve the issue in court.

An electronic ticket is a convenient, profitable and modern way to purchase travel passes. One of the few questions that their owners have is how to return air tickets purchased online with minimal financial losses.

A sudden illness, financial difficulties, or even a simple change in plans - all this can cause a forced or voluntary refusal to fly. At the same time, many mistakenly believe that returning e-ticket it is forbidden. In fact, returning air tickets purchased online is not much different from returning paper tickets.

Is it possible to return an electronic plane ticket?

As with regular air tickets, it all depends on the so-called “fare” at which you bought it. In other words, the tariff is the conditions for returning and exchanging a ticket. Yes, yes, this is the same long “sheet” of text, after which, when purchasing an air ticket, you checked the “read and agree” box without even reading it.

Now is the time to return to the tariff conditions and read them carefully. You need to look for ticket refund rules on the airline's website, even if you bought it online through an intermediary.

Read also:

Each air carrier has its own return conditions; only two principles are common to all:

the more expensive the tariff, the lower the amount of the return penalty
the sooner you return your ticket, the more you will receive

There are so-called “non-refundable” air tickets ( non refundable or non ref). This is usually the cheapest or promotional rate and is non-refundable. However, you can try to exchange it for another date, albeit with an additional payment.

The reason for returning the air ticket is also important. If it is forced (cancellation or delay of a flight, illness or death of a close relative or the passenger himself), then by providing supporting documents, you can count on a refund of the maximum possible amount provided for in the tariff.

Read also:

If you want to return air tickets purchased online without a good reason, then it’s good if you can compensate for at least a minimal part of the amount. In any case, the final decision is made by the airline after considering all the circumstances of the ticket return.

How to get a refund for an air ticket purchased online

Typically, to receive a refund, you need to provide the details of the air ticket (the number of the ticket itself, as well as the flight and reservation, date and time of departure), attach a photocopy of your passport and proof of ticket purchase (a receipt or bank statement). Refunds are made only using the same method in which payment was made. If you paid by bank transfer, then the money will come to the same account, if by card, then to it. The period for receiving money is up to 1 month, but usually much faster, from 5 to 10 business days.

Before returning airline tickets purchased online, make sure this is your only option. After all, exchanging an electronic ticket for another date, even with an additional payment, will be much more profitable than buying a new one.

Refunds of air tickets purchased via the Internet are provided for by Russian legislation, which passenger carriers are required to adhere to. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to return them.

The rights of passengers specified in the current legislation must be fully respected by the airline. But the latter have a certain freedom of action: the carrier’s rules may establish various conditions, subject to which the purchased tickets will be returned.

For example, the cancellation of returnable air transportation contracts is provided for by Part XXIII of the Federal Aviation Regulations. But the direct process of processing a refund is not regulated by law: each air carrier can independently establish the conditions under which the procedure for terminating the transportation agreement will be carried out. This provision is fixed in Art. 234 Federal Aviation Regulations.

Another point of contact between the airline's rules and the rights of passengers is the purchase of tickets at a certain fare. The carrier can independently set prices for services, and the passenger selects the appropriate one from the presented air tickets.

With ticket refunds the situation is different. The law clearly regulates the conditions for canceling an agreement with an air carrier. This is especially true for reimbursement of the cost of an unused flight.

Please note! You can get a refund of the full amount of money paid when making a purchase if the carrier is to blame for the flight disruption or the flight is canceled due to unavoidable circumstances.

A similar situation applies to forced return and occurs in accordance with the Air Code of the Russian Federation, in particular clause 2 of Art. 108 if:

flight cancelled;
the aircraft's route has been changed;
at the time of buying single ticket the carrier is unable to provide connections for these flights;
the flight is delayed indefinitely or postponed to another date;
the traveler or his close relative traveling with him on the flight has died or become seriously ill.

In other cases, a full refund for the purchased air ticket is not provided. But in some cases it will be possible to return some of the money.

The determining indicator is the time of notification to the airline of termination of the contract. Clause 1 Art. 108 VZK RF. The law provides the following information on the amount of compensation:

The passenger’s voluntary refusal of services and notification of the air carrier about the decision one day, or rather 24 hours before the end of check-in for the flight, allows for a refund of almost the full cost of the flight. The company retains only the money paid for issuing a ticket, using reservation systems, including those classified as automated, and a number of other fees specified in Art. 93 Rules for the formation and application of tariffs for regular air transportation of passengers.
If there is less than a day left before registration is completed, the passenger's losses will be 25% of the funds paid. However, the airline may reduce the amount of the penalty charged, which is usually what happens when refunding expensive fares.

Know! If the airline receives a notification of refusal to fly after the end of passenger check-in, the money for the ticket will be withheld in full. The unsuccessful traveler has no right to count on compensation in this case.

The procedure for returning charter tickets is more complicated, since the agreement is concluded not with the airline, but with the charterer. There are no restrictions on the delivery of such tickets, but the transfer process is regulated directly by the sales agreement Money difficult for the buyer.

Is it possible to get a refund for being late?

In most cases, refunds for tickets are not made to buyers who are late for passenger check-in, since such a case is not specified in the Air Code of the Russian Federation. The rules of a number of airlines provide for compensation of part of the cost of the ticket if the passenger immediately contacted a representative of the company.

How much will be refunded to the buyer depends on the rules of the air carrier. It is possible to make a full refund, for example, if the passenger is not granted a visa to the country that is the final destination of the route. In the latter case, it is better to inform the service provider in advance, thereby increasing the likelihood of transferring the previously deposited amount to the passenger.

Sometimes the carrier provides the opportunity, for an additional fee, to exchange a ticket if you are late and fly on another plane of the same route later.

Basically, this service can be used by owners of “elite” tickets: first or business class. For economy class passengers, exchange options are often not provided.

Refund of air tickets purchased online

Purchasing an electronic ticket means a simpler refund process in case the passenger's plans change. The coupon is submitted online: you do not need to visit the carrier company’s office to submit an application. The procedure is carried out through the service provider’s website.

Statement

The most important document required to cancel a contract air transportation, is the buyer's statement. It is filled out directly on the purchase site boarding pass. When carrying out the return procedure, you must go to your personal account and select an order. Next to it is the “Return” button. After clicking it, the system will ask you to agree to start the operation with the “Confirm” button.

On a note! After this, it is impossible to refuse its implementation.

The first step to canceling a purchase is to fill out an electronic application form. The user should fill in the required information in the form already submitted:

Full name of the buyer;
applicant's passport details;
number of ticket;
route;
flight information and seat;
departure date.

Documentation

You will need to provide a scanned passport of the buyer with your application. If it is not possible to upload an image online, then it should be sent by email, indicating the destination address indicated on the company’s website.

You can issue a refund by personally contacting an official representative of the company on whose website the ticket was issued. An airline or travel agency employee will be able to initiate the procedure for returning a ticket purchased online, even if the passenger has already arrived at the airport.

Know! Compensation for the cost of flights for military personnel, disabled people and disabled children is not made at the expense of the airline. But these categories of persons can make a return according to the general rules.

Timing and methods

There is no clear time specified in the legislation: it can take a week or a month. The speed of the transfer depends on two main factors: the time remaining before the flight and the method of transferring money to the airline's account. The sooner the buyer decides to initiate the surrender procedure, the faster he will return his funds.

Payment method also plays a significant role in returns. sum of money. When purchasing electronic air tickets, the user of the system can use:

electronic money. To make a refund, you will need to indicate the name of the payment system (this could be, for example, “Yandex.Money” or “WebMoney”), as well as the number of the wallet and its holder;
by bank card or a current account. The transfer of funds will be completed faster if you provide the supplier with information about the buyer: identification code, number and information about the bank (correspondent account and institution code).

Attention! If the transportation agreement was concluded not directly with the supplier, but through an intermediary, which is most often a travel agency, then the transfer of money to the buyer’s account is made in 2 stages: first, the funds are returned to the counterparty’s account, and then transferred directly to the passenger.

Non-refundable tickets

Until 2014, airlines were required to refund all tickets sold, except in special cases.

However, since April 2014, after the adoption of Federal Law No. 79-FZ, which introduced changes to the Air Code, the carrier has the right to sell tickets at a refundable or non-refundable rate.

You should carefully look at the special marks when purchasing an air ticket: if it has the inscription non ref, then it belongs to the non-refundable category. You can distinguish such tickets by another criterion: they are usually the cheapest.

In case of purchasing non-refundable coupons, the money paid in case of voluntary refusal of the traveler from the flight is not refundable. It will be possible to return only part of the money used to pay fees of foreign countries - this provision is fixed in paragraph 1 of Art. 93 Rules for the formation and application of tariffs.

Where to complain if they don’t want to accept

Sometimes airlines refuse to refund money even for refundable fares, citing their own internal rules. In such cases, you should remember: The rights of passengers are protected by the laws of the Russian Federation, which are higher in force than the charters of any organizations.

If the carrier insists on refusal, you should complain to higher authorities: Federal agency air transport or the Russian Consumer Union. Rospotrebnadzor is also able to help with solving the problem: it was this organization that a resident of the city of Volgograd turned to when she was refused a refund.

However, the most win-win option is to go to court: when considering a claim, the provisions of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, and not the company’s rules, will be taken into account, which significantly facilitates the process of proving the supplier’s guilt. Before applying, you should definitely seek advice from qualified lawyers, as well as from the above-mentioned organizations.

Court

But, as practice shows, even a won case does not guarantee the transfer of funds back. If the company goes bankrupt, the passenger may not receive the assigned compensation: this was clearly shown by the case of the Avianova company.

S7

Airlines provide passengers with the right to choose one of 4 provided fares:

"Economy Basic". A non-refundable tariff, when purchasing which you should not count on compensation for change. Free changes to flight conditions are also not provided: adjustments to conditions are only possible upon payment of an additional fee.
"Economy Flexible". Partial compensation for the ticket is possible: if the passenger is late, international fees are transferred to the passenger, and if you send notification in advance, you can get back most of the cost of the boarding pass.
"Business Basic". A non-refundable fare that excludes the return of the ticket and the transfer of money paid to the buyer. Changes to the itinerary can only be made upon payment of an additional fee.
"Business Flexible" Provides the passenger with the opportunity to change the route without additional payments in case of being late for the flight, as well as to fully refund the YR tax, even if a ticket for a child was sold at the ticket office, implying a 25% discount.

Refunds are made through your personal account on the official website. To initiate the procedure, go to the “My Bookings” tab and fill out the appropriate application.

Aeroflot

Aeroflot refunds the cost of air tickets without additional fees only when purchasing “elite” boarding passes at Premium Comfort, Business Class or Premium Economy fares.

When purchasing an Economy Comfort boarding pass, only part of the cost will be refunded upon return. In this case, you will also have to pay a fine stipulated by the company rules.

Aeroflot also provides transportation at non-refundable fares: refunds are not made when purchasing promotional tickets or Budget-Economy coupons.

Useful video

Check out the airline ticket return policy:

Conclusion

Lifehack

Perhaps the only way to return any ticket, including non-refundable ones, is if the passenger becomes ill. If you provide the airline with documentary evidence in advance that you are unable to fly due to health reasons, you can get 100% of the ticket price back.

Since the document is drawn up in free form, deterioration in health can be interpreted as an obstacle to departure: the main thing is to get the necessary paper. And disabled people, pensioners and women during pregnancy will easily be given a certificate at any medical center.

If you purchased air tickets but are forced to cancel your flight due to a change in plans, you can receive a partial or full refund. Exchanges and refunds of air tickets purchased via the Internet are carried out in accordance with the provisions of the companies whose services you use.

Types of air tickets

According to the laws Russian Federation the client always has the right to cancel the trip due to life circumstances. There are types of return tickets:

voluntary– refusal of one’s own free will, that is, due to changed plans;
compelled– refusal due to reasons beyond the person’s control. These include, for example, illness of a passenger or his relatives who are fellow travelers on a given flight.

The amount the passenger will receive upon return depends on the type of ticket.

Refusal to return

According to the terms and conditions of some companies, they may refuse to refund your money, and this will be legal. As a rule, cheap airline tickets are easier to throw away than to return. But sometimes you can exchange them for a fee. Non-refundable tickets are marked as follows:

NON-REFUNDABLE;
NOT PERMITTED.

The remaining tickets can be returned under certain conditions or due to forced reasons. Before purchasing, study the specifics of the tariff so that in the event of a force majeure situation you do not find yourself at a disadvantage.

You can almost always return your air ticket

Refundable flights

There are forced reasons that oblige airlines to pay the cost of a ticket:

Illness of a passenger or a loved one with whom the flight was planned.
Death of a close relative, if the client notified the airline about this before check-in.
Flight cancellation due to delay.

Also, for subjective reasons, the client can return the ticket if this is provided for by the airline’s rules. As a rule, refundable air tickets are more expensive than non-refundable ones, but the passenger is partially compensated for their cost.

Change of flight date

It is allowed to exchange an air ticket if this is provided for by the fare rules established by the airline. If such an opportunity exists, use these recommendations for a successful exchange:

The sooner you carry out the exchange procedure, the more likely it is that in exchange for your old air ticket you will receive a ticket that fully meets your requirements in terms of its cost, date and time of flight. A number of airlines allow you to make an exchange earlier than a few hours before check-in.
Find out under what conditions you will be given new air ticket. You may have to pay an amount that doesn't fit into your budget. If you are offered a less expensive ticket instead, there is a chance that the difference will not be compensated.
If you purchased a ticket on the website, the exchange is carried out there. The site will generate information about whether you need to pay a fee for the exchange procedure and in what amount. The exchange function is not always available on the Internet: if it is not available, contact the airline ticket office directly.
After making an exchange through the site, print out a receipt confirming this. You may find it useful when checking in for your flight.

If after purchase you find an incorrect date, route or other information, immediately contact an airline representative with a request to change your ticket. Companies often offer a free exchange service within 24 hours after purchasing a ticket, even if the fare is non-refundable.

Important! It is not always advisable to exchange tickets. For example, if it is very cheap, buying the same ticket, but for a different date, may be a more profitable decision financially. Also, do not forget that each subsequent exchange always costs more than the previous one.

It is important to know the procedure for returning an air ticket

Subtleties of online returns

The e-ticket can be returned on the same website where you purchased it:

Go to the website and fill out an application.
Attach a scan of your passport and a receipt confirming the purchase to your application.
If there are forced reasons, you must attach scans of the relevant documents (certificate, death certificate of a relative, etc.).

Attention! If the application form is missing, send a letter with intentions to return the funds to the email specified in the “Contacts” tab. Explain the reason for the return, be sure to specify the reservation number, flight number, as well as time and date of departure.

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.

Return procedure

It is possible to return an air ticket for a full refund, but you need to know how to proceed correctly. The closer the departure date, the higher the return fee. This must be taken into account and try to start the procedure as early as possible. Return policy includes the following instructions:

Decide what reason led to your decision. If you return a ticket for forced reasons described above, you are required to refund the full cost of the ticket. Voluntary return most often involves partial compensation of funds.
Please review the return policy for your rate. Perhaps a refund is not beneficial in your situation, and it is much cheaper to simply buy a new ticket.
Start the return procedure. Inform company representatives of your intention to receive your money back. If the reason for return is illness or death of one of the relatives, you must present documents that confirm this.
If the answer does not satisfy you, make sure that the decision of the company’s employees does not comply with the laws of the Russian Federation and the rules of your tariff. If negotiations with airline employees do not bring the desired result, you have the right to appeal to higher authorities.
Please wait for the funds to be returned to your account. Typically the return procedure lasts 1-4 months.

If you are flying with transfers and want to return only one of the purchased tickets, you must notify the airline staff. Even if you are late for one of the flights or for some reason are going to miss it, but plan to arrive on the remaining flights, please report this, because if you do not show up for check-in without warning, subsequent tickets will automatically expire.

The procedure for returning a ticket is always the same, and the sooner you start this procedure, the greater the chance of receiving the maximum possible refund amount in a timely manner.

What does an online return option look like?

Fare rules

When is the best time to return a ticket, how to get a refund, how to choose a different departure date, etc., you can find out by reading the fare rules. You can read them:

if you already have the air ticket in your hands - in the itinerary receipt, which will be sent to you by email, or on the airline’s website;
if you are going to purchase an air ticket, go to the company’s website in the “Rules for applying fares” tab.

The intermediary agency may charge the client an additional fee for its services.

In addition to how to return a ticket, you need to know a few more nuances that will help travelers avoid being put at a disadvantage:

Non-refundable air tickets are not sold in Russia. All fares are refundable, and the amount depends on the type of transportation and seasonality. Therefore, if you bought a ticket to one of the cities of Russia and you are told that it is non-refundable, you can write a letter to the management of the airline, citing the legislation. Non-refundable tickets are sold only when crossing the border.
As practice shows, when purchasing a ticket to another country via the Internet, it is almost impossible to return it.
If a passenger cannot return air tickets, he can entrust this to any other person by drawing up a notarized power of attorney.
Airlines cannot independently change return and exchange laws. They can only simplify the laws of the Russian Federation, but not make them more stringent.
When returning, the passenger must pay a number of fees. Sometimes this amount is so large that it is simply unprofitable to return the ticket.
If the ticket was returned no later than one day before departure, there is a chance to receive its full value. If the return is made later than 3 hours before departure, an additional penalty of 10% will be paid.
Ticket refunds are not possible later than 40 minutes before the flight.
Refunds must be made through the same company or agency through which the ticket was purchased.
If a person misses the plane, a refund is possible provided that a return ticket has been purchased. It is imperative to indicate the reason for being late. For example, if it involves a lengthy security check by an airline employee or a delay in a connecting plane, the client is often paid full price ticket Also, instead of a refund, airline representatives can guarantee free ticket on the next flight.

Refunding funds is a fairly simple procedure if the passenger knows his rights. For convenience, we have collected all stages of the return in one table.

Stage number	Returns via the Internet	Return via cash register
1	Fill out an application on the airline's website or send an email with documents confirming the reason for the return.	Familiarization with the return rules.
2	Waiting for a response from the airline staff.	Collection of documents confirming the reason for the return.
3	Receiving a refund to the same card with which you paid for the air ticket.	Contact the cashier with presentation of all necessary documents.
4		Waiting for the airline's response.
5		Receive refunds to the card specified when placing the application within several months.

As a rule, airlines comply with their own rules and laws of the country, so if you follow these instructions, you can achieve a positive result quite quickly.

Especially if you often fly for work. The only downside to such a purchase is the risk of changing your plans.

In force majeure circumstances, people, as a rule, are not able to act calmly and consistently. Therefore, it is better to prepare in advance for such a situation as a refund of plane tickets.

The need to return a ticket may arise for two reasons:

Forced return which occurs due to the fault of the air carrier.
Voluntary return, the culprit of which is the passenger.

In the case of a forced return, everything is much simpler. Airlines always have no problem compensating for any inconvenience caused to customers.

Forced return

Reasons for forced refund of air tickets include:

flight cancellation or rescheduling, as well as long delay;
impossibility of connecting flights if you are flying with transfers;
the planned landing location has changed at the point of arrival;
being late for a flight due to a lengthy security check, but no prohibited items were found;
refusal to issue a visa;
an employee of the company made mistakes when issuing an air ticket;
the seat indicated on the ticket was not provided;
death or serious illness of the passenger himself or a member of his family.

In the above cases, you have the right to receive back the entire amount spent on the purchase of the air ticket. But to do this, you need to have documents confirming that the return is actually made for forced reasons.

In case of forced return, the airlines will provide you with full compensation

In the event of a flight cancellation or long delay, you should:

Contact the registration service, or your airline representative if the delay or cancellation occurred before check-in. There you must confirm the reason using a mark on the ticket, which must be certified by the company’s seal.
Pick up your flight coupon, if you learned about the delay or cancellation of the flight after completing the check-in procedure for the flight. This is necessary because tickets will be considered used if there is no coupon.

Only if these conditions are met can you count on full monetary compensation.

Voluntary return

In this situation, it is especially important to know your rights, since with a voluntary return, carriers are not so willing to cooperate.

Air ticket refund rules are reflected in Art. 108 Air Code of the Russian Federation, according to which the passenger has the right to refuse a flight if he notifies the carrier in advance.

In this case, you have the right to receive financial compensation, the amount of which depends on the time of notification of the refusal.

Try to notify the airline immediately if circumstances force you to surrender your ticket

Important! If you notify the company one day before the flight, then you are entitled to a 100% refund of the air ticket price. If there is less than one day left before the flight, the company has the right to collect a fine from the passenger for financial losses caused, which, however, should not exceed 25% of the ticket price.

Non-refundable air tickets

The non-refundability rule applies, for example, to, since tickets for them have reduced prices.

In 2014, the Federation Council of the Russian Federation approved the law on non-refundable air tickets , according to which airlines have the right to sell such tickets to passengers, provided that their number does not exceed 30% of the total amount per flight. This implies that these should be the cheapest tickets, the cost of which is reduced by 15-20% .

How does the choice of fare affect ticket refunds?

The refund conditions for air tickets are strongly tied to their fare. Existing tariff plans can be divided into the following categories:

Business Class. It is quite easy to return air tickets, however, you will still have to pay a fine for them.
Premium class. Such tickets are refunded 100% of the cost, even in case of no-show for the flight. This is understandable; losses from such situations are already included in the considerable cost of the air ticket.
Economy class. If passengers of this class refuse to fly, companies lose a decent part of their profits, so they are always reluctant to refund tickets.

Important! The lower the cost of tickets, the more difficult it is to return them and receive compensation for them.

When purchasing a ticket, immediately clarify the conditions for its return

Refund of economy class tickets

Each airline has its own conditions under which compensation for returned air tickets occurs. You need to check them with the employee at the ticket office when purchasing a ticket, and they are usually listed on the carrier’s official website.

It is important to find out immediately whether your ticket is non-refundable. If you buy air tickets at special discounted rates, then it will probably be impossible to return them.

For tickets sold without a promotion, the following standard conditions most often apply:

Full reimbursement of expenses provided for flights within the Russian Federation and notification of the carrier more than 24 hours in advance.
Fine of 25% of the ticket price charged when flying within the Russian Federation and notifying the carrier less than 24 hours in advance. The same fine will have to be paid when returning the ticket to international flight with less than 24 hours notice.
Fine of 10% of the ticket price is withheld when returning an international flight ticket with more than 24 hours notice.

Money is usually returned in the same way it was paid. This can be cash, transfer to a bank account or card, payment to an electronic wallet. As in the situation with a forced return, there must be a corresponding mark on the air ticket form.

If you cancel your flight, you need to contact the same place where you purchased the ticket - the airline ticket office or travel agency. If at this moment you are in another city or country, a request to cancel the flight can be made online by sending an email to the company.

How to return an e-ticket

If you are an air carrier, then cash compensation is also carried out through it. Let's look at the example of a specific airline.

Before returning your e-ticket Ural Airlines, the return must be processed in personal account on the company website. This assumes that you bought it on the official website.

To make a refund, you need to go to the subsection " Checking your order", find and open your order, click on the word " Return" at the bottom of the page, and then to the word " Confirm».

Important! When you click on " Return» you will no longer have the opportunity to cancel your action.

Cancellation of a seat on a flight by telephone

To receive a refund, you will need to write a statement, which must indicate your Full name, passport details and air ticket number. The application is written in free form and sent by email to the airline.

After completing the return procedure, you should receive a confirmation of the transaction by email indicating the exact amount of the refund. Air tickets are refunded within one day.

Returning a ticket through an agency

An e-ticket can also be refunded if it was purchased through an agency. For this fill out a form on its website and attach a scan of your passport to it. It is important to know the status of your ticket and whether a refund procedure is possible for it.

This should be noted in the “Restriction” column. If the description is on English language, then the phrase “non refundable” will mean that the ticket is . Another important point - agency fees are non-refundable.

Air tickets purchased through aggregators

It is very popular and profitable to purchase air tickets through aggregators. They are specialized websites through which you can purchase tickets for any airline to all destinations. It is with their help that you can easily find the best flight option in terms of price and quality.

But aggregators do not issue tickets themselves, so if you need to cancel a flight, you should not contact the administration of this site, but directly the air carrier. After booking your order, you receive a letter from the site with a description of the route, which should also include the airline’s contact information. You need to apply for a refund based on them.

Air ticket exchange

It is impossible not to mention the exchange of air tickets. It doesn’t matter whether it’s an electronic ticket or a paper one purchased at the box office, you can exchange them under conditions similar to those for a refund.

Important! If you wish to reschedule your flight to another date, you must notify the carrier as soon as possible. The time and date of your flight determine whether you will have to pay extra for the exchange.

Each airline has its own tariffs for this situation. Therefore, carefully study the conditions, because in some cases it is more profitable to return the air ticket completely than to reissue it.

Knowing the rules for returning plane tickets established by the legislation of the Russian Federation, you can always defend your rights and negotiate with the airline on terms that are favorable to you.