According to statistics, most Russian tourists fly on Aeroflot flights. The popularity of this carrier is due not only to comfortable flight conditions, ticket prices and a variety of flights. It happens that a person simply cannot fly to where he planned. The reason may be any event, but returning a ticket (Aeroflot) is a fairly understandable and uncomplicated procedure. That is why tourists from Russia trust this company and so often use its services.
Types of return flights
There are two types of ticket refunds:
1. When a passenger is forced to return a ticket, that is, a forced return.
2. Voluntary return.
In the first case, a return ticket at Aeroflot occurs for several main reasons:
- complete cancellation, rescheduling or significant delay of the flight;
- death of a passenger or a member of his family;
- unsecured connection of flights in case of a planned transfer;
- cancellation of a transfer at the destination that was indicated on the ticket due to the carrier;
- replacement of the class of service indicated on the ticket.
Voluntary ticket return
If for some reason the passenger decided to return the ticket or make any changes, then such a return is called voluntary. This ticket refund (Aeroflot) takes into account all the rules of the applicable fare. The same goes for sharing.
Each airline has its own system of fines and restrictions on tickets sold. Basically, this does not apply to the full annual rates of economic, business or first class. Most often, a strict system of restrictions and penalties applies to cheaper tickets.
Restrictions may apply to tickets that are sold shortly before departure or on certain flights. It all depends on the airline rules system. But one unspoken rule applies to all carriers: for higher tariffs, penalties are always minimal. Often these tickets cannot be exchanged or returned.
What are non-refundable tickets?
Aeroflot has a new category of non-refundable tickets since June 21, 2014. So that everyone understands what is at stake, we’ll explain: non-refundable tickets cannot be handed back and receive money spent for them. You can immediately recognize them by price, as a rule, it is the lowest of all. For the first time such tickets began to be sold by foreign companies, in Russia two large airlines immediately began to do this: Aeroflot and Transaero. But there are exceptions, in Europe such tickets are also found in business class.
Basic rules for the return / exchange of airline tickets at Aeroflot
To return the ticket (Aeroflot) without any problems, you need to carefully study all the basic rules. First of all, you need to be able to understand ticket prices. They are divided into several categories:
- premium (business, economy, comfort);
- optimum (business, economy);
- budget-economy;
- promotional economy;
- youth tariffs (apply to persons 12-24 years old).
Aeroflot ticket refunds are made in full at the premium rates of J, C, D premium business class, W, S, A premium comfort class and Y, B premium economy class.
The number of tariffs that can be passed with certain penalties is several. They relate to optimum business and optimum economy class tickets. In the first case, you can return the ticket with some penalty at the rate of I, Z, in the second - at the rates of M, U, K, H, L.
Non-refundable fares are considered budget-economy and promo-economy class tickets (Q, T, E, N and R). You will only be refunded fees and ticket fees.
When combining several fares in one ticket, it should be borne in mind that when returning tickets, the rules of the fare group with more stringent restrictions will apply.
If you decide to return a partially used ticket, then be aware that the difference between the paid and the actual fare will be kept from you.
Aeroflot: ticket refund, return ticket
The airline has dozens of different fares on one route, which even the ticket office employees themselves cannot know by heart. Therefore, trying to remember them is definitely not necessary, just look at the information on the network or find out at the sales offices.
However, when buying tickets, you need to understand what penalty you will pay in case of exchange or refund of a ticket. For example, you will have to pay a fine of 200 euros / dollars for the delivery of an optimum business class ticket at the tariff I, Z. This applies to international transport on long-haul route networks. In case of returning an optimum economy class ticket for a flight less than 6 hours, you will pay 50 euros / dollar, for a flight longer than 6 hours - twice as much, that is 100 euros / dollars.
In addition, penalties vary in their amount depending on the date of delivery. If you refuse to travel a day before departure, Aeroflot will issue a refund for the ticket subject to a fine of 35 euros. If the period of time is less than a day, then the amount of the fine will be greater - you will have to return 25% of the ticket price.
Comparison of the cost of fines with other airlines
Aeroflot’s main competitor is considered to be the no less well-known Transaero transportation organization. The fee for returning a ticket for these companies is different. For example, at Transaero, the fee for tickets that were purchased on the company's website or in the Russian Federation is 2,700 rubles, outside the country - 60 euros. Until 2013, these amounts amounted to 1700 rubles and 45 euros. Another leading Russian airline, Sibir, charges a ticket refund penalty of 600 rubles (for a period of more than a day before the departure date), 25% of the ticket price if less than 24 hours are left before the departure date. Utair Airlines allows you to return one day before the departure date without penalty.
How to return an electronic ticket?
Not everyone knows that today you can fly on a ticket booked and purchased on the Internet. E-ticket - a new form of airline ticket, which is slowly replacing the usual paper look. The advantages of such a ticket are as follows:
- no need to pay a service charge at the sales office;
- you can not be afraid to lose or damage it;
- to buy it, it’s not at all necessary to go to the cashier, it’s enough to have access to the Internet.
Confirmation of payment of the ticket is the itinerary receipt, which comes to the buyer’s email. In addition, a boarding pass is also sent to the passenger , in which the flight date, amount, place and details of the buyer are recorded. If desired, an electronic ticket can always be printed.
Some worry that they will not be able to return it. So right away I want to note that the return of the Aeroflot electronic ticket is carried out on the same conditions as the return of a regular paper ticket. More detailed information can be clarified on the official website of the carrier company.
It is impossible to refund Aeroflot tickets via the website; more often, for the exchange or delivery of a ticket, the customer’s personal presence at the sales office is necessary. Some tariffs allow you to return a ticket remotely, money is returned to a plastic card.
Tips that may come in handy when returning / exchanging tickets
1. When buying any ticket, check with the manager all the conditions under which it can be exchanged or refunded. Aeroflot has the right to make changes to the established tariffs without warning. Therefore, it is better to know about this in advance.
2. All restrictions of Aeroflot (ticket refund policy) apply only to airline tickets from Russia. If you plan to fly from another country, then all the conditions of return / exchange must be clarified by phone or at the nearest sales offices.
3. Remember: you can return or exchange a ticket only at the ticket office in which it was purchased.
4. Tickets purchased for promotions cannot be returned or exchanged - usually this is written in footnotes in small print.
5. If you paid for the ticket with a plastic card, then the money will be returned to you there.
6. Be careful when buying airline tickets. Sometimes for the same class the ticket price is different, it all depends on the date of travel (seasonality).
Key Issues for Ticketing / Exchange
Many passengers, especially those who fly for the first time, worry about buying and returning tickets. Answers to frequently asked questions when flying with Aeroflot are presented below.
The first thing that worries passengers is the issue of paying for tickets. Despite the fact that it has become much easier to buy a ticket today, not everyone has a plastic card. You can buy a ticket at any sales office, you can use the electronic Qiwi or Yandex.Money terminals. In addition, Aeroflot tickets can be paid at any Euroset mobile phone shop, and payments are also accepted through Webmany, Internet Bank or Sberbank Online. All basic rules can be read in the section "Online Booking Instructions" on the airline’s official website.
Many passengers have a question about the possibility of changing a ticket for a later date. This can be done either by round-the-clock phones (they can also be viewed on the website) or in sales offices. By the way, with regard to telephone exchanges, this can only be done if the ticket price does not change, that is, surcharge or other changes in the initial amount imply a personal presence at the sales office.
Many passengers have repeatedly faced the problem of returning tickets. With Aeroflot, this moment is hardly a serious problem. Just in order not to get into trouble, you need to specify in advance all the conditions for the return / exchange of tickets. Aeroflot is a carrier that takes care of its passengers and tries to make the ticket return procedure faster and easier.