Irrevocable tickets: is it worth buying and how to take

What is a non-refundable flight ticket

This concept was introduced in 2014. The State Duma amendedRussian air carriers have the right to sell tickets at irretrievable tariffs in the Air Code of the Russian Federation, according to which air carriers were entitled to sell tickets at irretrievable tariffs. This means that travel documents can not be returned or exchanged. By selling such tickets, the airline insures itself against damages that may arise if the passenger decides not to fly or to land.

Non-refundable tickets are usually marked with one of the following labels:

1. TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE / NO-SHOW – the ticket can not be returned.
2. CHANGES NOT PERMITTED – the ticket can not be exchanged.
3. CHANGES ANY TIME CHARGE EUR 00.00 – the ticket can be exchanged, but only for the amount that will be indicated in the label instead of zeros.
4. NAME CHANGE NOT PERMITTED – the passenger’s name can not be changed in the ticket.

Almost all low-costers of the world work at these tariffs. At “Aeroflot” non-return tickets are sold in the section “Economy promo” and “Economy budget”, UTair – “Light Economy”, S7 – “Basic” (in Economy and Business versions). Foreign carriers are usually not subject to return travel documents purchased as part of the shares and sales.

When it costs and is not worth buying a non-refundable ticket

Buy a ticket at a non-refundable rate if you:

1. We are sure that the journey will take place.
2. Do not depend on unreliable fellow travelers.
3. You can take leave when you need it.
4. Do not have problems with visa and documents.

Carefully read on the airline’s website information about the rules of carrying baggage. In some cases, a non-refundable ticket can carry a standard suitcase. However, more often a travel document assumes that you are traveling with hand luggage, and you will have to pay for luggage. Supplement for a suitcase can reduce the economy by no.

And just do not buy a non-refundable ticket, if your departure depends not only on you:

1. There is no visa.
2. You care about a relative with health problems.
3. The schedule of holidays is not approved.

In this case, it is better to buy a return ticket and not worry about the possible loss of money.

How to pass a non-refundable ticket

In the rules on the impossibility of return there are exceptions. You can return money for a ticket in several cases.

Force Majeure

You or your companion fell ill, a close relative passed away, and the trip should be canceled.

To return the money, notify the airline about special circumstances by e-mail before registering for the flight, then call and tell the same information to the carrier. The letter is needed to confirm that you told about the incident of the airline, because the call can “forget”.

Prepare one of the documents proving force majeure:

1. A certificate of illness indicating the name and requisites of the hospital, signatures and seals of the treating and chief doctors, the date of issue and the terms of the disease, a note that the patient is not recommended for air travel at this time.
2. A certificate from the airport medical station, if it became bad right before departure.
3. Copies of the death certificate of a family member and a document confirming kinship with him.

Together with the application for refund, send the document by mail to the address of the airline and wait for the decision.

Violations by airlines

If the flight was canceled, it was severely delayed and this violated your schedule (for example, you did not have time on a connecting flight) or if you did not have a place in an airplane, you also have the right to compensation for damages.

In order to return money, ask the air carrier employee to mark the problems with the flight on the tickets or get the appropriate information from him. Remove copies from them, attach duplicate checks confirming the costs incurred due to the airline’s lack of discipline (costs for the hotel, bus tickets, etc.), application for a refund and send the package of documents by mail to the air carrier.

How to return some of the money for a ticket

In some cases (for example, if the ticket is marked CHANGES ANY TIME CHARGE EUR 00.00), a travel document can be issued at an additional cost. Depending on the airline, the amount can grow in proportion to the reduction in the time to departure: the later you return the ticket, the more expensive it will cost. To pass it, you need to contact the carrier’s support service and follow further instructions.

Another option to get some of the money back is to return the fee for the fees. It is about the service charge for the reservation (YR), the fuel surcharge (YQ), the ticket fee, fees and charges for unused flights (the means that the airline pays countries for flying over their territories, for using the airport complex).

Please note that for tickets marked YR / YQ TAX IS NON REFUNDABLE ONLY IN CASE OF A NON-REFUNDABLE FARE, service and fuel charges are not refunded.

How to buy non-refundable tickets for a train or a bus

By law – in any way. The appearance of irrecoverable tickets for the train is discussed during the last three years. In May 2017, the State Duma Committee on Transport and Construction considered a bill on changes to the Charter of Railway Transport. Proponents of the introduction of irrecoverable tariffs for trains stated that this measure would make tickets cheaper by 30%.

It was assumed that new travel documents will appear this fall. However, while the old rules are still in force: for 8 or more hours before the departure of the train, the traveler can return the entire fare, for 2-8 hours – the ticket price and 50% of the price of a reserved seat, in less than 2 hours – only the ticket price.

There are no non-return tickets for the bus from the point of view of the law either. If you bought travel documents legally by a licensed carrier, they can always be handed over.

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