Airplane service classes, air ticket classes. Decoding letter designations on airline tickets Decoding additional fees on airline tickets
Air tickets can be purchased in different ways: through a ticket office, an airline, a travel agency or the website of an online agency that sells tickets. Nowadays, the service of aggregator sites is popular among airline clients, which themselves search for all currently available flight options based on user-specified parameters (date, number of passengers, their age, points of departure and arrival). They are sorted by cost and transfer time (if any). When purchasing through an aggregator website, the user is taken to the website of an online agency, which has the ticket he needs, and further processing takes place through him.
We’ll talk further about whether a service fee is paid for issuing air tickets.
What does the cost of an air ticket consist of?
Tariff is the cost of transportation itself. For example, transportation from Moscow to Berlin with meals on board the plane. This is the amount the airline receives by providing you with the flight service. In the total cost of the ticket, this figure is the basic one.
Service fee for issuing air tickets - what is it? The material discussed below will provide all the necessary information.
Different airlines set their own fares, so tickets to the same destination can vary significantly in price. This depends on the airline’s policy, which consists of factors such as flight occupancy, level of competition in this direction, seasonality, etc.
The fare is a fixed amount and does not depend on the date of departure of the aircraft and the number of passengers who bought the ticket. True, two reasons can affect its size. Firstly, the airline can change fares, and secondly, they sometimes depend on currency fluctuations, for example, the value of the ruble against the euro.
First, let's look at how the price of air travel is determined. The final cost of the ticket consists of the fare, airport taxes and service fees for issuing air tickets from intermediary companies.
When buying a ticket for any airline, it is important to know that only the cost of the fare part can be published on its website (or on the agency’s website). The price seems low to the buyer, he begins to process the purchase, and only at the end of the statement is the full cost indicated to him - with all fees and extra charges. 
Service fee for issuing air tickets from various agencies
Agencies add their markup to the cost of air tickets for registration. Its size depends on their monetary policy. If you return your ticket for any reason, the service fee will not be refunded. As a rule, the size of this fee is small - approximately 100-200 rubles. For information: a service fee for issuing air tickets at Russian Post is charged, since the Post Office cooperates with many intermediary agencies.
The agency's markup may be fixed or vary depending on which airline ticket is purchased, the destination or other conditions. But airlines themselves often set a service fee for issuing air tickets - even if you purchase a ticket at their ticket office or on their website. For example, the Air Baltic company charges 15 euros if you order air transportation on its website. You will pay the same fee if you buy the same ticket from an agency. But they will issue it to you on a separate receipt. Aeroflot set its markup at 800 rubles. If you are lucky and buy tickets on sale, then the total cost will be reduced, but the service fee for issuing air tickets will remain the same.
The opposite situation also happens. Sometimes it is possible to buy an air ticket without this extra charge - if the agency works in cooperation with the airline and has software installed on its computers for booking flights on its routes. 
How are the rates different?
Quite often you may encounter a situation where two passengers sitting in adjacent seats find out that they purchased tickets at significantly different prices. How is this possible? It's all about the tariffs.
The cost of the fare depends on the class of service, flight route, discount policy, return and exchange conditions, validity period of the air ticket, the amount of the discount for a “child seat”, the amount of fines for returning the ticket, the possibility of making changes (for example, changing passenger data - name, departure date ) and etc.
First class fare
This is the most expensive of the tariffs. It applies exclusively to international long-haul flights. First class passengers are served at the highest level, their flight is characterized by very comfortable conditions: seats that fold out to a reclining position, the opportunity to watch a movie or while away time in a bar. Using the Internet is also one of the bonuses. If necessary, a first class passenger can isolate himself from others flying with him in the same cabin. And, of course, there is a huge selection on the menu for them. There are also various other bonuses.
For example, passengers of this level on Emitrates flights can use showers, a comfortable seating area, and upon request, they are provided with a personal car directly to the airport exit. 
Business class fare
This is a widespread tariff with an increased price category and comfort. Most airlines and almost all aircraft have it. There are two exceptions: firstly, it is not available on small-sized airliner models, since there is simply no possibility of placing a separate cabin for passengers of this class; and secondly, it is usually not used by low-cost airlines.
The price of business class is higher than economy class. For an additional fee, passengers have an additional level of flight comfort - a separate cabin is equipped for them, the seats have a more ergonomic design, and their location is also more convenient than in a regular cabin. It is possible to carry additional baggage free of charge. The food menu is expanded compared to economy class.
Economy class fare
This tariff differs primarily in the rules for the exchange and return of tickets. The cheaper the air ticket, the higher the fee for returning it to the ticket office. And the inverse relationship: for expensive tickets, the airline’s return fee will be lower. In this case, meals on board the aircraft are not provided.
It is important to know that the number of air tickets of each fare is strictly limited. So, if you find out by contacting the ticket office that there are still economy class tickets available for a given flight, this does not mean that you will be able to purchase them in two days. It is quite possible that they will tell you a different price, which means that tickets are being sold at a different rate, since cheaper ones have already been sold out.
Many airlines are introducing a new fare schedule; they now have subclasses. For example, economy class is offered in two options (and, accordingly, at two prices): a ticket with the ability to carry luggage and a refund option, and a ticket without luggage and without the possibility of a return. The difference between them will be approximately 1-2 thousand rubles. 
Airport fees
Other airport fees (taxes), in addition to the fee for the flight itself and on-board services, include local taxes (including customs clearance) and a fuel surcharge. The pricing policies of different companies are so different that the amount of these fees can vary within very wide limits - from zero to tens and hundreds of currency units for each ticket.
In simple words, the tax is the cost of one or another company, which it transfers to the passenger’s “wallet”. The name of the tax “fuel surcharge” is very arbitrary, since it can also imply surcharges for air navigation services provided to airlines by dispatch services, for maintenance (inspections, repairs, transportation, etc.) of the aircraft at the airport, passenger safety insurance, etc.
In addition, there is also a fee for the form (when issuing a non-electronic ticket) - it is approximately three hundred rubles; collection of reservation systems, fees for flights over another state, fees for departures from another state, etc. All this is included (or, in some cases, not included) in the main part of the air ticket price.
Flights with transfers or "round trip"
Let's consider the pricing policy for flights with transfers using a specific example. There are two options for flying to Paris from Moscow. This is either a direct flight or a flight with a transfer in Dusseldorf. If the distance (sum of miles) in both cases is the same or differs by no more than ten percent, then the flight with a transfer will be called through. And the price of such a flight will either be equal to the cost of a direct flight, or even be slightly lower - as a bonus for the discomfort of waiting for the second flight at the airport.
When the amount of miles for a flight with transfers is significantly higher, the airline sums up the full prices for individual flight segments.
Purchasing round-trip air tickets is sometimes (mostly on international flights) cheaper than the sum of two tickets. Sometimes companies set a rule according to which a cheaper option is only possible if you stay at the place of arrival and departure for 12 hours or more.
How to correctly take into account the service fee for issuing air tickets in the advance report? More on this below. 
How to save money?
To increase your chances of saving on air tickets, you should know some simple tricks. First of all, it is necessary to plan your departure date in advance, since booking your flight a week, two or three weeks in advance will give you a likely opportunity to purchase tickets at a cheap fare. If you arrive at your destination airport on the night between Saturday and Sunday, you may be able to get a discount. The best thing that can happen when buying tickets with the desire to save is a promotion. All airlines periodically arrange them.
It is important to remember that a cheap air ticket always implies some restrictions. The minimum fare is always non-refundable. Namely, if for some reason you do not want or cannot fly, then even airport taxes, not to mention other extra charges, will not always be refundable.
Accounting view
The postings of the service fee for issuing air tickets are as follows: Dt 50.3 “Cash documents” Kt 60.1 “Settlements with suppliers and contractors”. The service fee for booking an air ticket is usually received on account 26.
As for VAT, the airline ticket receipt is recorded in the purchase ledger. Current regulations allow you to deduct the service fee for issuing air tickets with VAT on the amount of expenses based on a strict reporting form. However, it must highlight the amount of tax in question.
Service fee for issuing air tickets - income tax
The service fee for ticket sales does not apply to business travel expenses. Also, this fee cannot be added to separate payments and fees, which are given in the last paragraph of paragraphs. 12 clause 1 art. 264 Tax Code of the Russian Federation. 
Accordingly, a commission (service) fee, which is paid to an intermediary organization when purchasing air tickets and is not included in the transportation tariff, cannot be recognized as a business trip expense for the purposes of calculating income tax.
At the same time, it can be recognized for profit tax purposes as other expenses associated with production or sales, as the amount of commission and other similar expenses for services provided or work performed by a third party.
Many people know what a plane ticket looks like from memory, but not everyone can read its contents correctly. Therefore, the phrase: what are taxes and fees on air tickets brings a little confusion to travelers. Let's try to figure this out together.
1 Passenger's name. 2 Stopover. 3 Flight route. 4 Carrier. 5 Flight number. 6 Booking class. 7 Departure date 8 Departure time. 9 Booking status. 10 Type of tariff 11 Endorsement/restrictions. 12 Additional air ticket. 13 Point of departure/destination. 14 Issued in exchange. If the ticket is issued in exchange for another. 15 Tariff. 16 The equivalent of the tariff has been paid. 17 Full cost of the air ticket 18 Detailed calculation of the fare for the entire air ticket. 19 Form of payment.
It happens that the ticket price includes government fees, covering environmental and tourism. For international flights this may include:
- Payment of customs control employees.
- Immigration.
- For the use of terminals belonging to another state.
- In order to develop the airport infrastructure.
- Agent fees are calculated if there is no official representative office of the air carrier in the locality and it is necessary to use the services of intermediaries.
So are fees abroad
The states of the European Union have come to the conclusion that the final cost of the ticket, taking into account the summation of fees and taxes, must be communicated to the buyer before concluding an agreement (purchasing an air ticket).
However, individual fees apply in different countries, which can sometimes add up to:
- In the Netherlands, a tax is applied to provide sound insulation from noise from flying aircraft.
- Flights to Turkey require a contribution for the development of the general education fund.
- South American Venezuela requires a material contribution to luxury.
All rules can be found on the airline’s website
Thus, tourists purchasing a ticket to these countries will by default pay the above-mentioned fees.
History of the appearance of fees
The dachshund on a plane ticket appeared not so long ago. In the early 2000s, one of the largest British airlines decided to introduce an additional charge for carrying passengers. The amount was symbolic and equaled 2.5 euros. This was explained by the fact that with the increase in fuel prices, the functionality of the enterprise was called into question.
The transcript was included in the air ticket in order to avoid troubles with the tax authorities. By applying such a cunning plan, the company was able to level out its costs and remained on the world market. The example served as a lesson for other air carriers. Gradually, taxes and fees were introduced throughout the world.
A ticket is the main document that defines the relationship between the airline and the passenger. It necessarily includes several pages describing the conditions of transportation. From them, for example, it follows that the airline does not bear any responsibility for the timing of passenger transportation. Its task is to take you from one point to another, but when is another question.
"The carrier undertakes to take all measures within its power to transfer the passenger and baggage within a reasonable time. The time specified in the schedule and other documents is not guaranteed and is not an integral part of this contract. The carrier may, without notice, transfer the passenger to another carrier, replace the aircraft, change or cancel landing at the points specified in the ticket, if necessary. The schedule may be changed without warning the passenger. The carrier is not responsible for ensuring flight connections"
And this does not violate the conditions of transportation in accordance with the Warsaw Convention, which stipulates the conditions for international transportation by all airlines.
Thus, a situation may arise when, instead of the promised business class flight on a Boeing 747, you are sent economy class on a TU-154 plane a day late. Formally, the airline will fulfill its conditions to the passenger.
Of course, when such situations arise, the airline tries to make amends to passengers with the help of various bonuses or compensation, the amount of which is not specified in the ticket.
Form and contents of the ticket
In addition to the mentioned pages with the conditions of transportation, the ticket includes flight coupons, each of which is used for one of the flight segments. Usually, 2 or 4 coupon tickets are used for issuing transportation. When issuing an air ticket, all coupons are filled out at the same time, since they have the copying layer is red. After issuing an air ticket, two control coupons are immediately withdrawn by the agent, and only flight coupons remain in the ticket.
All coupons look the same, but the line related to a specific flight segment is highlighted in a different color.
The entire ticket is always filled out in Latin font (according to international rules), and there are always a lot of abbreviations in it. Let's see what all the abbreviations in the air ticket mean, which will help you correctly read the information indicated on the ticket.
1.Good for passage between points outlined.
Everything is very simple. The column “From” indicates the point of departure, and “to” indicates the point of arrival. If the flight consists of several segments, several points with a three-letter airport code will be indicated, for example:
Minsk (MSQ)-Frankfurt(FRA)-Milan(MXP)-Vienna(VIE)-Minsk(MSQ).
2.Carrier/Carrier.
This column indicates the international two-letter code of the airline.
For example: SU (Aeroflot) or LH (Lufthansa).
3.Flight/Flight.
This column does not need any comments; the flight number is indicated here, which, together with the airline code, is indicated on the board at the airport during check-in. However, you should know one more small detail, having bought a ticket for the Aeroflot flight Moscow-Paris, does not mean at all that you will fly on an Aeroflot plane. Many carriers agree with each other to operate a joint flight (“code sharing”). And in this case, when purchasing tickets at Aeroflot ticket offices, you will be given a flight number under the code SU on your ticket, and if you buy a ticket for the same flight in at the Air France ticket office, your flight will be indicated on your ticket under the code AF. And don’t be alarmed when on the airport board you see a flight number with the double code SU/AF. This means that this is a shared flight, and the airline code that comes first means that the flight is operated by an Aeroflot aircraft.
For a passenger, in principle, it should not make any difference who is actually carrying him: companies are trying to unify the service on board. However, “code sharing” is accompanied by some restrictions. If there are more tickets sold for a flight than there are seats on the plane (a quite common practice: this is called “overbooking”), then the company actually operating the flight will try to put “its” passengers on it first. The rest will wait for the next flight. And, as a rule, for those who are not boarded on a flight, the airline tries to pay for a hotel or compensate for the inconvenience in cash: everything is decided individually.
4.Class/Class.
This column does not indicate the service class, but the fare class. There are significantly more fare classes than service classes: tickets to two neighbors in economy class could be sold at different prices. It’s just that one passenger has the opportunity to easily exchange his ticket for other flight dates before the flight, and the other passenger is strictly bound to the departure dates, according to the purchased ticket.
Typically, an airplane has two or three classes of service: “first”, “business”, “economy”. Each company uses its own designations for fare classes, usually the letters F, A, P are used to designate “first” class of service, and for “business” class services use the letters C, D, J, the remaining letters are used to designate "economy" class.
Class doesn't just matter on board an airplane. First and business class passengers have separate check-in counters at the airport, and passengers in these classes have the right to spend time before departure in a special lounge with free snacks and drinks.
5.Date/Date and Departure Time/Time.
The flight departure time is local. The departure time is not considered to be when the plane leaves the runway, but when it undocking from the ramp. However, this is not important for the passenger: what is important is the check-in and boarding end time. As a rule, the check-in end time is 40 minutes before the plane’s departure. But some airlines set their own standards, so when purchasing a ticket you should check the check-in closing time.
6.Status / Status.
The column indicates the status of the reservation. If it says OK, your seat is guaranteed. If at the time of payment there is no such confirmation, the abbreviation RQ appears in the column. In this case, the passenger may have to wait until check-in is completed to find out whether there is a seat left for him on board or not.
However, even the OK status does not always guarantee the absence of problems due to resale. Each airline strives to maximize the load on its flights and, if there is demand, they obviously sell 5% more tickets than seats in the aircraft cabin - based on passengers not showing up for the flight. If they come If all, then preference at check-in will be given to those who have passed check-in earlier and, of course, to passengers of expensive classes.
7.Type of tariff/Fare basis.
This column contains the alphanumeric code of the fare at which the air ticket was sold. Under the specified code there is a fare rule, which stipulates all the conditions for rebooking, returning the air ticket, and the application of discounts, if any. The agent who issued the ticket will always instruct you about all the rules for the purchased air ticket. You have a ticket.
But in the graphs " Not valid before" and "Not valid after"
the indicated dates will tell you whether you can change anything on your ticket using your flight coupons and until when.
8.Baggage allowance / Allow.
This column shows the free baggage allowance corresponding to the class of service: "first" class - 40 kg, "business" class - 30 kg, "economy" class - 20 kg. Hand luggage can be 5 kg, 8-10 kg, it all depends on airline rules. When purchasing an air ticket, ask your agent. And remember, you will be asked to pay extra for excess baggage at check-in.
9.Name of passenger.
Airlines relatively recently began to indicate what the cost of tickets consists of. In particular, European Airlines have published the full cost of a flight on their websites and advertising brochures only since 2012.
But for many people, the fees indicated in the corresponding columns still remain unclear - they seem to be an excessive markup. Let's figure out what taxes are on S7 Airlines airline tickets and what their price is made up of.
The cost of the flight includes two components. The first is tariffs, and the second is actually fees and taxes. How much you get when buying an air ticket depends on many factors.
Rates
The airline tariff, in particular, means the price of the flight itself. Each airline determines the tariff for its services. Its value is influenced by the airline's policy, flight duration, route length, comfort class and season.
There is also an international tariff policy. It was once organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). This organization directly influences the formation of tariffs and the impossibility of monopolizing the market. Thanks to this, fares for international flights remain fixed.
Fees and taxes
The second part of the air ticket costs covers airport expenses and aircraft ground handling. This means passenger service at the airport, technical maintenance of aircraft, implementation of security measures, etc. Taxes are set by the airport.
Fees are passengers’ commission for fuel, insurance, service(for example, issuing a ticket). Some of them are charged for flying over foreign territory or taking off from a “foreign” airport.
Note! The price of a flight may also change due to other factors: changes in exchange rates, aircraft capacity, etc. Promotions and discounts will help you save a lot on the cost of your flight.
Taxes on S7 Airlines tickets
A significant part of the price of S7 Airlines tickets consists of taxes, and you cannot refuse them. On the ticket, this data is indicated next to the total cost of the flight. But what are they for and can they be returned?
Why do we need taxes?
Taxes are intended to pay for airport services and reservation systems. Each type of such surcharge is assigned an abbreviation (YQ, ZZ, YR, etc.). Some of them are non-refundable, and if you return the ticket, you will only get back the fare price.
What expenses are included in the fee?
Mostly The fee includes airport and aircraft services. But some of them also cover other expenses of the airline - for example, fees for passenger no-show, for each point of arrival and departure (for flights with transfers), advance reservation of a seat on the plane, provision of special meals, valuable luggage, rest in the VIP lounge, refund air ticket, etc. It depends on the type of tax.
Note! If you were on a business trip and you need to hand over your air ticket to your company’s accounting department, know that in this case the final cost of the ticket (including fees and taxes) will be reimbursed.
Fees on S7 Airlines tickets
The presence of this surcharge allows us to maintain airports, provide existing services at a high level and introduce new ones.
Airfare surcharges may include expenses for fuel, maintenance of the Aeroflot, payment for automatic booking, ensuring aviation security and airport maintenance. There are also service costs - in this case, online booking services, transportation fees, etc. are paid. Service surcharge is non-refundable.
For reference. Sometimes the ratio of tariff and surcharge looks ridiculous. For example, you can find a Moscow-Sochi flight, where the fare for the flight will be 100 rubles, and the additional payment will be 1,500 rubles.
Types of fees and taxes and their explanation in the ticket
Mysterious the letters on the ticket contain a lot of information about the upcoming flight, if you know their meaning. Let's look at the main ones.
| Types of taxes and fees | Decoding |
| YQ | Fuel costs. The fee may also include other payments at the discretion of the airline: dispatch and air navigation services, aircraft maintenance, and security. As a rule, on regular flights it is included in the fare price |
| ZZ | Tax for airport services. Its amount is set by the Transport Clearing House, with which many Russian carriers work. |
| YR | Payment for the reservation system. Whether this type of expense will be indicated depends on the booking system. Some airlines refer to this as a fuel surcharge |
| R.I. | Payment for passenger services at the airport. This type of surcharge appeared recently - in 2018 |
| XT | A symbol that combines several fees if there are many of them and there is not enough space in the allocated columns. |
Conclusion
So, the cost of air tickets at S7 Airlines remains quite transparent - it consists of the fare and fees and taxes. These expenses, which seem unnecessary at first glance, are necessary to ensure comfortable conditions for passengers on board the aircraft and during the pre-flight period.
Now the final price of the flight will not come as a surprise to you when purchasing a ticket.
