How to return an air e-ticket. How to return an electronic air ticket with minimal financial losses

26.04.2020

So, in your hands electronic air ticket which you want to return, you have never issued a return before and now you have a question about how this can be done, preferably with minimal, and if possible, without any financial losses.

It is carried out according to the same procedure as the return of a paper air ticket. But one thing you need to check before returning is whether your e-ticket can be refunded. Look to see if there are “NON REF” marks on your airline ticket. This mark means that your air ticket is non-refundable and you will not get your money back. If this mark exists, it is located in the “Restrictions” column. Conditions regarding exchange and return can be found on the airline's website in the section on purchasing air tickets. Each airline has its own refund policies in accordance with the current legislation of the country where it is located.

Basically, the return conditions are the same; the more expensive the ticket you buy, the easier it is to return it and the more money you will receive upon return. And if a ticket is purchased at a special fare with restrictions, or at a promotion (sale, special offer) or at the cheapest fare, then it can only be exchanged for a ticket for another flight. But there are significant differences, for example: e-ticket refund from Air Berlin (Air Berlin) is possible only on the day of booking; on subsequent days the e-ticket cannot be returned.

Please note that if there is less time left before departure, the higher the airline commission will be and the less money you will receive in the end

More than 1 day before departure, the full cost of the ticket is refunded, excluding fines and fees and commissions of the payment system, provided that it is included in the price of the ticket.

Less than 1 day before departure, the refund amount is 75% of the cost of the air ticket minus fines, fees, and payment system commissions

A request for an urgent refund must be sent at least 4 hours before check-in for the flight. Once registration begins, increased penalties for returning an electronic ticket begin to apply.

All the conditions and rules for returning an electronic air ticket have been met, but who will return the money, and who should I contact?

And you need to go to where you bought the ticket, i.e. if you bought a ticket through an airline, then you need to contact the airline, if you bought it through a travel agency, then contact this travel agency, if through a ticket office, then you need to contact the ticket office for a refund, etc. To process a refund of e-tickets, you must have your reservation number, flight number, ticket number, departure date and time ready. All this data is taken from the letter that is received at your email address after you have paid for the air ticket.

1 To return an air ticket, you need to fill out an electronic form for the return of an electronic air ticket, make a scan of the passport for which this electronic air ticket was issued and using special form send this set on the website, or send it by simple e-mail to the e-mail of the travel agency where you registered e-ticket.

2 You can issue a refund of an electronic air ticket directly at the agency itself, at your place of residence, in which case if the agency through which you issued the air ticket has a representative office in your city

3 If the e-ticket was purchased through a travel agency, then the refund must be made exclusively through it

Notification of cancellation of air transportation can only be accepted from the passenger indicated on the air ticket, or from a person authorized by this passenger. But in this case, a notarized power of attorney will be required.

When will I get my money back for my e-ticket?

The time frame within which funds will be returned depends on the method of payment, the method of refund and the deadline for filing a refund application. Below are the ways to get your money back for canceling an e-ticket.

- refund to bank account
- to an electronic wallet
- to a bank card
- cash

To return funds to your bank account you need:
1 Full name or full name of the payee
2 Taxpayer identification number
3 Current account
4 Bank name
5 Bank identification code
6 Correspondent account

To return to an e-wallet
1 Full name of the sender of the payment
2 Type of payment system (Webmoney, RBK Money, LiqPay, Yandex money, etc.)
3 Electronic wallet number

To return to a bank card
1 order number

Remember: As soon as you confirm your consent to the return, the seats reserved for transportation will be automatically canceled by the reservation system on all unused sections of the route. Retroactive this action does not have.

And finally, the most important rule to remember when refund of electronic air ticket– the sooner you issue an electronic ticket refund, the greater the chances of avoiding financial losses

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 people mistakenly believe that an electronic ticket cannot be returned. 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.

The refund method depends on the type of air ticket. How long does it take to return a plane ticket? For which air ticket you will get your money back, and for which one not – read our article.

Type of air tickets

Air tickets purchased through the ticket office at the airport.
Air tickets purchased online.

In this article we will look at the method of returning the second type of air tickets

Reasons for return

A passenger is late for a flight for no reason.
A passenger is late for a flight due to an accident.
Exchange of ticket for another date.
Canceling the trip altogether.
Flight cancellation or rescheduling.

Which air tickets cannot be returned?

Most air tickets purchased through the site can be returned in the same way as regular tickets purchased at the box office. However:

Tickets marked “Non Ref” cannot be returned. “Non Ref” means “irrevocable”. Tickets with this mark are considered the most affordable, sell out in a matter of hours and cannot be returned or exchanged.
Tickets purchased through a promotion, discount system or sale (can be exchanged for a ticket on a different date).

How to return an air ticket purchased online?

Depends:

How much time is left before the flight starts. The sooner you decide to return your ticket, the less problems this procedure will bring.
From the airline from which it was purchased. Each carrier has its own conditions for returning an unused air ticket.
From the ticket price. According to statistics, business class air tickets are returned more easily and with fewer “losses” than economy class tickets.

How long before a refund can be made?

If you return your ticket 24 hours (or more) in advance, you will be refunded the full cost of the ticket. The passenger is charged a fee. Some airlines add penalties to the return procedure.
If the ticket is returned in less than 24 hours, the passenger will be offered a refund of seventy-five percent of the ticket price paid + commission and, depending on the company, penalties.
If the ticket is returned 4 hours before boarding the plane, the passenger gets back seventy-five percent of the cost of the ticket + commission + penalties.
If you try to return a ticket less than 4 hours before boarding or after the start of the flight, the cost of the return will be reduced, and the amount of penalties may be increased several times.

Warning

Keep in mind! Sometimes it is easier to pay penalties and reissue an air ticket for another calendar day than to return the ticket and purchase a new one yourself.

Where and how can I make a return?

Flight number. You can return an electronic ticket either at the airport ticket office, just like a regular ticket purchased in another way, or on the website where you issued the electronic ticket. To return you will need the following information:

Number of the purchased ticket.
Reservation number.
Departure time.
Calendar day of departure.

Access to the above data is available to you in an email to the mail you provided when booking. If you are returning an air ticket through the airport ticket office, then in order not to search for all the data yourself, you can print out the letter you received from the airline and simply show it at the ticket office. There they will help you figure out what and where to include in the application.

If you issue a return through the website, the procedure is as follows:

On the website where you purchased your ticket, find the refund section.
In this section, you fill out an electronic application in which you enter all the data about the purchased air ticket (listed in the previous section of the article) and attach a photo or scanned copy of your passport with the data entered on the ticket.
If you return a purchased e-ticket through the airport ticket office, the return procedure is similar to the electronic one.
If you want to issue a refund for an air ticket purchased from a travel agency, the refund procedure will be similar to the previous two.

How long will it take for the passenger to receive the money?

Return period Money for an unused air ticket depends on when you applied for a refund, how you paid for it and on the method of purchasing it (airport, tour operator, Internet). On average, the return period is from ten days to three months.

Ticket refunds can occur:

Cash at the cash register.
To a bank card.
To an electronic account.

How to speed up the refund process?

If you paid for your ticket using a bank card, then:

When requesting a ticket refund, please provide the passenger’s personal information (full name)
Bank name and current account number.
Bank identification code.
Correspondent account.

Information

If you are filing a refund by proxy, but in the application indicate the personal information of the person for whom the ticket was purchased, as well as the information on the card of his bank and account.

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

Full name of the passenger for whom the ticket was purchased.
Electronic account number.
Type of this account (webmoney, Yandex.money, qiwi, etc.)

Is it possible to exchange a returned air ticket for another departure date?

It depends only on the airline from which the ticket was purchased. If an exchange is possible, the passenger will have to pay penalties.

There are usually no penalties when exchanging a business class air ticket.

Did you miss your flight due to heavy traffic jams and now you have lost your chance to fly on vacation, and along with it the money for the ticket you purchased?

Don’t despair, you can partially compensate for your bad mood by returning your air ticket.

How to return a ticket purchased online in 2019 and in what cases can it be accepted?

In accordance with Russian legislation, passengers always have the opportunity to refuse a flight.

The laws of the Russian Federation provide for 2 types of ticket refunds:

Voluntary return– when a person’s plans have changed, there is no need or opportunity to fly.
Forced return– when a passenger wants to fly, but for some reason he cannot do this, for example, a person gets sick or one of his relatives who was supposed to fly with him got sick, or the flight was canceled (delayed).

Depending on what type of ticket refund is provided, the amount of ticket refund depends.

According to paragraph 2 of Art. 108 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the paid ticket fee is returned to the passenger in full, in the following cases:

in the event of illness of both the passenger himself and a member of his family, a relative with whom the passenger was supposed to fly on a scheduled flight;
in the event of the death of a family member or close relative. A refund for the ticket will be made if the passenger notifies the airline in advance that he will not be able to fly;
if a passenger refuses a flight due to a delay in the departure of the aircraft.

Are there non-refundable tickets?

In general, such tickets exist. These are fares at which the passenger cannot voluntarily refuse to fly.

At non-refundable rates, you can get your money only if a person has a compelling reason for refusal.

Are there non-refundable tariffs in Russia?

No in Russian Federation no non-refundable rates. There are tariffs that depend on the class of service, the type of transportation, as well as special seasonal tariffs.

With a non-refundable fare, if the passenger voluntarily refused the flight, he will be able to return the fee that the carrier withheld in favor of foreign countries for crossing their airspace.

If a non-refundable ticket was purchased by a passenger, but the person experiences some force majeure circumstances, then the money will be returned to him.

Return money by non-refundable tariff possible, for example, if the flight was canceled or the carrier representative issued the ticket incorrectly.

Also, a forced refusal to fly may be considered to be the illness of a passenger or the death of a member of his family (spouses, parents, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, grandparents, adoptive parents) who was supposed to fly with him. In this case we are talking about a forced return.

The person must independently notify the airline of such a case..

The fact of illness or death must be confirmed by special medical documents, where it must be stated that on a specific date medical conditions prohibit the passenger from flying on an airplane.

In this case, the money for the ticket will be refunded.

If we talk about buying air tickets in Russia Russian airlines, then ticket refunds are allowed.

As for buying an online ticket for some foreign company, the client can say goodbye to the money for the online ticket.

The fact is that foreign companies selling tickets via the Internet practice selling so-called non-refundable fares.

All air tickets used by passengers to fly within Russia are refundable.

What are the rules for returning an air ticket if the ticket was purchased online?

The rules are the same as for regular ticket sales, because everyone sells tickets (carriers or their agents) according to the same rules established by current legislation.

Therefore, everyone must follow the airline's rules.

Before thinking about how to do this, you need to check whether the person can return the e-ticket. If the ticket is marked “Non Ref”, this means that the ticket is not refundable.

In order to return a ticket via the Internet, you should prepare your reservation number, ticket number, flight number, time and date of departure. This data must be taken from the letter that the person received earlier after paying for the online ticket.

Next, you need to go to the website where the client ordered the air ticket and fill out a refund application. If such an application is not provided on the website, then you need to write an email and send it to the company’s email address (the address can be found in the “Contacts” section).

After filling out the application, you should attach a scanned copy of your passport, as well as a bank statement or a check confirming the fact of purchasing the ticket.

Only the person who issued the ticket can apply for a ticket refund. If due to some circumstances he cannot do this, then his authorized representative can do it for him.

Then, along with the return application, you should attach a scanned power of attorney.

After submitting the application and its attachments, the passenger can only wait, then the airline will consider his application.

After reviewing it, the company returns the money to the passenger using the method in which he carried out the transaction when purchasing the ticket.

Each airline does develop its own rules, but it must communicate them to passengers and agents.

However, according to the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the airline’s rules must not violate the requirements of the Federal Passenger Rules.

They can only improve some articles of the rules, but cannot tighten them.

Refund rules for tickets purchased at a refundable rate

The passenger must be refunded foreign surcharges, fuel surcharges and airport security surcharges.

But the carrier has the right to withhold the fee for issuing a ticket and a receipt for payment of baggage in excess of the standard.

Passengers who show up for check-in while intoxicated will be left without monetary compensation.

When returning an air ticket to the airport ticket office, the client is not refunded the entire amount he spent on the ticket.

This is stipulated in the Federal Aviation Regulations " General rules air transport».

This document clearly states that the full cost of the air ticket is returned to the passenger if the carrier is forced to cancel the flight.

In order to receive the maximum possible amount of compensation for an unused air ticket, you need to decide on a refund in advance, that is, one day before departure.

How many days in advance can I return an air ticket?

If a passenger, through his own fault or initiative, decided not to fly, that is, he voluntarily refused the flight, then if he returns the ticket no later than 24 hours before departure, then he must receive a 100% refund for the purchased ticket, with the exception of airline fees for the return service.

If he returns the ticket less than 24 hours before departure, but more than 3 hours before departure, then the refund penalty will be in the amount of 10% of the cost of the ticket, and if he returns the ticket less than 3 hours before departure, then the penalty will be paid in the amount of 25%.

Does how much money a person will get back for an unused ticket depend on different fares?

There are several fares from airlines: business class, economy class, premium class and so on, and some people think that the percentage of money back on an unused air ticket depends on the class of flight.

However, it is not. Conditions for refunding money for a ticket are standard for fares, regardless of class of service.

According to airline rules, air tickets are refunded at the place of purchase. That is, if a person purchased a ticket from a specific agency, then he must return the ticket to the same agency.

If he bought an air ticket on the Internet from some agent, then he must fill out an application for a refund of the air ticket there.

If, for example, a person needs to return a ticket, but he is in another city, then he must contact the airline representative.

The deadline for returning an air ticket is before the end of passenger check-in, that is, 40 minutes before departure.. If a person decides to return the ticket after this time, then a refund will not be possible.

If there is a good reason, that is, a forced return, then the person needs to notify the airline in advance that he is not flying. He must give up his seat and this deadline is until the end of passenger registration.

This situation may arise, for example, when a person bought a ticket, for example, from Khabarovsk to New York via Moscow. Will money be returned to a passenger if he has used part of the ticket but not the rest?

If a person buys a long-distance ticket, then he most likely chooses a special fare that is valid from the starting point to the final point. In this case, a partial refund of the air ticket is not provided.

But if a person buys two separate tickets: Khabarovsk - Moscow and Moscow - New York, then, of course, the passenger has the opportunity to refuse one of the two tickets on which he did not fly.

A latecomer is a passenger who did not have time to check in for the flight.. In this case, you can still try to get the money back.

To do this, go to the website through which you booked the ticket, enter your passport details and reservation number. After this, you should cancel the order.

If a person cancels such an order at least 1 hour before departure, the carrier will refund him money in the amount of 75% of the total cost of the ticket. Refund money is transferred to the unsuccessful passenger within 3 days.

If you run to the airport, but the plane has already departed, then you can count on a refund for the ticket, but only if the person bought a refundable ticket, and the passenger must provide valid reasons why he was late.

For example, he was late due to a long security check by an airline employee or due to a delay in a connecting flight. In this case, the passenger’s money is returned almost in full.

If a person is late for a flight due to traffic jams, that is, this is a voluntary return, then the airline must refund him the money for the cost of the ticket minus additional fees or an airline employee may offer you a ticket on the next flight.

There are situations when, not through the fault of the passenger himself, but through the fault of the air carrier, the flight is canceled. At the same time, when a person contacts the company for a refund for an air ticket, he is informed that he will not receive any money.

They say that the airline has its own rules for air transportation and setting tariffs, so according to their rules, money is not returned. However, this is false information.

The carrier is obliged to return the money, and if he refuses to return it, then the service consumer has the right:

file a complaint against the airline Federal agency air transport;
file a complaint through the website of the Federal Air Transport Agency;
contact Rospotrebnadzor or court.

You can get a refund for an unused air ticket in 2019 if a person experiences force majeure or if the airline fails to fulfill its obligations to the passenger.

In order for the money for the ticket to be returned, it is necessary to inform the carrier about the return of the ticket maximum 40 minutes before the end of check-in for the flight.

Video: Air ticket refund rules

Traveling is an opportunity to study, relax, explore the world and be a free person at the same time. This is the best thing that can happen in life, and there is hardly a person willing to argue with it. The best way travel - buy a plane ticket and go to some distant or not quite country in order to spend time usefully and leave good impressions and warm memories after the trip.

Many people choose airplanes as transport. It is practical, convenient, fast, safe and comfortable. But, alas, this is one of the most expensive types of transport (although there are exceptions here). In any case, a plane flight can account for almost half of the entire budget for a vacation somewhere in southern country. But in life anything happens. It happens that a trip is cancelled.

What to do in this case? Can I return a plane ticket? Is it possible to get back at least a small part of the money spent on booking a flight? What do I need to do? Let's try to figure it out together.

How many days in advance can a plane ticket be returned?

So, there are two news, according to tradition, one of them is good, the second is not so good. Let's start with the first one. Yes, it is possible to return a plane ticket purchased online or in any other way. The bad news is that this cannot always be done; in some cases they will refuse you, in others they will reimburse only part of your costs, and with some airlines you will have to tinker and even go to court.

But don’t rush to get upset; with the right approach, absolutely anything is possible. The main thing is to comply with several very simple but important conditions. First time. Yes, the phrase “time is money” is not just a metaphor, but a rule. If you apply on the day of departure or a few hours before departure, you can count on virtually nothing. In fact, each company has its own rules. Of course, they are regulated by laws, but in some cases the ticket return time is regulated by internal regulations. And by purchasing a ticket, you automatically agree to the terms and conditions of this airline.

Therefore, be careful and study this issue as thoroughly as possible. How long it takes to return a plane ticket is not an easy question. The earlier the better. The money refund operation will be even more successful if you notify that you will not fly on this flight at least two days before departure. You can, of course, try to do this before registration, but in this case the process will become more complicated, since it is not profitable for the airline to lose money. After registration ends, and especially after departure, tickets become non-refundable.

How much money can you get back?

Can I return a plane ticket? Can. But is it possible to get, or rather return, the money spent? In theory, yes, although here, too, everything depends on the airline. They have their own tariffs, promotions, conditions, and so on. People, as a rule, do not pay attention to such things, and then complain about how bad the airline is that it does not want to return the money, although according to the law it seems to have to do so. Few people know that they exist originally non-refundable tickets, but we'll talk about them a little later. They cannot be called absolutely non-refundable, so at least a small part of the money can still be returned.

Also non-refundable service fees, which are paid when purchasing an air ticket. Also, many airlines impose a fine for returning a ticket, but its amount is not fixed in any legal act, so each company has its own “appetites.” If you want to know a way to return a plane ticket and get 100% of the amount back, then you should familiarize yourself with the grounds for returning a ticket, which in most cases guarantee full return money.

Reasons for returning a ticket

There are two types of air ticket refunds: voluntary and forced. In the first case, the passenger returns the ticket without any particular reason. Maybe he has it, but for the airline this is not a valid reason. For example, if you had a fight with your companion, decided not to fly to this country, or your boss changed his mind about giving you a vacation, then in this case it will most likely not be possible to return the full cost of the ticket. But at the same time, there are a number of reasons why the airline is obliged to consider your application and return all the money as soon as possible. This is the so-called forced refund of air tickets for direct flights.

Valid reasons that guarantee a refund include, for example, an official refusal of a visa. In this case, you are obliged to document this refusal by providing all the necessary evidence. If the passenger was urgently hospitalized and he also has all the certificates in this regard, he can expect a refund. At the same time, his companions who did not fly precisely because their friend or relative was ill will not receive full compensation.

The death of a close relative (wife, parents, children) also allows you to receive the money spent on tickets. You just need to prove the relationship and provide a death certificate so that the airline has grounds to issue a refund. There are also a number of reasons for which the carrier itself is to blame: cancellation or serves as a reason to return the ticket and receive compensation for its cost.

All such cases are considered on an individual basis. The most important thing is to request a refund on time, at least one day before departure. This is stated in all airline ticket refund policies. Some companies may consider your application on the same day, but be prepared for the entire procedure to take a week or even a month. This happens extremely rarely, but no one is immune from it.

When will the money arrive?

As noted above, the most important thing is to provide all the necessary evidence of the reason for the return. This needs to be done as early as possible, then there is every chance that the airline will meet you halfway and solve the problem as soon as possible. But it also happens that returning air tickets for a direct flight is a difficult and time-consuming task. What to do in this case? Alas, all we can do is wait. But as soon as your return is officially recognized as forced, the process of transferring money to your bank card will immediately begin. It usually takes several business days, in some cases you have to wait about a week for money.

How to return an e-ticket

Nowadays, so-called aggregators are very popular - services that look for the cheapest air tickets and help you book them right at home. All you need is the Internet for this. But what should you do if you need a plane ticket purchased online urgently?

In fact, the process of returning such a ticket is no different from what was described above. You need to inform the airline of your desire and reason for returning the ticket, provide evidence that this is an involuntary refund and expect money for bank card. The main thing is not to forget to check if your electronic ticket is marked non ref, which means “non-refundable”. Let’s look at what to do if you find these words, and whether it’s possible to return a plane ticket of this type right now.

Non-refundable tickets

They are in great demand among air passengers. There is only one reason - such air tickets are much cheaper than regular ones, so purchasing them turns out to be more profitable. You fly on a regular flight, but at a lower price. As a rule, people purchase non-refundable tickets knowing for sure that they will fly. But, as mentioned above, life is an unpredictable thing, so sometimes there is a need to return such tickets.

How to get money back for non-refundable tickets

Fortunately, the law provides for those cases in which you can claim a refund and describes how to return a plane ticket if it is “non-refundable”. Of course, the airline is suffering losses, but it cannot do anything about it and is obliged to return the money, otherwise the state will deprive it of its license and the right to transport people. In fact, there is nothing fundamentally new here; money for the return of such tickets is provided in the same cases as in the case of regular ticket. Forced return recognized in the event of your hospitalization, the death of a loved one, or if the carrier itself violated its obligations and delayed or canceled the flight.

conclusions

Alas, no one is immune from force majeure circumstances. Even today you can plan a trip, but a few days before departure everything can change dramatically. That is why it is possible to return the ticket and the money for it. Remember, it is best to contact the airline as early as possible, provide all evidence that you will not be able to board the flight, and expect a refund. Of course, it is best not to get into such situations and always get only positive emotions from traveling, but just in case, you should know whether it is possible to return a plane ticket and how to do it correctly.