What is an airplane charter flight? Charter flight: what is it and how is it different from a regular one

What is a charter flight

Charter (English charter - to charter a ship)- this is a flight on a special order for the transportation of passengers on a given route at a predetermined time. The customer (or consolidator) of a charter flight can be a travel company, a large enterprise, an educational institution, a socio-political party, etc.
These organizations can charter flights for transportation:

* tourists;
* employees of business enterprises,
* teams and their fans to the venue of sports competitions;
* Youth and schoolchildren for sightseeing and entertainment events;
* believers in pilgrimage centers;
* civil servants, deputies and members of the government to hold congresses, conferences, etc.

Regular flights are operated in accordance with the aircraft traffic schedule, formed by the carrier and published in a computer data bank, while charter flights are non-scheduled flights not included in the main schedule and operated in accordance with the charter agreement and the approved charter traffic plan (schedule).

The price of a ticket on a regular flight includes all risks, the plane will fly in any case, even with a single passenger on board. By buying all the seats on the plane in advance, the travel agency takes these risks upon itself; for the wholesale sale, the airline significantly reduces the price of renting an aircraft.

Based on the economic and statistical data of past periods, the travel agency can plan how many tourists will fly in a given direction and order a plane based on the calculated indicators. Of course, there is a risk that there will be significantly fewer passengers, but for this risk, the travel agency receives a discount from the airline.

The charter scheme for leasing (freight) an aircraft is quite simple: a tour operator, usually a large one, specializing in a particular tourist destination, signs an agreement with an air carrier and gets the opportunity to charter a whole aircraft for a certain time. Further, the tour operator can dispose of the sale of seats on the plane at its discretion: it can keep everything for itself, or it can sell part under contracts to other travel agencies, companies or individuals.

Most of the charter flights are operated by airlines on the same aircraft that serve regular flights. Charters fly between regular flights and usually operate a round-trip flight (the plane brings new tourists and immediately picks up those who have already rested from the resort). Most often, tour operators rent Tu-154 or Il-86.

For tourists, the features of a charter flight are as follows:

* Charter tickets are mainly purchased as part of a standard tour package (hotel, meals, transport, transfer, etc.).
* Advance purchase and booking of charter tickets is not possible. Unlike the purchase of regular tickets, charter tickets are issued only after full payment.
* The exact schedule of a charter flight usually becomes known a few days, and sometimes even hours before the departure of the aircraft, and the tourist receives a ticket in his hands one day before departure, as a rule, at the airport from a travel agency representative.

Advantages:

1. Regular flights simply do not fly to a number of popular resorts, and charter flights are the only way to get there without transfers. For example, only charter flights fly to the Turkish cities of Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the Greek islands of Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Paphos, the resorts of Tunisia, India and other countries.

2. The undoubted advantage of a charter flight is its price. As a rule, it is much lower than for regular flights. In addition, if a day or two before departure, the tour operator did not sell all the tickets for the plane, then he, trying to at least somehow reduce his losses, reduces the cost of the ticket by 50-70%.
Tickets for a charter flight, of course, not sold, can be purchased a few days before departure from a tour operator-consolidator or travel agencies that have relevant agreements with this tour operator, as well as through exchanges and brokerage houses on the Internet specializing in selling tickets for charter flights.
Information about charter flights and offers for the sale of tickets for them can also be found on professional travel portals.
It should be borne in mind that a charter ticket will cost more separately from the tour package. But such a purchase is still more profitable than buying a ticket for a regular flight. Charter rates to European countries can be 2-3 times lower than regular ones, but this difference is not so significant for long-distance destinations.

Flaws:

1. In the cabin of a charter aircraft, there is no division into classes: first, business and economy class, and a larger number of seats are provided by reducing the distance between them, which creates certain inconveniences during the flight.

2. Since charter aircraft fly between regular flights, the time of their departure (arrival) is often inconvenient for tourists: arriving early in the morning at a place of rest creates certain inconveniences when checking into a hotel (a tourist has to wait several hours for check-in, since check-out time in hotels is usually at 12-14 o'clock in the morning), and with a late arrival, a whole day of rest is lost.

3. A significant drawback for passengers is the flight delay for an indefinite time. If there was a failure in the schedule or an overload of the airfield, then regular flights will be sent first, and only then charter flights. In the event of an aircraft malfunction scheduled flight Passengers may be picked up on the next flight or on a flight of a partner airline. However, charter customers will have to wait for the cause of the malfunction to be eliminated or for a special reserve aircraft, which may not be available.
According to the current General rules air transportation of passengers and baggage”: in case of a delay, cancellation of a flight, including a charter one, the carrier is obliged to arrange for passengers at the points of departure and at waypoints the following services:

* provision of rooms for mother and child to a passenger with a child under the age of 7 years;
* 2 phone calls or 2 e-mail messages when waiting for a flight departure for more than 2 hours;
* provision of soft drinks while waiting for the flight departure for more than 2 hours;
* provision of hot meals while waiting for the departure of the flight for more than 4 hours and then every 6 hours - during the daytime and every 8 hours - at night;
* hotel accommodation when waiting for a flight departure for more than 8 hours - in the daytime and more than 6 hours - at night;
* delivery by transport from the airport to the hotel and back in cases where the hotel is provided without charging an additional fee;
* organization of luggage storage (clause 99 of section VII).

Be sure to ask to put a note on the ticket about the flight delay, certified by the seal or stamp of the airline representative. Without this mark, in the event of a claim, it will be difficult to prove the very fact of the aircraft delay.
Keep receipts if you self-catering and rented a hotel room. After returning from vacation, make a detailed application addressed to the airline, attaching copies of tickets and receipts to it, and personally, against signature, deliver it to the claims department.

4. Perhaps the most important disadvantage of charter flights is the inability to return money for a ticket for a charter flight in case of cancellation of the flight. It’s good if you planned everything in advance and there were no surprises on the eve of departure. And if not?
According to the current legislation, the possibility of returning the amounts paid for the air ticket is expressly provided for in Article 108 " Air Code RF”, according to which the money for the ticket will be returned in full if you return it no later than 24 hours before the departure of the aircraft, if you return the ticket later than this time, you will be charged a fee, the amount of which cannot exceed 25% of the total cost of the ticket. The implementation of charter flights also falls under the scope of this code (Article 104).
But the problem is that in the case of a charter flight, the tourist concludes an agreement not with the carrier, but with the travel agency that chartered the plane, and travel agencies usually insure themselves against any risks and, as a rule, include something like this clause in their contracts with tourists : "Air ticket fare for charter flights is non-refundable." This means that no one is going to return the money for a charter ticket to you, and whether you will win your case in court is still a very big question. The travel agency, of course, can make concessions to the tourist by selling the ticket to another passenger and returning the money to the tourist, or simply rewriting the ticket for another person for a certain commission, but this is not always an acceptable option.
On the one hand, one can understand a travel agency that bought the whole plane and does not want to take risks, because if it does not sell the returned ticket, the losses will be completely borne by it. On the other hand, this is contrary to common sense and it is not clear why a tourist is forced to pay sometimes quite ridiculous money (especially when it comes to distant destinations) for a service he never used.
However, this practice has developed not only in travel agencies, but also in many, including foreign, airlines. For example, if an airline holds promotions or some low cost company carries out the sale of tickets at minimum fares, the return of money for the ticket in this case also becomes impossible, which is directly stipulated by the rules of airlines.

In general, we can say that charter flights are a fairly convenient mode of transport for economical vacation, however, having some, not always pleasant differences from regular flights. But these inconveniences are compensated by the low price of the flight.

Surely you have repeatedly heard phrases like: “I had to get on a charter”, “I saved a lot on a charter”, “Charter flights from Moscow are profitable and convenient!”

And what is this mysterious charter and how is it different from the usual one? What's happened regular flights no need to explain to anyone. Schedules are posted at airports and airline websites, and anyone who wants to get from point A to point B chooses suitable flight and buy a ticket for it.

What about a charter flight? It is easiest to call charter flights one-time. The consolidator company, namely the so-called charter organizers, charters an aircraft from the airline and sends it on a special basis. Most often, the consolidators are travel companies. And this is understandable, since a sufficient number of people usually go on tours at the same time. Therefore, it is convenient for tour operators to charter a plane at the beginning of the season and then send their clients on almost their own aircraft, without worrying about pre-booking tickets.

So we found out what a charter flight is. Now let's move on to why the cost of tickets for them is lower than for regular flights. Regular flight included in general schedule flights, must go on a journey, regardless of how full the cabin is. Even if only a few tickets are purchased, it will still take off. And the cost of one flight of an aircraft is equal to the sum with six zeros. And airlines, in order not to suffer too obvious losses, raise the price of tickets.

The charter is always full by definition. It is simply not included in the schedule if all or the vast majority of seats on it are not sold. But from this follows the minus of such flights. What is the downside here? Now let's explain.

What is a charter flight and why it costs less, we already know. At first glance, this is a very profitable service - to charter an entire aircraft and send passengers on it to where the charterer needs. But what to do if the required number of passengers is not recruited? Wait until the missing wishers are found? This is not an option, as time, as everyone knows, is money. And the time that a paid plane spends on the ground is money thrown away. Therefore, operators can sell a ticket for a charter flight even without buying a tour. But a passenger who has bought such a ticket must be prepared for the fact that he will not be able to get to his destination at the time he needs. Charter flights, figuratively speaking, are the stepchildren of airports. They are delayed most often, giving priority to regular flights. Therefore, after reading the schedule of charter flights at Domodedovo, immediately add a few hours to the arrival time. And only after that decide whether such a flight will definitely be beneficial for you.

By the way, those passengers who know well what a charter flight is, they also know one more trick that allows them to save on the ticket price. If it is more profitable to purchase tickets for regular flights long before the departure date, then the cost of a charter flight on the eve of the flight may turn out to be significantly cheaper than when ordering a week in advance. Tour operators tend to sell tickets for all available seats on the plane. If there are still unsold tickets, and it is simply impossible to postpone the flight, then the price for them falls very rapidly.

Chartered flight - flights that are operated by the airline on the order of the tour operator and do not have a clear schedule.

Charter flights are organized by tour operators, and regular flights are organized by the airlines themselves. Charter flights, unlike regular ones, are organized only for a period holiday season to mass destinations. If the demand for the country is small, then regular flights are enough, as soon as the number of people who want to relax exceeds the number of seats on regular flights, then tour operators organize charter (additional) flights. In addition, there are a huge number of resorts where, by definition, there are no direct regular flights. Regular flights have the priority right to take off, and therefore charters are often delayed or change the time of departure.

Charters are organized by firms or airlines to transport a specific group of people to resort destinations V summer season. As a rule, such flights fly tourist groups, they receive tickets for them along with tour packages. The cost of a ticket for a charter flight is much lower than for other flights. But if the ticket is not used for any reason, the cost is not refundable. Seats on the plane are not divided into classes (economy, business, first) - everyone flies under equal conditions.

Charter: to fly or not to fly?

Why do you fly charters? “Because they are cheap,” some will answer. “It’s better to endure a few hours of inconvenience and save two hundred dollars.” “There is no other way to get to the resort where we rest every year: there are no regular flights,” others will answer. And still others will say that peace and comfort are more expensive than any money and therefore they never fly by charter. So, charters - "air taxis" that travel agencies specifically order for tourists - have their pros and cons. The main advantage, of course, is that a ticket for it costs much less than for regular flights. But, as you know, the miser pays twice. The cheapness of the flight often turns into a hassle, and there is no need to talk about comfort. If you have purchased a ticket that includes charter transportation, prepare mentally for the fact that the travel agency will not issue an air ticket before arriving at the airport. write out charter tickets right before departure is a common practice.

You still won’t be able to change something in such a situation, so we advise you to calmly wait for that joyful moment when the ticket is in your hands. As soon as it comes, proceed to study the ticket. Check if the surname is spelled correctly and if there is a second coupon on the ticket that guarantees a safe return to your homeland. If there is a slight error in the spelling of the surname, which generally does not distort it, there is nothing to worry about. With numerous gross errors, most likely, you will have to contact a representative of the travel agency, in this case it is obliged to ensure your departure on the next flight. Did not find the second coupon - demand from the same representative a paper stating that the company undertakes to issue a return ticket at the place of rest. Then (if the obligation is not fulfilled), you can count on compensation for expenses for an unplanned stay abroad. Remember that at airports, charters are served last, and if a traffic jam forms, regular flights will, of course, be the first to leave it. There is nothing left but to be patient and wait.

If the wait lasts more than six hours, contact the airline representative with a request for free meals. If the flight is delayed until the next morning, there is no need to spend the night sitting on suitcases: the carrier is obliged to put you in a hotel. After a day and a half, one can suspect that the flight failed, however, Lately this happens less and less. And yet, if you managed to find yourself in such a situation, then you have the right to demand compensation for moral and material damage. Here lawyers disagree: some advise making claims to the management of the travel agency, even if it is an intermediary; others recommend contacting the carrier right away - you have a ticket on which the airline is obliged to deliver you to your destination.

We have listed for you only the most important problems. In practice, there may be many more. Or maybe not at all - it's as lucky. So think for yourself, decide for yourself - to fly or not to fly ...

Air travel allows us to quickly and comfortably get to almost anywhere in the world. But why, acquiring tourist package through an agency, do we get charter tickets? Whereas individual travel for a personal or business plan, in most cases, are made by regular flights. Of course, the advantages of the latter are familiar to many experienced conquerors firsthand. air spaces. However, the lion's share of average Russians is still at a loss as to how a charter differs from a regular flight. The answer to this question will be given in our article.

Definitions

Charter– an agreement between the charterer (lessee) and the owner vehicle for its full or partial lease. As part of air transportation this term means an air flight that is made outside the regular schedule according to a previously concluded deal between the carrier and the tour operator. In most cases, charter passengers are travelers flying on popular resorts. Meals and service are included in the ticket price, which, by the way, is very affordable. Since the charter flight is organized at the expense and under the guarantee of the customer, the carrier does not risk anything at all. Having an agreement on hand confirming timely payment, he can reduce the price of the ship's haul without worrying about underload. Thus, both the customer and the shipowner benefit. Only the latter does not risk anything, while the tour operator may incur losses in case of a shortage of passengers. If tickets are not sold very actively, he has the right to attract other travel organizers by providing them with part of the seats for sale.

Regular flight- departure of an aircraft of a specific airline, made strictly according to the schedule. Organized on an ongoing basis. That is, regular flights are operated year-round in accordance with a clear schedule. However, they cannot be canceled even if there is only one passenger on board. It is obvious that in similar situations the airline suffers significant losses, on the other hand, its reputation is at stake. It should be noted that regular flights are quite expensive. However, due to the high competition in the air services market, many carriers announce special discounts for their customers. TO preferential categories typically include children, retirees and students. In addition, the earlier a ticket for a regular flight is purchased, the cheaper it will cost. Ideally, it is recommended to make a purchase 3-6 months before departure. Whereas as the departure date approaches, the price will only increase.

Comparison

These types of flights differ in a number of parameters, which we will discuss in more detail. As mentioned above, regular flights are carried out on an ongoing basis throughout the year according to the schedule. In this regard, they are organized far from all, but only along cost-effective routes. Let's take as an example Indian island Goa. Despite the popularity this direction, a regular flight to those latitudes is unlikely to ever be launched. After all, you can relax at the resort only from October to April. In other months, due to deterioration weather conditions travelers simply do not fly there. That is why you can directly get to Goa only by a charter flight, which starts with the beginning of the holiday season. Thus, such flights are made only on popular tourist routes at certain times of the year. They do not have a clear schedule and are produced "in windows" between scheduled flights. Their organizer is a tour operator.

Charter tickets cannot be purchased at the box office, they are bought through an agency and issued to the passenger two days before the start of the trip. Whereas you can get a “voucher” for a regular air flight at any official point of sale. From a legal point of view, it is a contract for the provision of services, which cannot be said about a charter ticket. The passenger of the latter cannot make claims to the airline in the event of a flight disruption.

Another difference between a charter flight and a regular flight is that the first one is often delayed. That is, the aircraft often takes off 10-20 hours later than the declared departure time. This is due to the fact that in the event of emergency situation Regular flights are the first to launch at the airport.

A charter always involves a direct flight without transfers. Moreover, the departure time is set either in the early morning or in the late evening. In this regard, tourists often lose almost a day good rest. Regular flights usually follow during the day. In case of unforeseen circumstances, the ticket bought on them can be returned back and receive a certain percentage of the cost. As mentioned above, a regular flight will cost the traveler much more than a charter flight. Moreover, in the first case, as the departure date approaches, the price will increase, and in the second, on the contrary, it will decrease. It is worth noting that it will simply not be possible to return a ticket purchased through a tour operator.

Another important point: charters do not imply division into classes. All tourists are on an equal footing. This is due to the desire to increase the profitability of the flight. Moreover, often additional rows of seats are installed in airplanes, which does not have the best effect on the comfort of passengers. Frequently, charter flights are flown in multiples of seven days, based on the duration standard tours. Regular flights depart with a wide variety of frequencies. Planes on one route can leave several times a day, and on the second - only once a week. It all depends on the popularity of the direction. Seats on regular flights are ranked by class: first, business and economy. This creates additional convenience for people with high incomes.

To summarize, what is the difference between a charter and a regular flight.

A charter flight is a special order transportation carried out by aircraft. The flight order is made by the consolidator, who then resells the seats in the aircraft cabin to one or more travel agencies that are interested in this tourist destination. These words are familiar to everyone, but here is the concept of a charter flight - what does it mean?

Such a flight cannot be found in the schedule, tickets for it cannot be bought at a regular ticket office. Since this flight is ordered by a travel agency, it sells plane tickets only to its customers who have bought tickets to a specific destination.

The organizer takes full responsibility for the preparation - everything related to documentation, pre-flight preparation, booking. Most often, the need for charters arises when, during the holiday season, the flow of tourists far exceeds the capacity of airlines.

Regular flights and charters are similar in nature, but have many differences. So, what is a charter flight and how does it differ from others?

• If you fly to rest on a regular flight, then you will receive a ticket immediately at the time of purchase, but you will receive a ticket for a charter either the day before departure or already at the airport. This does not bring any particular inconvenience, but this factor must be taken into account.
• If you do not have time for a ship that flies to its destination, then be prepared for the fact that the tour operator will cancel the return ticket. If you plan to get to the resort in some other way, but want to use return ticket, then be sure to notify the travel agency-seller.
• The charter can be transferred from one airport to another, change the plane, while such adventures do not occur with regular ones.
• In most cases, it is impossible to book seats on a charter, only very rarely consolidators open a reservation, but not more than for a day.
• Well, the most important difference is that you do not organize your flight, you just provide all the data about yourself to the travel agency, and upon arrival at the airport you get it in your hands boarding pass and then you can board the plane.

A charter is organized by a travel agency in cases where there is a great demand for a certain destination, but the airlines do not provide the opportunity to fly a direct flight.

The travel agency leases the aircraft from the airline, concluding an agreement for the carriage of passengers, buying all the seats in the cabin.

Charter flights have their advantages and disadvantages, let's consider them in more detail.

Charter flights

Pros of a charter flight

1. Charter is often almost the only opportunity to fly to destinations where direct flights do not fly. In addition, this will save you time and money on transfers. Charters often fly to very rare destinations.
2. The second advantage follows from the first, the charter is quite cheap way flight.
3. A charter is sometimes the only way to get to a place where regular flights do not fly at all.
4. A charter ticket can be easily reissued to another person if you are unable to fly.
5. The complete absence of transfers. This, by the way, explains the priority of departure of regular flights over charter flights, since a regular flight can dock with another, which is why they are let through the air corridor ahead. However, charter passengers will not have to transfer, which means that airlines will not incur penalties.

Disadvantages of charter flights

Unfortunately, it is believed that the disadvantages of a charter flight are much greater than those of a regular flight. Since the charter flight is carried out by the tour operator in order to earn Money, be prepared for what cheap ticket on the flight will result in some inconvenience. The disadvantages of using charters include:

1. A charter flight can be rescheduled or delayed, since it is not a priority for the airline, regular flights are always skipped ahead. In the event of technical problems, it will be necessary to wait until the plane is restored to readiness.
2. If you buy a ticket on your own, and not through a tour operator, then be prepared for the fact that you can buy it a few days before departure, and if the plane is not full, then the flight may not take place.
3. The duration of the tour is strictly regulated, since the planes fly according to a clear schedule, bringing and taking away more and more groups of tourists, so it will not be possible to change the length of stay at the resort.
4. Behind charter flights not charged bonus miles, unlike the main flights of airlines.
5. Refunds for the ticket, if you cancel the flight, will not work.
6. In the cabin of a charter aircraft, it will not be possible to change the flight class. In order to save money, all seats have the status of an economy class, there are more such seats, and, therefore, more profit for the travel agency.

Comfort and coziness are what you will get from a charter flight.

Common misconceptions

Against all odds, a charter flight is very convenient way get to right place, especially if your destination does not involve regular direct flights.

The most common mistakes include the following shortcomings attributed to charters:

1. Charter flights are carried out by old aircraft. This is not true, charter flights are carried out by the same aircraft that carry out regular flights.
2. Flight unreliability is another big misconception. Charter passengers, as well as regular flight passengers, receive free meals in case of aircraft delay, and in case of long wait departure - the opportunity to spend the night at the airport hotel.
3. There is no food on board a charter aircraft. This is a mistake, depending on the norms of the duration of the flight, you will be provided with the required food and drinks on board the aircraft.
4. The flight may be cancelled. And again, a lie, since no one will be able to refuse you a flight if you paid the money for the ticket. The flight will be rescheduled, the aircraft will be replaced, and a little later, but the flight will take place.
5. It is often believed that a charter flight does not imply the presence of luggage, but this is also a misconception. Each carrier has its own baggage allowance in economy class and this does not depend on the regularity of the flight.

How to buy tickets for charter flights

Before chartering an aircraft, the tour operator analyzes the situation, assesses the demand for the flight, and only on this basis, orders the aircraft from the airline if he expects the deal to pay off. Most the best option purchases is the purchase of a ticket that is already included in package tour purchased from a trusted carrier. Most often, travel agencies do just that, all places are distributed among tours, which are then sold. However, if you do not want to buy a tour or there are other reasons why you want to fly on your own, then you can buy a ticket for a charter separately from a tour.

If you decide to find a charter ticket on your own, then be prepared for the fact that it is not so easy. Tickets appear only a few days before departure, you can find them in several specialized search engines.

In the era of Internet development, there are several sites that sell charters, however, large search engines also support the charter search function.

And you can just contact a travel agency, which will definitely sell unclaimed flight tickets.

Such tickets are otherwise called last-minute tickets, because the tour operator wants to recoup his investment, even if he usually does not sell tickets separately from the tour.

Tickets for charter flights are sold several times cheaper

Types of charters

• Shuttle charter is a type of flight in which the aircraft constantly delivers and picks up new passengers. Tickets for it are usually more expensive, since the first and last flight the plane commits empty.
• Split charter - a combined flight, when part of the way is taken over by a regular flight. This happens if the flight is carried out to particularly remote corners of the planet.
• Poly charter - such a combined flight, when passengers have to change the plane two or more times.
• Drop charter - a flight that brings passengers to their destination, waits for them in a designated area, then returns with them. Parking an airplane is cheaper than flying empty. The disadvantage of such a flight is that you can hardly spend more than a week on vacation.
• Corporate charter - a flight ordered by a certain organization in order to transport its employees to any events.
• VIP charter - very expensive destination, which assumes the full use of the aircraft by the customer.

Group charter flights

So, now you have an idea what a charter flight means. Here are all the pros and cons, differences and general information, now you can decide if the charter becomes suitable option for you or if you prefer another way of flying. Consider personal comfort.

In contact with