Why are charter flights bad? What is the difference between a charter flight and a regular flight? Why are charter flights bad, how often are they delayed and how long can they be delayed?

To get somewhere very quickly, especially at the height of the holiday season, you need to use airline services. Large companies offer regular flights. They do not change, have a constant flight schedule, a stable schedule, as you can see on the website flyinsky.ru

Any regular flight will be carried out regardless of the passenger load, even if there is only one person with a ticket. Tickets sold for regular flights are usually divided into three classes: business class, economy class and first class. It all depends on what means the passenger has.

Differences in flight classes

Economy class tickets are much cheaper, but you won’t have to count on luxury service. By purchasing a first class ticket, a person automatically receives the right to wait for the plane not in the general airport building, but in a specially designated area for VIP persons.

Business class is not available on all aircraft. Usually this is a small compartment on an airplane with comfortable chairs and all necessary amenities. For business class passengers there is a special menu, various technical devices for a more comfortable flight and much more.

To save some money on your flight, you can take advantage of a program that provides discounts for pensioners or young people. It is not necessary to purchase a ticket for both directions of the flight at once.

Charter flights are carried out by the same airlines as regular airlines, only aircraft with a smaller capacity are selected for the flight. Charters exist as an addition to the main routes. Usually these are seasonal flights and are associated with a large number vacationers. Charter flights are carried out and organized by tour operators. They can work together and hire (charter) the same aircraft for the flight. If previously tour operators and travel companies worked together very rarely due to competition, now, in difficult times for the entire tourism industry, they are increasingly joining forces and actively cooperating.

Prices for tickets for charter and regular flights

The cost of a charter ticket is significantly lower than for regular flights. This is of course a big plus. In addition, regular planes do not always fly exactly where passengers need to go, unless this concerns the most elite resorts. Charter transportation is carried out as an addition to regular ones, and operates in a chain, that is, some passengers are delivered to their destination, while others are picked up. This causes some inconvenience for vacationers, since you can fly back only on those days when the tour expires.

During a charter flight, the passenger is not provided with any special conditions. If the board is not fully loaded, the flight is delayed and the passenger may sometimes lose a day or two indicated on the tourist tour.

Flying on regular flights is expensive, and only natural disasters can disrupt the schedule or cancel the flight. Charters fly between main flights, so they are forced to constantly adapt to them.

Passengers will not be right in making claims to a travel company regarding late departure and departure, since large airlines enter into flight agreements with operators, and not with travel agencies, and they are responsible for competent organization flights.

When choosing one type of flight or another, you should think about what is more important: arriving at the right place on time, or saving on the flight.

Charter or regular flight, what to choose? Today we will talk about the pros and cons of each option.

First, let's figure it out what's the difference charter flight from regular.

Charter flight is a flight chartered not by an airline, but by a travel agency. These flights do not fly regularly, but during a certain period, season, most often from May to September for summer tourist destinations and from December to March for winter ones.

You can only buy a ticket for a charter flight from a travel agency or on websites special services by reservation. The charter ticket cannot be purchased from the airline or at the ticket office.

The main advantage of charter flights is the price. On short routes it can be 30-50% cheaper than the cost of a regular flight. In addition, prices for charters do not “jump”, unlike regular flights, and become cheaper a few days before departure.

Tickets for charter flights are in the vast majority of cases non-refundable. If, when returning a non-refundable air ticket for a regular flight, you return at least some or all taxes and fees, then in the case of a charter, you lose everything.

Tickets can be returned for some destinations; in this case, a progressive scale applies. less days left before departure - the more money you will lose.

It is also worth noting that charter flights fly unscheduled, during the free “window” between regular flights according to the charter flight schedule. Therefore, quite often they fly out early in the morning, around 4-6 am. On the one hand, this is good, you will have a whole day free, but keep in mind that check-in at most hotels begins after 14:00, which means that all this time you will have to sit with your suitcases in the hotel lobby.

If for any reason your charter flight is delayed, such as bad weather or technical problems, you will not be able to fly once everything is fixed. First of all, regular flights that have been delayed or are departing on schedule will take off, and only then you. Waiting for a free “window” can lead to you losing a day of rest! For tourists who bought a ticket along with a tourist package, this is not so scary, their vacation dates will also be shifted, but what should you do if you have already paid for the hotel?

You should not rely on the charter departure time. Delays of 10-20 hours are not uncommon for them. Despite the fact that you booked and paid for your air ticket several weeks or even a month before departure, it will be issued a day or two before the plane departs.

We have already written about what to do and what you can count on in the event of a flight delay or cancellation. It is much easier to obtain fair compensation and services due on scheduled flights. In the case of charters, airlines refer to the contract with the charterer of the aircraft, but according to the Air Code and Federal Aviation Regulations, the carrier is still responsible. And even if the flight is charter, you are required to provide food, drinks, hotel, etc. in case of flight delay.

Please note that, according to the agreement, on most charter flights no later than 24 hours before departure, the passenger is independently obliged to check with the tour operator about the departure time.

Separately, it is worth noting the flights that are popularly called “regular charter flights”. This is when blocks of seats or all seats on a regular flight are purchased by a tour operator. If you bought a ticket for just such a flight, consider yourself lucky. The departure date will definitely not be postponed, and the percentage of delays here is the same as on regular flights.

Which airlines operate charter flights?

Many large airlines have divisions that provide charter services, including Transaero, S7, Belavia, Air France, Finn Air, LOT, etc.

There are also several charter airlines in Russia:

Red Wings Airlines– operates flights to resorts in Bulgaria, Greece, Egypt, Spain, Italy, etc.
I FLY– currently working with the tour operator TEZ TOUR. Among the destinations: Egypt, Türkiye, Spain, Italy, Thailand.

In addition to charter flights, these airlines operate several regular flights within Russia.

What else should you keep in mind when buying a ticket for a charter flight?

Most charter airlines do not have the goal of turning you into a regular customer, this is not possible, so quality of service and passenger comfort they often save money.

First of all, this affects interior layout. Most often, the interior is rebuilt to accommodate as many seats as possible, which is why the distance between the rows is very small.

For example, the Airbus A330-300 aircraft of Aeroflot airline consists of 3 cabins:

business class cabin for 34 seats
economy class cabin with 144 seats
economy class cabin with 128 seats

The airline has the same plane.” I FLY” is much more spacious, there is no longer business class, all three cabins are economy class.

Now let's compare the economy class capacity of these airlines:

We will not take the first salon into account, because... Aeroflot has it reserved for business class passengers.

2nd salon:

Aeroflot – 144 seats, 18 rows
I FLY – 160 seats, 20 rows

3rd salon:

Aeroflot – 128 seats, 17 rows
I FLY – 135 seats, 19 rows

Due to the additional two rows in each cabin, the charter airline will have significantly less space between seats. For short flights this is not so scary, but flying with bent knees for 6-8 hours is already problematic.

But it's not just about the seats; don't expect the same service from a cheap charter flight as on regular routes.

Pillows and blankets are rarely provided here, or not at all. Meals are also not available on all flights, and there is no need to talk about its variety... Fortunately, in lately, many airlines have begun to focus on this more attention, and now on some charter flights, you can order vegetarian or children's meals.

It is worth remembering that miles are not awarded for charter flights! If you're passionate about collecting airline miles and rewards, then it's best to look suitable option on a regular flight.

The big advantage of charters is that they fly non-stop to most popular resorts, but sometimes serve at small remote airports. This is not a problem for package travelers; transfer is included in the price of the tour. You will have to get there yourself.

Before you board a charter flight, be sure to check which airport it flies into and how you can get from it to the city. Taxi costs can be much higher than the amount saved on the flight.

Recently, the vast majority of tourists prefer traveling by air, because it is fast, convenient and very comfortable. However, before purchasing an air ticket, every tourist is required to know all the information about the flight, including the type of aircraft and the location of the seats. There are two types...

The difference between a charter and a regular flight

Regular flights

Regular flights are operated by larger airlines, strictly following the existing schedule. In this case, the plane will be sent to its destination even if the cabin is not completely filled. Each aircraft cabin is divided into three classes - economy, first and business class. Each passenger is given individual attention. They can bring you a hearty lunch with wine, products from a duty-free store chain, as well as newspapers.

It is worth noting that economy class will cost you less than first class, but best conditions not only in terms of providing food and drinks, but also in terms of comfort, since the distance between the seats is greater. Moreover, tourists who prefer to travel in business class can wait to board their flight in a special VIP lounge equipped comfortable furniture, as well as air conditioners that support operation in the “heat-cold” mode.

In addition, it provides a range of services such as newspapers and magazines, international telephone and fax, video programs, fruits, cakes, sandwiches, soft drinks, coffee and much more, which will undoubtedly lift your mood before the flight. In business lounges, all services for passengers are provided free of charge, since they are all included in the air ticket price. Thus, purchasing an air ticket for a regular flight involves choosing the most suitable fare among the available ones. Moreover, airlines also provide various discounts for young people, pensioners and regular customers.

Charter flights

In some Western countries There is a clear division of airlines into regular and charter, but in Russia the same airlines can operate both regular and charter flights. Charter flights have emerged relatively recently due to the need to send the vast majority of people on vacation. But regular flights will no longer cope with such a task.

Compared to a regular flight, a ticket for a charter flight will cost you less. As a rule, it is included in the standard tourist package, but you can purchase it without a tour package. In addition, if you are going on vacation with the whole family, then in most cases you will get tickets for a charter flight. Charter flights are organized by travel companies independently or in agreement with any airline, booking the entire aircraft.

Charters are only allowed to fly between scheduled flights, which tends to make departure times inconvenient for tourists and increase the incidence of delays. Most often, the type of aircraft is determined the day before departure, depending on how many tickets have been sold. Another feature of air tickets for charter flights is that they are non-refundable. Therefore, when planning a trip, you must be 100% sure that no factors will affect its cancellation. If the trip does not take place, you will not be able to get your money back for the ticket.

In fact, there are many differences between charter and scheduled flights, but they all add up in favor of charters. Of course, there is a significant flaw in the schedule, since it is primarily compiled for regular flights, and charter flights fit into the resulting “windows”. However, for tourists who fly on vacation, the difference of several hours is not so significant, so this should not be considered a disadvantage.

There is an opinion that planes operating charter flights are more likely to break down or be delayed, but this is not true. All vehicles undergo mandatory testing before operation, therefore technical condition all aircraft are the same, and delays occur on any flight, for example, due to weather conditions. Therefore, if you are planning a vacation to a popular resort in the near future, then try to buy tickets for charter flights, if only because of the significant difference in price. If the problem with refunds doesn't bother you, then this is definitely the right choice.

During the holiday season, experienced travelers use charter flights and save a lot of money on air tickets. What is a charter plane flight and how to buy a ticket for it?

The difference between a charter and a regular flight

Regular flights require free sale at ticket offices, offices and ticket sales websites. A charter flight is a specialized pre-order transportation performed by one or another airline.

As a rule, long before the flight date, the intermediary buys a significant part of the seats on the plane for its clients. They are travel companies that are interested in certain tourist destinations. Sometimes travel agencies buy seats directly without an intermediary. The agencies then sell tickets to tourists, and they can no longer be purchased at the ticket office or on the website of the airline that supplied the tickets.

Charter flights become popular during the holiday season, as regular companies may not be able to cope with the flow of passengers.

The organizer undertakes to take full responsibility for preparing for the flight: booking tickets, documentation.

Other charter differences:

The passenger purchases a plane ticket long before departure and has its paper equivalent in hand. The travel agency issues a charter ticket on the eve of the flight or on the day of departure at the airport.
The organizer reserves the right to change the departure date a few days or hours in advance, while the regular flight departs strictly on schedule.

The customer of a charter flight can be a large organization, educational institution, political party.

Unlike purchasing tickets for regular flights, charter tickets are issued only after full payment has been made.

Types of charters

Charter flights can be classified by the nature of the flight as well as the destination. Based on the nature of flights, they are divided into:

Depending on the purpose of transporting certain groups, flights may be as follows:

Corporate or private - organizing transportation of a team for an event or vacation;
Medical - specializes in emergency situations to provide urgent assistance. Has medical equipment on board;
Freight - runs to transport large cargo;
Tourist - organization of transportation of tourists to the resort by travel agencies or an intermediary;
Sports - specializes in transporting fans.

In addition, charter aircraft can be rented for schoolchildren and students for educational or excursion trips, religious pilgrimage groups to visit religious centers, government officials to attend congresses, forums and conferences.

Advantages

An interesting advantage of such flights is that they fly to very rare destinations. Sometimes this is the only way to get somewhere. For example, only charter flights fly to the Greek islands, Rhodes, Corfu and Crete, Paphos, to Turkish Antalya, to the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, resorts in Tunisia, India and other countries.

The obvious advantage of chartering planes is also cheap tickets, which allow you to redirect excess funds in the right direction. For European destinations, the price difference can reach two to three times. This is due to the fact that when renting an entire aircraft, agencies receive a large discount. Ultimately, the cost of a regular ticket can be reduced from 50% to 70%.

If a passenger is unable to fly with a ticket due to life circumstances, he can always re-issue the document to another person.

More often, charter planes fly non-stop, so airlines do not incur penalties, which also lowers ticket prices.

Flaws

Advice! Be prepared to reschedule your charter flight.

These types of flights do not support the accumulation of bonus miles. If a ticket is cancelled, it is not possible to return the money spent on the ticket.

If a passenger is late for the plane's departure time, the return ticket is automatically canceled and the money on it is not refundable.

On board a charter aircraft there is no division into classes, as in regular airliners - there is no premium class, business class, or premium economy class. All passenger seats are economy class to minimize transportation costs.

Lack of comfort. This includes a whole range of inconveniences:

the passenger cannot extend the period of vacation at the resort due to large financial losses when canceling the ticket;
There is not always online check-in for flights;
frequent change of departure airport;
narrow chairs to increase seating;
baggage weight restrictions.

A separate disadvantage is the inconvenient departure time. Most often, charter flights are scheduled when scheduled departures are not available. This is either the most early time, or night. The passenger is forced to lack sleep, arriving at the resort tired. And upon arrival, another difficulty awaits him - a long wait for check-in, lasting several hours. Usually hotels are occupied from 12-14 pm.

Charter flight passengers cannot use partner aircraft due to malfunctions or other reasons. This is due to both rare destinations and the lack of a reserve aircraft for departure at the right time.

Myths about charters

Uninformed travelers believe that a charter plane is an outdated vessel or unclaimed, and therefore the ticket is cheaper. This is wrong. The quality of air transport and the wear and tear of its parts depend on the solvency of the consolidator.

Important! If a passenger experiences flight delays or rescheduled departures, he has the same rights as a passenger on a regular flight.

Depending on the flight delay time, the passenger can use:

a mother and child room with a changing table and a separate toilet room;
make several phone calls and use email;
drink coffee or tea, other drinks;
receive hot meals and snacks;
hotel accommodation;
give luggage for storage.

In such a situation, the passenger must get a flight delay stamp.

If the airline does not provide the listed services, the passenger must collect receipts for expenses and then submit them along with a claim to the airline for a refund.

A common myth is that charter flights do not include meals on board. Depending on the duration of the flight, passengers are provided with food.

The flight may be canceled - this is a misconception. They can be postponed for hours or even days, but if a person paid money for a ticket, they cannot cancel the flight. The flight will take place even with one person on board.

How to check your flight

There are several available ways, allowing you to check the time and date of departure according to the purchased ticket.

The first way is to contact the travel company where the charter ticket was purchased. Call the agency office using the contact number and check the exact departure time.

Advice! Call the tour operator one day before your departure date.

Another way is to go online to the airport website and check the electronic board with flight schedules. In this case, the passenger must know, at a minimum, the flight number.

Due to the fact that not all companies support online check-in, you must arrive at the airport building and go to the check-in counter to complete the procedure.

If the carrier has an online check-in service, the passenger follows the instructions below step by step:

Go to the airline's website;
Click on the “online registration” column;
In the window that appears, enter the reservation code or ticket number;
Indicate the passenger's last name in Latin letters;
Click next and select seats in a new window;
Then confirm your choice and receive your boarding pass to the specified email address;
Print the document and take it with you to the airport.

Upon arrival at the airport, you must go through the check-in procedure for your flight. You must present a printed boarding pass before boarding.

How to buy a ticket for a charter flight

Charter flight tickets can be purchased from travel agencies. As a rule, this will be a range of services, including hotel, meals, transfer and transportation.

There is also the option of purchasing a ticket yourself. They can be sold on specialized resources or the websites of leading tour operators a few days before the flight.

The search engine Loukoster.com provides tickets for charter flights, but they should not be viewed earlier than a week before departure. This method is not the most convenient, since there is no guarantee that there will be free tickets on sale for charter flights due to the high demand for them from travel agencies.

The best time to buy a charter ticket is at the beginning or end of the season, not during peak times when the vast majority of tourists fly.

Advice! Buy round-trip charter tickets with return in exactly 14 days. This is the most popular tour duration and the cheapest.

Dear visitors of the Aviawiki website! There are so many of your questions that, unfortunately, our specialists do not always have time to answer them all. Let us remind you that we answer questions absolutely free of charge and on a first-come, first-served basis. However, you have the opportunity to be guaranteed to receive a prompt response for a symbolic amount.

The word “charter” has become quite common among modern travelers, but surveys show that few people understand exactly what it is and how it differs from a regular flight. Most often, when asked: “What is a charter?”, people answer something like: cheap flight, direct flight over long distances. But how does it differ from regular flights? AND which is better— charter or regular flight? We invite you to understand this topic together once and for all.

What is the difference between a charter and a regular flight?

The biggest difference between a charter and a regular flight lies in the terrible word - “chartering” :). But in fact, there is nothing wrong with it. Freight is when someone pays the owner. vehicle(airplane, ship) for the opportunity to transport its passengers in it.

Who uses it? Of course, tour operators who are interested in optimizing the cost of tours and their expenses for transporting tourists. Let’s say a tour operator wants to sell as many tours to Bali from Moscow as possible, but understands that regular flights take a long time (several transfers) and are expensive (airline fares change all the time). Then the tour operator buys all the seats, for example, on a Rossiya Airlines plane and launches its charter to Bali. Because Since all the seats were purchased in bulk, the cost of the flight as part of the tour is often not as high as on a regular basis.

Thus, it is also beneficial for airlines, because... Their ships are not idle and tour operators can reduce the costs of transporting tourists.

Which is better: charter or regular flight?

This is a question that interests many travelers. After all, they worry about their comfort and safety in flight. Let's look together at the main pros and cons, as well as the main differences between a charter flight and a regular flight.

Is this a regular flight?

This constant flights, which are organized by the airlines themselves according to a clear schedule approved in advance. That is why, long before departure, you have a ticket in your hands, which contains all the necessary details for you: the name of the airline, flight number, departure time, and so on. Tickets for regular flights can be purchased at airport ticket offices or on the Internet - for example, at Aviasales.

Pros:

Clear schedule and fixed departure time.
A ticket for a scheduled flight is a legal document between the customer and the airline, and in case of anything the airline is directly responsible for everything.
Unused tickets can be fully or partially refunded.
The client immediately knows which airline he is flying with (and for many this is important).
Regular flights allow you to accumulate miles and participate in all bonus programs.
In case of flight delay, the airline is guaranteed to provide the client with all amenities: food, drinks and hotel. And if none of this was provided, you can.
For regular flights, you can choose the level of comfort on board: economy, business or first class.

Cons:

Insufficient coverage - direct scheduled flights operate on a limited number of routes.
The price of traditional flights tends to constantly change and increase closer to the departure date, which is not the case with charters.
Most regular long-distance flights involve transfers, sometimes very long and inconvenient.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW: To save on the cost of regular flights, tickets should be purchased in advance and preferably immediately there and back. This is often an order of magnitude cheaper than purchasing tickets separately.

What is a charter flight?

From what was said earlier, it is clear that a charter flight is a flight operated not by an airline, but by one or another tourism operator that charters the entire aircraft or some part of it. Such flights are most often a seasonal phenomenon. A large number of them occur in two seasons: summer (from May to September) and winter (from December to March). A ticket for such a flight cannot be purchased at the ticket office or from the airline directly; they are sold only through tour operators or through special online services- more about this below.

To better understand the specifics of such a flight, let’s consider its main pros and cons.

Pros

The main advantage is that the price is often lower. Especially on short routes (30 - 50 percent benefit compared to regular routes).
Right before departure or a few days in advance, the cost of a ticket often drops significantly.
Charters fly to rare destinations. To places where regular flights either do not fly directly or fly infrequently.
Direct flights only - no transfers.
Passenger lists are compiled right before departure, so you can change your last name on your ticket for free or with a minimal surcharge.
Luggage is always included. Recently, this has been very relevant, due to the fact that most airlines are trying to introduce baggage-free fares.

Cons:

The charter flight schedule is nominal. Exact time becomes known just 24 hours before departure. Thus, think about the docking in advance,
if you need it, it is not possible.
Tickets for charter flights are non-refundable.
Charter flights do not earn miles and do not participate in bonus programs at all.
All passengers are in the same conditions. There is no choice in terms of comfort level.
Information about the air carrier often becomes known to the client only after purchasing tickets.

General conclusions

From all of the above, it is impossible to draw an unambiguous conclusion - which is better, a charter or a regular flight. The decision to choose one or another flight option, in our opinion, should be made situationally - depending on the direction you are flying, the availability of charters and their prices.

If we talk about the low cost of charters - a factor that is decisive for many people, then it is not always lower than that of regular flights. In addition, the lowest price for a charter is almost always set just a few days before departure, which complicates the process of preparing for the vacation, because... you cannot be sure that it will fall. It depends on the tour operator’s flight load and other factors.

Therefore, before making a decision and making a choice: a charter flight and a regular one, thoroughly study the cost of tickets for regular flights (if such exist at all in your direction). And if the cost is not much different, we still recommend that you fly on regular flights. This is both safer and more comfortable for many reasons.

Purchasing air tickets for regular or charter flights

You can buy tickets for both flight options using various online ticket offices. There are a lot of them, prices everywhere differ in one direction or another, and it is worth noting that tickets for charters, unlike regular ones, are sold by a very limited number of ticket offices, which can literally be counted on one’s fingers. However, if you search for tickets through the Aviasales service, you will be offered all flight options available from more than 100 ticket offices and airlines from around the world and you can be sure that you are seeing the lowest price.

In order to find air tickets at the lowest prices, use this search form, indicating the flight directions, the dates you need and the number of people.

If you do not have a strict departure/arrival time frame, then you can find out which dates the cheapest tickets are sold for using the low price calendar, which marks dates from low prices in green.

Separately, we note that, unlike others search engines, on Aviasales charter tickets are marked with a special “CHARTER” icon, as in the picture below. So it will be easy for you to distinguish a charter from a regular flight.