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

The absolute lack of choice and the monopoly of scheduled flights is a thing of the past, and now passengers can choose the type of air travel they wish - regular or charter flights.
Surely many Russian passengers and tourists have heard the word “charter”, but not everyone knows what exactly it means, and often believe the most implausible myths associated with them.

Charter flight - what is it?

Charters are flights on request, which are usually formed at the beginning of the holiday season and fly to popular destinations. In addition, many places attractive to tourists are difficult to access due to the lack of regular flights to these destinations. This is where charter flights come to the rescue.
You can often hear that charters are operated by small carriers using older aircraft. This does not correspond to reality. Basically, charter flights are carried out by those airlines with which one or another tour operator has entered into an agreement, including large ones. It’s the same with airplanes - all flights are carried out on the same devices.
Charter flights organized by a tour operator also determine the tourist focus of the flights. Their undoubted advantage is the absence of any transfers and inconvenient connections at airports; these flights are always direct. But there is a demand for them only at the height of the tourist season.
Tickets for charter flights are purchased only from the travel companies themselves, even if the tickets are sold through the ticket office of a major airline operating the charter flight.
Among the disadvantages, frequent delays of such flights should be noted. Priority is given to regular flights, and charters are included between them. Therefore, the time and airport of departure is often not the most convenient. Often the lack of flexibility is not always pleasant: you can usually return after 7, 14, 21 days. There are no bonus programs for accumulating miles.
The advantages include the cheapness of tickets, especially when the departure date approaches - with regular flights the situation is exactly the opposite. Charter flights can be called a lifesaver mainly for budget-conscious tourists. Their cost is sometimes significantly cheaper compared to regular flights.

What types of charter flights are there?

Charter flights come in several varieties.

Charter with the unseemly name “settlement” is a flight that is designed for a one-time transfer of a tourist group to a resort and the return of the same group of tourists back. Of course, waiting at the airport costs money, but “idle” flights are even less profitable. So-called “slop” charters are in demand during peak season dates (for example, May holidays, New Year).
Shuttle charters are characterized by periodic flights to a specific destination throughout the entire tourist season.
Split charters represent a combination of regular and charter flights - when an air passenger flies to a certain point on a regular flight, and the last leg of the journey on a charter flight. The same system distinguishes polycharter transportation; its difference is only in the larger number of charters.

What is a charter flight

Charter (English charter - charter a ship)- this is a flight on a special order for transporting passengers along a given route at a pre-agreed 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 charter flights to transport:

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

Regular flights are carried out in accordance with the aircraft traffic schedule generated by the carrier and published in a computer data bank, while charter flights are irregular flights not included in the main schedule and carried out in accordance with the charter agreement and the approved charter flight plan (schedule).

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

Based on economic and statistical data from past periods, a travel agency can plan approximately 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 aircraft rental (charter) scheme is quite simple: a tour operator, usually a large one, specializing in a specific tourist destination, signs an agreement with the air carrier and gets the opportunity to charter an entire aircraft for a certain time. Then the tour operator can manage the sale of seats on the plane at its own discretion: it can keep everything for itself, or it can sell some of it under contracts to other travel agencies, companies or individuals.

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

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

* Charter tickets are generally purchased as part of a standard tour package (hotel, meals, transportation, transfer, etc.).
*Purchasing in advance and booking charter tickets is not possible. Unlike purchasing regular tickets, charter tickets are issued only after full payment has been made.
* The exact schedule of a charter flight usually becomes known several days and sometimes hours before the plane’s departure, and the tourist receives a ticket in hand one day before departure, usually at the airport from a travel agency representative.

Advantages:

1. There are simply no regular flights to a number of popular resorts, and the only way to get there without transfers is charter flights. For example, only charter flights fly to the Turkish cities of Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, to the Egyptian resorts of Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the Greek islands of Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Paphos, resorts of Tunisia, India and other countries.

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

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 is provided by reducing the distance between them, which creates certain inconveniences during the flight.

2. Since charter planes fly between regular flights, the time of their departure (arrival) is often inconvenient for tourists: arriving early in the morning at a vacation spot creates certain inconveniences when checking into a hotel (the 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 if you arrive late, you lose a whole day of rest.

3. A significant disadvantage for passengers is that the flight is delayed for an indefinite period of time. If there is a disruption in the schedule or the airfield is overloaded, then regular flights will be sent first, and only then charter flights. In the event of a malfunction on a scheduled flight, passengers may be transported on the next flight or on a partner airline flight. Charter clients will have to wait for the cause of the malfunction to be resolved or for a special reserve aircraft, which may not be available.
According to the current “General Rules for the Air Transportation of Passengers and Baggage”: in the event of a delay or cancellation of a flight, including a charter one, the carrier is obliged to organize the following services for passengers at the points of departure and at intermediate points:

* provision of mother and child rooms to a passenger with a child under 7 years of age;
* 2 phone calls or 2 emails when waiting for a flight departure for more than 2 hours;
* provision of refreshments when waiting for a flight departure for more than 2 hours;
* provision of hot meals when waiting for a flight departure for more than 4 hours and then every 6 hours - during the day and every 8 hours - at night;
* hotel accommodation when waiting for a flight departure for more than 8 hours - during the day 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 an airline representative. Without this mark, in the event of a claim, it will be difficult to prove the very fact of the plane being delayed.
Save your receipts if you ate your own meals and rented a hotel room. After returning from vacation, make a detailed application addressed to the airline, attaching copies of tickets and receipts, and personally deliver it to the claims department against signature.

4. Perhaps the most important disadvantage of charter flights is the inability to get a refund for a charter flight ticket if you cancel the flight. It’s good if you planned everything in advance and no surprises happened on the eve of departure. And if not?
According to current legislation, the possibility of returning the amounts paid for an air ticket is directly provided for in Article 108 of the Air Code of the Russian Federation, according to which the money for the ticket will be returned in full if it is returned no later than 24 hours before the departure of the aircraft, if the ticket is returned later than this time You will be charged a fee, the amount of which cannot exceed 25% of the full cost of the air ticket. Charter flights are also subject to this code (Article 104).
But the problem is that in the case of a charter flight, the tourist enters into 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 : “The airfare for charter flights is non-refundable.” This means that no one is going to return your money for the charter ticket, and whether you will win the case in court is still a very big question. A travel agency, of course, can make concessions to a tourist by selling a ticket to another passenger and returning the money to the tourist, or simply transferring the ticket to 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 plane entirely and does not want to take risks, because if it does not sell the returned ticket, the losses will fall entirely on it. On the other hand, this contradicts common sense and it is not clear why a tourist is sometimes forced to pay ridiculous amounts of money (especially when it comes to long-distance destinations) for a service that 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 sells tickets at minimum rates, a refund for a ticket in this case also becomes impossible, which is directly stipulated by the airline’s rules.

In general, we can say that charter flights are a fairly convenient form of transport for an economical holiday, but they have some, not always pleasant, differences from regular flights. But these inconveniences are compensated by the low price of 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 is the difference between a charter flight and a regular flight?

Chartered 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 the websites of special booking services. 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.

For some destinations, tickets can be returned; in this case, a progressive scale applies; the fewer 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, recently, many airlines have begun to pay more attention to this, 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 are passionate about collecting airline miles and bonuses, then it is better to look for a suitable option on a scheduled flight.

The big advantage of charters is that they fly non-stop to most popular resorts, but are sometimes served 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 to the city from it. Taxi costs can be much more than the amount saved on the flight.

When going on a trip, tourists are faced with a dilemma - to choose a regular flight or. The difference between them lies not only in price, but also in the frequency of flights, quality of service, etc. To the question “What is the best way to fly?” there is no clear answer. Each of these types of flights has its own disadvantages and advantages.

When choosing a flight, you need to carefully read the features of both types in order to be well prepared for the trip. This will help you spend your vacation in more comfortable conditions. If you don’t know how to find out whether a charter flight is scheduled or not, this will be discussed in detail in this article.

A scheduled flight is a flight operated year-round by large airlines. He
even carried out subject to a minimum number of passengers. If you sit alone in the cabin, the plane will still take you to your destination. It has many advantages over a charter:

a large number of different tariffs with different sets of conditions;
there is a discount program for children;
bonuses, special offers and promotions carried out by them;
points accumulation systems for frequent flyers;
availability of connecting flights;
wide flight geography;
strict compliance with the schedule.

On the Lufthansa website you can buy the same cheap tickets at the new rate as for charter.

Tickets for such a flight may be as cheap as for a charter. Lufthansa recently launched a new “Lite” tariff, which is not at all expensive. It is called that because you can only take it with you with a total weight of no more than 8 kg.

Another difference between a charter flight and a regular flight is higher quality of service. If you fly Economy Class, then if you choose a good airline, your flight will take place in the best conditions. With Swiss Airlines, even in Economy you feel like you are in Business.

Chartered flight

Charter - this is an aircraft or a number of seats chartered in advance by a travel agent or travel agency in it for subsequent sale to tourists. With the development of mass tourism, this type of flight has become widespread throughout the world.

This is explained cheap tickets and huge benefits for both parties - travel agencies and airlines. Selling tickets to large groups of people brings in much larger sums of money than individual, one-time sales.

What is the difference between a charter and a regular flight? The main difference is that charters are seasonal flights. Planes to Thailand or Turkey are sent during the tourist season, when a huge flow of travelers wants to enjoy the bright sun and warm sea of the southern countries.

Azur Air is a Russian company providing charter flights.

Travel agencies may have an agreement for the transportation of tourists with not one, but several charter companies. Russia has Azur Air, one of these airlines. Other airlines operate both scheduled and charter flights. Among them we can single out Russia.

There are plenty of disadvantages to such a flight:

charters fly in windows between scheduled flights;
frequent flight delays are possible;
low level of passenger service;
charters fly every 7 or 14 days (the average duration of a tourist holiday in the world);
the type of aircraft you will fly on can be determined just 1-2 days before departure;
the charter ticket cannot be exchanged or returned for money;
the age of the aircraft used is higher than that of regular ones;
It is very difficult to buy a charter ticket yourself (how to do this is described in this article on our website).

The cost of the charter ticket is included in the so-called tourist package, which includes a voucher, insurance and everything you need for a comfortable holiday.

The difference between a charter flight and a regular flight is that charters fly to destinations where regular flights can only be reached with transfers or not reach at all. The island of Djerba in Tunisia, which is gaining great popularity among tourists, can only be reached by using a charter.

The main direction of charters is resorts.

It is also important to remember that countries practice division of airports or terminals into those that accept only charter or scheduled flights. If we take the same Tunisia, then there are the airports of Enfidha and Monastir to accept charters, and the airport of Carthage accepts regular flights. They are specially built near major tourist regions.

The cabin layout of charters usually consists of only one class - Economy.

Connections between scheduled and charter flights are not possible.

There is a special type of charter - the so-called “sucky” flights. They have such a dissonant name because they arrive at the airport and wait there for tourists during their vacation. This practice is carried out during the holidays.

How to find out which flight is regular or charter?

If you buy a tour from travel agencies or travel agents, then the staff must warn you about the type of flight. If they don't, be sure to ask what flight they're booking you on. This is important because the difference between the two types is huge.

On the website aviasales.ru, charters are marked in red.

When purchasing tickets yourself - on sites like aviasales.ru, if the flight is a charter flight, then this is indicated opposite it.

If there is no signature, then look on the Internet what kind of company operates the flight. It will indicate what types of transportation it deals with and in what directions. When purchasing tickets through ticket offices or ticket agencies Be sure to check what kind of flight it is.

The employee must warn, but may forget or be absentmindedly not do so.

Chartered flight Another way to do this is to look at the flight number. If the number is three-digit, it is a regular number. If it's four-digit, then it's a charter.

- flights that are operated by the airline at the request of a 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 during the holiday season to mass destinations. If the demand for a country is small, then regular flights are sufficient; as soon as the number of people wishing 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 priority rights to departure and therefore charters are often delayed or change their departure time.

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

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 vacation every year: there are no regular flights,” others will answer. And still others will say that peace of mind and comfort are more valuable than any money and therefore never fly charters. So, charters - “air taxis” that travel agencies specially order for tourists - have their pros and cons. The main advantage, of course, is that a ticket costs much less than regular flights. But, as you know, the miser pays twice. The cheapness of the flight often turns into a hassle, and there’s no need to talk about comfort. If you have purchased a trip that includes charter transportation, be mentally prepared for the fact that the travel agency will not issue an air ticket before arriving at the airport. It is common practice to issue charter tickets right before departure.

You still won’t be able to change anything 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 arrives, start studying the ticket. Check whether the last name is spelled correctly and whether there is a second coupon on the ticket, guaranteeing a safe return to your homeland. If there is a small error in the spelling of the surname, which generally does not distort it, there is nothing to worry about. If there are numerous serious mistakes, you will most likely have to contact a representative of the travel agency; in this case, it is obliged to ensure your departure on the next flight. If you didn’t find a second coupon, ask the same representative for a paper stating that the company undertakes to issue a return ticket at the vacation spot. Then (if the obligation is not fulfilled) you can count on compensation for expenses for an unplanned stay abroad. Remember that charters are the last to be served at airports, and if there is a traffic jam of planes, scheduled flights will naturally be the first to leave. There is nothing else to do here but to be patient and wait.

If the wait lasts more than six hours, contact your airline representative to request a free meal. If the flight is postponed until the next morning, there is no need to while away the night sitting on your suitcases: the carrier is obliged to put you in a hotel. After a day and a half, one can suspect that the flight was disrupted, but lately this has been happening less and less often. And yet, if you happen 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 filing claims with the management of the travel agency, even if it is an intermediary; others recommend contacting the carrier directly - you have a ticket, according to which the airline is obliged to take you to your destination.

We have listed only the most important problems for you. In practice there may be much more. Or it may not turn out at all - depending on your luck. So think for yourself, decide for yourself - to fly or not to fly...