Air tickets for charter flights. Charter flight on air transport - what is it

The process will only take a few minutes. The algorithm is almost the same for all sellers, but may differ in some details. Let's see how it works for Charter24.

Step 1. Register on the site and create a personal account (PC) by clicking on the link http://www.charter24.ru/register. You will be able to control the appearance of travel documents and receive additional information about the upcoming flight. Many resources will automatically create an account for you the first time you contact.

Step 2. On home page select the "Charters" section. Fill in the required fields - city of departure, arrival, dates, number of passengers, booking class (economy or business). For example:

The search results will appear after clicking the "Find" button in the following form:


Step 3. Applications with personal data have priority in confirmation, so it is recommended to immediately fill in the appropriate field. Last name, first name, date of birth, passport numbers - everything must be as written in the passport. Enter your contact details and click "Book".


The booking confirmation looks like this:


Everything, the order is made. You don't need to pay right away.

After some time, the operator will contact you and tell you about the next steps. Days are given for reflection. During this period, you must pay for the purchase - bank card online in your personal account or in cash - for example, in Svyaznoy stores. If payment is not received on time, the booking will be cancelled.

An electronic ticket is usually issued a few days before departure, it must appear in your account no later than 24 hours before the flight. If you have online check-in, you can check-in in advance, print your boarding pass and choose your seats.

Pros and cons of charter flights

The main advantage is the low price and direct flight, the cost of which can be 30-50% lower than the regular one.

If you live far from the capital, the choice of flights in the region is small, the prices do not cause delight, then charter planes are a real salvation for travel lovers. From small town you can directly, without transfers, get to the coveted resort. And for metropolitan residents, charters are sometimes a non-alternative option. For example, there is no direct air service from Moscow to Phu Quoc, Punta Cana, Dalaman, Paphos.

It is profitable to buy an inexpensive charter flight without purchasing a tour, planning a trip along a complex route and intending to change several hotels during your vacation, which may not be on the list of the tour operator.

There is only one minus, but bold - high probability. The reasons are different - from technical problems to non-flying weather. When weather conditions allow flights to resume, regular flights will be the first to take off, while irregular flights are pushed to the back of the queue.

1. Prepare in advance (just in case) for waiting for departure at the airport, think about what to do and entertain yourself with.
2. Find out about the services and compensation required by law in the event of a plane delay.
3. One day before the flight, call the airline's information desk and clarify the schedule. After, until the very departure, track all changes on the online scoreboard of the airport terminal, on the official website or directly in the terminal.

Other inconveniences are unlikely to be related to significant shortcomings. The nuances of which you are informed in advance will not overshadow the rest. So, consider:

• The schedule is compiled according to the needs of the customer, on some routes transportation is carried out only a few times a week or a month. We have to adjust our own plans to the stated flight dates.
• You cannot select a special or children's menu.
• Tickets are always non-refundable. If the trip is canceled for some reason, you will lose money. The way out is to find those who want to fly this plane themselves and re-book. Change of personal data is allowed.
• Can be set lower.
• are not charged.
• There are no children's and preferential fares, for passengers of any age the price is the same.
• Sometimes the contingent is very specific and is not averse to flying to the destination in an unconscious or too alert state from alcohol. But this rarely happens on mass beach destinations (

What kind of flight is this, a ticket for which you can’t buy at the ticket office, and it’s not on the schedule? That's right, it's a charter. Anyone who has ever flown on vacation abroad is familiar with this word. Charter flight - what does it mean?

Organization of charters

The word "charter" comes from English verb to chart - "hire a ship" and means a specially organized flight in a certain direction at a given time. Such flights are irregular and are operated according to a special charter schedule. The initiator of a charter flight is, most often, a travel company - an operator or a wealthy enterprise, a wealthy sports team, any financially secure organization.

In order to carry out the transportation of an organized mass of people (groups of tourists, athletes, company employees and even believers - pilgrims) at affordable prices to a point where it is difficult to reach in the usual way, the consolidator rents an entire aircraft and hires its crew. How new the airliner will be, how comfortable the flight will be and how high the level of service will be depends on the amount offered by the customer for charter flights.

All preparatory work carried out by the organizer: from permits before pre-flight preparation. The consolidator (tour operator) distributes seats in charter aircraft between travel agents who plan to deliver their tourists to a given point on the globe.

Travel agencies, becoming for a while the owner of air tickets for new flight, sell them at their own set rates to tourists who purchase package tours. Experts note a surge in demand for charters and the launch of new flight routes during the summer holidays. At this time, the number of people wishing to use the services of air carriers quite greatly exceeds their capabilities. Charter flights from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar are especially numerous.

Differences between charter and regular flights

Despite the fact that both scheduled and charter flights are sometimes carried out on the same aircraft, there are differences between them that help to clarify what a charter flight means as a phenomenon:

• A ticket for a regular flight is in the hands of the passenger from the moment of purchase, but for a charter flight a ticket is issued by a travel agency literally on the eve of departure, sometimes right at the airport;
• Exact time departure organizers of the charter can change just a few days or even hours before the start - the earliest possible booking is possible only for a day;
• If you are late on board at the time of departure, the ticket for the return flight will be canceled.

Important! If a tourist plans to get to his destination on his own, and fly back using charter flights, you should definitely notify your travel agency about this.

• A very common occurrence in charter flights is the replacement of the airport of departure or arrival, as well as the aircraft itself; for regular flights, these manipulations are very rare;
• When organizing charter flights, all the work is carried out by the tour operator together with the airport and the air carrier, and here it is important to respect the benefits of all project participants when determining ticket prices and scheduling. However, if the interaction of participants is disrupted, there may be overlaps in the operation of the air bridge, which once again gives reason to consider charters worse than regular flights;
• Charter aircraft tend to have narrow rows of seats, somewhat compressed to increase seating capacity (although some low-cost scheduled carriers now have even tighter seating than charters);

• To reduce the price of the tour, the travel agency tries to save literally on everything, from luggage weight restrictions to the exclusion of meals on board from the ticket price, i.e. tourists have to pay for a reduced ticket price in comfort;
• It is quite common for charters to delay or reschedule a flight; if there is a congestion at the airport, first of all, regular flights are sent, and then charter flights - this is done so that the passengers of regular flights have time for connecting flights, which simply do not exist on charter flights.

Advantages of charters

Since the transportation market has a constant and even increasing demand for flights operated by charter airlines, therefore, such flights have their advantages that attract consumers. What are they:

• The main advantage is the ability to get to a place that simply cannot be reached by other means, since regular airlines are far from being laid everywhere, and a charter can be organized even to the North Pole;

• Lack of transfers and hassle with connections at unfamiliar airports in conditions of limited time between planes, since charters are almost always direct flights;
• Economic advantage - tickets for charter flights are much cheaper than regular tickets, since the travel agency receives a significant discount from airlines for renting an entire aircraft; for European destinations, the difference can be 2-3 times (it is especially significant for the beginning and end of the season);
• If a tourist’s trip is canceled due to unforeseen circumstances, the travel agency can independently reissue a ticket for another passenger.

Charter Disadvantages

“Okay,” the tourist will say. - I understand that free cheese is only in a mousetrap. What is the catch of cheap charter flights? Indeed, there are some inconveniences for passengers:

• Since the charter is not a priority flight for the air carrier, regular flights are the first to depart;

• Since such flights are operated strictly according to the schedule specified in the charter agreement, it will be very expensive to extend the stay at the resort by several days (compared to tickets for a regular flight);
• When canceling a flight, money is not returned, this practice also exists on regular flights, where money cannot be returned either, but this depends on the fare;
• For charter flights, airlines do not give passengers any gifts in the form of bonus miles and other joys from loyalty programs;
• The schedule of charter flights is almost always inconvenient for passengers, as they are placed in free time from scheduled departures. As a rule, this is a very early or very late departure, so tourists have to wait a long time to check into a hotel or leave earlier than the check-out time in order to be in time for the airport;
• As a rule, there is no already familiar and convenient online registration per flight (although large charter air carriers already have such an opportunity).

Common myths about charters

Inexperienced travelers at first cannot understand what a charter flight means, because they are based on various misconceptions read on the Internet or heard from other tourists:

1. Most charter flights are carried out on obsolete aircraft. This is wrong. Flights are carried out by the same aircraft, their novelty and quality depend on the solvency of the consolidator;
2. Charter flights are unreliable;

Note! Travelers using the services of charter carriers, in case of flight delays, have the same rights as on regular airlines. In accordance with " General rules air transportation of passengers and baggage” (section 7, paragraph 99), depending on the duration of the flight delay, they should be provided with: rooms for mother and child, several phone calls and e-mails, drinks, hot meals, hotel accommodation and luggage storage. The tourist needs to get a stamp on the ticket about the postponement of the flight, and also (if the airline does not provide the above services) collect checks when buying meals and hotels on their own (they should then be attached to the claim to the airline to pay expenses within the agreed amounts).

1. No meals are provided during flights. This is not so, passengers are fed in accordance with the norms of flight duration;
2. The flight can simply be cancelled. This cannot be because the person has paid money for the ticket. Yes, charters are postponed, even postponed for several days, but they have no right to cancel;
3. Some tourists are afraid that a charter ticket does not entitle them to free baggage, however, baggage allowances are determined by the air carrier for different flight classes, and the flight regularity does not affect them.

How to buy a cheap charter ticket

Having thoroughly studied the situation with charters and understanding what it is, a person may want to purchase such attractive cheap flights. As a rule, this can only be done as part of a tour - sometimes a package tour to a low-grade “three-ruble note” with a full tour program (all-inclusive system) costs as much as a ticket for a regular flight or even cheaper.

However, you can try to buy a charter ticket yourself. You should stock up on patience and strong nerves, since such "burning" tickets appear on specialized sites or on the pages of large tour operators only a few days before departure.

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Additional Information. It is possible to purchase tickets without a tour from the travel agency itself, which, without selling out the tours, tries to recoup at least the rental of the aircraft closer to the date of departure. Such tickets will be even cheaper than those of low-cost airlines. However, if you hope for an even greater discount from the travel agency until the last hour, you can stay at home without tickets at all.

Having studied the information about what a charter flight is, having considered all the pros and cons, the consumer can decide for himself what to prefer: a regular or a charter flight. Here you should be guided by considerations of your own comfort and budget for rest.

The easiest way to find the cheapest airline charter flights is on Avianiti. The search will compare charter airfare with offers from all travel agencies. You can buy charter flights online directly from the Avianiti search on agency websites.

Search for cheap flights on charter flights without commissions

What is a charter flight

A charter flight (or charter) is a charter flight that airlines operate at the request of travel agencies and ticket agencies. Therefore, you can buy tickets for a charter flight only in agencies, airlines do not sell tickets for charters.

The main feature of charter flights is that flights are operated in free time between scheduled flights. Because of this, the exact departure time of the charter is only known 24 hours in advance.

Types of charter flights

• A shuttle is a charter flight that brings one group and picks up another. Usually shuttle charters fly at weekly intervals. Often on such charters you can buy very cheap air tickets when there is no one to pick up or take the plane - the first and last flights of the season.
• sludge charter- the plane brings passengers and waits for them for the return flight. Such charter flights are operated on long-distance exotic countries, where there are no frequent flights and it is not profitable to send an empty plane back. Tickets for these charters are sold as part of the tour.
• Split - the airline's flight is divided into regular and charter. This may be one flight, where the agency bought some of the seats on the plane. Air tickets for such flights are often sold as part of the tour. Sometimes it is possible to buy cheap airfare before the charter departure.

Where do charters fly

Airline charter flights fly to high season by tourist destinations. In the Avianity search, you can buy tickets for charters on the following routes:

Is it worth flying on charter flights?

You need to choose a charter flight based on the price of air tickets and the convenience of the flight. If there are no direct regular flights from the city in the chosen direction, but there are offers for a charter, then, of course, it is more convenient to fly without transfers on a charter flight. If the cost of a charter flight does not differ much from a regular one, and the airport of departure is busy, then it is better to choose a regular flight. If you buy air tickets along with a tour, check the difference in ticket prices between a charter and a regular flight in order to make the right choice.

Features of charter flights

Before buying tickets for charter flights, we recommend that you learn about the features of charter flights. Avianiti flight search has compiled the main differences between charter flights and regular passenger flights so that you can choose the flight option that suits you best.

1. Seasonal flights

Charters fly on popular tourist routes. Some of the air tickets for charter flights are sold by travel companies as part of a travel package. Such charter flights are tied to the summer or winter season, so charter flights are sold during the tourist seasons. To European destinations, for example, to Italy, the Czech Republic, Greece or Bulgaria, charters fly throughout the year without interruption.

2. Cheap flights

Air tickets for charter flights usually cost 30-40% cheaper than air tickets for regular flights. This difference is especially noticeable in the midst of tourist season. Travel agencies and agencies sell air tickets for charters at a single rate and completely fill the plane. Since the cost of air tickets does not depend on the workload of the flight, you can buy a cheap ticket for a charter flight a few days before departure.

3. No transfers

Charter flights are operated without transfers. Charter may be the only way to get from Russian cities to famous resorts direct flight. Air tickets for a charter flight will be cheaper than for a regular one with a transfer.

4. Departure delays are possible

Charter flights do not have an exact departure time. Scheduled flights have departure priority over charter flights, so busy airports are more likely to have a delayed departure for a charter flight. The exact departure time of the charter is reported a day in advance. When changing the schedule, the airline, travel agency or ticket agency notifies passengers about the rescheduling of flights.

5. Non-refundable tickets

Air tickets for charter flights are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. Agencies only sell non-refundable air tickets to reduce the risk and cost of air tickets. To reissue tickets for another person, contact the company where you made the purchase.

6. Lack of bonuses and accumulation of miles

When flying on a charter flight, the airline will not replenish miles on the passenger's bonus card. Bonus programs and loyalty programs are not valid on charter flights.

The best promotions and special offers for charter flights of Russian and foreign airlines. Tickets for charters to popular tourist destinations are selected at the lowest prices.

List of Russian airlines that operate charter flights commissioned by ticket agencies and travel companies. In addition to charter flights, airlines can operate regular flights.

A charter flight is not a new phenomenon for our country for a long time. A lot of tourists flew charters and have a good idea of ​​what it is. However, others doubt whether it is worth trusting such flights and do not know what is the difference between a charter and a regular flight.

Often we hear phrases: “Yes, I flew on a charter flight”, “I flew on a charter, so I was late“, “Saved well on charter” and so on. So what is a charter flight, is it really much cheaper than regular flights and who operates charter flights. Now let's figure it out.

What is a charter

A charter is an analogue of a charter agreement, it is widely used in air traffic and merchant shipping. The essence of a charter is that the charterer - the owner of the aircraft - for a certain amount puts it at the disposal of the charterer (or lessee) in order to transport passengers or cargo.

As a rule, tour operators rent aircraft. And this is understandable - after all, in the tourism business there is such a thing as seasonality. The main flow of tourists flies to Turkey in the summer, to Goa - in the winter. For a certain season, the tour operator rents planes and sends its clients to various exotic and not very places.

Often charter flights are organized not by one tour operator, but by several. Here, too, everything is clear - chartering a plane is a costly business, it is much easier to chip in.

Therefore, clients of both Pegasus and TezTour and some other operator often fly to the same resort on the same plane.

Whoever managed or wanted to pay for services as much as he has so many blocks of seats on a charter flight. Tour operators complete their travel packages with these places, and travel agencies in turn, they sell tour packages to tourists.

Why a charter is cheaper

In principle, from the above it is already clear why a charter flight is cheaper than a regular one. A regular flight flies on schedule, regardless of how many people are in the cabin - 500 or 50. In order not to suffer losses, airlines include various risks in advance in a regular ticket.

On a charter flight, a full load is almost always guaranteed. And if there are not enough passengers on the charter, it can easily be rescheduled or canceled.

Is it dangerous to fly charters

There is such a widespread opinion that charters are very dangerous and it is better to overpay, but fly regular flights. Here everyone decides for himself.

The fact is that any airline can act as a charter operator: Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Vladavia, S7, etc. The pilots are the same, the flight attendants are the same, the quality of service and comfort is the same as when flying on a regular flight of this airline.

There is only one BUT - tour operators are trying to charter a vessel from a less well-known and expensive airline. Everyone understands the desire to save money - after all, we also choose, as a rule, cheaper tickets.

Another disadvantage of a charter flight is frequent delays and delays. The fact is that for any airport, regular flights of companies are always a priority. The departure and arrival of the charter is usually inserted somewhere between them, as it turns out.

When to look for and buy cheap charter flights

It is not necessary to purchase the whole package from travel company. You can buy a ticket for a charter, and on the spot you can completely relax and travel on your own.

If it is best to buy tickets for regular flights in advance, since they are then much cheaper, then the situation is different with charter flights. There is no need to rush here. Usually, a charter ticket becomes much cheaper a week or even a couple of days before departure. The tour operator seeks to fill the entire plane so as not to cancel the tour and begins to discount the price of a ticket, in the hope that thrifty tourists will bite and buy a ticket at a bargain price. Often this is what happens.

My family and I, for example, always take tickets to Egypt just a few days before departure, although we start monitoring about a month in advance. The price difference is usually very significant!

Every traveler who prefers any transport to air will sooner or later come across the concept of a charter flight. What does this mean, how does it differ from the usual one and in what case is it convenient - it is better to deal with all questions in advance.

A charter flight is a non-scheduled flight booked by a consolidator. It can be a travel agency, an intermediary firm or the airline itself. The consolidator charters the plane and sends it to the desired destination.

In simple terms, the differences can be explained as follows: if a regular flight can be compared to a scheduled bus, then a charter flight is a taxi that is ordered and paid for for a one-time trip.

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

There are several fundamental differences between a charter and a regular flight:

• a ticket for a charter flight can be obtained the day before departure or already at the airport, while a travel document for a regular flight is issued at the time of its purchase;
• the tour operator will cancel the return ticket if the passenger misses the charter flight. If the tourist plans to get to the resort in some other way, and return by charter, it is necessary to warn the travel agency that sells tours in advance;
• a charter flight can be transferred to another airport or a replacement aircraft. With regular flights, this is not possible;
• charter flights cannot be booked. Occasionally, consolidators open a reservation, but not more than for one day.

The main difference is that a passenger planning a trip on a charter flight does not organize the flight, but only provides his data to the travel agency. Upon arrival at the airport, he takes the boarding pass and checks in with it.

Types of charter flights

When buying charter plane tickets, you need to clarify what features you may encounter in flight. So, you can offer:

1. split - a flight in which part of the way is overcome with the help of a regular flight;
2. shuttle - the aircraft immediately after the delivery of one group of passengers picks up the next one;
3. poly - a charter flight with one or more transfers;
4. a sludge charter will bring tourists to their destination, he will also take them back after waiting;
5. corporate charters book large organizations for the delivery of scientists, businessmen or other significant people to conferences, councils, or even on corporate holidays.

The most expensive type of air transportation is a VIP charter, when the customer himself chooses the time and terms of using the aircraft.

Advantages of charters

The most attractive thing about charter flights is the price. This, in particular, explains the popularity of holidays in Turkey, Antalya, Egypt - charter flights make these tourist destinations accessible to all groups of tourists. On short routes, the price can be half the price of a regular flight. Ticket prices do not change, but usually decrease a few days before departure. Other benefits will be appreciated by passengers planning flights to rare destinations:

• buying a ticket for a charter flight is a rare and usually the only chance to fly to places where regular flights do not fly. The absence of transfers will additionally save money;
• a ticket for a non-scheduled flight can be easily reissued to another person if the passenger's plans have changed;
• charter flights are completely non-stop. For this reason, they do not have departure priority over regular ones, since the air corridor is strictly planned for regular flights.

Low ticket price, the ability to get to an unvisited place and the absence of tedious transfers - this is the secret of the popularity of charter flights.

Charter Disadvantages

From the advantages of irregular routes, their disadvantages follow, which air carriers compensate for with a low price:

• charter flights are more often postponed or delayed, because they are not a priority for airlines. In the event of malfunctions, passengers will have to wait until the aircraft is repaired;
• if a ticket is purchased without the help of a travel agency, you need to be prepared for the fact that the flight can be canceled if few tickets are sold. This can be a big problem, because charter tickets are sold in just a few days;
• When buying a ticket with charter delivery, you need to keep in mind that it is impossible to change the terms of stay at the resort, they are strictly dependent on the flight schedule;
• unlike regular flights, charter flights do not earn bonus miles;
• if reissuing a ticket is not a problem, then it will not be possible to return money for it in case of refusal.

Democratic prices also explain the inability to change the flight class. On charter flights, all economy class seats. Thus, more seats fit, which means that the profit of the travel agency is greater.

What documents are required for a charter flight

To buy a ticket for such a flight, you only need a passport to travel to another country or a regular one to travel around Russia. To book a seat, the passenger will need to indicate the series and number of the document, full name, date of birth and citizenship. You can get a boarding pass one day before departure, subject to full payment. In order to get on board the aircraft without any problems, you must remember:

• the travel document must be filled out completely and without errors - both passenger and flight coupons;
• the passenger must familiarize himself with the rights and obligations specified in the ticket;
• any damage or correction to the document will invalidate it;
• the passenger must be ready to present the ticket to the representative of the air carrier at any time.

Under these conditions, the journey will be calm and without surprises.

How to buy a ticket for a charter flight without a ticket

It is not easy to find a ticket for a charter plane on your own, as they go on sale a few days before departure. Search engines will help you navigate. Several Internet resources specialize specifically in the selection of tickets for charter flights, but large online search engines can also offer them.

The search procedure is simple:

• you need to register on the site-search engine;
• on the main page, select the "Charters" section;
• fill in all the required fields - place of departure and arrival, dates, number of passengers and click on the "Find" button - you will see the search results;
• in the confirmation, applications with filled in personal data have priority, so all of them must be accurately transferred from the passport;
• after filling in all the fields, including contact details, click on the "Book" button.

After some time, the operator will contact you and clarify further actions. You have 24 hours to pay for the ticket, otherwise the booking will be cancelled. You can pay for the purchase by credit card on the site or in cash. This service is provided by Svyaznoy salons.

An electronic ticket is usually ready a few days before departure, but it appears in your account no later than 24 hours before departure. If the air carrier provides an online check-in service, the passenger will be able to check in in advance, select a seat in the cabin and print a boarding pass.

It should be noted that online check-in for a charter flight can be extremely rare cases. This opportunity is not provided by every airline. For example, Aeroflot and S7 do not provide it at all, while Ural Airlines allows only some charters.

Another option to purchase a ticket for a charter flight is to contact travel agencies that regularly sell last-minute, that is, unclaimed tickets.

Which airlines operate charter flights

This service is provided by almost all airlines - Aeroflot, S7, NordStar Airlines, Yakutia, Utair, Rusline, Ural Airlines and others. The following airlines also operate charter flights in Russia:

• I FLY — concludes contracts with TEZ TOUR and makes flights from Vnukovo to Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Italy and Thailand;
• Pegas Fly - organizes non-scheduled flights to airports in Europe, Asia and Africa;
• Red Wings Airlines - sends planes from Domodedovo to the most popular tourist destinations: to Spain, Greece, Egypt and other countries;
• Azur Air - works in conjunction with Anex Tour;
• Royal flight - cooperates with Coral Travel and operates flights on mass tourist routes: Goa, Barcelona, ​​Sharm el-Sheikh, Kemer, Antalya, popular resorts South-East Asia;
• Nordwind - performs charter flights to Europe, the United Arab Emirates, and other popular holiday destinations.