Change your plane ticket to another city. Is it possible to exchange non-refundable air tickets for another date?

Many travelers choose the most convenient way to purchase an air ticket – buying online. This allows you to save personal time on trips to airport ticket offices, and on the Internet you can find the best airline offers for your chosen destination. There are unforeseen situations when a passenger urgently has to change the departure date or cancel air travel altogether. In this article we will tell you which airline tickets purchased online can be returned or exchanged, what are the return conditions for popular Russian airlines, and also how to restore an electronic plane ticket.

Conditions for returning an electronic ticket

An electronic air ticket has the same legal force as a paper document received at the ticket office or at the carrier’s office. You can return it, change the date or time of departure, but provided that the selected air ticket is not classified as “non-refundable”. Such tickets are marked Non Ref. As a rule, they are sold by low-cost airlines at the cheapest rates. Tickets purchased at a reduced price through promotions or sales are also considered non-refundable. If you have an air ticket purchased at a standard fare, you can make a refund and receive the money spent. The airline has the right to withhold penalties for returning a flight document, that is, return part of the funds to the buyer with withholding a certain percentage. Owners of air tickets purchased at the highest fares can count on a refund without penalties. As a rule, first and business class belong to this category. Electronic air tickets are also subject to the service of making changes to the current departure date. This procedure is performed for a fee or free of charge, depending on the selected tariff.

Procedure for returning a ticket purchased online

Airlines set certain deadlines for the delivery of air tickets. The sooner a passenger submits an application for a refund, the less the penalty fee will be charged. Optimal deadlines for submitting an electronic ticket:

one day or more before departure – refund of the amount spent from 75% to 100% (only commission is calculated);
refund on the day of departure – the maximum you can get is a refund of up to 75%;
return 2-4 hours before departure or after the plane has departed - the passenger pays a fine in accordance with the carrier’s current tariffs.

As for tickets in the cheapest category, returning them on the last day of departure is completely unprofitable, since the fine provided by the airline often exceeds the cost of the ticket itself. How to process a return:

The carrier's website has a special section for ticket refunds. The passenger fills out the form, attaches a scan of his personal passport to this document and sends a request.
A confirmation of the request will be sent to the specified email address. The money will be transferred to the bank card, electronic wallet or bank account from which payment for the purchased tickets was made. You can also receive a refund in cash at the company's office. When applying for a refund, the passenger must indicate the selected option for receiving funds.

Non-refundable tickets can only be returned for forced reasons, supported by documented evidence. The airline will review the application and make a decision. If the passenger receives a refusal, he can demand compensation from the carrier in court.

How to exchange an e-ticket

The procedure for changing the date or time of departure is completed in a similar way. No changes can be made to a valid ticket. After completing the application, the passenger receives a new flight document with a different departure date or time. A previously purchased air ticket will no longer be considered valid. To exchange an itinerary receipt, you need to fill out a special form on the airline’s website. For this service you will have to pay a certain amount according to the current tariff of the carrier. Payment must be made within 1-2 hours. After transferring funds, a new itinerary receipt will be sent to the specified email for printing.

How to return a ticket purchased online from different airlines

Each airline sells plane tickets at certain rates, which provide a list of services and additional features. Before deciding to issue a refund for an air ticket, we recommend that you study the exchange conditions for the selected fare plan with a specific carrier.

Aeroflot

Aeroflot airline offers its passengers three main fares for tickets: Business (Premium, Optimum), Comfort (Premium, Optimum) and Economy (Premium, Optimum, Budget, Promo). Each fare has specific rules for ticket refunds.

Business Premium	Ticket refund - no fees charged
Business Optimum	Refund with removal of commission	Changes are made for an additional fee
Comfort Premium	Ticket return without penalties	Making changes - no extra charge
Comfort Optimum	Refunds are allowed with payment withheld (until boarding is complete)	Allowed with additional payment (before departure of the flight)
Economy Premium	In case of refusal of carriage, the carriage fee is refunded without deduction of commission.	Making changes - with an additional payment at a fixed rate
Economy Optimum	Returns not allowed	Making changes is allowed with additional payment
Economy Budget	Returns not allowed	Changes are made before the end of check-in for the flight with additional payment
Economy Promo	Tickets are considered non-refundable	Changes can be made at an additional cost, but only before the flight departs.

S7

S7 Airlines sells plane tickets according to four tariff plans: Business Flexible, Business Basic, Economy Flexible, Economy Basic. Each fare is subject to specific refund policies.

Ural Airlines

Ural Airlines sells plane tickets at several fares: Promo, Premium Economy, Economy, Business Light and Business. Budget Promo fare tickets are refundable, but only with the deduction of large costs. Taking into account tax fees, you can also receive compensation for the return of a Premium Economy air ticket. At the Economy fare, a ticket can be returned no later than 24 hours before departure, with taxes and penalties withheld. There is no possibility of ticket refund for the Business Light fare. At the Business tariff, it is possible to return a flight document, as well as make changes without financial charges or surcharges.

Victory

According to the rules of Pobeda Airlines, passengers cannot make changes to a valid air ticket, nor issue a document return, since all tickets of this carrier are considered non-refundable. A refund of a ticket with compensation of costs is possible only under forced circumstances, as well as if the passenger was unable to fly due to the fault of the carrier itself (canceled flight, rescheduled departure). To receive compensation, you must write an application and submit it to the company office no later than 24 hours before departure. The application must also be accompanied by an itinerary receipt, a personal passport and a document confirming the forced reason for canceling the flight. If the aircraft departure time changes, the carrier informs the passenger in advance about the changes made.

UTair

According to the rules of UTair airlines, you can issue a refund of your ticket before check-in for the flight has completed. There are fees associated with this procedure. Tickets purchased at Business and Flexible Economy fares are refundable. For the Light Economy and Standard Economy tariffs, you can issue a refund with compensation of funds only for forced reasons, which must be documented. There is a fine for changing the date or time of departure (the amount of fines can be found on the carrier’s website). For returning a travel document one day before departure, the passenger will be charged a fee of 2,400 rubles. If the ticket is returned within 24 hours before the flight departure, the fee is 3,200 rubles.

How to recover a lost e-ticket

You can restore a lost electronic plane ticket yourself on the carrier’s website. To do this, you need to go to your personal account in a special section, enter your data as requested by the program, and send an application to restore your air ticket. For this service you need to pay according to the carrier’s current tariff (the amount to be paid will be indicated on the website). After making payment, a new electronic ticket will be sent to the email specified in the application for printing. You can also restore a lost plane ticket at the office of the carrier company by providing a passport confirming the identity of the passenger. Electronic plane tickets purchased online on the website of special services or on the portal of the carrier company are not particularly different from paper tickets. They also contain all the information about the flight, passenger data, route and guarantee the same rights and opportunities for the traveler as tickets on paper forms sold at stationary ticket offices and airline offices.

In everyday life, force majeure situations often occur that force you to completely change your plans for the near future. That is why many people are interested in how to change Russian Railways travel cards and in what cases does the ticket need to be replaced? Let us consider in more detail all the main nuances associated with the problem of exchanging train tickets.

Is it possible to change train tickets?

If for some reason you are unable to go on your planned trip, you need to move the departure to another date or simply change the passenger seat, it is worth knowing how to act correctly in such cases.

Typically, Russian Railways employees try to accommodate their customers and immediately exchange tickets when this request is presented. But in order not to be refused when applying for a replacement travel card, you must comply with the established standards.

Russian Railways ticket exchange rules

You can change Russian Railways tickets purchased at the box office only offline. Coupons purchased on the organization’s website are reissued online, as well as during a personal visit to the cash department. In order for your request to be granted, it should be taken into account that this procedure can only be carried out upon presentation of the applicant’s passport and passenger document, no later than 1 day before the train’s departure along the designated route.

Note!This rule does not apply to electronic tickets. Travel tickets purchased online can be exchanged one hour before departure time.

You also need to understand that you can only change tickets for an earlier route. It is important that the selected carriage is serviced by a similar carrier, otherwise you will have to reissue the ticket to a higher or lower class. In this case, the difference in cost is paid/compensated to the owner.

Russian Railways tickets can be exchanged only if the cities of departure and arrival are exactly the same. Otherwise, you are allowed to return the pass (with a portion of the funds withheld), after which you can choose the desired route and buy a new passenger pass.

Standard and children's tickets for Russian Railways are exchanged for seats within the designated carriage. If this option is not available, the documents can only be replaced with more expensive (higher class) ones.

To replace a passenger ticket purchased at the Russian Railways ticket office, you must visit the branch again. The exchange is carried out only if there is a passport of the documentary owner of the travel card and the ticket itself.

If there is less than a day left before the train's departure, the request for a replacement will be rejected. The ticket office employee will ask you to write a claim for a refund, after which you can select the desired route and purchase a pass for it.

Regardless of the time of application for an exchange/return of a ticket, a commission amount of 192.80 rubles is charged.

How to change train tickets for another date?

To change a ticket to a different number, you must first return the old ticket and then get a new one. You should also take into account the rules that this procedure provides:

the exchange is carried out if there are more than 24 hours left before the train;
the same carriage is selected, but it is possible to choose a different class;
the seat can be replaced with one of similar cost (in any carriage);
It is prohibited to change the end point of the route.

How to change a Russian Railways ticket for another person?

If you need to change a travel pass issued to another person, you will not be able to do this without a notarized power of attorney. The only exceptions are children's passes. Their exchange is carried out by parents or guardians upon presentation of the relevant documents.

Re-issuance of a personal ticket to another name is not possible.

How to exchange Russian Railways tickets purchased online?

You can replace electronic Russian Railways passes on the company’s website. To do this you will need:

log in to your personal account;
open the “My orders” section;
find the item “Make a return” and activate this option;
after which you need to select your preferred route and purchase a new ticket.

Important! When canceling an order, the amount spent is returned to the owner on the card. This procedure can be completed within up to one month, but usually the money arrives in the account within one week.

You can exchange tickets online if the following conditions are met:

there is at least 1 hour left before the train departs;
a numbered seat was indicated during checkout;
the coupon was purchased on the territory of the Russian Federation;
exchange is carried out in internal directions.

If you have a paper duplicate of an electronic travel pass in your hands, you will not be able to cancel it via the Internet.

In addition to the specified method, it is allowed to exchange tickets purchased online at the ticket office. To do this, the applicant must have with him a personal document and a printout of information about the purchased coupon.

Can an e-ticket be exchanged for a regular one?

Many Russian Railways customers are interested in whether it is possible to receive a paper ticket if it was purchased online. Today such an opportunity is provided. But it is worth understanding that if the document holder of the travel pass has completed the electronic registration procedure, then when boarding the train he will not need to provide a duplicate of the coupon. It is enough to have your passport and information about your electronic ticket with you.

But, if there is still a need to obtain a paper passenger pass, then this can be done in one of the following ways:

contact the cashier;
use the terminal.

In both cases, you should print out an electronic receipt in advance, which, in addition to general information, will contain a QR code.

Changing flight dates with Aeroflot is not difficult if your fare allows for changes to the purchased air ticket. Before discussing the procedure for exchanging travel dates, it is necessary to understand the tariffs and their basic conditions.

The most expensive fare, which allows the passenger to have unlimited possibilities for exchanging and returning a ticket, is Business Premium Class. By purchasing a ticket with the code CFO, IFM, ZFM, JFM, DFM, IFO, ZFO, JFO, CFM, the buyer can be sure that any changes to the travel date will not entail penalties, deductions or surcharges.

These privileges apply even if you are late for your flight and check-in is long overdue. You will definitely be given a seat in business class on the next flight, if available. Another case is if you have a Business - Optimum class ticket with the fare code JCO, CCO, DCO, ICO, ZCO, JCL, CCL, DCL, ICL, ZCL.

Changing the travel date at this rate is only possible with an additional payment. If the points of departure and arrival are within Russia, you will have to overpay five thousand rubles. Fifteen thousand Japanese yen will cost the service to persons flying from Japanese cities.

Changing the flight period to destinations between Russia and the countries of Europe, the Near Abroad, and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region will cost seventy dollars/euro.

When choosing a more budget-friendly option for traveling with Aeroflot, you need to be prepared for the fact that the service for changing the flight date may not be available or will require large financial expenses for additional payment.

Economy tariff

Economy fares include Economy and Comfort class tickets. They, in turn, are also divided into groups that have their own coding. If you have booked a seat designated Comfort - Premium with the code WFO, SFO, AFO, WFM, SFM, AFM, this gives you the right to change the period of departure and arrival, as well as destinations, without additional costs.

The company is obliged to provide the passenger with an empty seat (in accordance with his class, if available), even if the client warned about the changes after the departure of the aircraft. But this option is not available if you purchased transportation at the Comfort - Optimum tariff with the code: WCO, SCO, ACO, WCL, SCL, ACL.

This class of flight allows you to change the route conditions with an additional payment (if you notify Aeroflot staff before the flight departure):

One and a half thousand rubles for flights in the central (European) part of Russia;
Two and a half thousand rubles on flights between the Far East and the European part of Russia, on other destinations within the borders of Russia;
Fifty dollars/euro on routes Russia and the countries of the Persian Gulf, Europe, Asia, Near Abroad;
Fifteen thousand JPY when departing from Japanese cities.

If you are late for a flight and did not notify in time (before departure) of your intention to fly at a different time, then you will not be able to change the conditions of transportation. But there are destinations for which, even if you have a ticket of this fare, it is possible to change the flight conditions.

Consent to withhold eighty-five dollars gives the right to fly at another time and on another flight from Armenia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Ukraine and other neighboring countries to Russia.

A flight in economy class is good for its price, but travel dates can be changed (without possible penalties or additional fees) only if you have an Economy Premium ticket with codes BFM, HFM, QFM, EFM, NFO, YFM, HFO, TFM, LFM, NFM , UFO, MFO, LFO, KFO, KFM. Changes to transportation conditions are made without additional charges.

With the Economy - Optimum fare, passengers are allowed to change dates with an additional payment of one and a half to two and a half thousand rubles. The further the distance and the more complex the route, the higher the withholding amount.

The dates of foreign flights for this category of ticket can also be changed, but you will have to pay an additional fee of fifty to one hundred euros or dollars. The rule applies provided that you notify Aeroflot about your plans before the departure of the flight indicated on the ticket.

If a passenger decides to change his ticket after the plane has taken off, the company will refuse him this. With the exception of cases of departure to Russia from the Gulf countries, Europe, Belarus, Georgia, Turkmenistan and other neighboring countries. For these destinations, you can fly on another day for an additional payment of eighty-five dollars or euros.

The Economy Budget tariff is often sold on promotions at a significantly low cost. They are subsidized in certain areas. If unforeseen circumstances happen and you urgently need to change your ticket, be prepared to pay an additional fee of fifty to one hundred euros/dollars when flying abroad and back.

Changing flight conditions to Russian destinations will cost from two to four thousand rubles. If you decided to fly later, but reported this after boarding the flight, most likely you will be refused to change your departure dates. Exceptions exist for Aeroflot flights from Europe and the Gulf countries to Russia. The additional payment will be eighty-five dollars. The same condition applies to flights from the neighboring countries to the Russian Federation.

When choosing the cheapest Economy Promo ticket, you need to carefully read the terms of the promotion. Changing the conditions of transportation means an additional payment of one hundred dollars/euro on international routes and from four to six thousand rubles on flights within Russia.

We decided to fly on another day at a promotional rate, but were warned after the plane was in the air, get ready for the fact that you will be refused to change the departure date and will have to buy a new ticket.

Features of ticket exchange at special rates

Such tickets include flights for fans to matches of the 2018 World Cup, as well as transportation in the directions Moscow - Rostov-on-Don, Moscow - Far East, Moscow - Kazan, Moscow - Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

If you have a ticket for the 2018 World Cup, changing the departure date and other conditions is not permitted. Transportation between the cities of Moscow - Khabarovsk, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Kazan, Rostov-on-Don requires a change in departure date.

If you fly on a Premium Business fare with codes J, S, D, you have the right to change the travel period without additional fees. But the Optimum-Business tariff with code I, Z will entail an additional payment for such a service in the amount of five thousand rubles.

A Premium Economy ticket allows its replacement without penalty. But Optimum-Economy means that by changing flight conditions, you will pay from one and a half to six thousand rubles. The highest surcharge amount is indicated for the direction Moscow-Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk and Moscow-Khabarovsk. The conditions are valid if you have warned about the refusal before the plane departs.

How to change the departure date on a ticket

When purchasing a ticket through a sales office, if you intend to change your flight dates, you should contact the same Aeroflot branch. For any questions, you can also call the contact center, contact number 8-800-444-55-55. At this time, it is very important to pay attention to the date of departure or arrival. The amount of additional payment for changes in transportation conditions may depend on it.

Those who purchased a ticket on the Aeroflot website www.aeroflot.ru need to make an independent online exchange. To do this, go to the online service, air ticket exchange/refund section, fill out the fields by entering information about the ticket (last name and reservation code) and click “Search”.

The next window will contain the details of your reservation and instructions on possible actions for returning or exchanging a ticket. Before making an online exchange, you should compare your tariff plan with the restrictions that apply to the class of ticket.

Principles of online sharing

Exchange of an electronic ticket is acceptable if

If the transportation service was not partially provided (in the case of a complex connecting travel route) and you communicated your decision before departure of the flight;
The service was purchased through an online service (on the Aeroflot website);
The transportation was not an award or purchased using accumulated points (miles);
The ticket tariff plan allows for changes to the terms of the contract (not made for non-refundable economy fares).

How to change a ticket purchased online for another date? This question faces every traveler whose plans suddenly change. And a similar situation arises quite often. After all, everyone knows that the earlier you buy a ticket, the cheaper it will be. But we can’t always be sure in advance that we’ll be able to make the trip exactly on the day we planned.

Today there are quite a lot of airlines offering various flights to a variety of destinations. Each of them has its own rules and conditions in terms of purchasing tickets, returning them, exchanging them, making adjustments, correcting errors, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to find out all the information you are interested in on a specific flight on the official page of the selected carrier. We will describe only the general rules.

If, when purchasing a travel document, you were unable to foresee all the circumstances and your plans changed, there is no need to get upset or panic. To begin, open the electronic version of the ticket in your personal account on the website where you purchased it, or carefully read the rules for correcting information on the carrier’s official website. A special section will indicate whether it is possible to change the air ticket to another date and how much such a service costs.

For example, a document has the mark “Changes” and a number in dollars (USD) or euros (EUR). Thus, it becomes clear that any changes will cost the passenger a certain amount of money.

Many airlines allow information to be corrected, in part or in full, for a fee, and sometimes to correct errors without penalty. It is advisable to find out the conditions and restrictions in this regard according to the problem that has arisen.

So, if you need to change the date and time of your flight, choose another available option because you don’t get on the plane, then there is a high probability that this action will not be carried out or you will have to pay a certain amount of fine for it.

Please note that this is significantly affected by the selected tariff. Typically, the more expensive the cost of a travel document, the higher the chances that you will be able to exchange the ticket for another date or make some other important changes, even without additional payments. For passengers who use economy class or have purchased a seat on the plane at a significant discount, this service may not be available.

How to do it?

If the conditions say that such a procedure is not prohibited, then you can change the ticket in various ways:

It is best to go to your personal account on the website where you made the reservation. You need to enter all the requested data in separate fields and select from the available flights the flight for which you want to make an exchange. If an additional fee is charged for such a service, then you should have a certain amount of money in your account.
You can contact the hotline of the carrier that will operate the flight you have chosen, or the website support service and ask to make changes over the phone.
Even when registering and purchasing a ticket online, you can change the date to a more suitable one at the airport ticket office. Then you will have to present documents confirming your identity, for example, an internal or international passport and an electronic version of the itinerary receipt.

Video: how to return or exchange an air ticket?

Important nuances

Please note some important points:

You can exchange your ticket only if there are free seats on another date.
This can only be done within one airline on the same route, otherwise such actions are already qualified as returning a ticket and purchasing a new one.
Airline representatives can remove the fine for such changes only if plans are disrupted due to serious circumstances (death of a close relative, illness of the passenger) and there is documentary evidence of this.
It is unacceptable to exchange a higher fare ticket for a cheaper one.
If, in addition to the departure date, you decide to use a more expensive class, then you will have to pay the difference in price.

Most people book plane tickets in advance, accurately calculating the date and convenient time for departure. But human life is unpredictable, and sometimes there is a need to change your plans and reschedule a planned flight to another day. Whether the air carrier agrees to change the date of the ticket and under what conditions such an exchange can be made, we will tell you in today’s article.

Rules for exchanging air tickets for another date

Global aviation companies allow the exchange of tickets for other dates, but it should immediately be noted that such operations are carried out under certain conditions regulated by the current rules of the carrier.

Without significant problems and additional payments, you can change your ticket to Business and Premium class fares.
Exchange of cheap tickets is carried out after payment of the fine provided for in the carrier's rules.
Preferential fares and tickets purchased at a discounted price (promotional offer) classified as category cannot be exchanged solely at the request of the passenger. This service is valid only in case of forced reasons for canceling a flight.

A ticket can only be replaced if there are available seats on the selected flight.

If you had a need to change the departure date, check with representatives of the carrier company whether such a service is included in the tariff of the purchased ticket and under what conditions such an exchange can be made.

How to change the departure date on an e-ticket

Modern people who do not want to waste precious time make a purchase of a ticket for their chosen flight through the airline’s website. Such tickets are called electronic and, unlike regular ones, they are not issued in person. All information is saved electronically, and the passenger receives an itinerary receipt via email for printing.

There are several ways to exchange electronic tickets:

resolve the issue of exchanging a ticket by phone (clarify information about the conditions of exchange);
independently make adjustments to the ticket date on the website in your personal account and pay a small fine provided for in the carrier’s rules;
If the online service is temporarily not functioning or the passenger does not have the opportunity to use the Internet, you can contact the nearest airline ticket office with your personal passport and itinerary receipt, justify your request, pay the fine and get a new ticket.

Rescheduling the departure date of a non-refundable ticket

Non-refundable tickets cannot be returned or exchanged. As a rule, they are sold at the cheapest price.

Passengers who reschedule their flight on the selected flight for compelling reasons can change the departure date:

death of a loved one;
serious illness, which must be confirmed by medical documentation.

Non-refundable tickets can also be exchanged or returned if the reason for cancellation is due to changed flight conditions:

plane delay for long hours;
the carrier puts another airliner on the route, less comfortable;
changing a route that is not suitable for the passenger.

Air carriers always do their best to accommodate passengers whose plans to fly out of the country suddenly change due to forced reasons.

How to change departure times for individual airlines

The exchange of tickets with a change in departure date occurs under certain conditions in accordance with the current rules. When purchasing a document for departure, study this information in advance so that in case of an unforeseen situation you will always know about your options and use them in case of urgent need.