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

The difference between a charter and a regular flight

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

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

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

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

Other charter differences:

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

The customer of a charter flight can be a large organization, educational institution, Political Party.

Unlike buying tickets for regular flights, charters are issued only after full payment.

Types of charters

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

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

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

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

Advantages

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

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

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

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

Flaws

Advice! Be prepared to reschedule your charter flight.

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

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

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

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

• the passenger cannot extend the period of stay at the resort due to large monetary losses upon cancellation of a ticket;
• There is not always online check-in for flights;
• frequent change of departure airport;
• narrow chairs to increase seating;
• luggage weight restrictions.

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

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

Myths about charters

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to check your flight

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to buy a ticket for a charter flight

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

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

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

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

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

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

Imagine that your company is having an offsite corporate event. In order to deliver each employee to the event at the Dubki Lukhari holiday home, and most importantly, return the breadwinner back to the family, the company rents a bus.

You can try to transport everyone on a regular bus, but there may not be the required route to the gate of the boarding house. And if there is, it is not a fact that there will be the number of free seats you need in the cabin.

When a tour operator needs to take vacationers to a place in the sun and return them home within a few months, he rents a plane from an airline. In this case, a charter flight is included in the price of the package tour.

The flow of people wishing to fly to a tourist destination during the season may be too large, and seats on regular flights will run out before passengers do. If a destination is popular only for a few months a year, it is not profitable for airlines to launch a regular flight - there is no guarantee that they will be able to fill every plane.

What types of charters are there?

shuttle- an airplane that flies back and forth. Brings new group and takes away those who have already rested. If this is not a one-time charter, but a chain of flights for a certain time, the plane performs two empty flights: the first, when there is no one yet to pick up, and a flight without passengers, when the plane flies to pick up last group. Because of these two empty flights, the tour operator incurs additional costs, which he will want to share with vacationers by increasing the price.

Charter sucks- the plane does not fly back, but waits for the end of the rest and returns with the same passengers it brought. The travel agency pays for the use of “parking”, and most likely the price will also be higher.

Split- the charter is combined with a regular flight. Passengers fly to a large hub on an airline flight and transfer there to a charter. For example, to get to the islands. In most cases, such a charter will be optimal in price.

Transit- two charter flights. Essentially a split, which does not involve regular flights.

Polycharter- several transfers from plane to plane.

How are charters sold separately from the tour?

Charters are beneficial for tour operators if the plane is filled to capacity. Not all travel companies can cope with this alone. As a rule, one charter is divided among several companies, but even in this case there may remain free places, which will be sold to those who wish.

Is it true that charter tickets are cheaper than regular ones?

It all depends on the destination and what type of charter the travel agency uses. Sometimes low-cost airlines can give no less favorable prices. However, in many cases, flying on a charter flight will cost much less.

On our website, when searching for plane tickets, results for regular and charter flights are displayed in one window - you can always compare prices and make an informed decision.

Departure cancellations and delays

If the plane is not full, will the charter be cancelled?

The charter flight may be cancelled. For different reasons. As, indeed, the regular one. In this case, the travel agency will do everything possible to transfer passengers to another flight. As mentioned above, the charter is part of a package tour and is already paid for by the tour operator, plus prepayment for hotel rooms, so passengers must fly. The plane is more likely to fly half empty, or there will be a change to a board with fewer seats, than the flight will be cancelled.

It very rarely happens that there is no alternative to a flight, so the flight is still cancelled. If you buy a tour, non-departure insurance is usually included in the list of paid services. Did you just buy a plane ticket on our website? We will refund the full cost of the ticket after the tour operator confirms the cancellation of the flight without providing a replacement.

Are charters more likely to be delayed than regular flights?

If the flight is canceled - a rare event, many passengers experienced delays.
Previously, charter flights did not have a guaranteed departure time, as scheduled flights always take priority. If there was a problem with the schedule and the airport was overloaded, charters were sent in second place. The wait for a free period could last for many hours.

Photo: suriyachan/Shutterstock

Since December last year, charter companies have been prohibited from delaying more than 10% of the total number of flights per month. And also the departure time for which permission has been received from the Federal Air Transport Agency is considered final. Now the number of delays of charter flights has decreased significantly.

In any case, it is better to check the flight schedule on the eve of the flight, since most carriers still do not guarantee the departure time indicated on the tickets. A decision may also be made to change the departure airport, and it is better to find out about this in advance.

Typically, charter flights depart early in the morning or at night when the airport is least busy, but the flight may be delayed due to weather conditions or technical problems. In the event of an aircraft breakdown, the airline will provide another plane for a regular flight. The number of aircraft for charter flights is limited, and, most likely, the flight will be delayed until everything is fixed.

What aircraft operate charter flights?

Charters fly old planes that crash every other day, right?

It is precisely because on charter flights that a breakdown is repaired, rather than the plane being changed, one gets the impression that a charter is a bucket of nails. In fact, on a regular flight, diagnostics may also reveal problems. But due to the replacement of the board, this fact is leveled out. All aircraft must meet the same requirements to be cleared to fly. It is not profitable for airlines to keep falling apart planes specifically for charters, since after the end of the tourist season they will continue to fly to regular destinations.

Is there business class?

The only thing that differs from most planes that are rented for charter is that the cabin is not divided into zones for business class and economy. The entire cabin consists of the same seats, often with reduced space between rows for more capacity.

However, on long-distance directions business class still exists. It may differ in places with increased legroom and an expanded menu.

Photo: Mirelle / Shutterstock

Buying a charter ticket

I bought a ticket, but I received some kind of voucher in the mail, what should I do?

A voucher for a charter flight is confirmation of the purchase of a ticket, but is not the ticket itself and does not replace it. The air ticket will be issued later.

That is, they may not send a ticket?

When purchasing on our website, an itinerary receipt (your e-ticket) will be sent to specified address no later than 12 hours before departure. If you have not received your itinerary receipt, please call us after checking your Spam folder. For passengers who have purchased a charter, we have a dedicated helpline (telephone numbers are indicated in the voucher).

As a rule, to obtain a boarding pass at check-in at the airport you only need to present your passport, but we recommend printing out your itinerary receipt or saving it to your phone.

Is there online registration?

The option to check in online is at the discretion of the airline. Some airlines may open registration for charter on their website, while others will only allow you to check in at the airport. After receiving itinerary receipt, but no earlier than 24 hours before flight departure, go to the airline’s website and check the possibility of check-in.

Can I change my details after purchasing a ticket?

Changes to the spelling of a name or document number can only be made before the ticket is issued. Please check the information provided in the voucher immediately after purchase and do not delay calling if you see an error.

Is it possible to return a ticket?

According to the rules of charter flights, tickets cannot be exchanged or returned. Refunds are prohibited even in the case of medical contraindications for the flight, and also, for example, if the passenger was not allowed through customs. In this case, careful travel planning or purchasing non-departure insurance from an insurance company will help.

Photo: David Prado Perucha / Shutterstock

On board service

Will there be food during the flight?

The charter is not a low-cost airline; food is provided for passengers. The menu depends on the standards of the airline that owns the plane, the direction and duration of the flight.

What about the luggage?
In most cases free rate baggage allowance is at least 20 kg. But it can also be less. Baggage transportation is also carried out under standard airline conditions. When choosing a charter on our website, you can clarify information about baggage allowance by opening the “About the flight” section for the selected flight.

Screenshot of the Tutu.ru website

Why does everyone drink so much alcohol on charters?

We can assume that all these people are very afraid of flying, especially if they haven’t read about the reliability of charter planes on Tutu! stories." But most likely, it’s all due to the anticipation of a vacation on the way there and the habit of all inclusive for at least a week on the flight back. In addition, many merry fellows know that the crew will not land a charter plane if there is no threat to the lives of passengers, since this entails new expenses.

What should I do?

• Practice avoidance.
  Change your location, ask the flight attendant to move you to a quieter part of the cabin, use earplugs and sleep glasses.
• Practice acceptance.
  Meditate. It's time to practice; anyone can meditate in a Japanese garden while the birds sing. Keep the thought of what a thrifty owner you are and how much you saved on tickets.
• If the fun becomes destructive, contact the flight attendant. IN difficult cases the crew may decide to make an emergency landing of the aircraft.

Photo: pcruciatti / Shutterstock

How to find a cheap charter

The cheapest tickets for a charter flight can usually be purchased 3-4 days before departure. The tour operator, realizing that there are still seats on the plane and trying to cover at least part of the costs, can significantly reduce ticket prices. This option is suitable if you are not tied to a travel date and can get ready tomorrow or wait a couple more weeks. On our website you can subscribe to changes in the price of a flight and promptly learn about its reduction.

Forrest Gump's mom said, "Charters are like a box. chocolates. You never know what's inside." Of course, this didn’t happen in the film, but the essence was conveyed correctly. Many have not yet figured out their relationship with charters. Do they feed you there or should you take the chicken with you? Why is the price so low, is it a conspiracy? Will we take off at all or not?

What does "charter flight" mean?

To understand, let’s first discuss the terms:

Charter flight is a flight that is ordered by a tour operator or other legal entity on the basis of a rental (charter) agreement.

Now for an example. Let's say a travel agency wants to send a group of very tired people on vacation to the Italian province. And make money from it. But here’s the thing: there are no regular flights from Russia, because the destination is only interesting in certain months, and the rest of the time I would have to work at a loss.

Then a travel agency (usually there are several of them) rents a plane from the airline for the season and sends tourists for new photos on Instagram.

What types of charters are there?

• Split is a combined flight when part of the journey is covered by a regular flight.
• Shuttle - the plane constantly delivers and picks up new passengers.
• Poly - passengers change plane several times.
• A charter that sucks - the plane brings tourists to their destination, waits, and then returns back with them.

Charter flights: popular misconceptions

We went through blogs and articles written by real visionaries to see what they thought about charters.

Now we will explain it expertly.

But it's not just about the chairs. Don't expect the same service as a regular flight on a cheap charter flight.

Any airline can operate a charter flight. And the softness of the blanket, the red lipstick of the flight attendant and the taste tomato juice will be exactly the same as when flying on a regular flight of this carrier.

In charter flights, a Boeing 737 Classic from 1990 is considered a quite decent car - in the sense that airlines try to put the most damaged sides on such flights (which, however, does not affect the speed and safety of the flight).

Only one thing is true here - the “shakyness” of an airplane does not affect how quickly and safely it flies. Nobody likes taking tourists on old boats. Such planes need to be monitored, repaired, and blued. Who cares?

If you buy a ticket yourself, and not through a tour operator, then be prepared for the fact that you can buy it several days before departure, and if the plane is not full, the flight may not take place.

If you paid for the ticket, no one will refuse you the flight. They will simply reschedule, replace the plane, or even the carrier. And replacement is not always the worst option. Actually, regular flights can also be cancelled; charters do not have any special provisions.

There is usually no food on charters. Or they feed you, but it’s worse than on regular flights. The travel agency will try to save money on everything. You won't get free alcohol on board this plane either. This also applies to soft pillows, warm blankets, newspapers and other comfort items. Of course, it all depends on the level of charter, but usually many amenities are missing.

Another common nonsense is to confuse a charter and a low-cost airline. A low-cost airline is a service designer. The ticket is very cheap, and all other amenities (hand luggage, food, etc.) are paid separately. They don't have blankets or candies on takeoff. But you can fly to Berlin for almost a piece of gum, half a banana and a couple of coins. Charters are regular flights simply chartered by a third party.

Which airlines operate charter flights?

Yes, almost everything: Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, S7, Yakutia, Utair, NordStar Airlines, Rusline, etc.

Charter airlines in Russia:

• I FLY - works with TEZ TOUR and flies from Vnukovo to Turkey, Spain, Egypt, Italy and Thailand.
• Pegas Fly - operates charter flights to cities in Europe, Asia and Africa.
• Red Wings Airlines - flies from Domodedovo to Spain, Greece, Egypt, etc.
• Azur Air - works with Anex Tour.
• Royal flight - works with Coral Travel and transports tourists to popular tourist cities: Goa, Barcelona, ​​Sharm el-Sheikh, Antalya, etc.
• Nordwind - provides air transportation to European countries and on popular resorts Mira.

Despite the fact that the companies are charter, some also have regular flights within Russia.

Versus: charter or regular flight

About tickets for charter flights

• Start searching no earlier than a week before departure.
• Even Globa will not be able to predict whether tickets will appear on the date you need. There is a risk that you will wait until the last minute and there will be no tickets. Here's a hint: your chances of snagging a ticket are higher at the end and beginning of the season.
• It is cheaper to fly back exactly 2 weeks later, since almost all tours are designed for this period.
• Tickets for charter flights are also available in VK groups, however, there are more scammers there than good offers.

What travelers say about charters

For travelers, monitoring charters is like rummaging through a junk dealer's flea market. Basically all rubbish, but with enough patience you can dig up a real pearl: I flew to Bulgaria for 900 rubles and to India for a little more than 2 thousand. So I advise you to monitor charters - there is always a chance to fly somewhere almost for free or find amazing destinations. For example, you can get directly from Moscow to Spitsbergen only by charter, which is chartered by the Arktikugol company for its employees in Barentsburg, but anyone can buy a ticket.

I often fly charters within Europe. I don’t feel any particular discomfort from this :) For me, the main thing is to get to Right place on time and don’t overpay for it (especially when the flight is 1-2 hours), whether it’s a regular flight or a charter, I don’t see much of a difference. It is important that the above criteria are present. I heard that charters often have delays in departure time, but I was lucky in this regard - I feel like the probability of a delay is the same as on regular flights. Some French people will block the sky, and you’ll already be sitting on the plane for 3-4 hours waiting for departure :) In addition, some cities can only be reached on such flights.

I rarely fly charter flights, but I had such experience with Ukrainian tour operators. Typically, such flights are organized by special airlines, which often do not operate regular flights.

From what I have noticed, the level of service on such flights is lower, and the flight time can be postponed regardless of objective indicators - weather or airport congestion. I know stories when flights were postponed for a day. It is impossible to influence this, so you can only hope that everything will go according to schedule.

All this is a small problem, because you are flying on a pre-arranged vacation, so the anticipation of the vacation smooths out all the inconveniences. Plus, the cost of a tour with flights included is very attractive, you don’t have to waste time choosing tickets, everything was decided for you.

In addition, I know that tickets for charter flights can be purchased separately from the tour. They are not easy to find, but the price is much lower than standard flights. True, I have never succeeded in this - I usually fly for 3-4 days, and charters involve 7-10 days in the country.

It’s difficult to compare, since there is not much difference for me between flying a charter flight and a regular one. It’s important for me to just get from one point to another.

I recommend that my subscribers pay attention to both types of flights and do not exclude charters. I repeat, there are no tangible differences - the same plane, flies the same. But for charter flights it may be low price- this is important when you are planning a trip yourself and the budget is limited.

I just look for tickets in specialized search services and don’t deliberately look for charters. I don’t even remember seeing a note somewhere stating that the flight was regular or charter. The main thing when you are looking for a ticket is to look at the price calendar for the month (this is a very useful thing) and choose the departure date with the lowest ticket price, if you are not tied to specific numbers.

Tatiana Solomatina

How and where to buy tickets for charter flights on your own?

Good afternoon friends! Almost everyone knows how to buy tickets for regular flights. But charter flights remain a mystery to many.

Today I decided to correct this situation. The article contains full information about this question. What are charter flights? How are they different from regular ones? Where to look for such a flight? How to buy tickets for charter flights yourself? What should you consider and what should you pay attention to?

As you can see, there are a lot of questions, read the post to the end, then the picture will become clearer.

Charter flight is a flight that is carried out on a special order. To put it simply, this is an air taxi. Only unlike the earthly one, rent it to the common man not possible. This is the lot of tourism operators, financial magnates and large companies that can afford to organize a corporate flight.

Typically, such flights are carried out along the ordered route in both directions. Wedged into a slot free from regular flights. Beneficial to airlines because tickets are sold as a package. They are beneficial to tour operators because they reduce the cost of a package tour and guarantee availability.

Note! Charter flights are usually chartered round-trip. Typically, the time interval is calculated in weekly cycles. Keep this in mind when planning your charter flight vacation. Because tickets with return after 7, 14, 21 days will most likely be cheaper, with a different interval.

How do tickets for charter flights appear?

Every year, millions of people go on vacation; most of them still prefer to use the services of travel agencies, buying ready-made tours. The complete package necessarily includes tickets for charter flights.

To deliver such a flow of people, it is profitable for tourism operators to enter into long-term contracts with airlines for individual transportation. They rent ships for their tours, counting on steady demand.

As a rule, one flight is chartered by several operators, because even the largest of them can find it difficult to fill the plane completely. Each operator owns a specific block of seats, which they must fill with passengers to avoid losses.

Usually contracts are concluded long before transportation, so there is always a risk of “buying the plane” and not implementing tours for this flight. Even the most advanced analysts cannot predict the demand for tours many months in advance with a 100% guarantee, so sometimes discrepancies arise in one direction or another. If there are more tourists, the issue is resolved more simply - tour sales are stopped, another plane is rented, or seats on regular flights are purchased. However, when demand decreases, the situation is more complex. In this case, operators have to either sharply reduce the cost of tours in order to attract people, or put free seats on the flight on open sale.

How are charter flights different from regular flights?

There is an opinion that charter flights are carried out on more “rolled” aircraft. I won’t argue, but I can’t completely agree with this either. I had to fly on brand new airliners on a package tour. It's a matter of chance here. Which plane you will get largely depends on the tour operator, on which airline it has an agreement with, and how fresh and large the carrier’s fleet of aircraft is. But this has little effect on flight speed, and safety is now strictly controlled. Therefore, I don’t think that this point plays any role when making a decision.

The time factor is much more important. The departure can be rescheduled within 24 hours, often when several flights are combined. Sometimes they change the airport, which also adds problems for passengers. True, this happens with regular flights, but much less often. As a rule, scheduled flights have priority over charter flights during departure. With the constant congestion of modern airports, especially in major cities, frequent and lengthy delays of charter flights are highly likely. If there is a queue for takeoff, the dispatcher will most likely release a regular flight, and ask the charter flight to wait.

It must be admitted that on regular flights the level of service is much higher. This can be felt literally in everything. The quality of food on board the charter is much worse, small selection of drinks, poor food. Related small items - disposable slippers, flight kits for children and more - are present only on regular flights. After landing, the charter is rarely adjusted to the “pipe”, which also does not add comfort, especially if you arrived from hot to cold.

There are no refundable tickets on charter flights. Although most of the regular passengers prefer to buy the same ones, because their cost is much lower, but for some category of people this fact big minus. You cannot return it, but you can replace the passenger. This is at least a weak chance to get your money back. True, you will have to look for a replacement yourself, in rare cases, for a certain percentage, they help in this matter travel agencies. By the way, this cannot be done with non-refundable tickets on regular flights.

Regular flights have another advantage over their opponents. There are no divisions for children's or adult tickets on charters. All seats are at the same price, regardless of the passenger's age. They also do not have such privileges as bonus miles.

Unlike regular flights, charter flights have limited quantity directions. As a rule, these are places in demand by package tourists, and flights are operated only during the season.

There is one more drawback that must be taken into account. Often the arrival airport for charters is not the most convenient. For example, charter flights are not operated to Venice. They land in Rimini or another less popular airport nearby. Because of this, tourists have to transfer for many hours. Thus, airlines save money to make the flight budget. In the central harbors, voyage services are much more expensive than in less famous neighbors.

However, charter flights have one very big plus - their cost. All the inconveniences of charter flights listed above are actually nonsense if you manage to purchase the desired ticket much cheaper than regular airline fares. It is not always possible for everyone to save money, because it is not so easy to find and buy cheap charter tickets on your own.

How and where to buy tickets for charter flights?

The peculiarity of searching for such tickets is, first of all, that they are rare and not in full uploaded to popular booking systems. Unlike regular flights, they need to be found in a more complex way.

To get started, go to the well-known aggregator Aviasales https://www.aviasales.ru. As usual, enter your parameters and start the search.

To see exactly charter tickets, use the filter. To do this, on the left in the “Agencies” tab, remove the extra checkboxes, leaving only “Clickavia” opposite. However, I don’t see much point in this, if the ticket is cheap, he will be in the first row anyway. But for general information, you can take a look.

Next you need to look at the offers of lesser-known search engines that specialize more in charter tickets - http://www.chabooka.ru/ And http://www.charter24.ru/. Both have a clear and user-friendly interface that even a person unfamiliar with them can understand.

Already on the first page there are offers for popular destinations, which helps to get a rough picture of existing prices and directions. Familiarize yourself with them, read the rules, there is a lot of information and it is presented in an accessible way. As always, fill out the form and study the offers.

Another opportunity to buy tickets for charter flights, use the website http://allcharter.ru. This is a kind of portal where companies themselves post offers for charter and scheduled transportation. The prices there are indicative, indicated in foreign currency, but telephone numbers are published opposite each offer. Therefore, if you see an acceptable option, call. Just be prepared for such a turn: “Remained last places, urgently run to the other end of the city...” It happens that upon arrival, these particular tickets have already “gone”, but there are more expensive ones, etc. I want to say right away that this situation is not always, so you should not neglect this method.

There are also resources such as http://www.cheaptrip.ru/. Here you can catch a profitable option not only for a charter flight, but also for a tour, which on a turn-key basis can cost less than the flight itself. But this is a complex portal, there are many conditions that are not suitable for everyone. However, you need to pay attention to it.

If there is absolutely nothing suitable, you will have to go through the websites of the most famous tour operators - Biblio Globus, TUI, AnexTour, etc. The interfaces of their resources are of course “tricky”, but if you want, you can figure it out. Does not work? Pick up the phone and call them. Central tourist operators have excellent customer service.

As you can see, it’s not easy to buy cheap charter tickets; you still have to run after them, and without any guarantee of a positive result.

Conclusion

Expensive tickets for regular flights are easy to buy. But to find a really cheap charter option, you need to work hard, spend more time and effort. And if you are lucky enough to fly on a budget, then you should put up with all the inconveniences of charter flights. After all, you have to pay for everything; it is almost impossible to provide a service cheaply and efficiently. These concepts are rarely combined, so you need to be prepared for difficulties, especially since it’s your choice.

Read about how to buy air tickets online. Don’t forget about it when traveling, it’s certainly not required everywhere, but it’s necessary for your own peace of mind. I described in detail how to book a hotel.

If you have any questions on the topic, ask them in the comments. If you liked the article, share it on in social networks, perhaps it will help your friends save on their flights. Now I say goodbye, subscribe to blog updates, new readers are always welcome.

Tatiana Solomatina

Modern realities provide every person with the opportunity to see the world. Most citizens prefer to travel by air - this method significantly reduces travel time and is considered quite comfortable. People who have flown by plane have heard of the concept of “charter flights.” We invite you to learn the nuances about the specifics of such travel and clarify what this term means.

Let's start with a clear definition, What is a charter plane flight? Compared to regular transportation, such routes are carried out by prior agreement. The intermediary in this scheme is the tourist operator, who submits applications to the contractor for routes that are optimal for tourists. Sometimes this role is played by an ordinary independent reseller, who subsequently offers convenient routes for specific travel companies.

A charter flight involves transporting passengers along a specific route that is not listed on the schedule.

If we compare this method of movement with the usual for many people by land transport, readers will easily answer the question: “Charter flight – what does it mean?” After all, the first analogy here is transportation to order. Accordingly, it is impossible to fly such planes on your own - such routes are not listed on the schedules. You can only buy air tickets here from a specific tour operator. Of course, this also involves ordering a ready-made tour from this company, although there are exceptions.

The intermediary offering this method of transportation is responsible for its quality and timeliness. In addition, a third party is preparing to assemble the aircraft for departure. This will require completing the necessary paperwork for passengers to fly, preparing a list of reservations, and implementing a set of related activities.

According to experts, charter flights are a way to reduce the load on airlines during the holidays of most citizens and peak tourist seasons. Although this option has some features and inconveniences, there are also advantages. Let’s take a closer look at all the rumors associated with this type of transportation and see how true they are.

Charter classification

Charters provide separate types of flights. The cheapest planes are those chartered for up to 10 days. They carry out the flight, stay for the agreed time and take passengers back. Experts call this method a layover charter or a time charter. Let's list other types of such methods of delivering tourists:

• shuttle– regular flights to deliver passengers to the required point;
• split– combining a flight with a regular route involving transfers of tourists; experts call a route involving more than two transfers a poly charter;
• closed flight– corporate transportation of passengers;
• VIP – chartering a liner for a certain period of time with the customer’s full right to use the board at his own discretion.

Time charters are flights where the board delivers passengers to the desired point, stays there for an agreed period of time and takes people back

In addition, the intermediary has the right to buy and. This option is called block charter. This is usually done by operators who do not have a sufficient number of passenger requests to buy the entire plane.

Route specifics

People who have used such services talk about the imperfections and low comfort of such flights. But at the same time Passengers note the low cost of travel.

Let us briefly explain the reasons for this phenomenon. Since such routes are purchased by an intermediary, and often this is done for commercial purposes, there is a third party in addition to the carrier and tourists. Coordination of the interests of the parties interested in the transaction does not exclude the manifestation of poor organization of the business. As a result, possible flight schedule overlaps and other nuances appear.

However, the cheapest flight today is a charter flight. Here they use aircraft only with an economy class cabin. The seats here are the same and the number of seats is increased relative to aircraft flying on a regular route. In addition, food provided for passengers is limited here. This causes frequent complaints from tourists.

There are also features with . Regular routes require the passenger to reserve a seat or purchase a ticket in advance. A charter is a flight on which the seats are purchased by an intermediary, so air tickets for such a flight are available only at the time of check-in. However, there are exceptions to this as well. general rule. We'll discuss them later.

A charter flight differs from a regular flight in the presence of an intermediary

Since such flights involve some inconvenience, many people mistakenly believe that charters are not the best the best way planning your route. Experts agree with this statement, but also note the advantages of this method. Let's talk about the advantages of such flights.

Positive sides

Let us list the advantages of this method over regular flights.

1. Flights on rare routes. As a rule, this type of travel allows the tourist to reach countries where there are no flights. Often a charter becomes the only option to get to exotic and little-known places.
2. Cheap travel. It is foolish to deny the fact that such a flight has a fairly low cost. This is due to a combination of different factors, but the cheapness of the charter is obvious. These flights sometimes cost half the price of a regular flight.
3. No transfers. Here experts note that this plane follows a direct route and thereby reduces the inconvenience of passengers.

Charter flights are a cheap way to get to remote corners of the planet

The complex of such aspects makes this type of flight an attractive method for a certain category of tourists. Although we note that such flights are characterized negatively due to large number shortcomings. Let's talk about them too.

Disadvantages of charter flights

Answering the question: “Charter – what is it?”, experts simultaneously give a comprehensive description negative aspects this type of flight. There are many disadvantages here - after all, the flight was created by an intermediary exclusively for commercial purposes. The main disadvantages of this method are:

1. Possibility of flight delay or rescheduling. Because charters do not involve transfers, air traffic controllers give priority for landings and departures to planes that operate scheduled flights in order to meet the schedule.
2. Inability to purchase a ticket in advance. As we said, you can only get a seat on such a plane when you check in for your flight. In rare exceptions, air tickets go on sale immediately before departure or the day before the planned flight.
3. Strictly regulated periods of stay at the resort. The specifics of the charter imply specific days of departure from the country, so the passenger will not be able to shorten or extend the trip by purchasing seats in both directions.
4. Flights in standard economy cabins. The desire of a tourist to travel comfortably in such cases cannot be realized. After all, there is no provision for the passenger to change his seat to a more prestigious equivalent.
5. Impossibility of a refund for a purchased air ticket. If force majeure occurs, the passenger will not return the ticket. Refunds are also not possible. A purchased place can only be re-registered to another person.
6. Lack of bonus accounting. This type of flight does not involve the accrual of bonus miles, as for regular flights.

Given the many disadvantages of chartering, many people are wary of this type of travel. However, in certain situations, such a route becomes the only way to get to the desired point in the world. We briefly discussed general specifics flight, and now let’s take a closer look at the nuances of purchasing seats on such flights.

Features of purchasing air tickets

Since the entire flight is purchased by an intermediary, the purchase of seats here has its own specifics. When chartering a board, a travel company calculates the return on investment of the transaction. It is profitable for the company to sell all charter tickets. What does this mean? Experts talk about lack of general access to purchase these securities. Although today intermediaries place unsold remaining tickets on specialized portals. You will visit one of them by following the link. You can also purchase a seat on board directly from the tour operator..

It is believed that the most a reliable option for a passenger is to purchase a tour that includes a flight. Indeed, if the ship is not full enough, the flight is postponed for a certain period. And changing the airport depending on the departure time is not uncommon here. Independent purchase of an air ticket is possible only two days before the planned trip. This is rare here; sometimes operators use this technique, but only a day before departure.

Experts' opinion

There are many misconceptions passengers have regarding this flight option. Most people are sure that such transportation is carried out only by outdated models of airliners. Experts categorically disagree with this statement. Charters include flying on different aircraft, including modern aircraft.

Contrary to popular belief, a charter cannot be canceled - flights are only postponed with a significant time shift

Many passengers talk about poor food and lack of service. Here experts note the fact of providing the required minimum of services, which are determined by the flight range. In addition, if the plane is delayed, passengers have the right to use the service provided by the carrier airline - free meals at the airport and overnight accommodation in case of serious disruptions to the travel schedule.

Some tourists negatively characterize a charter flight due to the possibility of trip cancellation. Experts convince us of the opposite opinion. If full payment is made for the seat, the passenger will be delivered to their destination. True, the departure dates are significantly shifted. Of course, for people who have strict time limits, such rules are tantamount to canceling a flight without financial compensation.

Existing restrictions on the transportation of baggage are also the reason for the widespread opinion that it is prohibited to transport things on such flights. Here experts are talking about set limits, and not about a complete restriction. This point depends on the specific airline. After all, traveling in economy class requires rationing of passengers' luggage.

For such flights, aircraft suitable for capacity and level of comfort are used, and not old models.

The review quite fully characterizes the specifics and nuances of this method of travel. After reading the material, readers have the right to draw their own conclusions and determine the advisability of such trips. After all, the lack of high-quality service and the listed inconveniences here are compensated by the price of the flight and the opportunity to directly follow a route that is not offered by airlines.

A charter flight involves transporting passengers along a specific route, which is not listed on the schedule, on a pre-chartered aircraft
Experts call time charters the cheapest option for such flights - flights where the board delivers passengers to the desired point, stays there for an agreed period of time and takes people back
A charter flight differs from a regular flight in the presence of an intermediary who buys seats on board and offers his own flight route.
Charter flights are a cheap way to get to remote corners of the planet
Many people consider the lack of business class seats in the cabin and the low comfort of transportation to be a serious disadvantage of charters
Usually, you can only get a ticket for a charter flight during check-in.