What does fare mean in an air ticket? Service fee for issuing air tickets - what is it? Where do taxes on airline tickets come from?
An air ticket is an agreement between the airline and you, which specifies in detail what services, in what volume and under what conditions the airline undertakes to provide. Most often, air travelers wonder how this or that fare differs, as well as how to understand the seemingly unreadable set of abbreviations, codes and symbols that your travel agent dared to call an air ticket.
Well, let's deal with the materiel.
Reading the air ticket
When purchasing at airline ticket offices, you may be given one or two sheets (or more) of A4 format, covered with incomprehensible abbreviations.
For example, this is what a ticket looks like that I bought at one of the Kyiv ticket offices for a TAP Portugal flight on the route “Lisbon – Funchal (Madeira) – Lisbon”. To be fair, I’ll clarify that along with this ticket, the agency also gave me a regular ticket on a standard form. But the main document for all airlines, customs officials, embassies, etc. exactly the one, a scanned copy of which is given below. A ticket on a standard form is now required only for business travelers when making a financial report on a business trip.
Most airlines and ticket offices email passengers with clearer, customized ticket options, but some still don’t bother to make the document more “readable.” And they send electronic tickets in plain form by email - well, this is an international standard, understandable to all specialists involved in passenger air transportation.
All abbreviations and codes are standard, making it easy to read.
Below, using my ticket as an example, we will analyze the most frequently used terms.
1. NAME OF PASSENGER– first and last name of the passenger.
Indicated only in Latin transcription (writing). After the surname, the first letter of the name or the full name is written separated by a slash and the designation separated by a space (MR - Mr., MRS/MSS - Miss or Mrs.). According to IATA standards, this field allows up to three errors. But some airlines practice stricter standards, for example, when flying to Israel or the USA. No mistakes are allowed, and there will be a charge for making corrections to the ticket.
IN AN EXAMPLE TICKET: First and last name are hidden.
2. FROM/TO– flight route.
The English spelling of city and airport names is used throughout. Each ticket coupon allows you to fly between two cities. Cities are arranged from top to bottom, that is, the first flight will be between the highest point and the one below it. If there are several different airports in a city, their three-letter codes are written after the city.
EXAMPLE TICKET: LIS (Lisbon) and FNC (Funchal - Madeira Airport).
The photo below shows Madeira Airport.
3. CARRIER– carrier.
The carrier's two-letter airline code. Codes are defined by IATA (International Air Transport Association), for example: LH - Lufthansa, AF - Air France, PS - UIA.
FOR EXAMPLE TICKET: TP (TAP AIR PORTUGAL).
4. FLIGHT– flight number.
EXAMPLE TICKET: TP1615 (Lisbon - Funchal) and TP1664 (Funchal - Lisbon).
5. DATE- departure date.
If the arrival is on the day following the departure day, then “+1” is placed after the departure date.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: 04 NOV (Lisbon - Funchal) and 13 NOV (Funchal - Lisbon), this means that the passenger departs from Lisbon on November 4, and back on November 13. There is no “+1” anywhere, which means that the flight departs and lands on the same day.
6. TIME- departure time.
DEPART (departure time) and ARRIVE (arrival time) may also be indicated.
Always local time of departure point.
Please note that in the plain-text version of the ticket there are no punctuation marks between hours and minutes.
IN THE EXAMPLE TICKET: DEPART 0745, ARRIVE 0930 and DEPART 2115, ARRIVE 2250, this means that the passenger departs Lisbon at 07:45 am, arrives in Madeira at 09:30, and flies back at 21:15 and arrives in Lisbon at 22:50.
7. FLYING TIME– flight duration.
The number of hours (HRS) and minutes (MINS) is indicated.
IN THE EXAMPLE TICKET: 01HR 45MINS and 01HR 45MINS, this means that the flight there takes 1 hour 45 minutes, back - 1 hour 35 minutes.
8. STOPOVER– Stopover indicator. X/O – (no/yes).
If there is a stopover in a given city for more than 24 hours (“stopover”), then this field is empty or there is an O. If the passenger does not stay here for more than a day, then there is an X in this column. The use of a stopover is reflected in the total cost of the ticket at the expense of airport taxes, since in the absence of a “stopover”, some taxes are not paid, which makes it possible to reduce the price of the ticket. If the ticket is direct (without transfers and technical stops), then NON-STOP will be indicated.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: NON-STOP, i.e. non-stop ticket.
9. BAGGAGE– free baggage allowance.
0PC – ticket does not include free baggage allowance, 1PC – one piece of checked baggage, 2PC – two pieces of checked baggage. Sometimes weight is indicated in parentheses. For example, with UIA, on most flights in economy class you can carry one piece of checked baggage weighing up to 23 kg; accordingly, 1PC (1x23) is indicated. In business class on the same flights, you can usually carry 2 pieces weighing 32 kg each - 2PC (2x32) is indicated.
If the weight is not specified, then it is standard for that airline.
IN THE EXAMPLE TICKET: 1PC, this means that in addition to hand luggage, an economy class passenger can take checked baggage weighing up to 23 kg (TAP AIR PORTUGAL standard).
10. SERVICE– on-board service, which usually means in-flight meals.
Can be MEAL (in-flight meals provided) or NO MEAL (in-flight meals not provided). Sometimes the wording SNACK (snack) is used. If you will be fed several times during the voyage, there will be a number next to the word MEAL indicating the number of meals.
Also note that regular airlines will offer passengers free water even if the flight does not provide in-flight meals. On low-cost flights, even water will be at an additional cost.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF TICKET: MEAL, this means that the passenger on this flight will be fed once.
11. EQUIPMENT- equipment.
The type of aircraft is indicated here.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF TICKET: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A319, i.e. The flight is operated on an A319 aircraft.
12. FARE– tariff.
The fare is in the currency of the country of departure (start of transportation), i.e. ticket price without taxes. In countries with non-convertible currencies (Ukraine), tariffs are published in US dollars or euros. Sometimes the tariff is hidden under the abbreviation IT or FORFAIT.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF THE TICKET: 43.00, and the decoding first shows the number 24.00 and then 19.00, this means that the “net” fare from Lisbon to Madeira was 24 euros, and back - 19 euros.
13. TAX- dachshund.
Two-letter designation and amount of airport tax. If all taxes do not fit in this column, then the “total” tax (the sum of all remaining) is indicated in the last column.
Pay special attention to the YQ fee - this is a booking fee. When purchasing on the airline’s website, it is either absent altogether or amounts to a symbolic 2-3 euros. The example below shows that in my case, when contacting the ticket office, I paid almost 30 euros (286YQ - 286 UAH for booking at the 2012 exchange rate, when the ticket was purchased). If I had bought the ticket myself on the airline’s website, this fee would have been several times lower.
Conclusion: whenever possible, you should buy tickets on the official websites of airlines.
IN AN EXAMPLE TICKET:
80PT – 80 UAH. (if there is no currency indicated after the number, then the calculation is made in the currency of the country in which the ticket was purchased);
226YP – 226 UAH;
286YQ – 286 UAH. for providing ticket booking services.
14. TOTAL- Total.
The full cost of the ticket (fare plus airport taxes) in the currency of the point where the ticket was issued. In Ukraine, for different airlines this can be either hryvnia, US dollars or euros. IT may also be located here. The word END after the cost means that this is the final cost and will not change.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: 1015 UAH, i.e. the total cost of the ticket was 1015 UAH. The ticket was purchased in 2012, i.e. According to the commercial exchange rate at that time, it cost me about 100 euros in both directions with all fees.
As you can see, fees amounted to about three-quarters of the total cost, and the net price was only a quarter. This is normal practice when the ticket is purchased at a low price.
15. EQUIV/FARE PD– tariff equivalent
The equivalent of the fare in the currency of the check-out point (if the currency of the check-out point differs from the currency of the point of origin of transportation).
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: 423, this means that the equivalent of the fare cost was 423 UAH. (corresponds to 43 euros).
16. FORM OF PAYMENT– form of payment.
Ticket payment form. There are the following options: CASH (cash), INVOICE or INV (non-cash payment), CC - credit card number - (credit card).
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: CASH, this means that the ticket was paid for in cash at the ticket office in hryvnias at the NBU exchange rate on the day of purchase.
17. STATUS– booking status.
Typically the status is OK or CONFIRMED. Sometimes it is possible to issue tickets with RQ status (request for a place at registration). Tickets for children under 2 years old flying without a seat have NS status.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: CONFIRMED, this means that the ticket has been paid for and all passenger data has been entered.
18. TICKET NO- number of ticket.
The first three digits are the airline code. For example, 566 – “Ukraine International Airlines”.
IN THE EXAMPLE TICKET: 047 (subsequent numbers are hidden - confidential data), this is the airline code of TAP Air Portugal.
19. CLASS– booking class.
A Latin letter denoting belonging to a particular class. Usually: F, P, A – first class. J, C, D, I, Z – business class. W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, O, Q, T, V, X – economy class.
The booking class is particularly important when calculating the miles that will be credited to your frequent flyer card.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: T and O, i.e. Economy class.
20. PNR CODE- booking number.
Alphanumeric booking number.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF A TICKET: hidden - confidential data.
21. NVB/NVA– not valid before/not valid after.
A date earlier than and later than which, respectively, you cannot fly using a given flight coupon (if the fare rules allow date changes). For most “hard” preferential fares, both dates coincide with the departure date for this coupon.
In some cases, information on this item is contained in the ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS column.
22. ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS– endorsement/restrictions.
This column indicates various restrictions on transportation on this ticket, as well as the possibility of “transferring” (endorsement) of the passenger to another carrier. For example, if the column indicates LH ONLY, this means that this ticket is valid on Lufthansa flights. The permitted actions under this tariff are also indicated here. For example, REB FEE USD50 or NON REF means: “fine for changing a booking – $50” or “ticket cannot be refunded.”
The following abbreviations are often used:
CHNG PEN – it is possible to rebook on another flight with a penalty (literally: CHANGE PENALTY);
FARE RESTR APPLY – there are restrictions on this tariff (literally: FARE RESTRICTIONS APPLY);
NONREBOOK – the ticket cannot be rebooked;
NONREF – ticket cannot be returned.
IN THE TICKET EXAMPLE: CHNG PEN/ FARE RESTR APPLY/ NONREF, this means that the ticket cannot be returned, but if necessary, you can rebook the flight for another time or another date, paying a fine and, possibly, a difference in fares, also at This tariff has other restrictions.
23. ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS– additional restrictions.
Contains information that does not fit in the ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS column.
ON THE EXAMPLE TICKET: nothing is indicated.
24. VALIDATOR PLACE– validator field.
Sometimes indicated as IATA NUMBER. Stamp of the agency that sold the ticket. It must contain the name of the agency, its short address, a unique office number, that is, the IATA number or the code of the airline at whose ticket office the ticket was purchased. Alphanumeric reference of the agent who issued the ticket. Ticket issue date.
IN THE TICKET EXAMPLE: 723 22051, this is the individual IATA number of the agency where the ticket was purchased.
25. ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR- issued in exchange for.
If the ticket is exchanged, then the number of the original ticket is entered in this column.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF TICKET: nothing is indicated, which means that the ticket was not exchanged.
26. TOUR CODE– tourist code.
Code used when issuing confidential and special tariffs.
IN THE EXAMPLE OF TICKET: nothing is indicated, this means that the ticket was purchased at a standard fare.
Study the fare rules
In most cases, the same airline offers several class of service options (from two) and several dozen fare options for the same flight. Therefore, the price for the same flight for different passengers may differ significantly.
Tariffs usually take into account such factors as the possibility and conditions of returning a ticket, the possibility and conditions of changing the departure date, the possibility of no-show for the flight, conditions for the carriage of hand luggage and baggage. These are the main, although not all, components.
As an example, consider the air ticket “Ivano-Frankivsk – Valencia – Ivano-Frankivsk” (departure from Ukraine – September 30, departure back from Spain – October 15, 2016).
A ticket for this route at the time of writing this text could be purchased for 3,766 UAH. (about 150 US dollars) round trip with all tariff fees "Hand luggage only".
Anyone who buys a ticket at this price must understand that ticket refunds are not allowed, changing the departure date is possible with an additional payment (with a fine), and if you do not show up for the flight, the fare is not refundable.
In addition, this price is valid only on the condition that the passenger will fly without luggage, but only with large hand luggage (12 kg for members of the UIA Panorama Club loyalty program and 7 kg for those passengers who have not registered in this program).
On the other hand, if you plan to fly light and are confident that your travel dates will not change, then $150 is an excellent deal for a direct flight from Ukraine to a popular Spanish resort and back.
Fare models are also possible on this flight "Promo"(all tickets have already been sold), "Economy"(8019 UAH – about 320 US dollars), "Flexible Economy"(11522 UAH - about 460 US dollars).
And finally, the last tariff model - "Business". Its advantage is that the passenger can change the departure date without any additional surcharges, and do this an unlimited number of times (how many flights there will be in this direction and depending on the availability of seats). When returning a ticket, no penalties are applied to the passenger (only a service fee is withheld if the ticket was purchased at the ticket office and not on the carrier’s website). Also, if you do not show up for a flight, penalties are not applied.
Another important advantage of this tariff, which is often forgotten to mention, is the ability to take almost 3 times as much luggage with you. If other tariffs provide only one piece of luggage up to 23 kg, then "Business"– 2 pieces of 32 kg each (i.e. 64 kg in total). The price of this ticket according to the tariff "Business" is 17527 UAH. (about US$700).
What’s also important is that most airlines allow you to purchase a ticket there using one fare model, and back using another. For example, you know that you will definitely fly from Ivano-Frankivsk on September 30 lightly, and the date of the return flight is completely unknown to you, but you will have two suitcases with purchases with you. Or even you decide to return this ticket and fly back with another airline. Well, perhaps in this case it makes sense to buy a ticket there at the rate "Hand luggage only", and back - "Business". Such a ticket will cost you 10,646 UAH. (about 425 US dollars).
UIA also has tariffs "Lowest" And "Premium Economy"(essentially this is business class, but with some restrictions) - on the flight we are considering, tickets are not sold at these fares.
Booking classes are correlated with fares - depending on the class, after a flight on each flight, a passenger receives a certain number of miles (bonuses) on his frequent flyer card (Panorama Club, Miles & More, Flying Blue, One World, etc. ).
Sometimes it makes sense to overpay and buy a ticket at a slightly more expensive fare, but at the same time earn more miles. This is relevant in cases where you do not have a certain number of miles to purchase an award ticket.
As an example, below is a table describing the main UIA tariffs.
Many airlines (in particular, Lufthansa, Air France, even budget Vueling) show in their online booking systems the number of tickets remaining at a particular fare. Unfortunately, UIA does not yet provide such an opportunity.
Using UIA as an example, we looked at the most common tariff models. Almost all major carriers use similar tariffs; the names of tariffs differ slightly from one airline to another, but the essence is the same - the more freedom a passenger has in choosing dates, the ability to return a ticket, and use additional services, the more expensive this ticket will cost. And vice versa.
If you purchased a ticket at an air ticket office or on the website of a foreign carrier, immediately clarify what rules apply to your ticket and what these or other symbols mean.
And if something is unclear, or some details require clarification, then to avoid surprises, call the carrier’s hotline.
The general rules are printed on the outside of the ticket. On the inside there are specific flight details.
1 Passenger name (NAME OF PASSENGER). Indicated only in Latin transcription (as in a foreign passport). The surname is followed (through a slash - slash "/") by the first letter of the name or the full name and, possibly, the title (MR - Mr., MRS - Miss, MSS - Mrs.). According to international standards, up to 3 mistakes are allowed in a name without distorting the sound.
2 Stopover (X/O). If at this point there is a stopover along the route for more than 24 hours ("stopover"), then this field is empty or "O". If this point is a transit point, then opposite this point there is an “X”.
3
Flight route (FROM/TO). The point of departure for this flight coupon is indicated (in English writing). Below is the arrival point. If there are several airports in a given city, the name is followed by a three-letter airport code.
A list of airport codes for all countries can be downloaded on the AS-travel website.
The word VOID (English space, empty space) can fill empty fields and lines in the form.
4
Carrier (CARRIER). Two-letter airline carrier code in the IATA (International Air Transport Association) system
A list of airline codes can be downloaded from the AS-travel website. Attention! Large file size!
5 Flight number (FLIGHT)
6
Booking class (CLASS). Latin letter encoding the class of seats on the plane:
F, P, A - first class
J, C, D, I, Z - business class
W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, T, V, X - economy class
R - "supersonic" class
7 departure date (DATE)
8 Departure time (TIME). The local time of the departure point is always indicated.
9 Booking status (STATUS). Typically, a ticket is issued with a confirmed status - "OK". For some fares, it is possible to issue tickets with the status "RQ" (request for a seat at check-in). The ticket for infants (up to 2 years old) flying without a seat indicates the status "NS".
10 Tariff type (FARE BASIS). Alphanumeric designation of the tariff for this coupon.
11
Endorsement/restrictions (ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS). Various restrictions on transportation on this air ticket are indicated, as well as the possibility of “transfer” ( endorsement) passenger to another carrier.
For example, if the column says “SU/KL ONLY”, this means that this ticket is valid on flights of Aeroflot (SU) and KLM (KL) and, if the fare conditions allow changes to the ticket, then even to an already issued ticket, You can "change" from one company to another. If the fare at which the ticket was issued allows any changes, then this possibility should be reflected in this column. For example, "RES CHG USD50" or "ONE INBOUND REB FREE" means: " CHANGING YOUR RESERVATION WITH A FINE OF $50" or " ONE CHANGE OF THE REVERSE DATE FOR FREE". Usually, for the most preferential ("hard") tariffs, the following template is common: " XX ONLY/NON REF/NO CHG/NO REROUT" - "THE TICKET IS ONLY VALID ON THE CARRIER XX / THE TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE/CHANGES OF DATES ON THE TICKET ARE IMPOSSIBLE/CHANGES OF THE ROUTE PROHIBITED". This column can also display service information.
12 Additional air ticket (CONJUNCTION TICKETS). If the ticket route includes more flights than the number of flight coupons in the form, then such an air ticket is issued on several forms and the additional ticket number is indicated in this field. It should be borne in mind that these several forms represent one ticket, and even if you have completely flown the route using one of them, under no circumstances throw it away until the end of the entire trip.
13 Origin/destination (ORIGIN/DESTINATION). A three-letter designation of the departure point and through a slash - a slash "/" - the arrival point along the entire route.
14 Issued in exchange for (ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR). If an air ticket is issued in exchange for another, then the number of the original ticket is entered in this column.
15
Rate (FARE). Tariff in the currency of the start of transportation.
For example, if an air ticket is issued on the route London - Moscow, then the fare will be indicated in pounds (GBP). Countries with soft currencies have tariffs published in US dollars.
16 Equivalent fare paid (EQUIV/FARE PD). The equivalent of the fare in the currency of the check-out point (if the currency of the check-out point differs from the currency of the point of origin of transportation).
17 Total (TOTAL). The full cost of the air ticket (fare plus airport taxes) in the currency of the point where the ticket was issued.
18 Tariff calculation (FARE CALCULATION). Detailed fare calculation for the entire air ticket. The calculation consists of three-letter city codes, two-character carrier codes, and tariff components in neutral units of calculation (NUC). The combined tax (airport taxes) is also deciphered here.
19 Form of payment (FORM OF PAYMENT). The form in which the ticket was paid for. The most common: CASH - cash, INVOICE or INV - non-cash payment, CC - credit card.
Here are the designations on airline tickets, although charter flights sometimes deviate from these rules... But maybe it will be useful to someone...
R- first class improved. Typically provided on Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Passengers are provided with satellite phones, individual TV monitors and sleeping accommodations.
F- first grade.
A- first class with discount. Airlines have base fares for the flights they operate, which they can reduce if it is profitable for them over a certain period of time.
J- business class improved. The passenger is provided with a seat in the cabin with more spacious seats than in regular business class, the menu has a large selection of dishes, and entertainment is provided (for example, computer games).
WITH- Business Class.
D- business class with a discount.
W- improved economy class. The distance between the rows is slightly greater than in regular economy class.
K, S- economy class with fixed fares. There are no discounts on such tickets.
B, H, L, M, Q, T, V, Y- economy class with discount. Here are all possible letter options indicating this tariff.
Airlines may impose various restrictions on ticket bookings. The most common restrictions are on order time and number of tickets. In this case, code G is used.
On Concorde supersonic aircraft, Air France and British Airways provide a single class of service, R - Supersonic, at fixed fares.
Some air carriers on short-haul flights provide "shuttle" service in economy class, which is designated by the letters E), no reservation is made, the seat is confirmed at check-in) or U (reservation is not required, the seat is guaranteed).
The type of food provided is indicated by letters or pictures: B or cup - breakfast; L, D or crossed fork and knife - hot lunch or dinner; S or bun, or knife and fork - cold appetizers; X - multiple meals.
If the schedule shows the letter M, then during the flight passengers will be shown a full-length film, and the letter F - a short film.
NAME OF PASSENGER- name of the passenger. Indicated only in Latin transcription (as in a foreign passport). The surname is followed (through a slash) by the first letter of the name or the full name, as well as the gender (MR - Mr., MRS/MSS - Miss or Mrs.). According to international standards, this field allows up to 3 errors without sound distortion. Therefore, there is no need to worry if you received such tickets with a package of documents for the tour.
FROM/TO- flight route. The highlighted field indicates the departure point for this flight coupon (English spelling). Below is the destination. If there are several airports in a given city, the name is followed by a three-letter airport code.
STOPOVER- Stopover indicator. X/O (no/yes). If at this point there is a stopover along the route for more than 24 hours ("stopover"), then this field is empty or "O". If this point is a transit point, then there is an “X” opposite this point. The use of a stopover is reflected in the total cost of the ticket at the expense of airport taxes, since in the absence of a stopover, some taxes are not paid, which makes the ticket cheaper.
CARRIER- Carrier. The carrier's two-letter airline code. The codes are standardized by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and can be either quite obvious: SU - Aeroflot, LH - Lufthansa, AF - Air France, BA - British Airways, or not so obvious: AY - Finnair, UN - Transaero, AZ - Alitalia.
FLIGHT- Flight number.
CLASS- Booking class. A Latin letter indicating a certain quota of seats on an airplane. Typically: R "Supersonic" (on Concord flights). F, P, A - first class. J, C, D, I, Z - business class. W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, T, V, X - economy class.
DATE- Departure date for this coupon.
TIME- Departure time. Always local time of departure point.
STATUS- Booking status. Usually a ticket is issued with a confirmed status - "OK". For some fares, it is possible to issue tickets with the status "RQ" (request for a seat at check-in). The ticket for infants (up to 2 years old) flying without a seat indicates the status "NS".
FARE BASIS- Type of tariff. Alphanumeric designation of the fare for this coupon: NVB/NVA (NOT VALID BEFORE/NOT VALID AFTER) - Not valid before/not valid after. A date earlier than and later than which, respectively, you cannot fly using a given flight coupon (if the fare rules allow date changes). For most "hard" preferential fares, both dates coincide with the departure date for this coupon. If the columns are empty, this means that this ticket is valid for at least a year.
FARE CALCULATION- Tariff calculation. This column provides a detailed calculation of the fare for the entire ticket. The billing consists of three-letter city codes, two-character carrier codes, and fare components in NUC (neutral unit of account). The combined tax (airport taxes) is also deciphered here. The column may contain service information: conversion rates for neutral units, currencies, and various restrictive ones.
FARE- Tariff. Tariff in the currency of the start of transportation. For example, if a ticket is issued on the route London - Moscow, then the fare will be indicated in pounds (GBP). Countries with “soft” currencies (including Russia) have tariffs published in US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the fare may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “FORFAIT” icon).
TOTAL- Total. The full cost of the ticket (fare plus airport taxes) in the currency of the point where the ticket was issued. In Russia, for different airlines this can be either Russian rubles or US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the amount may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “FORFAIT” icon).
EQUIV/FARE PD- Equivalent to the tariff. The equivalent of the fare in the currency of the check-out point (if the currency of the check-out point differs from the currency of the point of origin of transportation).
TAX- Dachshund. Two-letter designation and amount of the airport tax in the currency of the checkout point.
FORM OF PAYMENT T - Form of payment. There are the following options: CASH (cash), INVOICE or INV (non-cash payment), CC - credit card number - (credit card).
ORIGIN/DESTINATION- Point of departure/destination. A three-letter designation of the departure point and, after a slash, the arrival point along the entire route. There are also designations SITI, SOTO, and so on.
AIRLINE DATA- For airline marks.
PNR CODE- Alphanumeric booking number.
ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS- Endorsement/restrictions. This column indicates various restrictions on transportation on this ticket, as well as the possibility of “transferring” (endorsement) of the passenger to another carrier.
For example, if the column indicates “SU/KL ONLY”, this means that this ticket is valid on Aeroflot (SU) and “KLM” (KL) flights, and if the fare conditions allow changes to the ticket, then even to the one already issued ticket, you can “change” from one company to another. If the fare at which the ticket was issued allows any changes, then this possibility should be reflected in this column.
For example, "RES CHG USD50" or "ONE INBOUND REB FREE" means: "CHANGE OF BOOKING WITH A FINE OF 50 USD" or "ONE CHANGE OF THE REVERSE DATE FOR FREE". Typically, for the most preferential (“hard”) fares, the following template is common: “XX ONLY/NON REF/NO CHG/NO REROUT” - “TICKET IS VALID ONLY ON CARRIER XX/TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE/CHANGES OF DATES ON THE TICKET IS NOT POSSIBLE/CHANGES OF ROUTE FORBIDDEN". This column can also display service information.
ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR- Issued in exchange. If a ticket is issued in exchange for another (the so-called “correspondence”), then the number of the original ticket is entered in this column.
The meaning of rewriting an air ticket is easier to understand with an example. You bought a ticket on the route Singapore - Moscow - Singapore, flew to Moscow on it and decided to change the route to the route Moscow - Bangkok. In this case, the agent will recalculate the cost of the flight on the new route (starting from Singapore, i.e. Singapore - Moscow - Bangkok) and subtract this cost from the cost of the “old” ticket. If the new ticket is more expensive, then you will have to pay a certain amount; if it is cheaper, then the agent will issue you a receipt, according to which you can receive the amount due to you at the place where you purchased the ticket. The "old" ticket number will be indicated on this ticket.
CONJUNCTION TICKETS- Additional (connected) ticket. If the route includes more flights than there are flight coupons on the form, such a ticket is issued on several forms, and cross-references are made here to other ticket numbers. It should be borne in mind that these several forms represent ONE ticket, and even if you have completely flown the route on one of them, under no circumstances throw it away until the end of the entire trip. Another common case is when the column contains the number of an additional ticket (for group travel).
ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS- Additional restrictions. Contains information that does not fit in the ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS column.
TOUR CODE- Tour code. A symbol used when issuing confidential and special tariffs.
VALIDATOR PLACE- Validator field. Stamp of the agency that sold the ticket. Must contain the name of the agency, its short address, unique office number, that is, IATA number or Aeroflot code. Alphanumeric reference of the agent who issued the ticket. Ticket issue date.
Free baggage allowance.
All over the world there are restrictions on the weight and number of pieces of baggage that a passenger is allowed to carry. Depending on the class of service, there are different free baggage allowances. For the "weight" system:
- In economy class - 20 kg
- In business class - 30 kg
- In first class - 40 kg
For the "place" system - "PC". Excess baggage is usually paid based on the following cost of 1 kg - 1-2% of the cost of the highest one-way economy class fare. Moreover, this payment is usually made in local currency.
Please note that the weight of free baggage allowance is per passenger. If you are traveling as a family and you have only one suitcase, but its weight exceeds the “weight for one person,” then this will be “excess” and you will have to pay... Explanations like: “one suitcase for two” will not work...
A ticket is the main document that defines the relationship between the airline and the passenger. It necessarily includes several pages describing the conditions of transportation. From them, for example, it follows that the airline does not bear any responsibility for the timing of passenger transportation. Its task is to take you from one point to another, but when is another question.
"The carrier undertakes to take all measures within its power to transfer the passenger and baggage within a reasonable time. The time specified in the schedule and other documents is not guaranteed and is not an integral part of this contract. The carrier may, without notice, transfer the passenger to another carrier, replace the aircraft, change or cancel landing at the points specified in the ticket, if necessary. The schedule may be changed without warning the passenger. The carrier is not responsible for ensuring flight connections"
And this does not violate the conditions of transportation in accordance with the Warsaw Convention, which stipulates the conditions for international transportation by all airlines.
Thus, a situation may arise when, instead of the promised business class flight on a Boeing 747, you are sent economy class on a TU-154 plane a day late. Formally, the airline will fulfill its conditions to the passenger.
Of course, when such situations arise, the airline tries to make amends to passengers with the help of various bonuses or compensation, the amount of which is not specified in the ticket.
Form and contents of the ticket
In addition to the mentioned pages with the conditions of transportation, the ticket includes flight coupons, each of which is used for one of the flight segments. Usually, 2 or 4 coupon tickets are used for issuing transportation. When issuing an air ticket, all coupons are filled out at the same time, since they have the copying layer is red. After issuing an air ticket, two control coupons are immediately withdrawn by the agent, and only flight coupons remain in the ticket.
All coupons look the same, but the line related to a specific flight segment is highlighted in a different color.
The entire ticket is always filled out in Latin font (according to international rules), and there are always a lot of abbreviations in it. Let's see what all the abbreviations in the air ticket mean, which will help you correctly read the information indicated on the ticket.
1.Good for passage between points outlined.
Everything is very simple. The column “From” indicates the point of departure, and “to” indicates the point of arrival. If the flight consists of several segments, several points with a three-letter airport code will be indicated, for example:
Minsk (MSQ)-Frankfurt(FRA)-Milan(MXP)-Vienna(VIE)-Minsk(MSQ).
2.Carrier/Carrier.
This column indicates the international two-letter code of the airline.
For example: SU (Aeroflot) or LH (Lufthansa).
3.Flight/Flight.
This column does not need any comments; the flight number is indicated here, which, together with the airline code, is indicated on the board at the airport during check-in. However, you should know one more small detail, having bought a ticket for the Aeroflot flight Moscow-Paris, does not mean at all that you will fly on an Aeroflot plane. Many carriers agree with each other to operate a joint flight (“code sharing”). And in this case, when purchasing tickets at Aeroflot ticket offices, you will be given a flight number under the code SU on your ticket, and if you buy a ticket for the same flight in at the Air France ticket office, your flight will be indicated on your ticket under the code AF. And don’t be alarmed when on the airport board you see a flight number with the double code SU/AF. This means that this is a shared flight, and the airline code that comes first means that the flight is operated by an Aeroflot aircraft.
For a passenger, in principle, it should not make any difference who is actually carrying him: companies are trying to unify the service on board. However, “code sharing” is accompanied by some restrictions. If there are more tickets sold for a flight than there are seats on the plane (a quite common practice: this is called “overbooking”), then the company actually operating the flight will try to put “its” passengers on it first. The rest will wait for the next flight. And, as a rule, for those who are not boarded on a flight, the airline tries to pay for a hotel or compensate for the inconvenience in cash: everything is decided individually.
4.Class/Class.
This column does not indicate the service class, but the fare class. There are significantly more fare classes than service classes: tickets to two neighbors in economy class could be sold at different prices. It’s just that one passenger has the opportunity to easily exchange his ticket for other flight dates before the flight, and the other passenger is strictly bound to the departure dates, according to the purchased ticket.
Typically, an airplane has two or three classes of service: “first”, “business”, “economy”. Each company uses its own designations for fare classes, usually the letters F, A, P are used to designate “first” class of service, and for “business” class services use the letters C, D, J, the remaining letters are used to designate "economy" class.
Class doesn't just matter on board an airplane. First and business class passengers have separate check-in counters at the airport, and passengers in these classes have the right to spend time before departure in a special lounge with free snacks and drinks.
5.Date/Date and Departure Time/Time.
The flight departure time is local. The departure time is not considered to be when the plane leaves the runway, but when it undocking from the ramp. However, this is not important for the passenger: what is important is the check-in and boarding end time. As a rule, the check-in end time is 40 minutes before the plane’s departure. But some airlines set their own standards, so when purchasing a ticket you should check the check-in closing time.
6.Status / Status.
The column indicates the status of the reservation. If it says OK, your seat is guaranteed. If at the time of payment there is no such confirmation, the abbreviation RQ appears in the column. In this case, the passenger may have to wait until check-in is completed to find out whether there is a seat left for him on board or not.
However, even the OK status does not always guarantee the absence of problems due to resale. Each airline strives to maximize the load on its flights and, if there is demand, they obviously sell 5% more tickets than seats in the aircraft cabin - based on passengers not showing up for the flight. If they come If all, then preference at check-in will be given to those who have passed check-in earlier and, of course, to passengers of expensive classes.
7.Type of tariff/Fare basis.
This column contains the alphanumeric code of the fare at which the air ticket was sold. Under the specified code there is a fare rule, which stipulates all the conditions for rebooking, returning the air ticket, and the application of discounts, if any. The agent who issued the ticket will always instruct you about all the rules for the purchased air ticket. You have a ticket.
But in the graphs " Not valid before" and "Not valid after"
the indicated dates will tell you whether you can change anything on your ticket using your flight coupons and until when.
8.Baggage allowance / Allow.
This column shows the free baggage allowance corresponding to the class of service: "first" class - 40 kg, "business" class - 30 kg, "economy" class - 20 kg. Hand luggage can be 5 kg, 8-10 kg, it all depends on airline rules. When purchasing an air ticket, ask your agent. And remember, you will be asked to pay extra for excess baggage at check-in.
9.Name of passenger.
