A charter flight is a special order carriage by air. The order of the flight is carried out by the consolidator, who then resells the seats in the cabin of the aircraft to one or several travel agencies that are interested in this tourist destination. These words are familiar to everyone, but here's the concept chartered flight- what does it mean?
Such a flight cannot be found in the timetable, tickets for it cannot be bought at a regular ticket office. Since this flight is ordered by a travel agency, it sells plane tickets only to its customers who have bought tickets to specific place destination.
The organizer assumes full responsibility for the preparation - everything related to documentation, pre-flight preparation, booking. Most often, the need for charters arises when during the holiday season the flow of tourists far exceeds the capabilities of airlines.
Scheduled flights and charters are similar in nature but have many differences. So what is a charter flight and how is it different from others?
- If you are flying on a regular flight, you will receive a ticket immediately at the time of purchase, but you will receive a charter ticket either the day before departure, or already at the airport. This does not bring any particular inconvenience, but this factor must be taken into account.
- If you miss the boat that flies to your destination, then be prepared for the fact that the return ticket will be canceled by the tour operator. If you plan to get to the resort in some other way, but want to use a return ticket, be sure to notify the travel agency that sells it.
- The charter can be transferred from one airport to another, change the plane, while with regular such adventures do not happen.
- In most cases, it is impossible to book a place on a charter; only very rarely consolidators open a booking, but not more than for a day.
- Well, and the most important difference is that you do not organize your flight, you just provide all the data about yourself to the travel agency, and upon arrival at the airport you will receive your boarding pass, after which you can board the plane.
A charter is organized by a travel agency in cases where there is a great demand for a certain destination, but airlines do not provide the opportunity to fly a direct flight.
A travel agency rents a plane from an airline, concluding a contract for the carriage of passengers, redeeming all the seats in the cabin.
Charter flights have their advantages and disadvantages, we will consider them in more detail.
Charter flights
Pros of a charter flight
- Charter is often almost the only opportunity to fly to destinations where direct flights do not fly. In addition, it will save you time and money on transfers. Charters often fly to very rare destinations.
- The second advantage follows from the first, the charter is quite cheap way flight.
- Charter is sometimes the only way to get to a place where regular flights do not fly at all.
- A charter ticket can be easily reissued to another person if you are unable to fly.
- Complete absence of transplants. This, by the way, explains the priority of departure of regular flights over charters, since regular flight can dock with another, therefore they are passed forward along the air corridor. Charter passengers do not have to transfer flights, which means that airlines will not incur penalties.
Disadvantages of a charter flight
Unfortunately, it is believed that a charter flight has more disadvantages than a regular flight. Since a charter flight is operated by a tour operator for the purpose of earning money, be prepared for the fact that cheap ticket on the flight will result in some inconvenience. The disadvantages of using charters include:
- A charter flight can be postponed or delayed, since it is not a priority for the airline, regular flights are always skipped ahead. In case of technical problems, it will be necessary to wait until the aircraft is restored to readiness.
- If you buy a ticket on your own, and not through a tour operator, then be prepared for the fact that you can buy it a few days before departure, and if the plane is not full, the flight may not take place.
- The duration of the tour is strictly regulated, since the planes fly according to a clear schedule, bringing and picking up new and new groups of tourists, so it will not be possible to change the length of stay at the resort.
- Per charter flights not accrued bonus miles as opposed to the main airline flights.
- It will not be possible to return the money for the ticket if you cancel the flight.
- It will not be possible to change the flight class in the cabin of a charter aircraft. In order to save money, all the seats have the status of an economy class, there are more such seats, which means more profit for the travel agency.
Comfort and coziness is what a charter flight will provide you.
Common misconceptions
Regardless, a charter flight is a very convenient way to get to your destination, especially if your destination does not involve regular direct flights.
The most common mistakes are the following shortcomings, which are attributed to charters:
- Old airplanes carry out charter flights. This is not true, charter flights are operated by the same vessels that carry out regular services.
- Flight insecurity is another big misconception. Passengers of a charter, as well as passengers of a regular flight, receive free meals in case of a delay in the plane, and in case of long wait departure - the opportunity to spend the night at the airport hotel.
- There is no food on board a charter plane. This is a mistake, depending on the duration of the flight, on board the aircraft you will be provided with the required food and drinks.
- The flight may be canceled. And again a lie, since no one can deny you a flight if you paid the money for the ticket. The flight will be postponed, the plane will be changed, and a little later, but the flight will take place.
- It is often believed that a charter flight does not imply the presence of baggage, but this is also a misconception. Each carrier has its own economy class baggage allowance and does not depend on the regularity of the flight.
How to buy tickets for charter flights correctly
Before chartering an aircraft, the tour operator analyzes the situation, estimates the demand for the flight and only on this basis orders the aircraft from the airline if it expects that the deal will pay off. Most the best way purchases are the purchase of a ticket that is already included in package tour purchased from a trusted operator. Most often, travel agencies do this, all places are allocated to tours, which are then sold. However, if you do not want to buy a tour or have other reasons why you want to fly on your own, then you can buy a charter ticket separately from the tour.
If you decide to find a charter ticket on your own, then be prepared for the fact that it is not so easy. Tickets appear only a few days before departure, you can find them in several specialized search engines.
In the era of the development of the Internet, there are several sites that are engaged in the sale of charters, however, large search engines also support the search function for charters.
And you can simply contact a travel agency, which will definitely sell unclaimed tickets for the flight.
Such tickets are otherwise called last-minute, because the tour operator wants to recoup their investments, even if they usually do not sell tickets separately from the tour.
Tickets for charter flights are sold several times cheaper
Varieties of charters
- Shuttle charter is a type of flight in which the plane constantly delivers and picks up new passengers. Tickets for it are usually more expensive, since the plane makes the first and last flights empty.
- Split charter is a combined flight, when part of the journey is taken over by a regular flight. This happens if the flight is carried out to particularly remote corners of the planet.
- A poly charter is such a combined flight when passengers have to change aircraft two or more times.
- A charter with a sludge is a flight that brings passengers to their destination, waits for them in a designated place, and then returns with them. Plane parking is cheaper than idling. The disadvantage of such a flight is that you can hardly spend more than a week on vacation.
- Corporate charter is a flight ordered by a certain organization for the purpose of transporting its employees to any events.
- VIP charter - very expensive destination, which assumes full use of the aircraft by the customer.
Group charter flights
So now you have an idea of what a charter flight means. Here are all the pros and cons, differences and general information, now you can decide if charter is the right option for you or if you prefer a different flight method. Consider your personal comfort.
In contact with
Private charter. Its peculiarity is that the organization that buys the charter pays for the transportation of its employees in full. As a rule, the routes of such transportation are not included in the regular air lines. Private charter in the total volume of charter flights occupies an insignificant percentage.
Target charter. This is the transportation of specialized groups of passengers, united by any purpose: football fans, athletes flying to major international competitions; members of professional associations, participants in festivals, pilgrims, etc. The charter customer is the relevant organization, which can partially pay for its members for the transportation.
Inclusive tour charter. As a rule, this is the transportation of tourists, organized and paid for by a travel agency. In this case, the cost of the ticket is included in the tour price. In this case, a flight is quite cheap for tourists, since the price of an air ticket for an air charter is 30-50% lower compared to the cheapest preferential fares. Inclusive tour charter and target charter are the most common types of air travel in the charter market.
Block charter. This option assumes that the customer buys only a part of the aircraft's commercial capacity (20-30 seats) on a regular flight. In this case, payment is made, as a rule, for the entire block of seats, regardless of whether all purchased seats will be used or not. Block charter is usually used when the travel agency does not have enough tourists to rent a plane in its entirety. The agreement on the quota of seats between the travel agency and the carrier can be “hard” or “soft”. With a “hard” quota of seats, the company has no right to refuse from unrealized declared places, and in this case it incurs financial losses. If the contract is concluded according to the "soft" scheme, then the airline sets a deadline by which the travel agent can waive the quota of the declared seats or part of it; With this option, the carrier reserves the right to sell these seats to its other customers.
Inappropriate charter. It is a transportation in which a group of air passengers is selected regardless of the purpose of the trip. The organizer of this type of flight can be any transport company acting as an intermediary in passenger transportation from one point to another. For example, the Moscow Tourist Transport Company (MTTK), established in May 1999, is a large consolidator company that organizes this type of transportation. It offers services to charter users, cooperating with two airlines - Aviaenergo and Pulkovo. At the same time, the company provides tickets for charter flights not only to Moscow and regional travel agencies, but also to corporate and private clients traveling for a variety of purposes.
Split charter. It belongs to the most difficult type of passenger transportation, which is carried out by regular and irregular flights on different parts of the route. In this case, the group being formed can include passengers heading to different destination points.
The implementation of a charter route requires a lot of preparatory work: route planning, filling empty spans, obtaining all permits for the air corridor, ensuring the minimum allowable parking at the airport of arrival and departure, etc.
Charter flights have a certain geography and a pronounced seasonality, i.e. air transportation is organized to tourist centers. All this should be well planned: a special charter flight route should be developed, idle flights should be avoided if possible, air corridor permits, etc.
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All airlines in the world fly to different cities and countries on domestic and international flights. You can fly to your destination with transfers or directly, without transit stops. In order to determine exactly which flight to buy a ticket for, we recommend that you study all types of flights and their features, which will allow you to make the right choice when planning your upcoming trip.
What are the flights
A ticket to the same destination on planes of different flights may differ significantly in price. For example, to save money, many tourists think over routes with transfers. And in order to quickly get to your destination and not experience difficulties with transfers, tickets are purchased for direct flights.
All flights aviation companies are divided into four types:
- Direct (regular) non-stop flight.
- Chartered flight.
- Transit flight, also called transfer.
- Docking or compound.
Direct flights
Direct regular flights provide a flight from the point of departure to the point of arrival without intermediate stops and transfers. The planes leave on schedule and arrive at the exact time. Delays in sending happen only due to force majeure situations.
Advantages of a direct flight:
- lack of transplants;
- reduced travel time.
Disadvantage of a direct flight: high price ticket.
Chartered flight
The charter follows a direct route, there are no changes on the way. But unlike a direct regular, such a liner does not depart on a schedule, but at the free "windows" of regular flights.
Charter - a chartered plane traveling in the direction announced by the customer of the air travel service. As a rule, such flights are often leased travel companies interested in selling tours around the world. On a charter flight, travelers can reach their chosen resort directly, without transfers, and save money on the ticket.
Advantages:
- cheap tickets;
- the ability to fly directly to anywhere in the world where regular flights may not reach.
Flaws:
- difficulties with buying tickets; as a rule, they are sold together with a tourist voucher;
- the flight is off-schedule and often falls in the late night and early morning hours.
Transit or transfer flights
Flights with transfers at intermediate airports are called or transfer flights. Such routes may involve a flight on the planes of one airline or several.
Transfer flights are very popular due to a number of advantages:
- a correctly planned route allows you to get to any airport in the world, where regular flights may not reach without transfers;
- you can save your budget on tickets purchased for a transit flight;
- if the flight is carried out on the planes of one airline, the passenger will not have to go through repeated pre-flight procedures at the intermediate airport.
Lack of transit (transfer) flights:
- difficulties with a transfer arising from travelers who have planned a flight on planes of different airlines;
- due to the delay in the departure of the first plane, there are risks of being late for the flight of the second liner.
Other helpful related articles:
A compound or connecting flight to an airplane
Flights with transfers to planes of different airlines are called or composite. They are similar to transit flights, but they have characteristic differences. On a connecting route, the passenger has to re-check-in for the flight and other pre-flight procedures.
Transfers can take place at another airport, to which you need to get there without delay. In order for the composite flight to be successful, the passenger needs to properly plan the time for the connecting transfer at the intermediate airport.
To the benefits connecting flight can be attributed to savings in ticket costs. A properly planned trip will allow the passenger to save a lot of personal budget.
Also, connecting flights allow you to quickly get to resort towns, where regular planes may not go.
Stopover
Travelers planning a flight with transit or connecting transfers often come across the term stopover.
Tickets with a stopover assume a long time interval between transfers to the second plane - from 24 hours or more. With such a stop, the passenger has to arrive in the transit country for a long time, which can be used to his advantage.
With a time margin of 24 hours or more before the next flight, a tourist can walk around the sights of the city, visit old acquaintances, or simply relax in the comfortable lounges of the airport (,) or hotels.
When purchasing a plane ticket for domestic or international destinations, decide in advance which type of flight is most suitable for your request and preferences. To save money, choose connecting or transit flights.
For a timely arrival in the chosen city for business meetings and on business issues, it is better to give preference to direct regular flights that fly on schedule and without delays.
Would you like to combine a flight with sightseeing in another country? Buy tickets with a stopover!
V modern world the speed of movement from one point of the world to another is one of the important factors in running a successful business. If until recently VIP charter was affordable for few people, today most businesses can afford it. A charter flight is a convenient solution, the prices for which can be significantly lower than the cost of a first class flight, and the possibilities are incomparably higher. When it comes to moving a large group of people (50-100 people), charter flights may well compete with business class in terms of price.
In addition, a charter flight may be the only available solution for flying to destinations that do not operate scheduled flights.
In global practice, the following types of charters are distinguished.
1. One-time charter
Charter paid for one trip. In turn, it is divided into two subspecies: "there" and "there and back."
If the charter is booked in one direction only, the airline uses the return flight at its own discretion. As a rule, in this case, the company tries to find a customer for a return flight at significantly reduced prices (so-called Empty Legs flights).
If a charter is ordered for a round-trip flight, then it is usually more profitable for an airline to pay for an aircraft idle at the port of destination than to idle the aircraft in both directions.
This is the most expensive type of charter flights, which is mainly used for flights in those directions in which regular flights are not operated.
2. Shuttle charter
A shuttle charter (shuttle flight) is a type of transportation organization in which the aircraft carries out many round-trip flights without idle time at the airports. Brings one group of passengers, immediately loads it with other passengers and flies back.
This type of charter is most often used by large tour operators who organize a large number of tourist flights on popular destinations during the season.
The disadvantage of such an organization is the presence of two idles at the beginning and at the end of the season, which increases the cost of renting an aircraft. However, if there are a lot of flights per season, then the average cost of a flight per passenger can even compete with the price of economy class tickets.
3. Split charter
This type of organization of transportation involves the use of charter airlines on one segment of the flight, and regular ones on the other.
This is one of the most economical types of charters, because the charter itself is used only on small sections that cannot be covered by regular flights, while most passengers cover the routes by regular airlines.
4. Multi-charter transportation
Similar to split charter, only all flights are operated by charter flights. Regular flights are not used.
5. Transit charter
Transit charter is a method of organizing transportation in which some passengers disembark or land at an intermediate airport.
This is a popular cost-saving method often used by several tour operators working in conjunction with each other.
6. Time charter
This method has been used by companies for numerous shipments for some time. The plane is chartered for a certain period and is fully at the disposal of the customer.
Air passengers can not only independently choose a company for flights, but also their types. What is a flight and what types of it can be selected, let's try to figure it out. Flight is the way vehicle from one point to another along a pre-approved route.
There are several types of air travel:
- transit;
- docking;
- transfer;
- regular.
What is the difference between them and what are the advantages of each of them, it is worth discussing in more detail.
What is a transit flight? This question interests many tourists, especially those who first chose a plane in order to get to another country or city. A transit flight is a connecting journey that helps passengers reach places where direct flights are difficult. Some people are alarmed by this type of travel, they fear that they may not catch the second plane in an unfamiliar country. In fact, these fears are completely unfounded, especially if such a flight is organized by one company. In this case, the air carrier will independently plan the connection of two flights so that the passenger does not worry unnecessarily. And to find out the take-off time of the second plane, the information in the tickets, which are issued to all passengers when checking in for a transit flight, will help.
If a passenger decides to independently plan a trip, then he must take into account several important points:
- The second ticket should be bought for a plane that will take to the sky about 3-4 hours after the first one lands. Having so much time left, it is possible to exclude the occurrence of force majeure circumstances.
- If takeoff takes place from another terminal, then it is advisable to have at least a couple of hours in stock in order to get to another point in time.
- If you have to change the airport upon landing (this also happens), it is important to stock up on time. After all, air harbors are often located outside the city, where you still need to get, sometimes bypassing traffic jams.
Note that if the second plane takes off from another airport, and the passenger has to get to the air harbor on their own, then the airport staff may demand to present transit visa ... You can clarify this point on the airline's website, before booking a ticket.
However, all these nuances can be ignored if you entrust the booking of transit tickets to the company. In this case, passengers do not even have to re-check their baggage - this procedure is carried out once, when checking in for the first flight. It should be noted that in this case it would be correct to call it not transit, but docking. That is, if you need to get an answer to the question - what is a connecting flight, then just sort out the differences between transit and connecting types. In the second option, the airline is engaged in the registration of tickets and baggage, and in the first, this work is placed on the shoulders of the passenger.
Transfer flight
Transit flight has a second name - transfer flight, it can be operated by one or several companies that are part of a single alliance. When purchasing a ticket for this type of flight, in most cases, the passenger checks in the baggage only once, and boarding passes receives on both flights at check-in. The transfer passenger will only need to check-in once, when boarding the first plane, however, for an international flight, it will be necessary to go through passport control again.
By purchasing a ticket for such a flight, the passenger may not worry that he will be late for the landing of the second plane; in this case, the responsibility lies with the airline, which is obliged to provide the passenger with a ticket for the nearest airliner on the desired route free of charge. If the passenger has to wait for the next departure throughout the night, the airline must provide hotel room... That is, if a person did not catch the second plane, then he has the right to contact the airline that issued tickets for the transfer flight in order to resolve the unpleasant situation.
The main difference between transfer and transit is that in the first case, you change the plane. In the second, you wait until passengers are added and often fly with the same transport without changing seats.
Regular flights
V civil aviation flights are classified into two categories:
- Regular.
- Charter.
They are characterized by differences both in organization and in the frequency of flights. What is a regular flight and how it differs from a charter flight - these are the questions that tourists are most often interested in. A regular flight is approved by an intergovernmental agreement, airlines are required to operate it all year round. Such flights are carried out by large companies, the planes enter the route strictly according to the schedule, even if there is one passenger on board. It is possible to purchase a ticket for a regular flight both in one and in both directions; airlines often provide significant discounts for seniors and students.
The main features are as follows:
- the price is more expensive than a charter ticket;
- the passenger has the right to exchange the ticket, if necessary, you can return half of its cost;
- frequent flyers can buy a ticket at a significant discount;
- the departure of the aircraft may be delayed due to weather conditions, technical problems, etc.
In case of force majeure, passengers of regular flights can be transferred to a second, connecting plane. In this case, the airline must pay the cost of the connecting flight and material damage to passengers.
Charter flights
Charter flights are not controlled by airlines, but by travel agencies. Air Transport makes such a flight not all year round, but at a certain period of the year, most often from spring to autumn. To buy a ticket, the passenger needs contact a travel agency, since not all airlines are engaged in such sales.
Features of charter flights:
- the cost is several times lower than for a regular flight;
- when returning a ticket cash the passenger is not returned;
- airliners are flying off schedule.
Most often, a charter flight starts early in the morning or late in the evening - free time is used in the schedule of flights intended for regular flights.
The undoubted advantage of charter flights is that such a flight does not provide for transfers. However, the plane can take tourists to the most remote airport in any country. To get from the air harbor to the city center, a person will have to spend a lot on a taxi or other means of transport. To avoid additional costs, before purchasing a ticket for a charter flight, you should check with a travel agency at which airport the plane will land and at what distance from the city is it located?
