Translated material
Due to the pandemic, the flights are massively canceled and the boundaries are closed. What to do now with tickets, tours and booked housing?
Due to the pandemic of coronavirus, Russian and international airlines cancel more and more flights, and the authorities of different countries, including Russia, introduce more and more new travel restrictions. The World Health Organization has just officially announced the pandemic , so all this for a long time. Medusa found out from tour operators, airlines and ticket aggregators, as now to be those who have already bought tickets (or tours) and booked housing.
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Flights
In early February 2020, Russia sharply limited the air offense with China, and on March 11 did the same with flights to Italy, Germany, France and Spain. It will be possible to fly there only through Sheremetyevo Airport. Airlines themselves also cancel flights. And many travelers no longer want to fly to other countries, although tickets are bought and planes continue to fly there. Here is a convenient table about how the policy of returning tickets due to coronavirus at the largest airlines is arranged.
Airline | How to change or return tickets | What flights did the airline suspend |
|---|---|---|
Aeroflot | Passengers with tickets issued until March 5 for flights to Hong Kong from March 8 to March 31, are allowed to change the flight date of the flight without a surcharge or return tickets with a refund. Passengers of flights to China, South Korea, Iran, Israel, Italy, Germany, France and Spain with departure until March 20, inclusive, can return and transfer flights to any day until April 30. For passengers, the departure of which was planned after March 21, the exchange or return of tickets without fines is possible throughout the validity period of the ticket. Tickets for canceled flights can be returned for the full cost or changed the date and direction (with surcharge if necessary). | The flights of Moscow - Hong Kong - Moscow were canceled. Also, from April 13 to 30, flights to the cities of Italy, Spain, France and Germany are limited. You can see more here . |
S7 | You can return a ticket purchased from March 5 to April 10, paying 1000 rubles. But there are restrictions . Passengers of canceled flights will be able to get the full cost of the ticket or exchange for other directions and dates. | Flights are stopped to China and Hong Kong. From March 13, all regular flights were canceled to Italy, Spain, France and Germany. |
Ural airlines | In the event of a return of air tickets, a fee for a return operation will be charged - 1000 rubles for each ticket. Tickets for canceled flights can be returned without fees and fines. And on tickets purchased from March 8 to April 15, you can change the departure date and direction for free. This can be done until the end of registration for a flight with a surcharge to an affordable tariff. | The company canceled flights to Israel and Italy. |
Utair | Passengers of canceled flights can change the departure date or return the money for tickets absolutely free, even if the tariff is irretrievable. You can do this through the site in the "My flights" section. | Sending flights to Milan. The company notes that it will execute flights on this route on March 15 and 18 - so that the airline’s clients have the opportunity to return from travel. |
Victory | The company introduced a return service. It costs 499 rubles. You can return the ticket no later than 48 hours before departure. And to customers of the canceled flights, "the return of funds in full will be quickly executed." | Until May 12, flights were closed to Israel. Flights are suspended to Italy, Germany and Spain. |
Lufthansa | Until March 31, the company canceled the fee for changing the date of the flight. You can postpone the date once - on any day until December 31, but airports of departure and arrival should be the same as in the original armor. This acts on new tickets and on those that were bought until March 5 with the departure date until April 30. | The airline canceled 23 thousand flights in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. |
British Airways | The company allows you to change the date of flight for free, choosing any day no later than 12 months from the original date. In addition, the ticket can be exchanged for a voucher of similar value and then this voucher then pay for a trip with a date no later than 12 months from the original date. All this is really for tickets purchased from March 3 to March 31. | Flights were canceled to China and Italy. |
Alitalia | Those who bought tickets to Italy until March 5 with a departure until April 3 can change the date of departure on the date no later than June 30. In addition, you can change the city of destination. | All flights from Milan Airport were canceled. |
Iberia | The conditions of the flight date for each country are described in detail on the airline’s website. You can also get a bonus in the price of the ticket price. | The flights to Shanghai are suspended. |
KLM and Air France | Klm ticket holders starting from 074, purchased until March 31 with the dates of the trip from March 4 to May 31, 2020, regardless of the destination, can change the dates of the trip or direction of departure for free. A new ticket there should be bought on a date no later than May 31, 2020. The ticket tariff should coincide with the initial tariff, it will be necessary to pay extra for the increase in the class of service. | Until May 3, 2020, KLM suspended all flights to mainland China, Chendu, Hangzhou and Xyamin, flights to Beijing and Shanghai were suspended until March 28, 2020. Until April 3, 2020, the airline suspended flights to Venice, Milan and Naples. In addition, Air France does not fly to Tel Aviv until March 28. |
Delta Air Lines | You can exchange all tickets issued from 1 to March 31, 2020 for free. A one -time exchange of tickets for another route is allowed. The ticket should be issued no later than February 28, 2021. When transferring, the journey should begin no later than February 28, 2021. | The abolition of flights to Milan, the suspension of flights to China. |
Emirates | Those who bought tickets on the date until May 31 and who were affected by restrictions or cancellations of flights due to pandemia, the company offers to return the money, give a tourist voucher to this amount, transfer the trip to the date until June 30 or change the route (if necessary, then the difference in price will have to pay extra). | Flights to Baghdad are stopped. |
Airbaltic | The company makes it possible to once change the reservation date for tickets purchased from 10 to 31 March. You can choose a new date - until December 31, 2020. In tickets purchased before March 9 with the departure date until March 31, you can also change the date of the trip for free. | The company canceled flights to Milan, Verona, Rome and Tel Aviv. |
Railway tickets
If the trip did not take place due to the cancellation of the railway message (say, due to the situation with the distribution of coronavirus in Russia, a message with China and Mongolia was closed, and the Moscow-Nice train was also canceled), money for tickets to the canceled trains can be returned without retaining additional fees and fees, Medusa’s representative told Tutu.ru. This is also stated in the Republic of Russian Railways. The aggregator promises to return the money to the card within 30 days from the date of the return.
Online housing booking services
Due to the coronavirus, the Airbnb housing rental service introduced a more flexible reservation policy. The service supports lessons who promise a refund when it cancel it: Airbnb will show such offers to users in the first place. In addition, until June 21, the service will abandon its commission of 3%, which he charged from the lessors. However, the commission, which the service takes from the traveler, will return to him not alive money when the armor will return to him, but with a discount coupon for the next trip.
As for housing booking in China, Italy and South Korea (where Koronavirus is especially raging), when they cancel the service promises users a full refund of money and commissions.
Booking.com armor service persistently recommended that hotels return an advance payment and abandon any penalty payments if the guest cannot use the reservation from from coronavirus. So far, it is separately stated that this applies to all travelers from China, Italy and South Korea and those who gathered in these countries. However, theoretically, hotels may not follow the proposal of the aggregator.
Tour operators
Tour operators interviewed by Medusa say that the return policy of money depends on the recommendations of Rostourism. Now Rosturism recommended tourists to abandon trips to China, Italy, South Korea and Iran.
“While there is no official ban on entry into the country, nothing will change in the contract. If the tourist will make a return, then it will be carried out under the contract - taking into account penalties, ”says the representative of the tour operator“ Pegasus ”. “But if the entrance to the country is closed, then the trip is canceled automatically.” The same policy adheres to Intourist and Pax.
In the event of the closure of the country, tour operators abolished reserved tours and offered to transfer the tour in a different direction for the same amount; The return promised, but not immediately, says the representative of Tutu.ru Natalya Anisimova. But the situation is constantly changing, she clarifies: “So, recently, Sanmar sent information that until the end of March, by tours to Turkey with a flight at least 14 days, they confirm annulment without loss for a tourist.”
Tourists who booked tours to Israel with races after March 12 (March 9 introduced mandatory quarantine for all entering), tour operators offer options: transfer of a tour to other dates, annulment or transferring to other directions from the assortment.
Ground boundaries
To pass Russians from the territory of China, only a few border crossings are opened . The introduction of additional restrictions on the Russian border with the EU has not yet been reported. But in connection with coronavirus, European countries introduced a number of restrictions on crossing borders within the EU-in the exceptional circumstances of the member of the Schengen zone, they have the right to introduce border control.
First of all, restrictions affected countries bordering Italy.
Now, in order to enter from Italy to Austria, you need to have a certificate in your hands with a negative result of the Coronavirus test, received no later than four days before the trip. At the same time, transit to Germany throughout Austria is allowed by all travelers from Italy.
It is currently impossible to cross the ground border of Slovenia and Italy on a passenger bus or train. The restrictions primarily concern those who are going to enter Slovenia through its western border - only six border crossings are opened in the country. Foreigners can get to the country only with a negative result of the coronavirus test not older than three days.
The authorities of Hungary resumed control on the border with Austria and Slovenia - by ban on travelers from Italy, China, Iran and South Korea. Switzerland did not close the border with Italy, but temporarily suspended the work of nine border crossings between the two countries.
Anastasia Yakreva, Sasha Sulim, Peter Lokhov