Airplane tickets with an open return date. How to buy a plane ticket with an open date? What does it mean? Video Sources. Designations in the travel document
Very often there are cases when a person quite spontaneously decides to fly somewhere for various reasons and does not know when he would like to return. Or another example, a person expected that some kind of certain time, but he decided all the cases much earlier than planned, and there is no point in staying in this place at all. For such cases, a ticket with an open date was invented.
Usually, people who fly on vacation buy one ticket to the required place and one ticket home, in the opposite direction, where the dates of departure and arrival back are exactly specified. With many airlines, these tickets are cheaper than buying tickets separately. In general, a ticket for air travel of this type is considered an “intermediate” link between round-trip tickets and two separate tickets in terms of their cost. The downside is that you are specifically tied to dates, and if you do not fly on the day that is affixed to the travel document, you will simply lose money. Let's try to figure out what a ticket with an open date is.
What is an open date air ticket?
The open date on the ticket assumes that you purchase a ticket in advance, pay for it, and then inform about your intention to fly by plane.
An indefinite departure date can only be on one of the tickets, that is, you need to determine in advance for yourself the day of departure or arrival.
Tickets with a non-fixed date of initial departure are even more rare than those with a refund.
Most companies that offer such a service at all have tickets available for purchase only with an indefinite date for return in the opposite direction.
Moreover, in general, not all air carriers sell such tickets, so you need to find out about this in advance.
The easiest way is to call the information desk or the ticket office, or the representative office where air tickets are sold.
You should take into account all the nuances in advance, since in some airlines you will have to pay extra for this opportunity immediately before the return.
Air tickets with an open date to buy or not?
For example, you have decided exactly when you will fly, but you assume how quickly you will solve your business and when you plan to return back. In this case, you will need a ticket with an open return date.
You buy this type of ticket in advance, and when you have already decided on the date of return, you simply contact the representatives of the airline and inform about your intention to fly the plane back home.
AT various airlines there are completely different rules, you must be warned in advance how many hours before the return you must inform about your desire to fly. As a general rule, many airlines guarantee this if you contact them 2-3 days before your expected return date.
You will also need to book a ticket.
One of the disadvantages of a ticket with an open return date is that if there are no available seats on the desired return date, you may simply be denied boarding and offered another nearest free one.
In this case, the validity of the open date increases, but if you need to fly, for example, tomorrow, this does not play in a positive way.
Air ticket with an open return date
An air ticket with an open return date, what it is and how it works, let's look at a simple example. You bought an air ticket that expires on April 1, 2017. That is, you will need to fly back home before this time. You dialed the representative of the air carrier and informed your desire to return back on March 31st. To your disappointment, there were no seats that would remain free on this day, and the next flight is only on April 3rd. The validity period of the ticket, in which the date was not set, in this case will also be automatically postponed until April 3rd.
At the moment, tickets with an open date of departure or return can be purchased now from Aroflot, Belavia, Transaero and Utair airlines.
But supply creates demand, so if you prefer a particular carrier, contact their representatives and ask if they sell tickets with an open departure or return date.
You won’t be able to buy such tickets online, you will have to personally visit either the airline’s office or go to the airport.
You can do this, but again at your own risk, in this case you need to take a period of time, for example, 6 months and buy them at the most “expensive” rate and, already in the process, exchange them for another date. But it may turn out that you have to pay a fine. In some airlines, the fine is no more than 50 dollars, then, taking into account the difference in the cost of two separate tickets, such manipulation becomes quite profitable. But savings can turn out to be dubious because of the cost of the most expensive tariff, so you need to take into account all these nuances in advance.
Another point worth paying attention to is the length of time for which you will have to decide when you will fly or return. For each air carrier, they can be completely different and vary in time from one month to twelve.
What is an open date air ticket and when should it be purchased? If this type of air ticket will end up being much cheaper than two separate one-way tickets. When the cost of air travel immediately there and back with the possibility of changing the date of return will be more expensive when using this service, taking into account the payment of the so-called "fine".
The validity of the ticket with an open date begins immediately after the flight numbers and date of departure are entered in the travel document.
Not all states can only be flown with an air ticket that has the exact date of departure from this country, that is, in other words, a fixed one.
If you have a ticket with a fixed return date, you may simply be denied entry to the border right at the airport of this country.
In this case, there is only one way to conditionally use an open date ticket, you will have to buy a two-way ticket, with the possibility of changing the date, but, as a rule, such tickets are more expensive.
How to buy a plane ticket with an open date? What does it mean?
A ticket with an open date is a ticket purchased for a specific flight of a specific airline, it does not indicate the date of arrival, but you know the exact date of departure. The passenger has the opportunity later to independently choose the date of the flight. Usually a ticket with an open date has a time frame: it can be issued for a period of 3 months, six months and a year.
When should I buy an open date ticket?
- When the cost of two separate one-way tickets is higher.
- When the cost of a round-trip ticket with the possibility of changing the date (taking into account the penalty for such a change) is higher than the cost of a ticket with an open date.
Please note that you must have a valid return ticket with a fixed date to enter certain countries. In this case, you will have to buy a round-trip ticket with the possibility of changing the date.
Price
Tickets without dates are usually more expensive than tickets with a fixed date of arrival. Although it is more expensive than a round-trip ticket, in most cases it is much cheaper than two one-way tickets.
How to buy a ticket with an open date?
It is not possible to buy a ticket with an open date online. Such a ticket can only be purchased at the offices of the airline itself. Moreover, not all air carriers and not all destinations sell such tickets. From domestic airlines, Aeroflot, Transaero and Utair practice this service.
Having such a ticket in hand, and having decided on the date of departure, you will need to call the airline, preferably at least a few days in advance, and express your desire to fly on that day. The airline has the right to refuse you if there are no available seats and offer another date of departure. If the airline did not satisfy your wishes, then the ticket period is increased. For example, if your ticket expires on May 15, and you expressed a desire to fly on May 10, but there are no seats on that date, and the airline offered a departure on May 25, then do not worry, the ticket will be valid until the date proposed by the airline.
Seat booking features
An open date means that once you have decided on your return date, you need to contact the airlines (by visiting the office or by phone) and inform them of your planned departure date. It is advisable to do this no later than 2-3 days before departure. A seat on a ticket with an open date of departure is booked in accordance with the availability of seats on this flight and in this booking class. There is no additional charge for this, unless there are no seats on the selected flight in the class indicated on your ticket. In this case, you will need to pay an additional fee for a more expensive class.
Going on a trip, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. First of all, you need to decide where you will go, then choose the most competent airline, focusing on the reviews of experienced customers, have time to book a ticket at the lowest price, get ready for the trip and at the appointed time ...
Tickets with an open date
Going on a trip, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. First of all, you need to decide where you will go, then choose the most competent airline, focusing on the reviews of experienced customers, have time to book a ticket at the lowest price, get ready for the trip and arrive at the airport at the appointed time to go through the necessary pre-flight procedures. And now everything has been successfully completed, you are on the plane, flying to the appointed point, spending some time there, and suddenly you realize that you urgently need to fly back, but the departure date on the return ticket is clearly indicated, and you are forced to arrive at the destination before the appointed term.
What to do in this situation
I had to buy a ticket with an open date. What is it? Let's figure it out. If you want to save money on your trip, you can take advantage of the ideal offer of any airline and buy round-trip tickets at once on the most favorable terms. Most airlines offer a discount on double tickets, which are called round-trip tickets. This is a small bonus for passengers. Such tickets are mutually beneficial not only for passengers, but also for airlines.
A short weekend, a vacation with friends or a business trip in another city or even another country, we can always clearly plan and take into account all the little things up to the date of return, especially if all sorts of incidents seem to be excluded and the trip should take place anyway. However, it may happen that a return is expected, but its exact date is not determined, or it is necessary to depart earlier than the scheduled date.
To avoid problems in such a situation, it is recommended to purchase a ticket with an open rather than fixed departure date. The cost of such a ticket will be much higher than the analogue, in which the return date is clearly fixed, however, this option is much easier and more profitable than a separately purchased return ticket, especially in emergency situations.
What does the concept of "open date" of departure mean?
An open date should be understood as a unique opportunity for a passenger, for a considerable period of time, which is limited to three months, to individually determine the length of stay in a particular city or country and independently choose the date of return. Therefore, an open date ticket allows the passenger to freely dispose of his time during the trip.
If a passenger has purchased an air ticket with a non-fixed return date, then after the return dates are determined, he has the right to come to the office where tickets of the airline he has chosen are sold or even call there and make a seat reservation for the required number.
There are usually no additional fees for such an order, however, there may be exceptions in the form of surcharges, the amount of which does not exceed one or two dollars, which is not such a big cost. In any case, if you want to save money, it is most profitable to buy two tickets at once.
Tickets with an open date can be issued for a specific period. Usually it is 3 months, half a year or a year. After issuing a ticket with an open date, you are given the opportunity to book a seat on the most convenient flight for you on any day. Naturally, the only condition is the availability of free seats in the class you paid for. If there are no seats on the selected flight of the corresponding class, you can use more expensive seats and pay the difference.
Where to buy a ticket with an open date
The validity of an open-date ticket begins immediately after entering the flight number and departure date into it. Before buying a ticket with an open date, you need to study the rules for arriving in the country you are interested in, because in some countries they require you to present a ticket with a fixed date of departure, which may simply not let you in. Happy travels!
To buy an air ticket - go to the main page of the site, specify the city of departure and destination, date and click search.
Search for available air tickets through the World Wide Web with an open date.
A huge number of people who decide to travel by plane do not want to overpay for tickets and are looking for ways to purchase them more profitably. Perhaps it will not be the most best flights but cheap. This is the psychology of almost any person.
Tracking the cost of air tickets in various airlines, it is possible to find really interesting options. Maybe it's a sale, or the airline has received a bonus from a serious carrier and can sell plane tickets at reduced fares. However, no one can guarantee that by the time you get to the ticket office, there will still be discounted tickets. It is quite possible that you will have to look for tickets somewhere else and spend money on the road again ..
Possible options for selecting cheap plane tickets via the Internet.
From now on, to find a ticket on the Internet, you no longer need to waste time on the road. All you have to do is compare fares on the websites of several airlines. We advise you to immediately go to a specialized portal site, where you will find an effective service for finding affordable air tickets. The system will quickly give the result in accordance with certain requests. Just imagine how much time you have to spend searching for air tickets if you go to the page of each carrier separately. At the same time, you will hardly find many pages of carriers at all.
Is it dangerous to book plane tickets on the World Wide Web?
Be that as it may, some residents of our country are still suspicious of the Internet. They believe that it is better and more reliable to buy something in traditional ways, avoiding Internet technologies. But there are many who understand well the advantages of the Internet and have been booking plane tickets on trusted portals for a long time.
Today's ticketing services guarantee good protection of personal data. In addition, when paying by credit cards, the procedure is protected by the security system of international payment systems.
Please note! When ordering air tickets via the Internet, bypass offers from individuals, as these are often scammers who earn money through scams. Most often, such "profitable" offers can be found in social networks.
Airplane tickets at an affordable price are various with an open date.
It is worth noting one more thing - the very interpretation of inexpensive tickets. Agree that the flight St. Petersburg - New York and Moscow - St. Petersburg simply should not cost the same due to different travel distances. For this reason, cheap air tickets for these routes are different.
It should also be noted that the best prices for tickets, for the most part, on those routes where large carriers fly, flight frequency is high and larger airplanes. It is also believed that the cost of air tickets is reduced if you buy them in advance. This rule is currently only partially valid, due to the fact that with the growth of the number of competitors, air carriers often sell tickets cheaply before departure in order to fill the aircraft as much as possible.
Where to buy air tickets: summary.
In the end, a few more arguments should be given in favor of the portal site. The advantages of this resource are undeniable: a pleasant and intuitive interface, many offers from airlines, quick selection, a high level of security, various payment options.
UTair announces the expansion of the "Open" tariff option to 19 destinations of its route network. Now flights without reference to time are available not only for the "Light" fare, but also for the "Standard" fare.
The “Open” tariff option allows you to make spontaneous trips and business trips guaranteed cheaper, provided that the passenger is not tied to the departure time – only the date is known in advance. The client receives an itinerary receipt with accurate flight information by e-mail before 16:00 the day before departure.
As part of the expansion of the tariff offer, economy class tickets without baggage under the Light Open tariff option are available for flights from Moscow to Belgorod, Grozny, Yerevan, Kazan, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Makhachkala, Mineralnye Vody, Minsk, Samara, St. Petersburg, Sochi , Surgut, Syktyvkar, Ulyanovsk and Ufa. The tariff will also operate on the route Sochi - Krasnodar.
In addition, a new option is being introduced on these routes - "Standard Open". This offer includes free transportation of one piece of baggage up to 23 kg, as well as the opportunity to exchange a ticket less than 24 hours before and after departure with a fee of 2000 rubles (30 euros). Passengers will be able to purchase a ticket 2 or more days before departure and receive an additional 25% discount when purchasing tickets for children.
Both tariff options will also be valid in the opposite direction at a reduced price of up to 50% (when buying on the site).
“High interest in low-cost tickets with no fixed times has made our pilot project launched in February a success. That is why we are now introducing a new tariff option for 19 destinations of our route network. Open will help passengers of our large country make cheaper trips to different cities, while such savings will not affect high level flight quality and safety,” said Alexei Budnik, President of UTair – Passenger Airlines.
UTair airline is the core of the UTair Group, which includes companies that operate aircraft (airplanes and helicopters), as well as companies that repair and maintain aircraft, train personnel, provide flight services and sell air transportation.
In 2016, UTair aircraft carried 6,654,417 passengers. During the high season, the airline operates flights to 170 destinations, 65 of which are unique. Today, UTair has a modern fleet of over 60 aircraft. The main hub of the airline is Moscow international Airport Vnukovo, through which more than 160 flights of the air carrier pass daily. The headquarters is located in Surgut. UTair has been included in the register of IOSA operators since 2008.