Charter flights. What is a charter flight and how does it differ from a regular flight? The difference between a charter flight and a regular flight

A charter is a flight for which tickets cannot be purchased at the ticket office in advance, and it is not mentioned in the airport schedule. Anyone who has been on a tourist trip abroad knows about this type of flight.

How are charter flights organized?

The name charter comes from the English word to chart, which means hiring a ship. In its modern meaning, a charter flight is a flight that is organized specifically, for a specific time and in a specific direction. A similar maritime term can be considered bareboat, when a sea vessel is hired.

Charter plane on course

Charter flights are not regular and are carried out in accordance with a special passenger transportation schedule. The organization of charter flights is almost always carried out by a travel company, sports club, enterprise or other wealthy organization.

To transport a group of people (a team of athletes, tourists, company employees or pilgrims) by plane at an affordable price and to a place where there is no regular flight, the organizer rents the entire plane along with its crew. The condition of the aircraft, the comfort of the flight and the level of service are directly dependent on the amount paid for the flight, which means it is necessary to pay attention to this.

Everything, from the package of permits to preparation before the flight, is carried out by the flight organizer. A travel operator is in charge of allocating seats on board an aircraft to travel agents who want to transport their clients to their desired destination.

Travel companies become the owners of tickets for a charter flight, and, in accordance with their tariffs, sell them to the end customers - tourists of package tours.

Experts note that the demand for charter flights and new air travel destinations increases sharply during the summer holidays. During this period, the demand for airline services (for example, the Turkish company Onur Air) significantly exceeds their resources. The maximum number of summer charters are carried out from Moscow, the Northern capital, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar. During this period, planes fly to Turkey (especially a lot to Antalya), Egypt, Bulgaria, the city of Tivat in Montenegro and other resort countries.

The sports team has arrived

What is the difference between a regular flight and a charter flight?

Although regular and non-scheduled flights sometimes use the same aircraft, they differ in several respects. There are several differences that will help you understand what a charter is:

• The passenger receives a ticket for a regular flight in his hands after paying for it at the ticket office. A travel company issues a ticket for a charter flight no earlier than one day after departure. Sometimes a document or a whole batch of them is issued to tour buyers only upon arrival at the airport.
• The flight organizer can change the departure time at any time - from several days to several hours before departure. The earliest reservations can be made for 24 hours only.
• If a passenger is late for the plane at the scheduled departure time, then his return ticket is simply cancelled.
• When carrying charter passengers, the airports at which flights will arrive or depart may often change. In addition, they can change the plane itself. Such replacements are very rare on regular flights, unlike on non-scheduled ones.
• The entire organization of flights is shared between the tour operator company, the air carrier company and the airport. This allows all participants in the process to take into account their interests in setting ticket prices and flight schedules. And if the normal interaction of these three parties disappears, then the air bridge may not work properly. And this is one of the negative aspects of irregular transportation in comparison with regular ones.
• The cabins of charter flights are usually more densely packed with passenger seats so that the price per seat is lower. In defense of this, it can be said that some modern scheduled low-cost carriers install seats even more tightly into the cabins of flying ships.
• Travel companies try to reduce the cost of travel as much as possible, and therefore the passenger’s in-flight comfort can be significantly reduced due to various savings: from canceling meals during the flight to reducing the weight of luggage. In simple words, those who want to save money cannot demand the service.
• Non-scheduled flights may be rescheduled or delayed in favor of regular ones if a traffic jam occurs. Passengers on regular flights must make connections in time, which charter flights simply do not have.

These few differences will help anyone imagine what a charter flight is.

Important! A tourist who plans to get to his final destination himself and only fly back must definitely tell the staff of his travel company about this.

Benefits of charter flights

Non-scheduled air travel has its advantages. This is evidenced by the stable and growing demand for charter flights of specialized companies.

Let's list them:

• The main advantage is that a tourist can fly to places where regular air travel has never flown. And a charter can be organized to any place on the globe.
• Due to the fact that non-scheduled flights are always direct, the passenger will not have to face the problems of transfers and connections at unfamiliar airports if there is not enough time between flights.
• The passenger of a direct charter flight receives an economic benefit because the tickets are significantly lower than usual because the tour operator receives a significant discount for renting the entire aircraft. At the beginning and end of the season, the difference in ticket prices can reach 200-300%.
• If unforeseen circumstances occur, the travel company can always issue an unclaimed ticket to someone else.

Charter flight completed

Disadvantages of irregular flights

If there are several advantages, it would be logical to assume that there must also be disadvantages. It does not happen that a very low price will provide only advantages. That’s right, there are several inconvenient features of charters:

• Scheduled flights are always the first to arrive on the runway because they are the airlines' priority.
• Such flights are carried out strictly according to the schedule, which contains the aircraft rental agreement. Therefore, vacationers will not be able to reschedule their return flight at low cost and enjoy their vacation longer.
• If you cancel the flight, the money paid cannot be returned. Although this is done on regular flights, but not on all flights, it depends on the fare.
• Paying for a charter flight excludes receiving any bonuses in the form of miles, etc.
• Due to the fact that the charter schedule is always prepared for the time when regular flights do not take off, it is usually inconvenient. Departures happen either sooner or later. For tourists, this entails inconvenience associated with a long wait for check-in at a hotel or earlier check-out, which is affected by the departure time.
• Unlike regular flights, passengers cannot check in for the plane online. But recently, large carrier companies have begun to organize online check-in for charter flights.

Private jet interior

Misconceptions About Charters

Tourists with little travel experience do not yet know what a charter is. And so there are some myths that we will look at below:

• Most non-scheduled flights are carried out on older aircraft. It is not true. For this purpose, the same aircraft are used as for regular flights. The age and reliability of the aircraft depends entirely on which one the consolidator charters.
• Charters are not reliable. Here, too, everything depends on the specific organizing company.
• You shouldn't count on food during the flight. On the contrary, everything happens in full accordance with nutritional standards, depending on the duration of the flight.
• An irregular flight can be canceled very easily. This is not possible since the passenger's rights are protected. The flight can be postponed for up to several days, but it cannot be cancelled.
• You cannot carry luggage for free. Baggage allowances are the same for any air travel and depend on the flight class.

Note! If passengers on charter flights are delayed, they have the same rights as everyone else. According to the rules of air passenger and baggage transportation, all passengers have the right to visit the mother and child room, make phone calls and send emails, be provided with hot food and drinks, check into a hotel and store luggage. It all depends only on the time for which the flight was delayed. It is important to ensure that the delay is noted on the ticket at the airport.

Boarding

Buying a cheap charter flight ticket

Having figured out what a charter means, many decide to fly on it. A tourist who is looking for charter flights will immediately understand that it is cheaper. You can usually buy them if you book a tour with a travel company. Inexpensive tickets come as a package along with payment for a three-star hotel and included expenses for food and entertainment. Such tickets will cost less than similar ones for a standard flight.

How do you know if you can buy a ticket for a charter flight separately from the tour? To do this you need to show patience and endurance. For example, a last minute ticket on the Moscow - Antalya route may appear on a special website for the sale of such tickets. Also, such an offer may appear shortly before departure on the website of a large travel company-transportation operator.

Every person who needs to fly on a charter flight can get enough information about non-scheduled air transportation and the nuances of charter flights in this material. Anyone who wanted to know that this is a charter will be able to find out. The only thing left to do is compare the level of your financial capabilities with the offers from travel companies that are available in your region.

Air travel allows us to quickly and comfortably reach almost anywhere in the world. But why, when purchasing a tourist package through an agency, do we receive charter tickets? While individual travel for personal or business purposes in most cases is carried out on regular flights. Of course, the advantages of the latter are familiar first-hand to many experienced conquerors of airspace. However, the lion's share of average Russians is still at a loss as to how a charter differs from a regular flight. The answer to this question will be given in our article.

Definitions

Charter– an agreement between the charterer (lessee) and the owner of the vehicle for its full or partial rental. In the context of air transportation, this term means a flight made outside the regular schedule under a pre-concluded deal between the carrier and the tour operator. In most cases, charter passengers are travelers flying to popular resorts. Food and service are included in the ticket price, which, by the way, is very affordable. Since the charter flight is organized at the expense and under the guarantee of the customer, the carrier risks absolutely nothing. Having in hand an agreement confirming timely payment, he can reduce the cost of ferrying the vessel without worrying about underloading. Thus, both the customer and the shipowner benefit. Only the latter does not risk anything, while the tour operator may suffer losses in the event of a shortage of passengers. If tickets are not sold very actively, he has the right to attract other travel organizers, providing them with part of the seats for sale.

Regular flight– a departure of an aircraft of a specific airline, performed strictly according to schedule. Organized on an ongoing basis. That is, regular flights are operated year-round in accordance with a clear schedule. However, they cannot be canceled even if there is only one passenger on board. Obviously, in such situations the airline incurs significant losses, on the other hand, its reputation is at stake. It should be noted that traveling on regular flights is quite expensive. However, due to high competition in the air services market, many carriers announce special discounts for their clients. Preferential categories usually include children, pensioners and students. In addition, the earlier you purchase a ticket for a regular flight, the cheaper it will cost. Ideally, it is recommended to make a purchase 3-6 months before departure. Whereas as the departure date approaches, the price will only begin to rise.

Comparison

These types of flights differ in a number of parameters, which we will discuss in more detail. As mentioned above, regular flights are operated on a regular basis throughout the year according to the established schedule. In this regard, they are not organized along all routes, but only along economically advantageous routes. Let's take the Indian island of Goa as an example. Despite the popularity of this destination, regular flights to those latitudes are unlikely to ever be launched. After all, you can relax at the resort only from October to April. In other months, due to worsening weather conditions, travelers simply do not fly there. That is why you can get to Goa directly only by charter flight, which starts at the beginning of the holiday season. Thus, such flights are carried out only on popular tourist routes at certain times of the year. They do not have a clear schedule and are carried out “in windows” between regular flights. Their organizer is a tour operator.

Charter tickets cannot be purchased at the ticket office; they are purchased through an agency and handed over to the passenger two days before the start of the trip. Whereas you can get a “ticket” for a regular air flight at any official sales point. From a legal point of view, it is a contract for the provision of services, which cannot be said about a charter ticket. The latter's passenger cannot make claims against the airline in the event of a flight disruption.

Another difference between a charter and a regular flight is that the former is often delayed. That is, the aircraft often takes off 10-20 hours later than the stated departure time. This is explained by the fact that in the event of an emergency situation at the airport, regular flights are the first to be launched.

A charter always involves a direct flight without transfers. Moreover, the departure time is set either in the early morning or in the late evening. In this regard, tourists often lose almost a day of proper rest. Regular flights usually operate throughout the day. In case of unforeseen circumstances, the ticket purchased with them can be returned back and receive a certain percentage of the cost. As mentioned above, a flight on a regular flight will cost the traveler much more than a charter flight. Moreover, in the first case, as the departure date approaches, the price will increase, and in the second, on the contrary, it will decrease. It is worth noting that it is simply not possible to return a ticket purchased through a tour operator.

Another important point: charters do not involve division by class. All tourists are in equal conditions. This is explained by the desire to increase the profitability of the flight. Moreover, airplanes often have additional rows of seats, which does not have the best effect on passenger comfort. Often, charter flights operate in multiples of seven days, based on the length of standard tours. Regular flights depart at a wide variety of frequencies. Planes on one route can depart several times a day, while on the second - only once a week. It all depends on the popularity of the destination. Seats on regular flights are ranked by class: first, business and economy. This creates additional convenience for people with high incomes.

Let's summarize what is the difference between a charter and a regular flight.

Charter	Regular flight
Occurs outside of a clearly established schedule	Dispatched strictly on schedule
Organized on the basis of an agreement between the carrier and the tour operator	The organizer is the airline
Launched only at the beginning of the holiday season	Flying on a regular basis throughout the year
Departs to popular tourist destinations	Organized only on routes that are economically profitable throughout the year
Frequent delays are possible	Departs on time
Ticket purchased through a travel agency	The ticket is purchased at the airline's official sales points
The passenger cannot make a claim to the carrier for disruption or rescheduling of the flight.	A ticket is a contract for the provision of services, the carrier is the responsible person
Involves a direct flight without transfers	Possible transfers along the route
Departure time is not very convenient	Planes depart during the day
Tickets are non-refundable	You can return a purchased ticket and receive a percentage of its cost.
Cheaper flight	The price is much higher
Ticket prices decrease as departure date approaches	The closer the departure time, the higher the ticket price
There is no division by class	Airplane seats are ranked by class
Departures are carried out at periods that are multiples of the tour duration	Aircraft depart at a wide variety of frequencies

25.06.2019, 06:00

Charter flights are direct flights in a certain direction, organized not by airlines, but by third-party customers. This is often an excellent way to fly directly to resorts from different cities. Such movement has its advantages, for example, savings, but there are also disadvantages.

Charter Features

A charter is a flight ordered by a tour operator to transport tourists to a specific destination. In summer, flights from different cities are often organized. In winter, the most popular are Thailand, and. Departure can be carried out from cities that do not have regular flights. But at the same time, the charter is not included in the general schedule; tickets are sold only through tour operators.

What is a charter

This is a rental of an aircraft for a certain time, while the crew and equipment are the same as on regular flights. The organization of movement is carried out by ground services that control scheduled flights. The only difference is in the sale of tickets: only those companies that ordered it sell seats on a charter.

What does charter mean when traveling to a resort?

This means the flight will be non-stop, a direct flight will save as much time as possible. But there will be no business class in the cabin. All passengers fly under equal conditions, often with economy service. Booking a flight for a tourist organization is very expensive, so there is almost always a saving mode in place, which affects the quality of food and accommodation for passengers.

Benefits of charter flights

1. The main advantage of charters is the low cost of air tickets. The price of a charter air ticket can be 30-60% lower than regular flights. And although the service is not the best, getting there is economical.
2. Often the charter is sold together with hotel accommodation. This is convenient for those who do not know the country or language well. This trip is ideal for relaxation. Meals, insurance, and excursions are offered for an additional fee. It is up to the buyer to decide whether to use such services or not.
3. With the help of a charter, you can go non-stop to places where regular flights do not fly. And all this without long waits for flights, searching for multiple tickets and complex route selection. Flights to popular resorts are organized even from small towns.

Disadvantages of charter flights

1. The charter flight schedule is not stable. Usually, a charter departure is “built in” to the schedule of permanent (regular) flights, as a result of which delays are possible. The planes that move on specific dates are always released first, since passengers often plan transfers and are in a hurry to get to work. Charters are always direct, most clients go on vacation, so they can be moved by a few minutes or hours. And flights are often organized at inconvenient times.
2. Bonuses and miles for flights on charters are not awarded. Additional gifts are only possible from the tour operator, but only when purchasing tours, not individual tickets.
3. It will not be possible to return a ticket for a charter flight. Sometimes it is possible to exchange for another date or re-register to another person, but only if the company agrees to a meeting.
4. A charter flight is an opportunity to get to your holiday destination at a modest price. But such flights are organized only to popular countries and in the “high” season. Charter flights are also possible for any events. For example, flights to the Olympic Games are always organized not only for athletes, but also for fans.

Today, in addition to regular flights, airlines offer charter flights for passengers. They are convenient because they allow you to fly even to those parts of the world where conventional planes do not fly. Moreover, this can be done without transfers and a little cheaper.

A charter flight is a flight made on special request. It means that places are purchased by interested travel companies who sell them to their clients.

Such flights are sent only if there is demand for them, and there are no regular aircraft with such routes.

According to the rules, charters are not indicated in schedules, and seats on them are not sold at the box office. They can only be purchased from tour operators. To fly on a charter, a tourist just needs to provide the necessary information to a travel agency, which organizes the trip and books seats on the plane.

A charter flight differs from a regular flight in that:

1. For a regular flight, the ticket is given immediately upon purchase, and for a charter you can get it at the airport before check-in or the day before departure. This is not particularly inconvenient, but you need to remember this.
2. If the passenger does not catch the plane, the travel agency operator will cancel the return ticket. It happens that in such cases, tourists get to the resort on their own, and plan to fly home on a return charter, which was originally arranged by the tour operator. To do this, you must notify the travel agency.
3. Air charter operations may move to another airport or change aircraft. This almost never happens on regular departures.
4. It is impossible to reserve a convenient seat on a charter, since reservations are opened extremely rarely.

Kinds

Charter flights come in several types. There is a difference in price and amenities between them. The cheapest is considered a wet charter, and the most expensive is VIP.

shuttle

In this form the plane It delivers and picks up new passengers all the time. Shuttle flights are slightly more expensive than other types of charters because the first and last flights depart empty and the cost of the flight remains the same.

Split

This is a combined flight where Passengers fly part of the way on a regular plane, and then switch to a charter plane. This method of transportation is used when traveling to particularly remote places.

Poly charter

Similar to split, but its difference is that passengers are forced to change planes 2 or more times. Here too, this is due to the possibilities of departure to the most remote parts of the world.

Corporate

Corporate charter is arranged by companies, to organize travel for your employees to attend events, such as conferences, meetings.

Charter sucks

This type represents a departure where the plane transports clients to the final destination of the route, stays there and then returns back with them. This method is used to save money, since parking a vehicle is cheaper than sending the plane back empty. The only negative is that the time spent on vacation is limited to about a week.

VIP

The most expensive type of charter, since this flight The customer rents the entire vehicle.

Advantages and disadvantages

Such flights have their advantages and disadvantages, which are related to the comfort for passengers.

• the opportunity to visit remote places where regular flights do not fly or fly extremely rarely. This saves time and budget that would have to be spent on transplants;
• affordable price compared to regular flights;
• if the client is unable to fly on the set date, and the seat has already been purchased, then it can be reassigned to another person.

• the flight may be postponed or the departure time may be shifted in favor of a regular flight that must be skipped ahead;
• By purchasing a ticket on your own without involving a tour operator, you may encounter insufficient occupancy of the airliner, which will result in the flight being cancelled. But in this case, the company will select another nearest flight in the desired direction;
• the duration of the tour through a charter is limited in time, because the planes have a clear flight schedule and it will not be possible to extend your vacation at the resort;
• Bonus miles are not awarded for such air travel;
• If you cancel your flight, money for the purchased seat will not be returned;
• in order to save money in such aircraft there are only economy class seats, therefore, the option to fly comfortably in business class is not available. This is due to an increase in the total number of passenger seats.

All disadvantages are due to lower prices, so the flight quality is worse than on regular aircraft. But this does not stop many tourists.

Misconceptions

Inexperienced travelers may have doubts and misconceptions about charter flights. It is worth knowing that all these fears are in vain. Among them are the following:

1. The fleet of such companies consists only of old aircraft. This is one of the main misconceptions that is not true. Flights are carried out by the same airliners that fly regular flights.
2. Charter flights are unreliable. This is not true, since if the departure is delayed, passengers will be offered free food, and if there is a long wait, they will be able to spend the night in a hotel at the airport terminal.
3. There is no food on charter. In fact, depending on the flight time, passengers are given drinks and meals.
4. Flight cancellations. If a flight is cancelled, it will be rescheduled or another airliner will be provided, but the flight will take place in any case.
5. Flight without luggage. It is a misconception that when flying on a charter you cannot take luggage with you. This is not true, since carriers' baggage allowances apply here, which always include free transportation of a certain number of things.

Why are tours with charter flights cheaper? What are the pros and cons of charter flights? How to buy charter tickets? Read about all this in our article.

A charter flight is an air flight ordered and paid for by a tour operator from an airline.

Charters most often fly early in the morning or late in the evening, when the airport is not overloaded and it is beneficial for everyone to serve such a flight. The customer receives low prices, and the airport receives additional income.

The airport and airlines earn little on such flights, so there is no doubt which flight should be moved to the side if necessary.

• Charter departures are often rescheduled;
• These flights most often do not have online check-in;
• tickets are often issued directly at the airport;
• no bonus miles are counted;
• the purchased ticket is non-refundable;

But there are also advantages:

• the ticket becomes cheaper as the departure date approaches;
• prices for charters are usually cheaper than for regular flights;
• quality of service meets airline standards;
• real last-minute tours are only available with charters;

According to statistics from the Onlinetours company, out of 1,100 charter flights in June 2019, transfers occurred in 248 cases, of which 236 with a departure delay of no more than 2 hours, and 12 with significant changes in departure time.

Thanks to the ability to order a charter, tour operators create favorable prices for tours. The difference in ticket prices can reach 70%, and tourists get to the best resorts in the world without transfers and overpayments!

The only reason for expensive tours to Cuba is problems with charter flight occupancy. It is very difficult to recruit a whole planeload of tourists who can pay 100,000 rubles for a tour. But such planes fly to Turkey several times a day! 🙂

How to distinguish a charter flight from a regular one?

The easiest way to distinguish a charter from a regular flight is to pay attention to the flight number. If it is four digits, it is a charter. Do you see three numbers? So this is a regular flight.

A charter flight can be identified by 4 digits in the flight number

In addition, charters almost always operate non-stop.

How to avoid problems if a flight is rescheduled?

If you are flying on your own, it is better to give preference to those airlines with a large fleet and operating regular flights. In Russia, almost all airlines operate charter flights:

• Aeroflot
• Ural Airlines
• Yakutia
• Utair
• NordStar Airlines

And there are airlines that mainly deal only with charters:

• I FLY - works with TEZ TOUR
• Azur Air - works with Anex Tour.
• Royal flight - works with Coral Travel
• Pegasus Fly
• Red Wings Airlines
• Nordwind

Finding tickets for charter flights is easy.

1. Go to the Aviasales website
2. Set destination and dates
3. In the airline filter, select charter carriers

How to find charters on Aviasales

If the ticket price is higher than regular, and there is less than a week before departure. Take whatever is cheaper. Do you have time to wait? Wait or buy a tour through a tour operator.

Charter flights only drop in price a week before departure.

When buying a tour, pay attention to the quality of the support. The agency in the metro may not call you, but OnlineTours carefully monitors changes in the flight program and immediately informs you by letter about any postponements. And 5 or less days before departure, they will definitely call you on the phone to inform you about a change in departure time.