After the termination of work by age, a person is entitled to a well-deserved rest. However, the material security of most pensioners in Russia is so low that older people live almost below the poverty line, let alone travel or air travel. At the same time, pensioners and some other categories of citizens can receive benefits for air travel.
The essence of the offer of air carriers
To help low-income categories of airlines, airlines such as Yamal, Aeroflot, Russia, Icarus, Siberia today provide cheap air tickets for senior citizens. This is an opportunity to purchase travel documents for an airplane with good discounts.
All data on airline privileges are posted on official websites. The cost is reduced, as a rule, by 10-30% of the initial price. When making a purchase, the client must put a note on their social status and purchase a ticket already at a discount. Before purchasing a travel document, you must study all the conditions of the preferential offer on the airline’s website. In the process of registering at the airport, one should present a pensioner's certificate, which is the basis for receiving a discount.
Federal preferential program
The state preferential program, which is funded by the government, applies to residents of the Far East region and pensioners. The essence of the state program is that air tickets for the Far East, pensioners are provided with a significant discount on flights to megacities or the region. The discount amount is 50% of the initial ticket price. Given the high prices for flights from this region, many residents praised these benefits from the state and are actively using discounts.
The only minus of the state preferential program is the restriction of flights by season. Reduced tickets for pensioners are available only in the summer.
Capabilities of certain categories of persons
Separate conditions were provided for disabled pensioners of the first and second groups who received treatment for treatment in one of the sanatoriums of the Russian Federation. The state reimburses the full fare to the place of spa treatment and back. Working pensioners with a third group disability, as well as accompanying citizens, receive a discount of half the cost of the trip. The privilege can be used only once a year.
To receive information about discounts and to purchase a ticket, you must personally contact the airline’s office. The ticket is purchased by the client at full cost, and after that the Social Security Center compensates the travel expenses to the beneficiary. In order to receive compensation, it is necessary to present a certificate of a disabled person.
Additions to the general rules
Today, there are many airlines on the market that offer customers to reduce the cost of flights by reducing the comfort provided. Cheap flights are operated by low-cost airlines (also known as discounters or low-cost airlines). With the purchase of such tickets, the discount can reach up to 30% of the initial cost. Reduced prices apply to flights abroad as well as domestic flights. In the list of flights operated by low-cost airlines, you can find trips to international resorts, European capitals and cultural centers.
Low cost airlines, as already mentioned, reduce the cost of flights by reducing the comfort of passengers. So, you can list the following disadvantages of cheap flights:
- luggage is not included in the ticket price, sometimes only hand luggage or small bags are allowed;
- during the flight, the passenger is deprived of good service from the company; lunches in low-cost airlines, as a rule, are not provided;
- a cheap ticket cannot be handed over or exchanged for another date.
Conditions for obtaining discounts on flights
You can get reliable information about whether a pensioner has the opportunity to take advantage of state benefits when planning flights, on the official websites of airlines and the state program. To date, lists of regions have been compiled, older residents of which can take advantage of these benefits.
Thus, benefits for pensioners on airline tickets are available for men after 60 years and for women after 55. Disabled people of the first group, disabled people of the second group, disabled people of the third group and people who accompany them can also take this opportunity. Moreover, a person applying for a preferential flight must be registered in one of the following regions:
- Transbaikalia;
- Far North;
- Kaliningrad region;
- Far Eastern region.
Since the state pays the cost of the flight from the budget, the directions of flights are limited. As a rule, flights between subsidized regions to Moscow, as well as to St. Petersburg are permissible. Discounts are valid from April 1 to October 31.
The procedure for buying cheap flights
In order to manage to buy a ticket at a discounted price, it is necessary to make a reservation and purchase one week, two or even three weeks before the planned flight, since the offer is limited by quotas. Air tickets for pensioners at preferential prices are sold in a limited quantity, and their number usually does not exceed 8-10% of the total number of available seats on the flight.
The rule of the day is also valid at the time of purchase - this is a discount that is presented if you include the night from Saturday to Sunday in the dates of your stay in another city or country. It is important to consider that the cost of international flights does not apply to Russian benefits for pensioners.
In some airlines, you can also purchase a ticket at a reduced fare if you plan a long stay (more than a month) at your destination. Buying an air ticket in both directions, you can save about 35% of the initial cost. But a ticket with an open date for all carriers is more expensive.
If there are no preferential tariffs for the required dates, then it is worth checking the discounts of other airlines, perhaps changing the departure date. When purchasing a discount ticket, you must also make sure that this is the final price, which includes all taxes and fees.
Cheap flights have another inconvenient property - this is a significant loss upon return. To prevent financial loss, you must plan your flight in advance. Also, cheap tickets are not booked for long periods of time. The maximum booking period is usually not higher than 72 hours.
If connecting flights are planned during the flight, it is necessary to clarify the time of landing and departure, so that the minimum period of time is enough for a transfer.
The maximum cost of the flight for benefits
Currently, for each flight, the ticket price is limited and depends on the length of the airway. For long flights, the price may not exceed 12 thousand rubles, for short distances - not higher than 4.5 thousand rubles. For example, a round-trip flight from Kaliningrad to St. Petersburg or to the capital will cost about 3 thousand rubles. The discount on the purchase of a travel document can reach up to 50%.
For veterans of the Second World War and other special categories of citizens there are 50% discounts on flights. In addition, once a year, you can exercise the right to a free flight to the place of treatment and back, if there is no way to get to the place of treatment by other transport. Reduced air tickets for pensioners are offered in limited quantities. You need to book or buy them long before the trip.
Additional discounts from carriers
During the purchase of tickets, it is necessary to check with the airline about the availability of additional discounts for pensioners on the ticket. Very frequent carriers carry out promotions in order to attract passengers. Promotions may be relevant for a specific route or for a specific period. To purchase a ticket cheaper, you must agree to the restrictions that may be as follows:
- lack of baggage (except for hand luggage);
- lack of power on the plane ;
- the inability to change the purchased ticket for another date;
- in case of returning the ticket to the client from the airline, its partial cost is refunded.
The most advantageous offers for WWII veterans are valid in May. The action allows you to perform free flights in any direction, leaving the same amount of prices with benefits for airline tickets for pensioners. 2017 in the issue of ticket prices remains the same as the previous ones.