A charter is ... A charter is an airplane. Airline tickets, charter

What is a charter? Is it an airplane, type of flight or contract? Why are charter tickets sometimes half as cheap as regular flights? What risks do we face when we decide to fly to a resort with such an airplane? You will learn about the secrets of pricing for charter flights by reading this article. We will try to disclose the logic of such treaties. But the most useful information, which is of interest to ordinary travelers, is whether it is possible to buy a ticket for a charter without purchasing a ticket from the tour operator. We will also try to debunk a number of myths about such flights.

Origin of the term

Charter (charter) is a word from the dictionary of English merchant shipping. The British Empire constantly maintained contact with numerous colonies. But even more were interested in the delivery of their goods for the sea merchant companies. They did not have their own ships at their disposal. So they just started hiring. This cooperation between the ship's captain and the trading house became known as freight. The parties concluded the contract - charter. It could be for one flight (sigle-trip) or for a certain time (time-charter).

Later, the charter contract became the term not only for shipping. It began to be used in air communication. In addition, the meaning of the word "charters" ceased to apply only to freight traffic. The object of freight was passenger seats on board.

Gradually, the original meaning of the term "charter" - the contract - was lost. In other languages, he received a different meaning: a passenger ship (or a part of it) leased from the carrier company for making flights conceived by the charterer. In the modern world, the word "charter" in most cases means airplanes. Therefore, we will use this term in this sense.

Types of the contract of freight

We have already considered what charters are, now we will study what they are. In addition to the main division - for freight and passenger, such freight contracts indicate how long or how many trips they make. There are charter flights. According to the agreement, the airline places the charterer (it is called the consolidator) the aircraft and the crew. Thus, the filling of passenger seats and, consequently, the responsibility for the fact that the cost of the flight pays off completely lies on the shoulders of the tenant firm. They are travel companies. Most often they cooperate to avoid the risks of incomplete filling of the cabin. Such flights operate on the system of "shuttle traders": the plane brings tourists to the resort and immediately takes away those who have ended the tour. In contrast, there is such a thing as a "slop charter". This is when the plane waits for the passengers brought to them at the airport. Such flights are practiced on weekends and on holidays.

Why charter tickets are cheaper

Now consider the process of pricing. In regular flights, the carrier companies are already laying the risks for possibly unsold air tickets. The charter is usually filled to one hundred percent. Skillful marketing policy of travel companies practices such fascinating actions for tourists as early booking, "burning" vouchers, discount cards of a regular user and, finally, "last minute". Thus, it turns out that the passengers, gathered on one board, have tickets of different cost. For some companies, air travel is included in the tour price. Others travel independently, but bought tickets not in ordinary ticket offices, but through a travel agency, they say, "sat on a charter". The fact that the aircraft is chartered by several companies at the same time guarantees full loading of the side. And if the passengers are still small, a smaller aircraft will be landing. Therefore, there is no risk. Therefore, charter flights are often cheaper than regular ones. Although it does not always happen.

Legal Aspects

What should a passenger know who buys a ticket for a charter flight? Firstly, the fact that he is making this purchase by signing an agreement with a travel agency rather than with the airline. Tickets are externally the same, and if everything goes well, you will not feel any difference. But if you want to cancel the tour, the airfare is not refundable. They also can not be refunded or postponed.

Often, cheap charters include fixed dates. Such flights can be late, since they fly in "temporary windows" between regular trips. That is, on the runway, the prerogative is enjoyed by those aircraft that are listed in the timetable. This circumstance should be taken into account when a connecting flight awaits you. The airline does not bear any responsibility for the delay of the vessel. But in some cases, you can take a ticket for such an airplane with an open date for the return flight (subject to reservations for a certain period).

Charter schedule

The movement of such flights is very irregular. In the "high season", which can last from two to six months, charter planes fly very often. Then their number is noticeably reduced, and in some directions disappears altogether. There are only regular flights. Tourist companies can only buy a part of the cabin from the air carrier. But the aircraft still flies on a scheduled schedule of a regular route, while charter flights make a landing directly at the airports of the resorts. For example, in Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey in winter you can fly, only buying a ticket from the carrier company. Often the planes land in Athens and Istanbul, while in the season you can get to Crete, Kos, Burgas or Antalya by charter. The timetable for such aircraft is displayed on the scoreboard at the airport. However, charter flights are irregular. Therefore, they are not on the list of departures and arrivals of airlines.

Myth and its debunking

Since tickets for charters are often cheaper than regular flights (sometimes 2-3 times), nothing understanding in pricing people starts to build idle speculation. Say, give old, worn-out machines, which almost two times on the third crash. It is not true. The charterer rents ordinary planes that perform regular flights. The type of car is determined the day before departure, when the number of tickets sold becomes clear. But this does not affect the safety of the flight. All machines without exception are checked by technical service at the airport, they are all equipped in the same way. For example, Transaero charters use such remarkable aircraft as Tu-204-100C, Tu-214, Airbus A320neo, Boeing 777, 747, 767 and 737. Aeroflot takes Tu-154 cars for its irregular flights , IL-86. In Western Europe, very comfortable Tu-154M fly.

Debunking the second myth: a charter is not a loukost

The saying "Cheap does not happen" determines the expectations of passengers from the service on an irregular flight. We do not forget that the principle of total economy on everything (except flight safety, of course) is practiced only in so-called "loukostes". There tickets are really "cheaper than dirt". But there is not only a business class compartment, but also fixed seats, catering facilities and the opportunity to refuse an acquired ticket. Passengers fill the lounge, like a bus, - sit down on empty seats. Food (drinks and snacks) is offered for a fee.

In charter, the level of service depends on the airline. Some do not want to deviate from the standards adopted in regular flights. But there are also such airlines, which completely give out the passenger service to the charterer. Such airplanes may not have a business class, and the food is reduced to a sandwich-salad set without serving alcohol.

How to buy tickets for a charter

It's not as easy as it sounds. Since the aircraft is leased to consolidating firms, tickets for it should be sought not at the ticket offices, but from these most travel agencies. Those, in turn, are interested in including as much as possible of their services to customers. This includes the whole package: ground transfer, hotel accommodation, meals, excursions. But every year the specific weight of independent tourists becomes more and more apparent in the tourist market. They want from the charterer only to "get hooked on a charter". The aircraft is completed in this way: the bulk of the passengers are those who have purchased permits. If you are planning your holiday in advance, the firm will offer you to buy the whole tour or zalomit for a ticket the same cost as on regular flights. The purchase is beneficial only if other aircraft do not fly in this direction. For example, there are no regular flights to Hurghada or Goa.

When to buy cheap tickets

The closer the departure date, the more expensive the place for a regular flight. On the charters, however, there is a completely opposite trend. Leasing the whole plane, the charterers begin to get nervous if the interior fills slowly. And they are completely covered by panic when there are three or two days before departure. The companies are ready to sell seats on the plane already without any tour packages and even below the cost price in order to help out at least something. That's where you need to "forge iron." However, so you risk not to fly away at all. After all, in high season, the salons are filled to the very outset. But it does not matter. Most travel agencies have a "Ticket exchange" heading on the site. On it you can see the offers in the directions, where the specific dates of departure and price are indicated. The latter indicator often changes.