Are there any discounts for seniors when buying air tickets?

Unfortunately, the size of monthly payments for the overwhelming majority of Russian pensioners does not allow them to purchase tickets for expensive types of transport, one of which is aviation. Therefore, the state met them halfway in this matter and developed a subsidy program that provides an opportunity for discounts on air tickets for pensioners.

Air tickets for seniors. What you need to know

If you set yourself a goal of how to purchase a ticket with a discount for pensioners, you need to consider:

1. Not all Russian aviation companies have joined the preferential program, but many of the participating airlines include such as Aeroflot, S7 Airlines, UTair and others.
2. Some airlines provide their discount systems for air tickets to retirees, in addition to benefits at the state level. For example, for almost two decades veterans of the Great Patriotic War have been able to fly free of charge on Aeroflot liners during the May holidays.
3. An airplane ticket purchased with a pensioner benefit entitles you to a level of service similar to that of a regular air ticket of a certain type of fare.
4. When buying a ticket on preferential terms, you need to know whether it is permissible to return it, change the departure date, and carry extra baggage. It is necessary to get acquainted with this information, because often these opportunities are not provided for beneficiaries.

Conditions for obtaining a discount

According to the program, the state subsidizes part of the cost of tickets not only for senior citizens, but also on the following grounds:

• persons who have worked out retirement experience in an occupation hazardous to health and in the Far North;
• mothers of many children who have raised 5 children (relatives or adopted);
• disabled people with visual problems.

In addition to pensioners, other categories of citizens fall under the program:

• persons under 23 years of age;
• citizens with disabilities of the 1st group and their attendants;
• children with disabilities of all groups with accompanying persons.

• Sakhalin island;
• Magadan Region;
• Kaliningrad region;
• regions of the Far East;
• Transbaikalia;
• areas of the Far North;
• Chukotka;
• Kamchatka.

Are there any discounts on air tickets for retirees living in other parts of Russia? No, while they are deprived of the opportunity to use the preferential program. However, for flights to Crimea, the list of cities from which pensioners can go there at a discount is constantly expanding.

Important! The amount of the discount as a percentage is set by the air carrier, but its maximum size is half the cost of the ticket.

Discount tickets can be used to fly not everywhere, but only to certain regions and with time restrictions.

In the near future, they promise to adopt changes in the conditions for subsidizing air travel to Crimea, Kaliningrad and the cities of the Far Eastern Federal District in order to provide benefits all year round.

Before buying a ticket for a pensioner with a set discount, you need to know that there are some restrictions:

1. It is possible to purchase an exclusively economy class air ticket.
2. If you are a member of any bonus program, miles will not be credited when traveling on a discount ticket.
3. Baggage will not be transported at reduced rates. The conditions for granting benefits only allow carry-on baggage.
4. All additional services, including meals on board, are paid separately.
5. It is usually impossible to exchange a travel document, but this depends on the specific carrier company.

Important! When the ticket is returned, the pensioner's expenses are not reimbursed at all or are refunded in the minimum amount.

Additional terms

According to some provisions of the regulatory documents, discounts on air tickets can be provided when retirees live in remote parts of the Russian Federation and the ability to get out of there only by plane, or if the use of other types of transport is time-consuming.

Another type of concessional plane tickets for retirees is travel documents purchased for a flight to the place of treatment. In this case, the following conditions must be met:

1. You must be a Group I or II disabled pensioner.
2. You are referred for treatment to any sanatorium located within the borders of the territory of the Russian Federation.

If the passenger's initial data meets the above requirements, the ticket is paid in full.

You are entitled to half the cost of a travel document if:

• you are a working pensioner with a group 3 disability;
• accompany the disabled of the first two degrees.

Important! This benefit is valid once a year.

But first, you need to purchase an air ticket on normal terms, and then contact the Social Security Center, providing a referral for treatment and documents on disability and retirement status. They will provide compensation.

Required documents

When retired people buy air tickets, they need to provide the following papers in order to take advantage of the privilege:

1. General passport and its photocopy.
2. Pension certificate or a certificate from the pension fund, since now the first document is not being drawn up.
3. If you have a disability - supporting documents.

If you buy tickets at the airline's offices, then the package of papers is presented there.

In the case of online purchases, discounts are also provided for the purchase of air tickets by seniors. Actions when booking air tickets online:

1. Select a city that is part of the government subsidy program.
2. Select an airline that participates in preferential transportation (has an agreement with the Federal Air Transport Agency).
3. Carefully study the conditions for booking air tickets and the amount of benefits provided.
4. In the appropriate box, check the box that you are a retired person.

Important! The required documents must be taken with you for presentation at the airport, otherwise you may be denied check-in and boarding.

Destinations and cost

The discounted ticket gives pensioners the opportunity to fly by air at fares, the maximum cost of which is set by agreements with the Federal Air Transport Agency.

The number of subsidized tickets is limited, so make sure you get them as early as possible. Discount tickets are often sold out within a few days of the opening of sales.

Each carrier determines a list of flights to subsidized destinations with the ability to fly on air tickets at a discount for retirees.

As an example, below are some of the fares for discounted flights for Ural Airlines.

It is necessary to clarify whether the company has other benefits for air tickets for pensioners, in addition to the state subsidy program. They are provided by various air carriers on their own initiative. Basically, other types of discounts can be used by a narrow circle of beneficiaries for a short time. First of all, these are free flights for participants of the Second World War during the celebration of Victory Day.

For example, "Nordavia" sells discounted air tickets to pensioners participating in the Second World War from 20.04 to 19.05 for the dates of departure from 05.05 to 19.05. And "Nord Star", in addition to providing free tickets to veterans from 1.05 to 13.05, gives the right to an additional free flight if they took advantage of the offer. In this case, the accompanying persons will pay half the cost of the air ticket. The scope of the action may slightly shift from year to year.

The subsidy program gradually covers all new cities, and the duration of its action is increasing. If at first the terms of preferential travel for pensioners were limited to the period 15.05-15.10, then in 2018 - already from 1.04 to 31.12. In the near future, there is a high likelihood of year-round operation of the program. With the help of state subsidies, pensioners get the opportunity to visit family and friends, travel to places of rest, and therefore lead a fulfilling life, despite modest incomes.