The FAS saw the violation of the rights of consumers in the sales of tickets for flights to countries that are not officially resumed international flights. Service again criticizes the system of vouchers which she suggested to make more flexible, including through the right to refer those coupons to third parties and use other modes of transport. FAS wants to draw attention to the problem of transport, which has left unanswered a similar complaint from the Association of passengers.Sale of air tickets in the countries that suspended flights, may violate the rights of Russian citizens, according to the Federal Antimonopoly service (FAS). “In accordance with the coming into office by citizens and according to media reports, airlines sell tickets for flights in the country’s air traffic, which is currently lacking. According to FAS Russia, this fact creates a risk of flight cancellations due to the lack of permission for international flight”,— stated in the message of FAS. Instead of a refund for the cancelled flight passengers are offered vouchers, and such a practice “might violate the interests of consumers and undermine confidence in the actions of the airlines,” put in the service. The office invites the Ministry of transport to draw attention to this situation.In low traffic flow the money from ticket sales can support the liquidity of the airlines, and nothing prevents them to sell tickets for those flights, which obviously can not be implemented in the context of the prohibition of international flights. The Federal Antimonopoly service in June and has already had questions on the fact of forcing the passenger to obtain a certificate of no alternative, and the limitations of its production — there is once again referred to the violation of consumer rights and antitrust law. The FAS offered to leave the choice to the customers, in particular through the possibility of refund in installments or at a later date, and the certificate to allow transfer and use of other carriers, including rail transport. Lawyers said airlines should return the money to passengers for unused tickets, but I saw here the possibility of ambiguous interpretation of force majeure.And in July the government gave the airlines the right to give passengers vouchers instead of money for the canceled amid coronavirus flights. In the judgment of the government it was about the fact that carriers cannot unilaterally change the terms of the contract of carriage of a passenger or to refuse its execution and to change the order and terms of return of money for tickets when the threat or emergency situations, the introduction of high alert in Russia, if it caused restriction international or domestic flights. Ut��was crelos that this order applies to contracts “to be performed February 1, 2020 for international air travel to China from March 18 — all domestic and other international air transport, concluded before 1 may”. For Charter flights, these rules do not apply.But the problem cancellations, indeed, is not limited to tickets sold before the start of the restrictions or in their midst. So, in late July, the Russian Association of the passengers asked the Federal air transport Agency to forbid “to Aeroflot” to sell tickets for flights in closed countries. Mostly the complaints concerned flights in the EU, July 30, again left border is closed for citizens of the Russian Federation (the decision is made once in 15 days).Now for Russian citizens without restrictions, open for international flights only to the UK, Turkey and Tanzania. Discussed mutual resumption of flights with 30 countries. At the same time on different conditions and some other countries are ready to let Russian citizens, so the demand for appearing in the sale of tickets remains. In fact, the operation of a flight depends not only on the availability of permits for the flights, but downloading it, as it has shown with the change of timetable of flights to Turkey.Tickets for the closed directions from Moscow in August and also sell European airlines. About their cancellation also massively misleading in social networks. At the same time, the European Commission insist that passengers are entitled to a refund for the ticket. However, many European countries — among them Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, France, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Portugal — have already allowed their airlines to give passengers vouchers instead of refunds in case of cancellation of flight.Olga Nikitina
