Discounts for pensioners on air tickets in 2020: procedure for obtaining

In recent years, demand for air travel has been growing rapidly in Russia. And it's not strange. Flights to anywhere in the country are fast and convenient. New airlines are emerging, which, in a competitive environment for the provision of such services, offer special preferential programs together with the state. They operate for a certain category of citizens.

Benefits for air tickets in 2020 are special government programs that were developed by the Government of the Russian Federation to regulate pricing for certain categories of citizens. For the past 8 years, the state has been allocating funds to subsidize air tickets. This makes it possible for some categories of citizens to travel using air transport at reduced rates. In addition, such social programs can increase the accessibility of some regions for residents of the Russian Federation and increase the flow of tourists to resort areas.

The ticket price is reduced due to:

removal of taxes and some fees;
compensation of part of the costs by the state for their value.

Benefits for pensioners when purchasing air tickets

The program to support socially vulnerable segments of the population provides benefits for air travel. The project, as amended, was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 215 of March 2, 2019. The goal is to increase the interest of retirees in flying. There are several types of benefit programs:

State program (subsidized air tickets for pensioners, disabled people and students under 23 years of age). Women over 55 years old can take part, men over 60 years old. The discount varies from 10 to 50%. The list of airlines operating under the program is limited (you can purchase tickets for Aeroflot, Ural Airlines, Yakutia, Siberia, etc. at a discount).
Alternative ticket. You can buy cheap air tickets from low-cost airline companies. Their prices are more favorable than plane tickets for pensioners with a discount under the government program. However, there is one drawback: citizens are deprived of the opportunity to use additional services free of charge (luggage transportation, meals).
Discount airline tickets. Many companies offer discount coupons to citizens during the holidays or vacation season. You can find out more about them from airline employees or on the official website. The discount ranges from 10 to 30%.

Who can claim benefits

The program for subsidizing air tickets started in 2009, the latest changes were made in 2020 by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 03/02/18. The provision is carried out at the expense of the federal budget. The preferential category of citizens has the right to receive a discount of up to 50%. These include:

persons who have reached retirement age (women – 55 years, men – 60 years);
disabled people of group 1 and accompanying persons;
disabled people of groups 2 and 3 with limited physical abilities.

The subsidy can be received after providing supporting documents (pension card, passport). The program can be used by people living in remote regions of the country. For 2019, 33 constituent entities of the Russian Federation participating in the project have been identified (Far East, Siberia, Magadan, Chukotka Territory, etc.).

Some subtleties

Elderly Russian citizens will be able to purchase flight tickets at a deep discount and outside the subsidy program. Some companies have cheap flights to low-cost airlines. The essence of the proposal: you are allowed to take hand luggage with you free of charge, you can receive meals, and choose your seat. The listed services are included in the default tariff. But low-cost airlines provide them for a fee. If you don't use comfort options, you can save money. This option is suitable for pensioners as an alternative.

To purchase a plane ticket at a reduced price, an elderly citizen goes through several steps:

Receives a benefit by issuing a coupon with several airlines participating in the state program.
Get acquainted with the list of discounts and benefits provided by the selected airline. Makes sure that the offer is profitable and should be taken advantage of.
Makes a mark that he is a pensioner (when booking on a special service).
Prepares documents for purchasing a ticket.

Elderly people should take into account that if they have a coupon purchased as part of a promotion, this does not mean a change in the tariff. Passengers of preferential categories receive the same service in the aircraft cabin as others with the right to concessions. By purchasing a ticket at a reduced price, you will find out in advance the possibilities of returning and extending it, increasing the number of suitcases and bags carried. According to the rules, the conditions for preferential passenger transportation are strict and they do not always have such opportunities. You will not be able to buy a ticket for a first or business class seat. The subsidy includes seats only in economy class.

Important! A person has the right to purchase one discounted ticket for one flight.

At the state level, additions to the rules for preferential flights have been established. Disabled pensioners of groups 1 and 2 sent to sanatoriums to restore their health receive reimbursement from the state for their flight in the amount of a 100% discount. Working elderly people - disabled people of group 3 or accompanying persons are given a 50% discount on the cost of the flight.

Beneficiaries are allowed to purchase a state-subsidized plane ticket once per year. Men who retired at the age of 60 and women after 55 are eligible to take advantage of the special offer. The cost of the flight is variable and depends on the tariff of the airline company and the flight direction.

Airline specials

Many airlines regularly hold promotions on flights and sell tickets for a certain category of people. Their goal is to advertise their own services, increase sales, and increase demand. Discounts can be taken advantage of by:

pensioners;
disabled people;
WWII participants;
children of war.

In 2019-2020, more than 20 air carriers are holding promotions, including:

Aeroflot.
Yakutia.
Transaero.
Ural Airlines.
Komiavitrans.
S7 Airlines.
KrasAvia.
Aurora.
Saratov Airlines.
Aeroflot.
Angara.
Alrosa.
Red Wings.
Aeroservice.
Azimuth.
Izhavia.
UTair.
NordAvia.
UVT Aero.
Khabarovsk Airlines.
AK RusLine.
Icarus (Pegas Fly).

Amount of discount

The fare is reduced for a particular flight during certain periods (holidays, vacation season). Discounts on air travel range from 10 to 30%. Sometimes it is more profitable to purchase a ticket on an air carrier's promotion than to take advantage of government support. The price depends on the distance to the destination, the demand for the flight, and the departure date.

You can find out about promotions from representatives or on the company’s official website. For example, it provides pensioners with a discount of up to 50%. During the May holidays, WWII veterans can attend completely free of charge. In addition, a veteran who takes advantage of this offer receives a certificate for another free flight.

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Reducing the cost of purchasing tickets does not imply a change in tariff. The preferential category of citizens receives a full list of services and an appropriate level of service, but at a reduced cost. Offers generally apply to economy class tickets. However, there is no opportunity to change the date of the flight on a discounted air ticket. If a ticket must be returned, the customer will receive a minimum refund amount.

What are discount tickets?

Subsidized air tickets are air tickets sold by airlines at a reduced price. Half of the cost is paid by the state, the other by the passenger himself. The discount percentage is set by the air carrier. Half price is the maximum. You can buy tickets at a discount for economy class seats.

Important! Air carriers often hold additional promotions for passengers. Elderly citizens can also use them. Pensioners are given the opportunity to fly from one sanatorium in the Russian Federation to another free of charge.

Russian airlines, which sell tickets at a discount for people who have retired, set some restrictions:

You cannot change the ticket to another date.
You are only allowed to take hand luggage with you.
Meals are not provided on the plane.
If the ticket is returned, the airline will refund the amount less than what was paid.

You can buy air tickets at discounted prices at sales offices.

Subsidized plane tickets

The program for providing benefits for flights to socially vulnerable segments of the population allows them to purchase air tickets cheaply. The program is valid only for flights within Russia. Subsidized tickets are the price of a ticket reduced by a set percentage, which can only be purchased by beneficiaries. Discounts range from 10 to 50%, the remaining cost is covered by the federal budget.

Who can benefit from the subsidy:

pensioners;
disabled people of group 1, disabled children and their accompanying persons;
disabled people of groups 2 and 3;
WWII participants;
schoolchildren and students under 23 years of age.

Which airlines are participating in the state program?

Subsidies for air travel have been in effect since 2009. By 2019, the list of companies participating in the state program expanded. The list of air transport organizations participating in the project is:

"Ural Airlines";
Aeroflot;
"Transaero";
"Yakutia";
"Grozny Airlines";
"Siberia";
"Vim-Avia";
"Alrosa";
"AkBarsAero" and others.

Cheap flight destinations

Subsidized tickets are sold only in the Russian Federation. In 2019, the program provides flights to 100 destinations. Discounts on air tickets are often offered for Far Easterners and residents of the Far North. The project pursues the following goals:

increasing accessibility to constituent entities of the Russian Federation where there is no alternative means of transportation to flying;
increasing the availability of flights to domestic resorts in the Krasnodar Territory and to Simferopol (May – September);
increase the tourist flow in the off-season period (April - May, October - November).

The number of routes, costs and list of destinations are subject to change every year. Full information about the subsidy, terms and directions can be found on the official website of the airlines, by phone or in person. For example, in 2020, travel on the Kaliningrad-Moscow route in both directions costs pensioners 3,000 rubles.

Air transport organizations offer subsidized flights to the following destinations:

Blagoveshchensk;
Kamchatka;
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky;
Saint Petersburg;
Moscow;
Arkhangelsk;
Vladivostok;
Krasnodar;
Krasnoyarsk;
Sochi;
Chita.

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Rules for obtaining the right to preferential travel on trains:

What documents will you need?

To receive discounts on train tickets, you must provide the following documents:

Statement of the established form;
Russian citizen passport;
A copy of the SNILS card;
A copy of the document confirming the right to receive the benefit.

Attention! If copies are provided in a package of documents, they must be notarized, or, upon personal appearance, provide the originals of these documents for comparison.

Rules for drawing up an application

An application for benefits for travel on railway transport is completed using a special form provided by the Pension Fund.

It should include the following information:

Full name of the citizen;
Passport details or other document to confirm identity;
Assigned SNILS number;
The benefit that the citizen is applying for;
Documents confirming the right to receive this benefit.
List of documents attached to the application.

Important! The application must be filled out accurately, without corrections or blots. If it is completed with errors, the submission form is not followed, and all necessary information is not included, the application may be rejected.

Submitting an application and documentation

There are several ways to submit documents to the Pension Fund.

This includes:

Personal appearance at the Pension Fund;
Transfer of documents by an authorized representative;
Sending a package of documents by mail;
Contacting the MFC branch in person or by an authorized representative.

The most commonly used method of submitting documents is to personally visit a Pension Fund branch. At the same time, the responsible employee can immediately check the correctness of the selection of documents and point out errors.

If a package of documents will be handed over by a representative, then it is necessary that a notarized power of attorney for this action be issued. This requirement applies to both personal submission of documents and through the MFC.

Attention! If you decide to send documents by mail, then you need to do this by registered mail with notification of its receipt. An inventory is drawn up of the contents of the letter, which is checked and signed by a postal worker.

Alternative flights from low-cost airlines

On the aviation market, many companies offer cheap tickets to pensioners and others. The discount system does not apply in this case. The cost is reduced due to the lack of additional services and comfort. The price may be 10-30% lower than the original price. Low-cost airlines offer clients flights both within the Russian Federation and abroad.

Disadvantages of cheap flights using an alternative ticket:

There is a separate fee for transporting luggage;
no free lunches;
it is not possible to change a ticket for another departure date;
when returning the ticket, the low-cost airline will pay a minimum percentage of the cost;
seat selection for an additional fee;
paid check-in at the airport.

Where can pensioners fly at a discount in 2020?

In 2020, the list of destinations for which subsidized tickets will be available will most likely remain unchanged. So far, at the beginning of next year, air carriers have confirmed the Far Eastern route, but from April, as was the case in 2019, the Kaliningrad region and Crimea will be connected.

Discount flights for pensioners within regions will also remain unchanged:

Volga Federal District;
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug;
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

The procedure for purchasing a discounted air ticket for pensioners in 2020

Pensioners can purchase a discount ticket at the airport ticket office or at the offices of companies participating in the subsidy program. To do this, you must provide a passport indicating your registration and citizenship, as well as a pension certificate.

Buying a discount ticket online

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to buy a discounted air ticket online by printing it at home. You can only book it on one of the specialized resources, and you will have to buy it at the ticket office, providing the necessary documents.

The most popular services for booking air tickets are Aeroflot, Aviasales, Skyscanner, Trip, Aviakassa.

How to buy social plane tickets for pensioners

The purchase of subsidized air tickets for pensioners under the state program occurs in the following sequence:

Selecting an airline that takes part in the state program.
Contacting the company’s employees and getting acquainted with the proposals that are eligible for subsidies.
Confirmation of membership in a preferential category (present a pensioner or disabled person’s ID).
At this stage the client can order tickets.
Payment of part of the cost (from 90 to 50%).

You can use the discount from the airline in the following way:

Find out on the Internet which airlines offer discounts on flights.
Branch employees will tell you more about promotions and offers. It is possible to ask the necessary questions online.
Having made a choice, the pensioner needs to book a ticket. This can be done by contacting the company directly or online.
When paying a partial cost of a ticket, you must present documents confirming your membership in a preferential category.

Where can I buy

It is worth purchasing a discount ticket in advance. Promotional offers are limited. Having learned about discounts and decided on the choice of date and destination, you need to start paying for the flight. Where to buy tickets:

At airline ticket offices. In the modern world, online ticket offices are very popular. They provide reliable information about the availability of seats and the number of tickets available for sale. By specifying the airline, origin and destination, you can apply for a reservation. Payment is made by bank card.
From intermediaries. A convenient way to purchase, but risky. The agent may be a fraud. Before the transaction, pensioners should ask the representative for an identification, license and agreement with the airline.
On the official website of the company (with the exception of flights to Crimea). Online, interested parties can obtain complete information about the schedule, flight directions and discounts provided by the company. Call center operators work around the clock. Payment is made after ordering a ticket through the payer's bank card.

It is possible to book air tickets by phone if the client does not feel comfortable paying immediately. For preferential travel documents, the maximum reservation period is from 36 to 72 hours; they can only be redeemed offline.

Documents for registration

To receive a discounted ticket, a pensioner will need the following documents:

passport;
ID card of a pensioner or disabled person.

There is such a type of coupon air ticket as Automated Ticket (ATV). It contains 4 flight coupons, each with a magnetic stripe containing flight information. It is used for automatic check-in at the airport. The right side is a tear-off coupon with information about the location and exit number. The passenger retains a separate coupon. Such tickets are used only by foreign airlines.

Returns and exchanges

For discounted air tickets, there are restrictions on the rules of return and exchange. If returned, the company will not refund all money paid. The client will receive only a small percentage of the cost, and the exchange may cost more than buying a new discount ticket.

Each air transport organization considers the terms of exchange and return individually. If the reason for the exchange was a sudden illness and long-term treatment, the airline representative may request a certificate from the hospital. Whether a fine or penalty (commission) will be imposed in this case depends on the internal policy of the airline.

Conditions for receiving a discount

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

persons who have completed their pensionable service in occupations hazardous to health and in the Far North;
mothers of many children who have raised 5 or more children (natural or adopted);
disabled people with vision problems.

In addition to pensioners, other categories of citizens are covered by the program:

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

Discounts on air tickets for pensioners can only be provided to citizens of the Russian Federation who have a permanent place of residence and registration in the following regions:

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

How to get a discount on air tickets

To book air tickets at subsidized fares, pensioners should contact Aeroflot’s 24-hour call center, its own sales offices or authorized agents.

To receive compensation, for example, northern pensioners will have to purchase a ticket with personal money.

Only after this can you receive a refund from the social security office/department.

The airline offers other opportunities to save, for example:

airline ticket coupons;
accrual of miles for flights, which can later be used to pay for tickets;
virtual gift certificates;
subscribe to the newsletter (promotional offers will be sent to your email).

List of required documents

When purchasing a travel document, the pensioner must present an identification document. To receive a discount or bonus on subsidized air tickets or promotional fares you will need:

disability certificate;
ID card of a large family (or another document replacing it);
a document giving the right to stay in the country of final destination (for example, a passport with a visa);
certificate of a veteran (disabled) of the Second World War.

Required documents

In order to buy or book a ticket, you need to provide the airline employee with a number of documents.

Among them:

Passport and a copy of it.
Certificate of retirement age.
Other documents satisfying the right to benefits.

Pensioners include not only those who received this status upon reaching the legal age.

The following persons can also receive pension benefits:

working in dangerous and difficult living conditions;
extremely difficult territorial conditions;
people who have 2-3 years left before retirement age, but whose place of work has been closed or liquidated;
a certain social status (mothers of many children left without a breadwinner; persons with disabilities; citizens with serious illnesses that interfere with normal life).

The above citizens, in addition to a pension certificate, must provide confirmation of this status.

Such evidence includes:

a medical report on the presence of deviations in the general health of the person;
certificate of a large family;
a court ruling declaring the sole breadwinner missing;
death certificate of the sole breadwinner in the family;
work book confirming work in life-threatening conditions;
certificate of work in the Far North or other hard-to-reach areas.

Airlines participating in the preferential program

As of 2020, several air carriers operating in different directions are participating in the state program. Among the most famous are:

Aeroflot.
Transaero.
Yakutia.
Ural Airlines.

For information! All of the above companies have an agreement with the state, according to which they operate on preferential sales of tickets for pensioners (if there is such an agreement, the state covers part of the cost of the air ticket, which becomes a discount for the passenger).

Can they refuse?

The reason for refusing to provide benefits to a pensioner is failure to comply with the established requirements and conditions:

having pensioner status;
place of registration of the tourist;
purchasing or booking a ticket within a specified period.

There are situations when an airline that has entered into an agreement with Rosaviation to provide subsidies refuses tourists. The only possible reason for refusal is lack of space. All other grounds are illegal.

Thus, people who have a pensioner's certificate are entitled to receive subsidies for air travel. You just need to meet a number of requirements.

Sales of subsidized air tickets for pensioners will begin in March 2020

Pensioners are a separate socially unprotected category of citizens who, as a rule, cannot work. At the state level, privileges are provided for such beneficiaries. Thanks to social norms adopted annually aimed at supporting these citizens, the state manages to make life easier for pensioners. In particular, there is a subsidy that allows pensioners to purchase discounted plane tickets.

Subsidized air tickets are discounted air tickets at a special reduced fare, exempt from taxes and fees. Part of the costs of operating flights for Russian airlines is reimbursed by the state, so subsidized air tickets are cheaper than regular ones. The state has been allocating money to support air transportation of citizens throughout Russia for the past 9 years.