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How does the return of air tickets from the agent

Returning a plane ticket today is a matter of a couple of clicks. If a return fare is chosen, then it is enough to enter your personal account on the seller’s website, click the “return ticket” button and wait for the refund. However, from the agent, this procedure looks much more complicated.



One day you buy a plane ticket. On the Mediterranean coast. In the spring. The summer heat tires you, and crowds of half-naked people are driven into anguish. A lack of iodine, fresh air and not scorching sun are taking with you, and you attach the cat to your friends. And then the circumstances lay out a full house against your pair of jacks. You stay. Tickets need to be returned.

Until 2014, Russian airlines adhered to a uniform standard for returning tickets. If you had time to return the ticket more than a day before departure, the losses were minimal. Less agile had to give up 25% of the cost of the tariff. Foreign carriers did not fit the standard even then, as your carry-on baggage did not fit into the measuring rack. And when Russian airlines were legally allowed to sell non-refundable tickets, they immediately joined the game “My castle, my rules”. Today, this wonderful variety is the main obstacle in the way of automating the return for an agent offering to purchase airline ticket clouds. There is no magic “return” button for all air tickets. And that's why.

The full cost of the ticket is formed by:


For each fare, the rules of application are established, which regulate the possibility and timing of the return of both the fare itself and the taxes paid, as well as the amount of the fee in case of a voluntary refusal of carriage by the passenger. On our website already on the issue of flight options, the buyer can choose a ticket with a return fare. However, if the probability that the ticket will have to be returned above 50%, we recommend to learn more about the conditions for applying the fare.

There are airlines that use a friendly system of tariff rules, when for each class of service there are two basic tariffs, one cheaper and harder, the other normal. Technically returning such tickets is easy and pleasant. Some of these airlines even make special graphic terminals where an agent can automatically return a ticket without fear of receiving a credit - a penalty from the airline for a wrong refund. Other airlines prefer a more complex tariff schedule with ornate exchange and return rules.

And here you can’t do without the combat mages of the airline ticket booking department. The fact is that neither mathematical models nor the general laws of logic will help here. Only accumulated experience, consultations with helpdesk of airlines and booking systems, and dried toads.

In case of incorrect calculation, the company-agent is fined, but we do not like it. For the correct calculation may require clarification of the described rules. Fee for refund once for a ticket, or for each section of the flight? Is it possible to return a ticket after departure if the seats were not removed before the flight was not shown? How to calculate the return flight for returning if the passenger used the first part of the ticket? Do you speak English? Are you sure this is English? Plus there are time zones, and they will add time to get a response from airlines that cannot afford round-the-clock support.

While we are improving our ability to juggle with tariffs so that we can drop them to the floor to a minimum, the desire to offer our customers a greater choice of tickets puts us on a burning bike of different booking systems.

Global Distribution System (Global Distribution System, GDS) is a specialized computer reservation system (CRS) that provides real-time data on fares, flight schedules and availability, followed by the possibility of booking air tickets.

Systems emerged in the middle of the last century in the depths of airlines, to automate the process of booking and unprecedentedly increase the efficiency of their own employees. Initially, these systems were intended only for air transportation of a specific company. Later, they began to serve several airlines and opened up access for travel agents. Now GDS also provide the possibility of booking hotels, cars and cruises. Interestingly, these days, some airlines are returning to basics, in order to reduce the cost of sales, providing agents with the possibility of booking through direct connections to bypass the GDS.

Working with different GDS gives us the opportunity to offer the buyer more combinations of flights. Today, we use connections to all major booking systems.

Each system has its own logic and its own set of commands, an ordinary manager of the reservation department owns several systems, the senior manager - the majority, the leader - everyone. You can test the information content of the booking screen with examples:

This is how the booking looks like in the bourgeois Galileo



so in the proletarian Siren



Some of the systems are able to count the return for some airlines automatically, and this allows us to simplify part of the process. The same systems for tickets of other airlines consider the amount to be returned incorrectly and require verification. There are those who calculate only for a limited list of carriers or do not have the possibility of automatic calculation at all.

And systems that, in the event of an incorrect automatic return, will themselves pay the credit from the airline, are more expensive than those who do not.

The main task is to find a balance in all this magnificence, not forgetting to juggle a bicycle too.

And now I will show you how deep the rabbit hole is.

Dreams of the sea shattered and splintered fragments from his eyes. Through tears, you can easily find the “return ticket” button, we tried to make it “shine” in your personal account in any situation. After clicking on the button, the site offers to fill out a form, where we ask to clarify the details. Return tickets for all passengers from the booking? Each ticket entirely, or some part you intend to use? Maybe there is a certificate from the doctor? (Confirmed medical contraindications to the flight for a number of airlines are a special case). It is useful to indicate a convenient time for negotiations and a communication channel so that we do not call Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at midnight.

According to the specified data, an order is automatically generated in the order. Then it goes to the processing manager of the reservation. To agree conditions with the passenger, it is necessary to calculate the amount of the return. As mentioned above, sometimes it is possible to do the calculation automatically, but not this time.

The manager opens the reservation in the system and first checks the reservation for changes in the schedule. With long delays and cancellation of the flight, special conditions of return may apply.

To enter the booking, you need to enter the booking code LQW2WA in the system (in this case, this is Galileo) and open the record. A code is a random set of letters and numbers. Although one day the passenger was extremely indignant at the work of the case when I read SD0XNY on my ticket.



In the line after the booking code there is technical information about which agent, in which of the screens he created the record on February 14.

On the next line are the names and gender of the passengers.


The following are details of the flight.


Following information on each section of the flight


In this case, there are no changes in the schedule. HK flight segment status (service segment confirmed). Refusal of passengers to fly is considered voluntary, the amount of return is calculated according to the terms of the application of the fare.


Similarly for the next flight segments.

Open ticket for passenger Elvis Presley *. Winnie The-Pooh * ticket is identical. In one reservation it is possible to issue only identical tickets. The cost may differ if one of the passengers belongs to the category for which the airline has established discounts. For example, a child under 12 years old.

For booking LQW2WA issued two tickets for adult passengers under the same conditions and at the same price.



The ticket includes:

Ticket number, passenger's last name and name



Information about flights, duplicating data from the reservation, but already with the decoding of the name of the fare.



The airline code is protected with information in the fare code, but decryption is not needed to return the air ticket, you should open the application rules for fares Q11CLSE0 and W11CLSE0.

In this screenshot, green indicates that the area is clickable. You can also find tariffs by name by opening with the help of the team the tariff grid that the airline has contributed to the GDS.

In the rules for applying the fare all conditions of transportation are indicated: possibility of stopover (delay in the docking station for more than 24 hours), max and min stay (the period from the moment of arrival on the first flight to the return flight), discounts, class of service and so on.

For the correct calculation of the amount to be returned, we are interested in 16 paragraph rules. At this point, all airlines specify the exchange and return conditions for the selected fare. When buying a ticket to Tutu.ru, this information is automatically loaded from the booking systems. However, for proper reading, even when words are written in Russian, you need skill.



In our not the most complicated example, the ticket is returned in its entirety, the rules for tariff Q11CLSE0 and W11CLSE0 are identical.

From the rules, the manager will know the amount of the fee for voluntary refusal of transportation (40 eur).
Information on how many times to charge (per fare component - for the tariff component).
Which of the taxes are not refundable (YR - tax code).

Information about the cost is also listed in the ticket.



FARE - the cost of the fare of the whole carriage = 102 EUR
EQUIV - the equivalent of the fare in rubles at the date of ticket issuance = 7040 RUB
TAX - taxes (shown immediately in rubles) = 1026 + 15965 = 16991
TOTAL - total (ticket price in rubles fare + taxes) = 24031 RUB

In order to understand how many times to take a airline's fine, we need to know how many fare components are the cost of a ticket.

This will help us nuke line from the ticket (NUC - neutral unit of construction)



If we multiply the NUC by the ROE (IATA rate of exchange), we get the fare in euros.
The fare cost of the entire flight in nukes is made up of two tariff components. The flight segment Moscow MOW-Munich MUC-Rome ROM 62.74 and Rome ROM-Frankfurt FRA-Moscow MOW 58.01. So we take the collection of the airline twice. 40 euros turn into 80 .

Once again, with regard to fees, each airline laughs as he wants. Who charges for the tariff component, who for each pricing unit (route or part of the route that can be calculated as a separate, independent unit), once for the entire ticket, according to the strictest fare in the ticket, for each tariff separately or does not charge return fee.

Very often, fines increase after the occurrence of NO SHOW or the ticket becomes completely irrevocable. NO SHOW (technical failure to appear) does not always coincide with the end of check-in; we met with airlines whose non-appearance occurred several days before departure.

Since all settlements on the territory of the Russian Federation are conducted in the national currency, it is also necessary to convert the fee (80EUR) into rubles.

There is a command for this in the system.



According to the rules of the airline can not also return the tax YR

The tax rate is indicated in the ticket.



24 031 rubles is the cost of a ticket at the airline. Buying a ticket on our website with a service charge cost 24 163.73 rubles. If the ticket is returned voluntarily, the service charge is not refundable. Also, an additional service fee for the return of a ticket in the amount of 950 rubles.

As a result of the calculations, the amount to be returned for one ticket amounted to 16,457.00 rubles.

Hold:
1104 rub. - irrevocable part of taxes (YR);
5520 rub. - Lufthansa airline fees upon returning a ticket;
950 rub. - service fee for the return ticket service;
132.73 rub. - service fee for the provision of services for ticket issuance.

Magically!

And now, if we didn’t look into the airline’s database, an internal document containing the nuances for each airline, we’re getting ready to pay the fee, because it is necessary to transfer the fee into rubles at the rate in effect at the time of issuing the original ticket, and not on the day of the return procedure. This information is not in the rules, we know it from the mailing airline LH.

Make adjustments



The amount to be returned for a passenger will be 16 257.00 rubles. instead of 16,457.00.

We agree on the amount of the return and the timing of receipt of funds with the client. Until the passenger has given his consent, no refund will be made.

We carry out a technical return of the ticket to the GDS:

Mask for the return of the fare and the withholding of airline fees



Tax Return Mask



Checking coupon status change from OPEN to REFUND in tickets



Done! Elvis can stay in the building.

Repeat for the second passenger.

We kill reservation. Places should be returned to the system where someone else buys them.

Automatically return money from the payment gateway to the card with which the payment was made.

We inform the client about the completion of the return ticket procedure by letter.

This is an example of a return with a fully manual calculation. When the system allows you to count automatically, it is much easier, but the pitfalls are legions.

Now you know more about the process of returning an air ticket. So the next time the ticket fails to be returned in a couple of seconds, you will know the reason.

Life tips:


If you bought a ticket at a refund rate, it is better to decide on the decision to return at least 24 hours before departure, for some fares this guarantees minimum fees.

If you make a decision less than 24 hours before departure, try to accept it before the end of check-in, otherwise failure to appear may turn your return tickets into a pumpkin.

If you bought a non-refundable ticket, check in advance on the day of departure that there are no delays on your flight, long delays, like cancellation of the flight, can turn your pumpkin into return tickets.

Also, when choosing a non-refundable fare, on our website, when you make out many tickets, you can purchase the possibility of a return - it will cost about 10 percent of the cost. For non-refundable tickets, it is worthwhile to clarify whether it is possible to refund taxes, in some tickets (as a rule, on international destinations) refundable rates at non-refundable fare make up to half the cost of the ticket.

All that can not be returned, you can try to exchange, but about this some other time.

* any coincidence with the dead kings of rock and roll, teddy bears and nounames are random

Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/411573/

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