In Minek said that did not take into account the authors of the idea of legalizing overbooking
If you refuse to board, the passenger can lose not only the flight, but also the paid hotel, transfer and excursions. Deputy Minister Dmitry Vakhrukov believes that these risks were not taken into account in the preparation of the initiative
The Ministry of Economic Development does not support the legalization of overbooking in the form in which it is proposed now. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economic Development Dmitry Vakhrukov, who oversees the tourism industry, on the air of the Tamantsev program. In the end, on RBC Radio.
In his opinion, when discussing the initiative, the interests of tourists and tour operators were not taken into account. So, if a passenger purchased a package tour, the refusal to board the plane can lead to the loss of not only the cost of the flight, but also paid services - hotel accommodation, transfer and excursions.
“Discussion on overbooking. Obviously, it did not take into account the interests of both tourists and tour operators. Because if this is a package tour, which includes a ticket, a transfer, and, sorry, hotel accommodation, and a tour, God forbid, which the next day with guides, it is quite expensive, and [if] something happens in terms of overbooking, of course, for the ticket he will be refunded. And who should return for everything else that did not take place in this trip.
The deputy minister stressed that such decisions should be taken carefully, assessing all possible consequences.
“Therefore, in the form it is proposed now, well, of course, this cannot be done,” he concluded.
Overbooking is a practice in which an airline sells more tickets than seats on an aircraft, counting on the fact that some passengers will not show up for the flight.
In late August, the Minister of transport Andrei Nikitin said that the Agency intends in September to start discussing the legalization of overbooking with airlines and representatives of the consumer market. According to him, this mechanism can be legalized until the end of 2026.
The initiative was previously opposed by the Russian Union of Travel Industry (PCT) and the Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATOR). The PCT warned that the refusal to board due to overbooking can lead to the loss of paid tourist services, the cost of which significantly exceeds the price of the ticket. The organization also pointed to the risk of additional costs for tour operators. If a tourist fails to take advantage of part of the paid holiday, claims can be made to the travel organizer, although the cause of the disruption will be the airline's decision to sell more tickets than seats on the flight.
