Citizenship

What is prt in an air ticket. Tips for air travelers: read the air ticket and study the fares. Electronic ticket - general data

20.08.2023

There are 3 classes of air tickets: Economy, Business and First. What is the difference? The comfort of the seats and the food offered.

Economy class flights

One of the most popular on the market, as they are the most budget option. Often you have to pay extra for luggage. Meals for flights over 1 hour are offered to passengers based on the decision of the specific airline. A bus takes passengers to the plane. Tickets cannot be returned or exchanged at ticket offices.

Economy class corresponds to the following letter designations:

  • W – premium;
  • S, Y – regular economy class (various levels of comfort);
  • B, H - with a discount (different types of discount);
  • K, L - cheap class (economy with a discount);
  • M – tourist;
  • N, Q, T, X, O - various types of discounts;
  • V - with a discount (youth class);
  • G - group (reservation under certain conditions).

Business class flights

Tickets of this class allow citizens to occupy more comfortable seats and transport luggage for free. Check-in for the flight is carried out without a queue. Passengers are waiting for the plane in a separate waiting room. A variety of food is offered, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks are free.

The following letter designations correspond to business class:

  • J – premium;
  • C – normal;
  • D, Z, I – with a discount (different systems of discounts, on which the cost of business class air tickets may depend).

First class air tickets

Tickets are the most expensive and prestigious. The cost significantly exceeds all other ticket classes. Passengers receive VIP treatment. Comfortable seating, delicious food and premium drinks. Each passenger travels to the plane by special transport, most often a premium car. Passengers can carry luggage of considerable size.

Before booking, you must read the fare rules, as different airlines develop individual fares.

Explanation of the air ticket:

R— first class, improved. Passengers are provided with satellite phones, individual monitors and sleeping accommodations. Available on various Airbus and Boeing aircraft

F- first grade.

A— first class with a discount. For these types of tickets, airlines offer basic fares for the flights they operate, which they can reduce if it is profitable for them at any time (seasonal discounts).

J— business class, improved. The passenger is provided with a seat in the cabin with more spacious seats than in regular business class, the menu has a large selection of dishes, and entertainment is provided (for example, computer games).

WITH- Business Class.

D— business class with a discount. For these types of tickets, airlines offer basic fares for the flights they operate, which they can reduce if it is profitable for them at any time (seasonal discounts).

W— economy class, improved. The distance between the rows is slightly greater than in regular economy class.

K, S— economy class with fixed fares. There are no discounts on such tickets.

B, H, L, M, Q, T, V, Y- usually this is economy class. The letters indicate the airline's fare. For these types of tickets, airlines offer basic fares for the flights they operate, which they can reduce if it is profitable for them at any time (seasonal discounts).

Airlines may impose various restrictions on ticket bookings. The most common restrictions are on the time of ordering and the number of tickets. In this case, the code G is used. Some air carriers on short-haul flights provide “shuttle” service in economy class, which is indicated by the letters E (no reservation is made, seat is confirmed at check-in) or U (reservation is not required, seat is guaranteed).

General symbols on an air ticket

Name of passenger- passenger's name. Indicated only in Latin transcription (as in a foreign passport). The surname is followed (through a slash) by the first letter of the name or the full name, as well as the gender (MR - Mr., MRS/MSS - Miss or Mrs.). According to international standards, this field allows up to 3 errors without sound distortion.

From/To— flight route. The highlighted field indicates the departure point for this flight coupon in Latin transcription. Below is the destination. If there are several airports in a given city, the name is followed by a three-letter airport code.

Airport codes for Moscow:
VNK(UKO) - Vnukovo
DMD (DME) - Domodedovo
ShRM(SVO) — Sheremetyevo

Stopover— stopover indicator. X/O (no/yes). If at this point there is a stopover along the route for more than 24 hours (“stopover”), then this field is empty or “O”. If this point is a transit point, then there is an “X” opposite this point. The use of a stopover is reflected in the total cost of the ticket at the expense of airport taxes, since in the absence of a stopover, some taxes are not paid, which makes the ticket cheaper.

Carrier- carrier. The carrier's two-letter airline code. The codes are standardized by the International Air Carrier Association (IATA) and can be either quite obvious: SU - Aeroflot, LH - Lufthansa, AF - Air France, BA - British Airways, or not so obvious: AY - Finnair, UN - Transaero, AZ - Alitalia.

Flight— flight number.

Class— booking class. A Latin letter indicating a certain quota of seats on an airplane. Typically: R "Supersonic" (on Concord flights). F, P, A - first class. J, C, D, I, Z - business class. W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, T, V, X - economy class. Read more about service classes below.

Date— departure date for this coupon.

Time- departure time. Always local time of departure point.

Status— booking status. Usually a ticket is issued with a confirmed status - “OK”. For some fares, it is possible to issue tickets with the status “RQ” (request for a seat at check-in). The ticket for infants (up to 2 years old) flying without a seat indicates the status “NS”.

Fare basis— type of tariff. Alphanumeric designation of the fare for this coupon: NVB/NVA (Not valid before/not valid after) - Not valid before/not valid after. A date earlier than and later than which, respectively, you cannot fly on this air ticket (if the fare rules allow date changes). For most "hard" discounted fares, both dates coincide with the departure date of the airline ticket. If the columns are empty, this means that this ticket is valid for at least a year.

Fare calculation— tariff calculation. This column provides a detailed calculation of the fare for the entire air ticket. The billing consists of three-letter city codes, two-character carrier codes, and fare components in NUC (neutral unit of account). The combined tax (airport taxes) is also deciphered here. The column may contain service information: conversion rates for neutral units, currencies, and various restrictive ones.

Fare— tariff. Tariff in the currency of the start of transportation. For example, if a ticket is issued on the route London - Moscow, then the fare will be indicated in pounds (GBP). Countries with “soft” currencies (including Russia) have tariffs published in US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the fare may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “Forfait” icon).

Total- Total. The full cost of the ticket (fare plus airport taxes) in the currency of the point of issue of the ticket. In Russia, for different airlines this can be either Russian rubles or US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the amount may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “Forfait” icon).

Equiv/Fare PD- tariff equivalent. The equivalent of the fare in the currency of the point of issue (if the currency of the point of issue differs from the currency of the point of origin of transportation).

Tax- dachshund. Two-letter designation and amount of the airport tax in the currency of the checkout point.

Form of paint— form of payment. There are the following options:
cash - cash
Invoce or INV - cashless payment
CC - payment by credit card. There is a credit card number.

Origin/Destination— point of departure/destination. A three-letter designation of the departure point and, after a slash, the arrival point along the entire route. There are also designations SITI, SOTO, and so on.

Airline data- for airline marks.

PNR Code— alphanumeric booking number.

Endorsements/Restrictions— endorsement/restrictions. This column indicates various restrictions on transportation on this ticket, as well as the possibility of “transferring” (endorsement) of the passenger to another carrier. For example, if the column indicates “SU/KL ONLY,” this means that this ticket is valid on Aeroflot (SU) and KLM (KL) flights, and if the fare conditions allow changes to the ticket, then even to the one already issued ticket, you can “change” from one company to another. If the fare at which the ticket was issued allows any changes, then this possibility should be reflected in this column.

For example, “RES CHG USD50” or “ONE INBOUND REB FREE” means: “Reservation change with a penalty of USD 50” or “One return date change free of charge.”

Typically, for the most preferential (“hard”) fares, the following template is common: “XX ONLY/NON REF/NO CHG/NO REROUT” - “The ticket is valid only on carrier XX/The ticket is not refundable/Changes of dates on the ticket are not possible/Change route is prohibited."
This column can also display service information.

Issued in exchange for- given in exchange. If a ticket is issued in exchange for another (the so-called “correspondence”), then the number of the original ticket is entered in this column.

Conjunction tickets— additional (connected) ticket. If the route includes more flights than there are flight coupons on the form, such a ticket is issued on several forms and cross-references are made here to other ticket numbers. It should be borne in mind that these several forms represent one ticket, and even if you have completely flown the route using one of them, under no circumstances throw it away until the end of the entire trip. Another common case is when the column contains the number of an additional ticket (for group travel).

Additional endorsements/restrictions— additional restrictions. Contains information that does not fit in the Endorsements/Restrictions column.

Tour code- tour code. A symbol used when issuing confidential and special tariffs.

Validator place— validator field. Stamp of the agency that sold the ticket. Must contain the name of the agency, its short address, unique office number, that is, IATA number or Aeroflot code. Alphanumeric reference of the agent who issued the ticket. Ticket issue date.

Other symbols on the air ticket


 B or cup - breakfast
L, D or crossed fork and knife - hot lunch or dinner
S or bun, or knife and fork - cold appetizers
X - multiple meals.
M on schedule - a full-length film will be shown to passengers during the flight
F in the schedule is a short film.

Here are the designations on airline tickets, although charter flights sometimes deviate from these rules... But maybe it will be useful to someone...

R- first class improved. Typically provided on Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Passengers are provided with satellite phones, individual TV monitors and sleeping accommodations.

F- first grade.

A- first class with discount. Airlines have base fares for the flights they operate, which they can reduce if it is profitable for them over a certain period of time.

J- business class improved. The passenger is provided with a seat in the cabin with more spacious seats than in regular business class, the menu has a large selection of dishes, and entertainment is provided (for example, computer games).

WITH- Business Class.

D- business class with a discount.

W- improved economy class. The distance between the rows is slightly greater than in regular economy class.

K, S- economy class with fixed fares. There are no discounts on such tickets.

B, H, L, M, Q, T, V, Y- economy class with discount. Here are all possible letter options indicating this tariff.

Airlines may impose various restrictions on ticket bookings. The most common restrictions are on the time of ordering and the number of tickets. In this case, code G is used.

On Concorde supersonic aircraft, Air France and British Airways provide a single class of service, R - Supersonic, at fixed fares.

Some air carriers on short-haul flights provide "shuttle" service in economy class, which is designated by the letters E), no reservation is made, the seat is confirmed at check-in) or U (reservation is not required, the seat is guaranteed).

The type of food provided is indicated by letters or pictures: B or cup - breakfast; L, D or crossed fork and knife - hot lunch or dinner; S or bun, or knife and fork - cold appetizers; X - multiple meals.

If the schedule shows the letter M, then during the flight passengers will be shown a full-length film, and the letter F - a short film.

NAME OF PASSENGER- name of the passenger. Indicated only in Latin transcription (as in a foreign passport). The surname is followed (through a slash) by the first letter of the name or the full name, as well as the gender (MR - Mr., MRS/MSS - Miss or Mrs.). According to international standards, this field allows up to 3 errors without sound distortion. Therefore, there is no need to worry if you received such tickets with a package of documents for the tour.

FROM/TO- flight route. The highlighted field indicates the departure point for this flight coupon (English spelling). Below is the destination. If there are several airports in a given city, the name is followed by a three-letter airport code.

STOPOVER- Stopover indicator. X/O (no/yes). If at this point there is a stopover along the route for more than 24 hours ("stopover"), then this field is empty or "O". If this point is a transit point, then there is an “X” opposite this point. The use of a stopover is reflected in the total cost of the ticket at the expense of airport taxes, since in the absence of a stopover, some taxes are not paid, which makes the ticket cheaper.

CARRIER- Carrier. The carrier's two-letter airline code. The codes are standardized by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and can be either quite obvious: SU - Aeroflot, LH - Lufthansa, AF - Air France, BA - British Airways, or not so obvious: AY - Finnair, UN - Transaero, AZ - Alitalia.

FLIGHT- Flight number.

CLASS- Booking class. A Latin letter indicating a certain quota of seats on an airplane. Typically: R "Supersonic" (on Concord flights). F, P, A - first class. J, C, D, I, Z - business class. W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, T, V, X - economy class.

DATE- Departure date for this coupon.

TIME- Departure time. Always local time of departure point.

STATUS- Booking status. Usually a ticket is issued with a confirmed status - "OK". For some fares, it is possible to issue tickets with the status "RQ" (request for a seat at check-in). The ticket for infants (up to 2 years old) flying without a seat indicates the status "NS".

FARE BASIS- Type of tariff. Alphanumeric designation of the fare for this coupon: NVB/NVA (NOT VALID BEFORE/NOT VALID AFTER) - Not valid before/not valid after. A date earlier than and later than which, respectively, you cannot fly using a given flight coupon (if the fare rules allow date changes). For most "hard" preferential fares, both dates coincide with the departure date for this coupon. If the columns are empty, this means that this ticket is valid for at least a year.

FARE CALCULATION- Tariff calculation. This column provides a detailed calculation of the fare for the entire ticket. The billing consists of three-letter city codes, two-character carrier codes, and fare components in NUC (neutral unit of account). The combined tax (airport taxes) is also deciphered here. The column may contain service information: conversion rates for neutral units, currencies, and various restrictive ones.

FARE- Tariff. Tariff in the currency of the start of transportation. For example, if a ticket is issued on the route London - Moscow, then the fare will be indicated in pounds (GBP). Countries with “soft” currencies (including Russia) have tariffs published in US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the fare may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “FORFAIT” icon).

TOTAL- Total. The full cost of the ticket (fare plus airport taxes) in the currency of the point where the ticket was issued. In Russia, for different airlines this can be either Russian rubles or US dollars. If the ticket is issued at a confidential fare, the amount may not be indicated in this column (replaced with the “IT” or “FORFAIT” icon).

EQUIV/FARE PD- Equivalent to the tariff. The equivalent of the fare in the currency of the point of issue (if the currency of the point of issue differs from the currency of the point of origin of transportation).

TAX- Dachshund. Two-letter designation and amount of the airport tax in the currency of the checkout point.

FORM OF PAYMENT T - Form of payment. There are the following options: CASH (cash), INVOICE or INV (non-cash payment), CC - credit card number - (credit card).

ORIGIN/DESTINATION- Point of departure/destination. A three-letter designation of the departure point and, after a slash, the arrival point along the entire route. There are also designations SITI, SOTO, and so on.

AIRLINE DATA- For airline marks.

PNR CODE- Alphanumeric booking number.

ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS- Endorsement/restrictions. This column indicates various restrictions on transportation on this ticket, as well as the possibility of “transferring” (endorsement) of the passenger to another carrier.

For example, if the column indicates “SU/KL ONLY”, this means that this ticket is valid on Aeroflot (SU) and “KLM” (KL) flights, and if the fare conditions allow changes to the ticket, then even to the one already issued ticket, you can “change” from one company to another. If the fare at which the ticket was issued allows any changes, then this possibility should be reflected in this column.

For example, "RES CHG USD50" or "ONE INBOUND REB FREE" means: "CHANGE OF BOOKING WITH A FINE OF 50 USD" or "ONE CHANGE OF THE REVERSE DATE FOR FREE". Typically, for the most preferential (“hard”) fares, the following template is common: “XX ONLY/NON REF/NO CHG/NO REROUT” - “TICKET IS VALID ONLY ON CARRIER XX/TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE/CHANGES OF DATES ON THE TICKET IS NOT POSSIBLE/CHANGES OF ROUTE FORBIDDEN". This column can also display service information.

ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR- Issued in exchange. If a ticket is issued in exchange for another (the so-called “correspondence”), then the number of the original ticket is entered in this column.

The meaning of rewriting an air ticket is easier to understand with an example. You bought a ticket on the route Singapore - Moscow - Singapore, flew to Moscow on it and decided to change the route to the route Moscow - Bangkok. In this case, the agent will recalculate the cost of the flight on the new route (starting from Singapore, i.e. Singapore - Moscow - Bangkok) and subtract this cost from the cost of the “old” ticket. If the new ticket is more expensive, then you will have to pay a certain amount; if it is cheaper, then the agent will issue you a receipt, according to which you can receive the amount due to you at the place where you purchased the ticket. The "old" ticket number will be indicated on this ticket.

CONJUNCTION TICKETS- Additional (connected) ticket. If the route includes more flights than there are flight coupons on the form, such a ticket is issued on several forms, and cross-references are made here to other ticket numbers. It should be borne in mind that these several forms represent ONE ticket, and even if you have completely flown the route on one of them, under no circumstances throw it away until the end of the entire trip. Another common case is when the column contains the number of an additional ticket (for group travel).

ADDITIONAL ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS- Additional restrictions. Contains information that does not fit in the ENDORSEMENT/RESTRICTIONS column.

TOUR CODE- Tour code. A symbol used when issuing confidential and special tariffs.

VALIDATOR PLACE- Validator field. Stamp of the agency that sold the ticket. Must contain the name of the agency, its short address, unique office number, that is, IATA number or Aeroflot code. Alphanumeric reference of the agent who issued the ticket. Ticket issue date.

Free baggage allowance.

All over the world there are restrictions on the weight and number of pieces of baggage that a passenger is allowed to carry. Depending on the class of service, there are different free baggage allowances. For the "weight" system:

  • In economy class - 20 kg
  • In business class - 30 kg
  • In first class - 40 kg

For the "place" system - "PC". Excess baggage is usually paid based on the following cost of 1 kg - 1-2% of the cost of the highest one-way economy class fare. Moreover, this payment is usually made in local currency.

Please note that the weight of free baggage allowance is per passenger. If you are traveling as a family and you have only one suitcase, but its weight exceeds the “weight for one person,” then this will be “excess” and you will have to pay... Explanations like: “one suitcase for two” will not work...



Since June 2008, all members of the International Air Transport Association issue exclusively electronic tickets. The first airlines to introduce them in Russia were SkyExpress and S7 Siberia. Today, almost all air carriers provide this service. When purchasing such a ticket, you should not be surprised to see a simple printed A4 sheet - Itinerary Receipt (itinerary receipt). But you can do without it during registration, just show your passport.

Basic encodings in an electronic air ticket

To correctly fill out an electronic ticket for a flight, you need to know the basic symbols. After a detailed analysis of all the columns, the decoding of the air ticket will become simple and clear. Let's look at the existing lines and fill them in order.
Name of passenger

Passenger personal data is always entered in Latin letters in accordance with the transliteration rules in force within the country of departure.

At the very end, an appeal to the passenger is written:

  • MR/MRS – Mr./Mrs.
  • MISS/MSTR – girl/boy no older than 12 years.

Flight route (From/To)
The departure location is written in Latin transcription on the highlighted colored field. Below is the arrival location. If there is not one airport, but several, then indicate the letter encoding. This can be obtained from your airline agency or airport manager.


Stopover indicator
When your layover between flights lasts more than a day (24 hours), the field will be blank or marked with the symbol “O” (yes). However, if the time is limited to 24 hours or less, then the code "X" (none) is indicated. The amount of airport taxes is reduced during a transit flight if you stay at the waiting point for less than 24 hours. Therefore, the airfare will be slightly lower.
Carrier
The field is filled with the symbol of the airlines you have selected. This is a two-letter code assigned only by the International Air Transport Association.
Flight number
The flight number on an electronic ticket is encoded with numbers and letters.


Booking class (Class)
There are 3 main comfort levels.
First grade
P – the most expensive, improved first class. The company provides all clients with satellite phones, personal television monitors, and places to sleep.

F – first class. Extended rates apply. No discounts available.

A – first class with discount . The airline provides only a basic fare plan. But seasonal benefits are also possible to reduce the cost.
Business Class
J – improved business class. Passenger seats are noticeably roomier and more comfortable than in a simple business class cabin. Computer games and a large selection of menus are often offered.

C – business class. Extended tariff rates apply, and the conditions are pleasant and comfortable. No additional benefits are provided.

D – business class with a discount. When choosing this air ticket, only basic services will be provided.
Economy class
K, S – fixed economy class fares. Any promotions are not available.

Y – Economy class with discount. Includes the cheapest air tickets with basic services, as well as a tourist route (MM), shuttle fare (EE and UU) and group fare (GG). The most common tariff plans with a complete limitation of quantity and validity period are marked as G.

First and business class passengers are provided with an individual approach and special treatment - a large selection of dishes on the menu, as well as any amount of alcohol. An additional benefit is skip-the-line check-in and boarding.


Departure date (Date)
When the date of your departure is determined in advance, it is indicated here. If there is no exact time, then the encoding is “Open”.
Time
The exact departure time of the flight is certainly recorded according to local standards. And the arrival time is according to the local time of the final location. That is, the departure time from Novosibirsk will be Novosibirsk. And the time of arrival in Magadan is Magadan.
Booking status (Status)
The column indicates the number and status of your seat inside the cabin. There aren't many options.

  • OK marking requires a specific location number;
  • On a child's ticket, passengers under two years of age and flying in the arms of an adult are not provided with a seat. The string uses the NS cipher;
  • the RQ code is assigned to a location determined only at the time of registration.

Type of tariff (Fare basis)
Decoding an electronic air ticket in this line implies choosing a departure date when the purchased tariff plan provides the opportunity to fly on a day convenient for you.

  • after the abbreviation NVB, that is, “not valid until,” the first date is filled in. Starting from there, you are allowed to fly;
  • behind the NVA code, that is, " not valid after", indicates the period after which the flight is prohibited;
  • an empty field allows you to use a plane ticket no later than one year from the date of issue;
  • Economy class fares often do not allow changing the date of the selected flight. As a result, the period in the indicated column coincides with the line “flight date”.


Fare calculation
Methods for calculating the cost of all items of an air ticket are indicated. Letter codes of settlements and air carriers are indicated. Tariff price components are expressed in neutral customary units of measurement. A breakdown of airport tax amounts is also provided.
Fare
The estimated price of your plan is shown in the currency of your origin country. Many states allow prices to be stated in US dollars. The Confidential plan selection is marked with "IT"/"Forfait" or an empty line.
Total
The entire amount of the fare plan and additional fees is given in the national currency of the country of the agency that issued the ticket. The column is not filled in when choosing a confidential tariff or is marked with the IT/Forfait code.
Fare equivalent (Equiv/Fare PD)
This line includes the price of the fare plan in the currency of the location of the agency that issued the electronic ticket, subject to different currencies of departure and issuance points. That is, the air ticket is booked in Manchester for pounds sterling, and boarding is done from Lyon, where euros are used. The field contains the price in pounds sterling.
Tax
The national currency of the place where the itinerary receipt is issued contains the letter code and the total cost of airport taxes and duties.
Form of payment (Form of paint)
There are three payment methods:

  • Depositing cash into the cash register (cash);
  • Transfer by bank transfer through a bank (Invoce or INV);
  • Payment by credit card (CC).

Origin/Destination
Enter the letter code of the departure city. The final place of arrival is indicated through the fraction.
Special column (Airline data)
The line is intended for entering special notes by the air carrier.
Booking number (PNR Code)
A specific code of random numbers and Latin letters, obtained when making the reservation, is entered.
Endorsements/Restrictions
The field contains information about flight limits, as well as options for transferring a passenger to another airline. This includes all allowed adjustments that are not prohibited by the tariff you have chosen.
Issued in exchange for
When issuing a new air ticket, the individual number of the previous one is written down in the line. Often such adjustments are made when changing the return route.

When contacting the company manager, it is quite possible to reissue a ticket to a new departure location. And the difference in cost will be returned to you or you will pay extra. It depends on the distance to the new arrival point.

Additional (connected) ticket (Conjunction tickets)
For group shared flights, additional air ticket numbers are recorded here.
Additional endorsements/restrictions
If there is not enough space for some information in the “Restrictions” line, then this information is indicated here.
Tour code
The field contains a special marking record for special and confidential tariff plans.
Validator place
This is the mark of the airline, as well as its representatives who issued the ticket. Information about the date of discharge, agent reference, unique office code, abbreviated name and location of the air carrier, as well as the letter code of the airport terminal are entered.
Accepted symbols of additional services
Special additional symbols are used on electronic air tickets.

  • Plate indicated\B – breakfast provided;
  • Mark with crossed fork and knife\L – hot food available;
  • Fork with knife\S\bun – only snacks are provided;
  • X – hot meals are provided several times during the flight;
  • The broadcast of a feature film is indicated by the symbols M and F.

Advantages of an electronic plane ticket

The most important advantage of an electronic ticket is its reliability. After all, it is almost impossible to either lose or falsify it, since all the information is stored in the air carrier’s database.

Availability of purchase plays an important role. You can issue an electronic ticket via the Internet and receive a receipt from the airline by email. Another option is to buy it at the office or at the airline ticket office. The cost will be lower than the usual paper version, and the time investment will be much less.

If you know all the positions and columns in the itinerary receipt, then checking the accuracy of filling out and deciphering the electronic plane ticket will not cause you any inconvenience and will help save time and money.

In contact with

Electronic air tickets today are increasingly replacing traditional paper ones. Finding plane tickets is becoming easier and more accessible.

There are currently two types of paper air tickets. These are so-called “sandwiches” or an automatically copied air ticket. And automatic coupon tickets with boarding pass.

The first in English sounds like TAT - Transitional Automated Ticket, the second - Automated Ticket / Boardind Pass. So, what is TAT ​​- the most common version of a paper air ticket in Russia. Giant airlines such as Aeroflot and Ural Airlines, for example, also offer TAT forms to their passengers. Explanation of the air ticket is further in the post.

A “sandwich” is several coupons at once, each with a copy layer attached. When an operator types information about a passenger, the data cuts through all these layers. So, each coupon contains information about all the others. That's what it is the main advantage of TAT air tickets.

Most often there are air tickets with four coupons. Of course, the number of flights does not always coincide with the number of coupons. If there are fewer air travels, the extra coupons are stamped “VOID”, which means they are not valid. To make it even more convincing, the operator tears off the extra stamped coupon.

The last coupon is always a passenger copy, without which the ticket will not be valid.

  1. Air ticket price

TOTAL – here is the total amount of payment for an air ticket, including the fare and all airport taxes. The currency depends on the point at which the air ticket was issued. It happens that the amount is not indicated on the ticket in situations where the air ticket is issued at a confidential fare. Instead of cost, the word “FORAIT” or “IT” may appear.

  1. Airport taxes

TAX/FEE/CHARGE – the amount of the airport tax and two letters are indicated here. It happens that the entire amount simply does not “fit” into the column, as a result of which the amount of remaining fees is transferred to the last line, and its decoding can be found in column 21.

  1. Rate

FARE – fare amount, written in the currency of the beginning of the route. That is, if a ticket is issued for a flight New York - St. Petersburg, the amount will be issued in American dollars. If the air ticket begins the flight in a country with a “soft” currency, such as Russia, then the fare can also be issued in dollars. EQUIV. FARE PD – there may be such an inscription. This means “fare equivalent”, that is, if the currency of the ticket issuance point is different from the currency of the start of the flight, then the fare is indicated in the currency of the former. In this case, the conversion rate will also be indicated on the air ticket; this data will be printed in column 7 or 21.

  1. Flight route

FROM/TO – the point of departure is indicated first, the line below is the point of arrival. The FROM column is the departure city; if there are transfers between the final point, each of them will be indicated in the TO column. If the specified city on the route has several airports, the airport code is also indicated.

  1. Stopover indicator

X/O – when stopping at a transfer point for more than a day, “O” is indicated in this field or it remains empty. If the transfer city is a transit point, then the field is filled in with the letter “X”.

  1. Passenger name

NAME OF PASSENGER – passenger details are indicated here in Latin letters. Last name, separated by a slash, the first letter of the full name, and separated by a space, title: MR/MRS/MSS - Mr./Miss/Mrs. The spelling of the surname should be as in the passport. If you believe international standards, in this field you can shamelessly make mistakes up to 3 times, BUT - so that the sound of the surname is not distorted.

  1. Endorsement/restrictions

ENDORSEMENTS/RESTRICTIONS – this field contains information on all restrictions of your air ticket category, and in addition, the possibility of “transferring” the passenger to another airline is indicated here. For example: if this field says “SU/KL ONLY”, this indicates that it is valid for the airlines KLM (KL) and Aeroflot (SU). That is, even with an already issued air ticket, the passenger will be able to switch from one airline to another. Changes allowed on the air ticket are also indicated in this column. For example, “ONE INBOUND REB FREE” - one change of one date for free, or “RES CHG USD50” - change of reservation with a penalty of $50, etc. As a rule, economy class air tickets and preferential categories of air tickets differ in the standard content of this column, which may look like “XX ONLY/ NON REF/ NO CHG/ NO REROUT”. This means that the ticket is valid only for the specified airline / the air ticket is non-refundable / changing the date of the flight is impossible / changing the flight route is prohibited. Service data can be indicated in the same field.

  1. Carrier

CARRIER – the airline code is indicated here – two letters in Latin. All codes are regulated by the International Air Transport Association.

  1. Flight - everything is clear here. FLIGHT is the flight number.
  2. Air ticket class.

CLASS - in addition to the traditional first, business and economy class, there is also a very luxury - supersonic class of air tickets, relevant for Concord aircraft. It is designated by the letter R. The letters F, P, A are first class. Letters J, C, D, I, Z - business class. Letters W, S, Y, B, H, K, L, M, N, Q, T, V, X - economic class.

  1. departure date

DATE – the date is indicated as two numbers and three letters of the month. Everything is clear with numbers; months are designated as follows: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AVG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.

  1. Time

Time – the local departure time is always indicated, that is, the time zone of the route’s starting point.

  1. Booking status

STATUS – as a rule, the ticket is issued with the status OK, that is, with a confirmed seat. There is also the RQ mark, which indicates a request for a seat during check-in, and the NS mark - without status, relevant for children under two years old who are flying without a separate seat.

  1. Departure/arrival point

ORIGIN/DESTINATION – three letters of the departure point and, through an oblique, the arrival point are indicated here. If there are several arrival points (with transfers), then they are all indicated through an oblique in the order in which the transfers will be made.

  1. Airline marks

AIRLINE DATA – this column indicates the reservation code, which consists of letters and numbers.

  1. Validator field

The stamp of the booking agency is placed here, which must indicate: the name of the agency, office number (in Russia it starts with 922 for accredited agencies), address, date of issue of the air ticket and code of the agent who issued it.

  1. Free baggage allowance

ALLOW – a number indicating the number of “free kilograms” is indicated here.

  1. Void before/Valid after

NOT VALID BEFORE/NOT VALID AFTER – this field indicates the date before or after which the flight on this ticket is not possible, for those fares that imply the possibility of changing the flight date. For economy class fares, this field usually indicates the date that coincides with the departure date. If the column is not filled in, this means that the flight can be made on this air ticket within a year.

  1. Tariff type

FARE BASIS – the alphanumeric code of the air ticket fare is indicated here.

  1. Form of payment

FORM OF PAYMENT – here is information about how the payment was made. The most common are CASH, that is, cash, INVOICE or INV - when the payment was made by bank transfer, and CC - payment by credit card.

  1. Tariff calculation

FARE CALCULATION – this field indicates a detailed calculation of the fare for the air ticket. It is a combination of a three-letter city code, a two-letter city code, and the so-called “neutral units of account” - tariff details. Airport taxes are entered in this same field if they do not fit into field number 2. Information about exchange rate conversion and various types of service information can also be indicated here.

  1. Additional ticket

CONJUNCTION TICKETS – in situations where the route consists of several flights, the number of which exceeds the number of air ticket coupons, the ticket is issued on several forms at once, and each of them includes the number of an additional ticket in field 22. It is very important to understand that this whole pile of forms is ONE TICKET. And even if you have flown most of the route, under no circumstances should you throw away the forms for this flight. Such a ticket will not be valid. There is an option when field 22 contains ticket numbers issued at a group rate. That is, if you take several tickets at this rate, each of them will contain the numbers of all the others.

  1. Issued in exchange for

ISSUED IN EXCHANGE FOR – this field contains the number of the air ticket that was exchanged for another. That is, if you decide to change the route and change your air ticket to another, you will be given the number of the original ticket.

Additional designations in the decoding of the air ticket

  • Breakfast or a cup included in the flight is indicated by the letter B
  • A hot lunch or dinner is symbolized by a crossed knife and fork, or the letters L or D
  • Cold appetizers are designated by the letter S, or the bun symbol
  • Multiple meals - X symbol
  • If a full-length film is broadcast to passengers during the flight, the letter M will appear in the schedule; if the film is a short film, the letter F will appear on the schedule.

Decoding a coupon airline ticket with a boarding pass - Automated Ticket / Boardind Pass (ATB)

The main difference between an ATV air ticket is that each flight coupon is printed separately. Each such coupon has a special magnetic strip that contains information about the flight. That is, An ATV air ticket can be safely used for automatic check-in.

The right side of each coupon is a tear-off coupon on which information about the seat, gate number and boarding time is printed during the check-in process. The passenger copy is a completely separate PASSENGER RECIEPT coupon. Domestic airlines do not use this type of air ticket, but many air carriers operating in Russia use just such tickets. For example, Air France and Lufthansa. Otherwise, the fields and columns of such a ticket, as a rule, coincide with the designations of TAT air tickets.