What are fare rules?
Fare rules are the conditions that come with every airline ticket you purchase. Also known as fare conditions, these rules determine the price you’re going to pay for said ticket. Some of these terms include whether a ticket is refundable or not and enforcement of additional charges.
It is no secret that expensive tickets will have more flexible fare conditions. You will be able to receive a full refund or change your destination when you purchase a premium or first class ticket. Alternatively, economy tickets won’t have that flexibility.
Whether you are booking tickets yourself or through an agent, be sure to go through the fare rules governing your flight. In case of online bookings, check out the ‘fare conditions’ section of the website to access these rules.
Fare Classes
The fare rules will vary according to the type of ticket you purchase. Business and first class will have much more relaxed fare conditions as compared to economy and premium economy. Airlines tend to assign a letter to each ticket to signify the type of airfare.
For instance, Y is used to denoted economy tickets that are bought at full price. J and C signify business class tickets whereas; F and P denote the coveted first class tickets. Additionally, there are other letters that the airlines use in identifying airfares like B,H,M, etc. Let’s not get into those.
What’s important is that each class of airfare has different fare rules. These fare conditions govern a variety of aspects like baggage allowance, restrictions, ticket cancellations and more. Let’s go through the rules that apply to each fare type:
Rules for Different Airfares
Unrestricted, flexible fare
Also known as walk-up fare, these are the most priciest and flexible airfares out there. Such tickets can be bought on the same day of travel, which is a great feature. Plus, they can also be refunded or changed as necessary. Unrestricted airfares have the best fare conditions and are used as a benchmark for discounted tickets.
Apex fare
Apex fares are discounted flight deals. Such fares need to be bought well in advance, giving it the tagline of ‘advance purchase’. For instance, you will need to buy them 14 or 21 days in advance before your intended date of departure. These are non-refundable tickets which enforce additional charges for any changes.
The fare rules for these tickets are dramatically different from the unrestricted airfares.
Bereavement fare
Whenever the airlines are rushing to fill in those remaining seats, they offer bereavement fares. They are last-minute fares which are available for purchase just before the time of departure. Fare conditions for these tickets include a big discount, as big as 50% of the full fare. Bereavement fares are available for purchase at the ticket counter just before boarding.
Typically, bereavement fares are sought by family members for funerals. Some airlines like Air Canada and Lufthansa require documentation of immediate family members in this regard. Additionally, details about the deceased and subsequent funeral arrangements also need to be shared with your desired airlines.
Multi-city
As the name suggests, these are single tickets that have more than one stop. The fare rules for these tickets allow you to travel to many destinations, while saving big on prices. You will generally have about 12 hours of stopover, give or take, in between each destination.
It doesn’t have to be a round-the-world affair. The multiple destinations could even be within a country or two. However, if you plan on exploring each place you visit, then this might not be the option for you. In that case, you will have to buy separate tickets for each destination (which will be costlier).
Open jaw
This type of return ticket has an interesting set of fair conditions that come with it. Essentially, an open jaw ticket has a different departure and arrival destination across multiple legs. This might sound strange but, let’s break it down.
For instance, you will travel from Sao Paulo to Rome. Then, after having a little road trip through Europe, you will end flying back home to Sao Paulo from Paris. This is what is called a destination open jaw ticket.
Then, there’s the origin open jaw ticket, where you arrive at one destination and travel to another place (Sao Paulo to Rome and then from Rome to Washington). Finally, we have the double open jaw ticket with four completely different destinations (Sao Paulo to Rome and then Paris to Washington).
Please note that open jaw doesn’t include travelling to another airport in the same city. Buying multi-city and open jaw airfares are very pricey. Seeking the help of a travel agent is the best way to get a hold of these tickets.
Discount fare
These tickets are cheaper and are usually found in the form of ‘limited time sales’. However, discount tickets have a lengthy list of restrictions as part of its fare rules. Say, for example, you will only be able to book tickets in the month of September and October. Moreover, you can only stay for a certain amount of time, like 2 days and 3 nights.
But, the biggest fair condition of them all is that you get no refunds. Remember, these are tickets sold as part of a discounted sale so, the reduced price is all that you get.
Infants, children and seniors
Many airlines have the option of reduced rates in their fare rules for infant, children, or senior flyers. However, these discounts might amount to 10% or so. To know more, check with your travel agent or go through the airline website in case you are booking yourself.
Young kids in the age range of 2 to 11 years old are categorized as ‘children’ while those under 2 years of age are classified as ‘infants’. But, the age range for seniors is different for each airline. You can expect them to classify seniors anywhere between the ages of 55 to 65 years old.
Miscellaneous airfares
Wait; there are a few more airfares out there that you should know about:
There are instances where multiple airlines collaborate with each other to get passengers to various destinations. These tickets are known as joint fares.
Moreover, there are flights where you will fly through a third city but, you will only need to pay one fare from departure to destination. The fare conditions for these flights are denoted as through fares.
Alright, there is one more fare class that you probably haven’t come across. Opaque airfares are certain tickets that are published without revealing the identity of the airline or flight number. This is a strategy by the airlines to hide themselves and their offers from competitors. Only after purchasing is the identity of the airlines revelled.
Unpublished airfares
The airfares we have discussed up to this point all fall under the category of ‘published’ airfares. This means that they are publicly available for booking through agents or websites. Then, what are ‘unpublished’ airfares?
These types of tickets go by a lot of names like wholesale airfares, private airfares and consolidator airfares. Essentially, these are tickets that are unavailable publicly for booking. You won’t find them on the airline’s own website or flight booking websites. Only travel agents with access to the GDS (Global Distribution System) can book them for you.
To purchase an unpublished airfare, contact a reputed travel agent. The fare rules will vary greatly for such tickets, depending on the airlines, routes, dates, etc. Some of the restrictions we talked about earlier may also apply.
Recap
Fair conditions are a big part of the airline tickets that you buy. Your flying experience will vary depending on the type of airfare you purchase. Naturally, premium tickets like a business and first class will have the most lenient fare conditions. It’s important to go through the terms that accompany your ticket. Check with your travel agent regarding fare rules before flying.
As for unpublished airfares, please consult a well-known travel agent. They have the ability to browse through the GDS (Global Distribution System) and find the best deals for you. In case of such tickets, it’s best to be flexible about the travel dates and desired routes to enjoy maximum savings.
Remember, being aware of the fare rules is always the safest option to avoid any unwanted circumstances. We hope you will keep these tips in mind and enjoy your next flight!