Wings by click: discounted air tickets will start to be sold online
From 1 January, subsidized air tickets will begin to be sold online. The government has approved the parameters of the relevant experiment. This will reduce queues at ticket offices and minimize the risks of fraudulent schemes, experts believe. However, the system must be made resistant to overloads. How the experiment will take place - in the material "Izvestia".
Large-scale check
Subsidized airline tickets will begin to sell online. The experiment will take place in Russia from January 1 to July 1, 2025. The parameters have already been approved by the Russian government, the decree was signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.
The experiment will affect certain categories of citizens participating in the program of subsidized air travel. In particular, we are talking about young people under 23 years old, pensioners, disabled people and large families, the press service of the Cabinet of Ministers specified. Also, residents of the Far Eastern Federal District and the Kaliningrad region will become participants of the experiment.
Now it is possible to buy an air ticket at a special tariff only at the cash desk. The experiment proposes to test new mechanisms of electronic confirmation of passenger's rights to a preferential ticket.
"For this purpose it is planned to provide interaction of the information system "Portal of subsidized transportation" and the automated information system of management of privileged and subsidized transportation with digital platforms of the authorities and the Pension and Social Insurance Fund", - noted in the government.
The authorities intend to create a special digital service that will check passengers' rights to subsidized tickets in real time.
If successful, buying tickets will become easier, which is important, including for people with disabilities. It is also expected that the new technology will reduce the time it takes to check air carriers' reports needed to allocate subsidies.
Izvestia's editorial staff sent a request to the Russian Ministry of Transport. At the time of publication, no response had been received.
Simplify life
At the moment, there are three main areas of subsidized air transportation programs in Russia. In particular, flights are subsidized for privileged categories of citizens, points out Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of the Avia.ru portal.
- To date, the purchase of a subsidized ticket is accompanied by some kind of proof. That is, the same pensioner or disabled person must confirm that he or she is entitled to this benefit by submitting the necessary documents," the expert notes.
In order to simplify this procedure, an experiment will be conducted to transfer air ticket sales to the online format. As a result, a service will be created that will allow to automatically check the information provided by the passenger, points out Oleg Panteleyev, Executive Director of AviaPort agency.
The proposal to "digitize" the sale of subsidized tickets was put forward to the Ministry of Transport back in 2017, recalled Ilya Zotov, chairman of the All-Russian Association of Passengers. It was voiced because of the queues at airline ticket offices observed in the Far East.
- There were very few ticket offices in the region, and people from small towns had to go to a large city. More often than not, tickets were sold in one regional center, which caused huge queues to form at that ticket office. That is, everyone had to spend money and allocate 2-3 days to buy one ticket," recalls the Izvestia interlocutor.
In his opinion, the online ticketing format will reduce the purchase time and increase the efficiency of budget spending.
By the way, this is not the first such experience, Panteleyev says. Previously, there were precedents when airlines offered their customers services that allowed them to purchase a discounted ticket on the website without a physical visit to the office.
- The passenger submitted to the airline the necessary documents confirming the right to benefits and reflected in the client's personal cabinet. Now we are talking about the fact that the passenger, without recording his data on the airline's website, will be able to make a request for the purchase of discount tickets with the help of an automated reservation system, - explains the expert.
Clear advantages
The experiment involves several key steps, points out Diana Suvorova, a leading lawyer at Legis Veritas. In particular, it will require mandatory registration on the "Gosuservices" portal, where the system will check the status of the beneficiary.
- After its confirmation, the citizen will have access to special airfares, will be able to choose a suitable flight and make a reservation. Then online payment is made, after which the beneficiary receives his or her e-ticket," the expert explains.
Among the advantages of the new mechanism Suvorova emphasizes accessibility - the online service will work around the clock, which will allow to purchase tickets at any convenient time. In turn, the automatic check of the status of the beneficiary excludes the human factor and reduces the probability of errors.
- Also, the load on the ticket offices of airports and transportation companies will be reduced, which will improve the quality of service, - adds the lawyer.
The main advantage of online sales is to simplify access to preferential fares for citizens, says Maria Koleda, head of the information department of the independent trade union "New Labor".
- Beneficiaries will no longer have to stand in lines at the cash registers, which is especially important for people with disabilities and elderly citizens. This will not only save time, but also make the shopping process more convenient and accessible," she is convinced.
In addition, online sales can contribute to an increase in the number of trips among concessionaires, which will also support domestic tourism, the expert lists. Simplification of the procedure may also reduce the likelihood of fraudulent schemes.
Roman Gusarov agrees that the new system will allow the state to know for sure that tickets are purchased by privileged travelers. Employees of an airline ticket office cannot always promptly check the authenticity of a document provided by a person.
- With automatic verification through a unified database, there will be almost a hundred percent guarantee that the subsidies allocated by the state go to those who need them," the expert believes.
System customization
Despite the obvious advantages, the new mechanism may turn out to be imperfect, experts warn. Diana Suvorova does not rule out the possibility that the identification system may not work correctly or that there may be insufficient documents for confirmation, which could lead to a refusal to grant a discount or an incorrect determination of a passenger's status.
It is important that all Russians entitled to such a benefit are actually loaded into the database, Ilya Zotov points out. Another problem that may be encountered during the experiment is technical difficulties associated with overloading the system.
- For example, in the Kaliningrad region, when the subsidy started working, not everyone could log on to the site and buy a ticket. There may be the same difficulties here. That is, the main thing is that the system remains accessible to users," Zotov is convinced.
If the program is constantly overloaded or is unable to process requests properly, it may cause negative consequences for the project's reputation and citizens' trust, cautions Maria Koleda.
- In addition, there are beneficiaries, especially the elderly, who may have difficulties using online services, which will require additional training and support efforts," Suvorova adds.
Another important issue is data security, as personal information will be required when registering on the platform, says Koleda.
- In some cases, beneficiaries may ask other people to help them register or buy a ticket. It is extremely important to protect this data from leaks and abuse," emphasizes the Izvestia interlocutor.
However, it is important to remember that the new system will work in parallel with the existing one, which minimizes the risks of technical failures, Roman Gusarov is sure. Thanks to this, it will be possible to buy a ticket in any case.
- And in the future, most likely, just like Gosuservices, it will become a unified system for purchasing discount tickets," the expert is convinced.
The experiment itself is designed not so much to confirm the efficiency of digital document exchange, as to prove that the introduction of such a method allows to simplify the receipt of services by citizens and increase its demand, says Oleg Panteleev.
- Naturally, before the first "real" clients come and try this service, its performance will be tested in various conditions, including under high loads, - believes the expert.
In general, the experiment on online sale of subsidized air tickets has a great potential to improve the quality of life of beneficiaries and increase the availability of air travel, Suvorova believes. However, its successful implementation depends on eliminating potential problems and providing reliable technical infrastructure.
- In my opinion, it is important to carefully consider all aspects of this project to make it really useful for the target audience," summarizes the lawyer.
