Agencies remain irrevocable – Newspaper Kommersant No. 167 (7368) of 09/10/2022

The times for refunds for air tickets that have increased several times in case of cancellation of flights of foreign carriers caused an increase in consumer complaints about online travel agencies (OTA) to supervisory authorities. It is not easy for tourists to defend their interests due to the limited liability of intermediaries. OTA market participants are also in a difficult situation due to a decrease in turnover with low business profitability.

Difficulties in making settlements when processing refunds contributed to an increase in the number of conflict situations between customers and OTA when selling tickets from foreign companies, a source told Kommersant in the tourist market. The presence of delays in receiving funds was also indicated by several travelers interviewed by Kommersant. Andrey Puchkovsky, Deputy Head of the Department for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection of Rospotrebnadzor, confirmed the growth in the number of such appeals to OTA. Prior to the imposition of sanctions and the withdrawal of foreign payment systems from the market, such complaints were episodic, he noted.

Yandex.Travel says that the number of user requests regarding partner OTAs is “within the normal range.” The interlocutor of Kommersant in the tourist market notes that against the backdrop of sanctions, the period for the return of funds in case of cancellation of flights of foreign carriers has increased from 4–5 to 30–90 days. This is due to common problems for currency payments, he points out. “Part of the delays are due to the fact that the payment was made with Russian Visa and MasterCard cards, these players left the Russian market, transactions are temporarily impossible,” confirms Ekaterina Antonova, director of the OneTwoTrip customer experience department. According to her, the share of customer requests for a refund in the sales structure of the service has not changed, but their absolute number is growing. She attributes this to the extension of bans on flights to some Russian airports, the cancellation of international flights, and the departure of some foreign carriers from the country. According to a Kommersant source, conflicts related to delayed settlements are superimposed on the policy of carriers who left the country, some of which did not return funds for customer tickets.

Data Insight partner Fedor Virin notes that returning tickets through OTA has always been more difficult than with direct contact with the carrier. According to him, this is partly dictated by costs. Each transfer, including a refund, costs 2-3% of the payment amount, and the consumer usually expects to receive all the funds deposited, the expert points out. Mr. Virin does not rule out that the share of conflicts could increase due to adjustments to flight programs dictated by geopolitical and economic factors.

The interlocutor of “Kommersant” in the tourist market adds that it is often difficult for consumers to quickly resolve emerging difficulties due to the reduced support of OTAs, which use chat bots instead of the usual call centers. A limited number of specialists traditionally work in OTA support services, so the business optimizes costs, Fedor Virin notes. It is also not easy for tourists to resolve disputes with OTA in the legal field. According to Amulex.ru lawyer Ekaterina Popova, agents, as a rule, act as a “virtual showcase”: a transportation contract is concluded with the airline, and the obligations of intermediaries end at the stage of payment. That is, it is advisable to file claims directly against foreign carriers, she believes. Vasily Khokhlov, a senior lawyer at Kosenkov and Suvorov, adds that on the basis of an appeal to Rospotrebnadzor, OTA can be brought to administrative responsibility. Also, the consumer can use the chargeback: contact the bank that issued the card with an application to cancel the payment for the ticket and claim, the lawyer clarifies.

For OTAs themselves, business conditions have also become more difficult. As Fedor Virin notes, some of the agencies left the market after a series of crises. This is a low-profit business – an agent receives several hundred rubles from one ticket and the model assumes a large turnover, he points out. In addition, the expert adds, through OTA traditionally more often they bought tickets from foreign carriers, and due to a decrease in the air tourist flow to other countries, the turnover of agents has sharply decreased. According to the Moscow Department of Transport, in July, the total passenger traffic of Moscow airports in all directions was 32% lower than in July 2019.

Alexandra Mertsalova, Anatoly Kostyrev