The State Duma has prepared a bill that would allow passengers to receive a full refund for tickets on flights delayed by more than three hours, according to the Parliamentary Newspaper.
According to the author of the bill, deputy Igor Ananskikh, it is proposed to introduce Amendments to Article 108 of the Russian Air Code. According to the amendments, if a flight is delayed for more than three hours due to the carrier's fault, passengers have the right to return their ticket at the departure airport and receive a full refund immediately. Airlines will be responsible for deciding whether to refund in cash or by bank transfer. Interestingly, the fare at which the ticket was purchased will not be taken into account when issuing refunds. According to the deputy, this change will allow passengers to avoid wasting time at the airport and instead take another flight, and it will also increase competition between carriers.
Currently, Russian legislation does not specify a clear timeframe for refunds for cancelled or delayed flights. The process can take from two to six months. Carriers are permitted to review a passenger's complaint and respond within 30 days. The Air Code also does not specify how many hours a flight delay must be before a passenger can return their ticket.
As a reminder, following Russia's signing of the Montreal Convention, compensation for flight delays on international routes can reach up to 344,000 rubles. However, on domestic routes, the old rules remain in effect: 25% of the minimum wage for each hour of delay, up to a maximum of 50% of the ticket price.
Source: news.turizm.ru