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Portuguese air carrier caught on selling non-existent flights

08:07, 24 июня 2011

Up to now the Russian travel market has been encountering only cases of selling tickets to unconfirmed charter flights. But now it seems that TAP Portugal has caught this “disease”. At least since this April it has been selling tickets for four additional Moscow – Lisbon flights that haven’t been agreed with Transaero – the second appointed carrier on this route. Furthermore there are several agreements with some tour operators that wish to sell seats for these flights to their customers. The flights in question were about to be operated starting from June 19th.

TAP Portugal operates five services a week to Lisbon. This spring the airline announced another four flights (two on Sundays and two on Tuesdays), started to sell tickets and advised tour operators to book blocks of seats on these flights. As per RATA-news the blocks of seats were booked by Atlantica Tour, Vand, DSBW, Intourist, Quinta, and Neva travel companies. At that TAP Portugal affirmed that no other agreem ents are needed since the airline is an appointed carrier on this destination. Tour operators hesitated – there were enough scandals of such nature on the market.

After numerous appeals from the tour operators working with Portugal, on June 16th the Russian Union of Travel Industry had to call to Russian Civil Aviation Authorities (RosAviation) for clarification. The inquiry included the following questions: Is it obligatory for TAP Portugal to obtain RosAviation’s permission in order to operate additional flights on Tuesdays and Sundays starting from June 19th, 2011; did the air carrier obtain such permission; has the airline a right to sell tickets to these flights and allocate the blocks of seats to tour operators if it has no permission to operate the flights in question.

As early as the next day RUTI received the reply from the RosAviation’s Deputy Chairman Mr. Oleg Klim that read: “According to current regulations of AIP RU Gen 1.2 (Aeronautical Information Publication) international flights of aircrafts within the Russia’s airspace can be operated only by holders of permits issued in accordance with the regulations stated in international agreements of Russian Federation, including the arrangements with aviation authorities. Tap Portugal airline obtained permission to operate scheduled flights TAP 592/593 on Mondays and Saturdays, TAP 594/595 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays during the summer period until October 29th, 2011. The flights on Tuesdays and Sundays mentioned in your request have not been confirmed. The responsibility for selling tickets and allocating blocks of seats to tour operators in case of absence of the valid permit lies with the airline”.

Interestingly, RUTI forwarded this piece of information to the tour operators on Friday, June 17th, while the Portuguese air carrier sent out their e-mail stating the lack of permission for the additional flights (including the Sunday service) only on Monday, June 20th. And the tour operators had to quickly move their tourists to other flights. “Obviously the tourists weren’t too happy with the changes. They wished to start their vacation on Sunday so we had to hear a lot of “pleasant” words” – told the Head of Sotszdrav travel company Mrs. Tatiana Popova to RATA-news – “We expressed our claims to the tour operator through which we booked the tours, but we were told that didn’t know that TAP didn’t have the permit before June 17th”. And in such a manner the airline let down both their partners and the passengers.

Whether Transaero – the second appointed carrier on the destination – is going to accord their additional flights with the aviation authorities is another question. The tour operators don’t deem it necessary. According to Mrs. Elena Gourkova, Commercial Director of Valtex-Travel company, five flights a week are perfectly enough to satisfy the demand for Lisbon. Thus willingly or not TAP Portugal helped to optimize the situation on the destination.

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