A new law, effective since January, grants children in Russia below the age of twelve a 50 percent discount on domestic flights. Children below two years old get to fly for free. It has led to unintended abuse and airlines are now facing the court.
Airlines are obligated to apply these discounts at the initiative of the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, with exceptions for Business Class and subsidised routes. This generous regulation has spurred inventive rule-bending among travellers.
Reports indicate adults booking children’s tickets and parents purchasing child-discounted tickets for their children over twelve years old. This unexpected surge in the number of ‘children’ on board has posed challenges for airlines in Russia.
Pobeda
Pobeda, Aeroflot’s budget subsidiary, has responded to these fraudulent practices by suspending online check-in for passengers traveling with children. Since then, these passengers are required to check in at the airport counter to have their documents verified.
However, Pobeda’s measure has not gone without consequences. The Public Prosecutor’s Office of Russia has summoned Pobeda airline for alleged violation of the rights of passengers with children. According to the Aviatorshina channel, the summon follows a complaint from Duma deputy Yana Lantratova.
The public prosecutor believes that Pobeda’s response to the fraud is disproportionate and that passenger rights are being violated as a result. Concerns are also raised about whether the new check-in procedure can guarantee the rule that children sit directly next to their accompanying adults. Pobeda now faces the choice of adjusting the measure or taking legal action which is not easy in Russia.