How to refund a ticket if you're conscripted?

We requested the most up-to-date information on ticket refunds for conscripted citizens from major airlines. Here's what we found out: 

*this material is updated as new information becomes available. 

SU / Aeroflot

To process a refund for tickets purchased on or before September 21, for
flights departing after September 21, 2022, one of the following documents must be presented: 

— a summons, the content of which indicates that the passenger was called up for military service as part of mobilization;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war (including
a mobilization order requiring arrival at the military enlistment office at the specified time with
an issue date before 21.09.2022);

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

— a notification of travel ban/restriction of the right to leave the Russian Federation with reference to Article 21
of Federal Law 31, issued by the airport border control unit (for transportation with a departure
date after the notification issue date);

— a receipt for the acceptance of a military ID for document preparation due to
mobilization, issued by the military enlistment office.

Forced refunds are also possible for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

— family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— family members not traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

U6 / Ural Airlines

To refund airline tickets, one of the following documents must be presented:

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

— a notification restricting the passenger's right to leave the Russian Federation, issued at a border control checkpoint.

Processing refunds for family members of mobilized individuals and passengers in the same booking:*

Forced refunds for airline tickets purchased on or before 21.09.2022 are possible for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

— family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

Processing a refund by proxy

If the passenger (citizen called up during partial mobilization) has departed to their place of service and cannot personally apply for a forced refund, the refund can be processed by a third party upon presentation of the aforementioned documents or their copies, as well as a power of attorney from the passenger to receive funds for the airline ticket.

If tickets were purchased after 21.09.2022, refunds are processed in accordance with the Fare Application Conditions.

Y7 / Nord Star

Conscripts who purchased tickets on or before September 21, 2022, as well as their travel companions, can process a refund. Required documents:

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

— if other documents are presented, the decision on the refund will be made upon application at the point of purchase of the airline ticket.

Forced refunds are also provided for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

— family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— family members not traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

WZ / Red Wings

To refund tickets purchased before 10:00 (MSK) on September 21, 2022, one of these documents must be provided:

— a summons, if already received;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration and applied for permission to leave their place of residence, but has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (as of 20.09.2022);

— other documents presented by the passenger.

Forced refunds are also possible for family members* traveling together with a passenger subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship. Passengers must be booked in a single reservation/

* Family members include spouses, parents, and children (adoptive parents and adopted children).

UT / Utair

The basis for a refund due to conscription is the inability to travel on tickets purchased on or before 21.09.2022. Seats must be canceled before the end of flight check-in. Supporting documents:

— a summons;

—  a certificate from the military enlistment office;

— other supporting documents.

For close relatives traveling with the conscripted person — documents confirming kinship.

R3 / Yakutia

Citizens subject to conscription who purchased a ticket on or before September 21, 2022 (inclusive), are entitled to a refund. To do this, they must personally apply at the point of purchase of the airline ticket and present any of the following documents: 

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit,
to which the citizen is assigned, has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for
permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with
documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission
to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from
the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals
are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

Refunds are also possible for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

— family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject
to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— family members not traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription, upon
presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and
booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

If a passenger called up during partial mobilization has departed to their place of service and cannot personally apply for a refund, a third party can process it upon presentation of the aforementioned documents or their copies, as well as a power of attorney* to receive funds for the passenger's ticket.

N4 / Nordwind

Those who purchased a ticket before 10:00 AM on 21.09.2022 can apply for a forced refund at the point of purchase of the airline tickets, having first canceled the booked transportation before flight departure at their agency or the airline's contact center by calling +7 (495) 488 77 77 or +7 (495) 730 50 80 , or by using the feedback form on the official website.   The basis for a full refund is one of the following supporting documents:

— a summons;

— a mobilization order;

— a certificate from the military enlistment office;

— other supporting documents.

For family members - upon presentation of documents confirming kinship.

TK / Turkish Airlines

For all tickets departing from Russia to all destinations in the airline's route network, starting from September 23, 2022, and issued on or before September 21, 2022 (inclusive), for conscripted citizens of the Russian Federation* and their first-degree relatives (mother, father, spouse, children) traveling together or to the same destination on different dates, if the transaction is completed on or before October 3, 2022(inclusive), the following rules apply:
1. Change of route and flight dates:
Processed according to the original ticket's fare rules.

2. Refund processing:

For unused tickets:   Cancellation and refund of unused tickets can be processed without penalties and fees, regardless of the original ticket's rules. 

For partially used tickets:   Cancellation and refund of such tickets must be processed as a forced refund. 

3. Change of route and flight dates for group bookings that have already been paid, is not possible. Refund requests will only be considered if the transaction is completed on or before October 3, 2022.

*supporting documents from the list below must be provided:

— a summons, if already received by the citizen;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place
of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration and applied for permission to leave their place of residence, but has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (as of 20.09.2022).

6R(YaM) / Alrosa

Refunds are possible if tickets were purchased on or before September 21, 2022.

To process a refund, any of the following documents must be presented:

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt).

If the passenger (citizen) called up during partial mobilization has departed to their place of service and cannot personally apply for a forced refund, the refund can be processed by a third party upon presentation of the aforementioned documents or their copies, as well as a power of attorney* to receive funds for the passenger's travel document.

Forced refunds are also possible for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

— family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

DP / Pobeda

The same applies: refunds are possible if tickets were purchased on or before September 21, 2022.  Important: the carrier must be notified before the end of flight check-in time.

Documents confirming the right to terminate the contract and receive a refund (any of the listed can be presented):

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

If a citizen called up during partial mobilization has departed to their place of service and cannot personally apply for a forced refund, the refund can be processed by a third party upon presentation of the aforementioned documents or their copies, as well as a power of attorney* to receive funds for the passenger's travel document.

IO / IrAero

Refunds are processed only upon presentation of a summons from the military enlistment office or a mobilization order. All documents must have stamps and signatures.

S7 / S7 airlines

Refunds are processed individually through the non-standard refunds module. The passenger processing the refund must provide documents confirming conscription (a clear list is not yet available). 

5N / Smartavia

You can get a refund for tickets purchased on or before September 21, 2022. Refunds are processed as forced refunds via an RA request to TSN. Any of the following documents can be presented as proof of the right to a forced refund:

— a summons, if already received by the citizen;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration and applied for permission to leave their place of residence, but has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (as of 20.10.2022).

YC / Yamal

Tickets issued on or before 10:00 (MSK) on September 21, 2022, to citizens of the Russian Federation subject to conscription and their family members (citizens of the Russian Federation) traveling together, are accepted for refund based on one of the following supporting documents:

— a summons and an identity document;

— a certificate from the military enlistment office and an identity document.

D2 / Severstal

Tickets issued on or before 10:00 (MSK) on September 21, 2022, are accepted for refund.

To do this, any of the following documents must be presented:

— a summons;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents (in free form) confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration, applied for permission to leave their place of residence, and has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (citizen appeals are considered in accordance with Federal Law 59 within 30 days from the date of receipt);

— if other documents are presented, the decision on the refund will be made upon application at the point of purchase of the airline ticket.

Forced refunds are also possible for the following categories of passengers upon presentation of the aforementioned documents and their copies:

—  family members traveling together on the same flight with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— family members not traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents, confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a citizen subject to conscription and booked with them in the same reservation (excluding group bookings).

HZ / Aurora

Any of the following documents can be presented as documents confirming the right to a forced refund/rebooking:

 — a summons, if already received by the conscripted citizen, issued by the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation;

— a referral for a medical commission, issued due to mobilization;

— a mobilization order with documents confirming that the military unit to which the citizen is assigned has been placed in a state of war;

— documents confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration and applied for permission to leave their place of residence, but has not yet received a response;

— other documents presented by the passenger, which the airline is ready to consider on an individual basis.

 Forced refunds are also possible upon presentation of the aforementioned documents or their copies:

— family members* of a Russian Federation citizen (regardless of whether they are traveling together on the same flight or not) upon presentation of documents confirming kinship;

— passengers traveling together with a Russian Federation citizen subject to conscription and booked in the same reservation with them.

* Family members include spouses, parents, and children (adoptive parents and adopted children).

Attach supporting documents to requests to the Customer Care Service. With them, we will directly contact the airlines and request a refund. 

EK / Emirates

To process a forced refund, the passenger (even after no-show) must submit mobilization documents and tickets in writing.

Send documents to ekrussia@emirates.com

A4 / Azimuth

Tickets issued on or before 10:00 (MSK) on September 21, 2022, are accepted for refund. To process
a forced refund, the passenger must present any of the listed documents:

— a summons from the military enlistment office, signed by the military commissar or an authorized person of the military commissariat, the content of which indicates that the passenger was called up for military service as part of mobilization;

— documents confirming that the citizen applied for permission to leave their place of residence and was denied, along with documents confirming their military registration;

— documents stating that the citizen is on military registration and applied for permission to leave their place of residence, but has not yet received a response within the first 30 days from the date of mobilization in the Russian Federation (as of 20.10.2022);

— other documents.

If other documents are presented, the decision on the refund should be made upon the agency's request to Azimuth Airlines JSC; send requests to oud@azimuth.aero.

Forced refunds are also possible for family members traveling together with a passenger subject to conscription, upon presentation of documents confirming kinship.

SZ / Somon ai

Tickets are accepted for refund, but with a 25% penalty.

ET / Ethiopian airlines

Currently considering forced refunds due to mobilization.

JU / Air Serbia

Currently, the possibility of forced refunds has not been considered. Tickets can only be refunded according to the terms of the applied fare.