The role of air transport in the tourism industry. Tourism and air transport. Air transport in tourist traffic

The following types of transport are used in the tourism industry:

air, ground and water.

The main means of transport are:

a) air - airplanes, helicopters, hang gliders, parachutes,

paragliders, balloons;

b) ground - trains, buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles;

c) water - sea and river vessels, boats, yachts, motor boats,

Each of the listed types and means of transport has its own advantages and disadvantages, as well as characteristic features (Table 1). To compare modes of transport, the following criteria are traditionally used: speed, comfort, safety and economy.

The fastest mode of transport is air. For long distance, transcontinental travel, the advantages of air transport are obvious.

Rail transport is considered the most comfortable and spectacular. This is due not only to the fact that the movement of a passenger is not limited within a compartment or carriage, and any position preferred for a person (sitting, lying, etc.) is possible.

Even at the dawn of the development of railway transport, studies were carried out on the influence of train traffic on the passenger's condition.

Dr. K. Grum-Grzhimailo, after a series of studies, published the results in the popular St. Petersburg newspaper "Friend of Health", in which the beneficial effects on blood circulation, digestion and the nervous system of traveling by rail were substantiated. Thus, with the start of operation railways doctors for therapeutic and preventive purposes began to prescribe not only sea and river walks, but also travel by train.

Traveling by river and sea transport is also spectacular and comfortable. Modern ships offer an unusually wide range of modern services: superior accommodation, delicious food, lots of entertainment, etc. However, despite modern anti-sickness systems, due to the dependence of water transport on weather conditions, sometimes not allowing the liner to enter the port or comfortably deliver tourists to the coast, in general, in terms of convenience, sea and river vessels are inferior to modern comfortable trains.

According to many years of statistical research, the most dangerous is road transport. This is primarily due to the frequency of its use throughout the world and special operating conditions: a large dependence of safety on the qualifications, experience and discipline of all road users, the technical condition of vehicles, road surfaces, weather conditions, etc. At the same time, road transport is the most accessible for all comers and the least controlled.

Cost-effectiveness when choosing a transport is determined primarily by the type of travel and its route. Sometimes, with distances up to 1000 km, the cost of air travel does not exceed the cost of a trip by rail, while the gain in time can be several hours. However, taking into account the procedures for going through the formalities at the airport, the time it takes to get to the airport and back, the gain in time can be minimal. Over long distances, the speed advantages of air transport are obvious, because no amount of comfort can brighten up a multi-day trip in a confined space.

To fully characterize air transport in addition to the listed advantages, its disadvantages should be indicated: the ever-increasing cost of air transportation, the remoteness of airports, dependence on weather conditions, the complexity of passport and customs control procedures and special flight safety control, the presence of transits, and not comfort.

Air transport, namely, aircraft, is most often and traditionally used for long-distance travel, for delivery to a destination. Helicopters - demonstration flights over cities, forests, lakes, jungles (panoramic sightseeing tours, air safaris). Balloons are sometimes used for these purposes. Small aircraft and helicopters are used to deliver divers and skiers off-piste (free-riders) to the diving and launch sites, which may be difficult to access. It is possible to use air transport for traveling in the summer and on domestic routes, for example, Moscow-Kostroma, if there are those who wish to travel in this way.

Road transport, inferior in comfort to railway transport, allows you to make a stopover, does not require special stations, tracks, practically does not depend on weather conditions, allows you to travel across borders and even, in combination with other modes of transport, make transcontinental trips. Its disadvantages are cost and accident rate. The disadvantages of water transport include low speed, dependence on weather conditions.

Road transport in tourism is used to organize bus tours, excursions, group and individual transfers.

Railway trains are traditionally used to transport tourists to a destination. In addition, there are the concepts of "tourist trains" and "railway tours". For example, in domestic tourism: health trains for mushroom pickers and fishermen; in the field: "Glässir Express" (Switzerland), "Emperor" (Vienna-Salzburg); at the entrance: "Golden Eagle" (Russia).

Thus, there is no single criterion for choosing a vehicle for tourist travel, because each trip has its own parameters, and each mode of transport has its own advantages and disadvantages. If we go to Australia, then the plane is the only mode of transport that can take us to the destination. And if - in St.

Petersburg, then the choice between plane, train, or car

carried out by the passenger, based on personal preferences or circumstances.

Table 1 - Main characteristics of various modes of transport

The fastest is air transport, which successfully and at a high level performs passenger and cargo transportation both within the country and in international traffic.

For the transportation activities of aviation transport, the air environment is used, which until the beginning of the 20th century. was considered a natural public natural environment. The Paris Convention of 1919 declared the "full and exclusive" sovereignty of the airspace of each state. This provision was enshrined in the current normative act of international air law - the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation, adopted in 1944.

In addition to the Chicago Convention, the most important acts of international law are, in particular:

Warsaw Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air (1929) as subsequently amended and amended by The Hague (1955), Guatemala (1971) and Montreal (1975) Protocols Governing Regular Air Transport transportation;

Guadalajara Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air Performed by Persons Other than Contracting Carriers (1961).

At present, the share of international air transportation in the volume of civil aviation services, according to official world statistics, is about 53%.

In the international regulation of international air transportation of tourists and passengers, the most significant are the International Air Transport Association and the International Air Carriers Association.

International Air Transport Association (IATA) was founded in 1945 in Havana with the aim of promoting the development of safe, regular and economical air transport on an international scale, increasing its commercial efficiency and performance and studying related problems, as well as the practical development of cooperation between airlines - organizers of international air transport.

The governing body of IATA is the general meeting, which elects the Executive Committee for a term of office of three years. The President of IATA is elected for a one-year term. The main working body - the Permanent Secretariat - is headed by the Director General.

IATA has permanent committees: financial, technical, legal, advisory, transportation organization, created as necessary in accordance with the decisions of the Executive Council. It has become a tradition to hold annual transportation conferences, the main tasks of which are to set the level of tariffs and prices, clarify traffic schedules and terms of cooperation.

The day-to-day activities of IATA consist mainly of streamlining the work of airlines in terms of formulating recommendations regarding:

The level and rules for the application of tariffs for passenger and freight transportation;

Approval of uniform rules for air transportation;

Regulation of the procedure for using benefits and discounts from tariffs;

Development of common standards for servicing passengers and tourists;

Dissemination of technical and economic experience in the operation of airlines, the implementation of financial settlements between airlines - members of the association.

IATA maintains an extensive network of airline agents, which is overseen by committees and subcommittees of the IATA Advisory Committee. By providing the relevant supporting documents and evidence of its commercial and financial soundness, any agent can obtain the status of an approved IATA agent, which gives the right to represent the interests of IATA members in the sale of transportation for a fee or commission.

A permanent area of ​​interest for IATA is the improvement of the system of calculations, seat reservations, the publication of fares, the coordination of timetables, the creation of a network of agents for the sale of transportation and the organization of training centers.

IATA members are national airlines of more than 100 countries engaged in regular air transportation. The Association annually publishes statistical collections, as well as reports of the general meeting, the executive committee and working bodies.

Through the IATA Legal Department, IATA participated in the preparation of international conventions to combat unlawful seizure of aircraft and unlawful acts against the safety of civil aviation.

International Air Carriers Association (IAKA) was established in 1971 and registered in 1983 under Belgian law. Her goals:

Expansion of the basic basis of air transport tourism transportation through links and cooperation between international charter airlines;

Improving the quality of charter air services;

Defending the interests of its members before the relevant governmental and international organizations on the development of air charter transportation.

The supreme bodies of IAKA are the annual Assembly and the Board of Directors.

IAKA's activities are focused on coordinating the development of air charter policy and research work, as well as the exchange of information in order to improve the organization of charter flights and the quality of passenger service. IAKA has close working contacts and links with ICAO and is an affiliate member of the WTO.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) founded in 1947 and received the status of a specialized agency of the United Nations in 1948. The official address of registration and residence is Montreal, Canada. ICAO Goals:

Development of principles and technical methods in the field of international air navigation;"

Development of international air transport on the principles of safety and reliability;

Promoting the development of civil aircraft construction, air routes, airports and navigation facilities, as well as the development of international civil aerodynamics in general and in all its aspects in particular.

More than 180 states are members of ICAO (Russia's participation since 1979 through the succession of the USSR). The activities of ICAO in the field of international air law consist in the development of draft normative acts of international air law and in the codification of international air law. ICAO Bodies: Assembly, Council, Special Committees, Regional Offices, Secretariat. In addition, ICAO has a European Office for Europe in Paris (France) and an Office for the Far East and the Pacific Ocean in Bangkok (Thailand).

The highest governing body is the Assembly, which meets once every three years and elects from among its members the Council, which serves as the executive body of ICAO. The council is headed by a president, who is elected for a term of three years.

The activities of the ICAO Council are carried out through standing committees. The main executive function is carried out by the ICAO Secretariat, which has

administered by the Regional Offices and chaired by the Secretary General of ICAO, who is appointed by the Council.

The main legal act of Russian legislation regulating activities in the field of air transport is the Air Code of the Russian Federation, in which the concept of "aviation" is adopted as the main term for designating activities in the airspace. The Air Code of the Russian Federation determines that the air legislation of the Russian Federation consists of this Code, federal laws, decrees of the President of the Russian Federation, decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation, federal rules for the use of airspace, federal aviation rules, as well as other regulatory legal acts of the Russian Federation adopted in accordance with them.

The RF VC establishes some significant restrictions on the ownership of aviation property. Thus, the property of civil aviation: aircraft, airports, airfields, technical and other facilities intended for ensuring the flights of aircraft, may be in state and municipal ownership and the property of legal entities. However, Russian citizens as individuals may own civil aircraft.

The specially authorized body in the field of civil aviation is the State Civil Aviation Service, which is in charge of granting an equal right to use the airspace for all users. Priorities in the "priority" of the use of airspace appear only in cases where the need arises for the simultaneous use of airspace by several users. For such cases, a gradation of state regulation of priorities has been developed, in which the implementation of regular air transportation of passengers and baggage receives a higher priority (8th place in the table of priorities) compared to even the implementation of regular air transportation of goods and mail (11th place) and non-scheduled air transportation. transportation or aviation work (12th place, respectively). This gradation is legalized and approved by the Federal Rules for the Use of the Airspace of the Russian Federation dated September 22, 1999 No. 1084 and developed in accordance with the RF Air Code and the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The annexes to these Rules contain the Rules for submitting applications (schedules, schedules) for the use of the airspace of the Russian Federation and reports on the use of the airspace of the Russian Federation to the EU ATM authorities and the Air Force and Air Defense authorities, the Rules for requesting and issuing permits for the use of the airspace of the Russian Federation, Rules for the organization of communications and radio engineering support, Rules for the preparation and submission of proposals for improving the structure of the airspace of the Russian Federation, Rules for the development and establishment of temporary, local regimes and short-term restrictions on the use of the airspace of the Russian Federation, Rules for conducting investigations, organizing registration and analysis of violations of the procedure for using airspace Russian Federation.

Used civil aircraft are subject to state registration in the State Register of Civil Aircraft of the Russian Federation with the issuance of appropriate certificates. An aircraft registered or registered in accordance with the established procedure acquires the nationality of Russia. Civil aircraft are allowed to operate if they have airworthiness certificates (certificates of airworthiness).

Requirements for aviation personnel are established by the FAR, and state control over the activities of civil aviation personnel is carried out by the authorized body in the field of civil aviation.

Air transportation is governed by the rules set out in Chapter 40 "Transportation" of the RF PS and Chapter 15 "Air transportation" of the RF CC. According to the Air Code of the Russian Federation, a passenger carrier is an operator that has a license to carry out air transportation of passengers and baggage on the basis of an air transportation agreement for passengers and baggage. When carrying out air transportation of passengers or tourists, the air transportation agreement is certified by a ticket when transporting a passenger and a baggage check when transporting baggage. In accordance with the Air Code of the Russian Federation, the carrier is obliged to comply, when performing air transportation, with the general rules for the air transportation of passengers, baggage and cargo, as well as the requirements for servicing passengers, consignors and consignees established by the FAR, which, in addition, establishes the procedure for providing passengers and tourists of aircraft services and benefits.

Air transport infrastructure. According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend towards reducing travel time in favor of their frequency. As a result, air transport is the most dynamically developing branch of world transport. The network of international transportation covers more than 150 countries of the world.

Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1000 airports of the world participate in servicing international air communications, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation.

However, the international air transport system includes not only international air carriers and airports, but also states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its efficient functioning and safety.

In almost every country in the world there is an airline that is a kind of visiting card of the country, whose reliability, punctuality, service and comfort meet the highest international standards. Such a company is called national flag carrier. Such airlines in different countries are: French Air France, German Lufthansa, British British Airways, Austrian Austrian Airlines, Spanish Iberia, Swiss Swiss, Finnish Finnair, etc. Russian flag- the carrier is Aeroflot-Russian Airlines.

Three quarters of the available airliners are located in the Americas. The largest US airlines are: Federal Express, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines, US Airways, Southwest Airlines, TWA (Trans World Airlines), America West Airlines, Alaska Airlines. Their sales volume is up to 15 billion dollars a year. Large airlines also operate on the American continent in countries such as Canada - Air Canada, Canadian Airlines; Brazil - Varig, Brazilian Airlines; Mexico (three largest airlines).

The largest airlines in Europe are: "British Airways" (Great Britain); Lufthanza German Airlines (Germany); Air France (France); SAS (Scandinavian Airlines System - Sweden, Denmark, Norway); "Alitalia" (Italy); Iberia Airlines (Spain); KLM - Royal Dutsh Airlines (Netherlands); "Crossair", "Swiss" (Switzerland); Sabena Belgian World Airlines (Belgium); Finnair (Finland). Of the countries of Eastern Europe, Bulgaria and Hungary have the largest aircraft fleet.

In Asia, the largest airlines are: ANA ("All Nippon Airways"), JAL ("Japan Airlines") (Japan); " Korean Air" (The Republic of Korea); "Saudia - Saudi Arabian Airlines" (Saudi Arabia); Malaysia Airlines (Malaysia); China Southern Airlines, Air China (China); Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong); JAS ("Japan Air System") (Japan); Singapore Airlines (Singapore); Thai Airways International (Thailand); Iraqi Airways (Iraq); THY - Turkish Airlines (Turkey); Philippine Airlines (Philippines).

On the African continent, there are major airlines in Libya, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria. There are also relatively large airlines in Australia and Oceania. In Australia, these are Qantas Airways and Ansett Australia. The Indonesian company "Garuda Indonesia" and the New Zealand ANZ ("Air New Zealand") have a large fleet of aircraft.

Among the airlines are public(public, that is, regulated by the state) and private(privatized and being private companies). In Europe, the activities of airlines are largely regulated by the governments of countries. In the US, by contrast, all airlines are privatized and private. Swiss and Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) are partly privatized and partly owned by the state. British airlines are all privatized.

In most countries, as a rule, there are three main types of airlines operating regular scheduled flights:

· large– national companies flying all over the country and abroad;

· regional- airlines operating within certain regions of one country;

· local are small local airlines operating short distance flights from small suburban airfields. As a rule, they operate small propeller-driven aircraft with a capacity of up to 40 passengers and deliver them to airports for subsequent transfer to flights of large airlines.

For example, the list of the best airlines in the world traditionally includes:

§ best overall experience: "British Airways" and "Virgin Atlantic" (Great Britain), "Singapore Airlines" (Singapore), KLM (Holland) and some others;

§ best for long haul: Virgin Atlantic, British Airways (UK), Singapore Airlines (Singapore), Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong, China), Qantas (Australia);

§ the best in first and business class: Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates (UAE), Cathay Pacific (China);

§ best in economy class: Virgin Atlantic, Emirates Airways (UAE), British Airways, Swissair (Switzerland), Singapore Airlines (Singapore);

§ the best in the frequent flyer program: British Airways, American Airlines (USA), Virgin Atlantic, Swissair (Switzerland), KLM (Holland).

Air transport infrastructure also includes airfields and airports. According to the Air Code of the Russian Federation aerodrome- this is a land plot with a complex of engineering structures and buildings, specially allocated and equipped for takeoff and landing, taxiing, parking and maintenance of aircraft.

Airfields located at an altitude of more than 1000 m are considered mountainous, those located in rough terrain with relative elevations of more than 500 m - airfields in mountainous areas. Aerodromes are divided into main (on which landing is provided for by the flight plan) and alternate (designed for landing when it is impossible for the main one for any reason, the departure aerodrome usually also belongs to the alternate).

The main structure of the aerodrome is the runway (runway) - one or more, as well as space for taxiing and parking aircraft. This is a specially equipped runway with a hard surface at the airfield for takeoff and landing of aircraft. The runway is equipped with light and electronic means of navigation and flight support. At modern airfields with the proper equipment, the liner can be landed automatically without the participation of the pilot.

The airport- a complex of buildings and structures intended for receiving and sending aircraft and servicing air traffic, which has an airfield, an air terminal, ground maintenance facilities for aircraft, as well as the necessary equipment, aviation personnel and other employees.

Airport domestic- serving domestic carriers - designed to serve domestic flights of aircraft (within the territory of this state), the international airport serves international flights. However, in practice, international airports also serve domestic flights, although the actual terminals of domestic and international flights are separated. international Airport- an airport open for the reception and departure of aircraft performing international air transportation, in which customs, border, sanitary-quarantine and other control is carried out.

There are about 1000 international airports in the world. The top 30 airports handle over 10 million passengers a year, more than half of them in the US. Six major airports handle over 30 million passengers annually. O-Hara Airport in Chicago has the highest capacity with 60 million passengers per year. In Europe, Heathrow Airport near London (UK) is considered the most powerful. There are 76 international airports in Russia and their number is constantly increasing. Russian airlines operate flights to 175 major airports in 120 countries.

The number of airports in the world practically does not increase, but passenger capacity is growing, their infrastructure is developing, and service technology is being improved. According to experts, the airport of the XXI century. must be, and is already becoming, more than just a place to get on and off an airplane. For example, the British company BAA, which owns Heathrow (in London) and Gatwick (in Glasgow), as well as Edinburgh Airport (in Scotland), has already turned its terminals into the most profitable outlets in the UK.

According to IATA, most of the world's largest airports are located in the Americas. The top ten airports include seven American, two European and one Asian. But just because the airport is the largest in the world does not mean that it is the best in terms of passenger service. This is confirmed by IATA annual surveys of a large number of passengers.

The best airports in terms of passenger service are determined by several criteria: information service, catering, availability of various shops, communication services, etc. The results of the research showed that the best airports in the world are located in the cities: Dubai (UAE), Singapore, Hong Kong, Copenhagen (Denmark ), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Seoul ( South Korea), Athens (Greece), Vancouver (Canada), Cincinnati (USA), Sydney (Australia).

Dubai Airport, launched in 2000, was recognized as the most convenient and efficient in the world. Singapore Airport received the highest score for the work of the helpful staff. Copenhagen Airport was in fourth place, becoming the best in Europe. Seoul Airport was in sixth place in the ranking. None of the major airports was rated by the passengers surveyed.

Despite the expanding infrastructure and service capabilities, the airport retains its main function - it is a place of boarding and disembarking from an aircraft. The place of departure for the flight and arrival from the flight. Based on this, the main task of the airport is to serve flights of various airlines and serve air passengers.

V airport tasks includes: maintenance of passenger transportation, cargo and mail; providing air flights of foreign and national airlines within the airport; ensuring the regularity and safety of flights, meteorological observations; ensuring the proper operation of communications and light signaling; aircraft maintenance and refueling; change of toilet tanks, garbage collection; an important operation is the prompt preparation and supply of compact power for each flight.

Each airport has the following units: a detachment serving the runway and field; lighting personnel; air navigation service; technical staff for servicing passengers on boarding and disembarking from an aircraft, as well as for loading and unloading baggage; service "cargo" (cargo service); aircraft engineering; meteorological service; medical service, including a sanitary-quarantine point; help desk.

At each airport, in close cooperation with employees of the airport itself, there are representative offices of airlines operating flights on the lines to which the airport belongs. Control services (border, customs, sanitary and quarantine, veterinary, phytosanitary, etc.) operate at international airports.

The territory of each airport is strictly divided into two zones: a) the arrival (arrival) zone and b) the departure (departure) zone. Each airport is allocated a special place - the so-called the waiting area(for meeting, transit passengers, etc.). A special area of ​​each international airport is neutral zone. Departing passengers after customs and passport control before the departure of the aircraft, and arriving passengers - before customs and passport control are required to stay in this zone. In this neutral territory, there are usually all kinds of duty free shops that are exempt from taxes and duties.

Rail transport infrastructure. Railways with different network densities and levels of technical equipment have been built in most countries of the world, but there are a number of countries where there are no railways. These include: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Belize, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guinea, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Congo (Zaire), Kuwait, Lesotho, Libya, Mauritius , Niger, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Yemen, Qatar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, UAE, Uruguay and some others.

Before the intensive development of road and air transport from the middle of the XIX century. and in the first half of the 20th century. The railroad was one of the main means of moving travelers from their main residence to another locality or country. Since the intensification of technological progress, road transport and air carriers have taken over a significant share of traffic. However, the creation of high-speed railway lines returned competitiveness to the railway.

Within the main European countries - Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Great Britain - today it is even more convenient to travel between major capitals and tourist centers by train than by bus or plane. The journey from Milan to Rome takes just over 2 hours, with a train traveling at over 200 km/h. Moreover, the train moves along a fairly straight track, which is always shorter than any highway connecting two settlements.

In the presence of high-speed trains, the greatest efficiency of movement on the railway is observed when traveling over distances of up to 500-600 km. In this case, high-speed railway lines make it possible to overcome this route in 2-3 hours, which is quite convenient for tourists. In addition, trains usually arrive at stations traditionally located right in the very center of large cities and capitals, which minimizes the transfer and creates significant advantages over aviation. If we add to this several times lower (compared to air transport) fare, then the advantages of rail transport (especially when traveling over medium and relatively short distances) are obvious. For transportation distances of less than 500 km, it is more efficient to use road transport, and for more than 1000 km, it is more efficient to use air transportation.

In addition to its original purpose - transportation - the railway is actively used for entertainment purposes. Slow “steam rides” on vintage trains (retro trains) with unique locomotives national parks have become excellent entertainment for tourists spoiled by superhighways. All over the world, railway amateur clubs were organized, there were zealous collectors of old steam locomotives and even owners of small private roads equipped with rolling stock of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The subject of tourist interest is photo and video filming of retro locomotives with a plume of black smoke from a picture tube against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes, and even soundtracks of original and characteristic sounds of mechanisms during movement.

The role of railway transport in the Russian Federation and on the territory of the post-Soviet space remains traditionally large. This type of transport is invariably very popular among the vast majority of the country's population and is used as the main mode of transport in the implementation of both domestic (to a greater extent) and international tourist trips. Currently, in Russia, the share of railway transport accounts for almost 50% of passenger traffic.

The structure of railway transport is based on the production-territorial principle, according to which the entire railway network of the country is divided into separate large sections - railways. In turn, the railways are divided into departments, which are the main production links of the railways. The departments manage the financial, production and economic activities of all production and linear divisions located within the boundaries of this railway: stations, train stations, railway tracks, track infrastructure, track facilities, etc.

Consequently, the infrastructure of railway transport is formed by linear and nodal elements. Linear railways include the railway lines of a country or region. Nodal and point elements include passenger stations, train stations, technical services of the railway. Consider them and their functions in more detail.

Passenger stations- Separate points of the railways, where operations are carried out with passenger trains and wagons - formation, acceptance and dispatch, transit, maintenance of rolling stock, passenger service. Special stations are being built to serve passengers. Passenger stations are divided into through, nodal, dead-end, combined, technical, passenger-and-freight stations.

Depending on the purpose, passenger stations have ways for receiving and departing passenger trains, performing shunting operations, and temporary parking of trains; station buildings and pavilions for servicing passengers and attendants; platforms and transitions. The stations have technical services and parks, baggage and cargo services.

Train Station- a complex of buildings and structures specially designed and properly equipped to serve passenger trains and passengers. The station generally contains the actual station building with waiting rooms, ticket offices, food points, luggage services, office space, platforms, station tunnels and passages.

Railway stations can be separate (to serve only long-distance and suburban trains), semi-separate, when the station is structurally divided into two parts for long-distance and suburban lines, as well as single (the station is not divided into zones for long-distance and suburban trains; all platforms are located together and used in combination). Depending on the location of the station buildings relative to the tracks, side buildings located on one side of the tracks are distinguished, island buildings - the building is located between the tracks, dead-end and channel (under and over the track).

Large railway stations have a huge capacity - up to 20 million passengers a year or more. At the same time, intensive passenger flows are generated as trains depart and arrive. Accordingly, they are allocated to departure passengers, arrival passengers, transit passengers, passengers of passing long-distance trains and passengers of tourist trains with a long stop at this station. For each category of passengers, the zone, the area of ​​the station premises and the service system are determined.

At the stations themselves, there are zones for the departure and arrival of passengers. This is important, especially at dead-end and junction stations, when more than 1000 passengers with luggage leave the train at the same time. The correct organization of service areas for passing high-speed trains is important. Station crossings connect platforms, station premises, waiting rooms and the station square. Among them are transitions at the same level with the tracks, at the level of platforms, bridges and concourses, viaducts, ramps, tunnels, stairs, escalators.

Lounges are designed for passengers of various categories, including transit ones, lounges for passengers with children and a comfortable waiting room for VIPs. Toilets, shops, food outlets, bars, restaurants, ticket offices, information and service services, business centers, currency exchange points, medical care and security points are placed in them or adjacent premises of the station.

The technical services of the railway are very diverse. In addition to the actual organization of train traffic and the technical maintenance of rolling stock, these services perform multiple duties of booking and selling tickets to passengers, information functions, supplying fuel, water, bed linen, food, garbage and waste collection, and security.

road transport infrastructure. Auto services used in the tourism industry include the following main areas: 1) organizing bus trips (including caravans); 2) organization of car trips: using your own car; car rental in the place of permanent residence; car rental at the holiday destination.

Several modes of transport are involved in international passenger transportation: air, international, sea and road, which includes cars and buses. At the present stage of development of international transportation, road transportation has a high share in the total volume of international passenger traffic.

By 2007, the share of road transport has significantly decreased and amounted to less than 40% due to an increase in the share of air transport travel. However, road transport is still the leader in tourist transportation, performing two main functions: independent type of travel and excursions; auxiliary (transfer) transport. It should be noted that 92% of all excursions are carried out using road transport.

The most popular tourist transport is a bus, in most cases it is the property of large tourist companies, associations, concerns, associations. Other travel companies use the services of road transport companies on the basis of long-term leases or one-time orders.

Tourist road transport is carried out mainly by bus (78%), cars (17%) and other types of road transport (5%). Possessing high maneuverability and mobility, tourist buses are unrivaled on short and medium (up to 500 km) routes. Highly comfortable tourist buses are also used on long routes (tours in Europe, the Golden Ring, etc.). At the same time, rest of tourists at night is provided, as a rule, in hotels or motels (roadside hotels). According to the international classification, according to a number of features, buses are certified by category (the number of stars).

Tourist and excursion transportation is the most popular type of travel in our country. They are widely used by travel agencies in the organization of domestic and inbound tourism. In particular, many travel agencies of the country are developing bus tours for both Russian and foreign tourists. Such routes are classified according to a number of characteristics: time of implementation, duration, region of implementation, subject, travel conditions.

The duration of most domestic tours usually ranges from one to ten days. For example, the most famous multi-day bus route (4-5 days) is the route through the cities of the Golden Ring. The themes of bus tourist and excursion routes are also very diverse. Tour operators offer religious programs (visiting monasteries and religious buildings of the country), pilgrimage tours, space tours (visiting spaceports, aviation and astronautics museums), theater tours (visiting the most famous theaters in Moscow and St. -end, etc.), holiday tours (participation in festive events) other. Non-traditional bus tours are also offered - sauna tour, jeeping, tours of fishermen, hunters, tasting and gastronomic tours.

In addition to the organization of bus tourist-excursion guided tours on domestic routes, charter unaccompanied tours and sightseeing trips are organized for independently formed groups of tourists. In the first case, buses are used for the organized delivery of sports fans, businessmen, scientists, and festival participants. In the second case, motor transport enterprises or travel agencies organize a short trip for everyone along some interesting city or suburban route, accompanied by a guide.

International bus tours differ in duration, content of excursion programs and service conditions during the trip. In terms of these factors, all international bus tours can be divided into economical, standard, branded and exclusive. V economical tours the trip includes a varied excursion program, accommodation in 2-3 star hotels located on the outskirts of cities, night crossings. V standard tours one overnight transfer, accommodation in 2-3 star hotels near metro stations or public transport lines, a varied excursion program and free time in large cities are expected. V branded tours there are no night transfers, accommodation is organized in 3-5 star hotels located in the city center, a rich excursion program is provided and free time in visited settlements. Exclusive tours are formed on the basis of branded, if desired, the wishes of customers are accepted.

At present, international passenger transportation by buses in Russia actually represents two directions, namely, irregular transportation within the framework of international bus tourism and passenger transportation on regular international lines. With the formation of the CIS, there was a significant change in each of these areas of transportation activity.

In contrast to the irregular transportation of tourists, international regular bus lines have become widespread relatively recently, after Russia has become a market development path, which has made it possible to provide the necessary regulatory framework and freedom of movement of Russian citizens abroad. One of the pioneers in this area was the Reichert company, which for the first time opened a regular route Russia - Germany.

For more than ten years, Eurolines has been operating in Moscow, an international association of road carriers that unites 35 major European bus companies. For those who prefer to travel independently, the Eurolines bus system is the most suitable way to travel, cheap and at the same time allowing you to see almost all of Europe. Currently, the Eurolines bus system connects more than 40 major European cities: London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Lyon, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Munich, Vienna, Basel, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Rome, Milan , Florence, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw, Stockholm, Gothenburg, Zurich, Bordeaux, Venice, Dublin, Krakow, Bratislava, etc.

Bus tourism. Bus tours- travel groups of tourists on their own or rented buses. They can be carried out everywhere and practically without restrictions. Due to their mobility and relative independence from transport communications and schedules, bus trips allow you to organize routes according to interesting places at the most convenient time for tourists. Bus routes are divided into urban, suburban and intercity.

The advantages of bus tours are their relative cheapness: a bus trip costs about 1.5-2 times cheaper than a regular tour with air travel and that the price of bus tours does not change throughout the season, regardless of demand. The organization of bus tourism has accumulated a lot of experience and has a long tradition in comparison with other types of tourism. The possibility of including small towns in the bus route makes such trips convenient for family tourists and the elderly. The participation of cars and buses in international tourism reflects the ratio of individual and group tourism, since international bus tourism is mostly group tourism.

Modern bus tourism is currently characterized not only by quantitative growth, but also by constant qualitative change, expressed in a wide variety of use of buses in international tourism. The traditional type of international bus tourism are block trips, the essence of which is that the programs for them are drawn up taking into account the maximum use of buses throughout the trip. Recently, combined bus tourism has been developed - route tourism and recreation, which attracts tourists with a combination of educational and recreational recreation.

Thus, bus transportation in international traffic is very popular among tourists in various countries. The main advantage of this type of transportation is the optimal price / quality ratio, which allows them to be used in mass international tourism. Currently, the global market for international bus transportation is experiencing a rapid growth in sales volumes and quality indicators of service.

There are two ways to organize irregular transportation of tourists:

1. A travel company develops a certain bus tour and entrusts the transportation to a transport organization that develops the route, performs maintenance of the flight, etc.

2. A travel company rents a bus from a transport organization (or a private person) and carries out the transportation itself. However, in this case, such a company must have a license to carry out passenger transportation in the international direction, the necessary permits, etc.

Bus companies offer the following tour packages and bus rental service:

1. Charter tours- evening service, day trips to competitions, week trips - holiday tours;

2. Accompanied tours– trips of pre-planned groups lasting from five days to one month, accompanied by a leader;

3. Independently formed groups- the tour includes visiting cities and attractions using regular buses;

4. Flexible tours– combination of bus transport with other means of transport.

The rights and obligations of the carrier and tourists are regulated by the contract for transportation, the contract for tourist services and the voucher. Bus trips can be organized on own buses owned by travel companies, as well as on rented buses owned by independent motor transport enterprises of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. Currently, only in Moscow there are more than 30 carrier companies specializing in international tourism: Old City, Avtotour-Sputnik, Avtoturtrans, Inters, Turtrans-Voyage, etc.

Car tourism and car rental. The advantage of using road transport is that it makes travelers independent in terms of time, routes, and schedules. The main forms of autotourism are:

· individual tourism- a tourist, going on a trip, knows that no one guarantees him accommodation and meals (provided that this is a long trip);

· organized tourism- trip of one or more cars according to the exact schedule and with a full range of services during stops;

· caravanning- a type of automobile tourism, in which a caravan (autocaravan) is used as a means of accommodation.

A very common service among tourists, especially on stationary and resort tours. Hertz is the leading car rental company in the world. Competing company Avis in the mid-90s. 20th century was named the best car rental company by the English magazine Institutional Investor.

Infrastructure aquatic species transport. Tourist business has different forms of travel organization and one of them is cruises. Cruise is a tourist trip on a river or sea, usually calling at ports, on board a special passenger ship. Currently, dozens of cruise companies around the world operate hundreds of passenger ships with a capacity of 70 to 2000-3000 passengers and offer exciting trips to almost any region of the world.

In fact, a cruise is a sea or river tour, the basic cost of which includes comprehensive services on board the ship. In particular: travel on the ship, accommodation in a cabin (depending on the chosen class), three meals a day, entertainment and, as a rule, a number of special events on board the ship (holidays, festivals, competitions, concerts, etc.).

The infrastructure for water activities most often includes cruise companies and cruise ships they own. The vast majority of the nearly fifty companies operating in the global cruise market are North American. But today there are no more than fifteen significant companies left, and due to the active process of their merger, this number is constantly decreasing. The top ten megacompanies include Carnival, Royal Caribbean, P&O Princess, Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Festival, Crystal. Among the main market players are approximately 85% of US companies (often sailing under the flags of other states - Panamanian, Liberian, etc.). The first three leaders - Carnival, Royal Caribbean, P&O Princess and their affiliated companies "hold" approximately 81% of the global cruise market.

Another feature of the modern cruise business is the emergence of giant ships. Leading cruise companies staged a real race of titans among themselves. In the next few years (2007-2010), about 50 new generation liners of class 4-5 * with a displacement of 70-100 thousand tons will be launched, which will replace ships built in the 80-90s. The new superliners will carry 2,500-3,000 passengers and will be equipped with shopping and restaurant arcades, casinos, ice rinks and golf courses.

There are several common classifications for passenger ships and cruise lines. The international association of cruise companies CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), as well as the leading international cruise guides "Berlitz", "Fodor" subdivide sea routes depending on the cost of a day's stay into four categories: economy, classic, premium cruises and luxury cruises ". The first in the international lists of luxury companies are Silversea Cruises, the only one with the category "six stars" and operating on the ultra all inclusive system, and offering an upscale, but more democratic Crystal vacation.

In turn, cruise ships are classified by star rating - from 1 to 6 stars and groups: Standard ("2-4 stars"), Premium ("5 stars" - "5 stars plus") and Lux ​​("6 stars"). Cruise ships are certified in 6 categories (stars). Only four ships in the world belong to the super-luxury category (6 stars). The cost of a cruise of this class is $6000-8000 per week. Here passengers are accommodated only in apartments. The cost of this cruise includes everything, including tips. Vessels of this class are designed for 200 passengers and 150 crew members.

Introduction ................................................ ................................................. .. 3
1. Air transport in tourist traffic .............................................. 4
1.1 International organizations regulating air transport .......................................................... ................................................. 7
1.2 Interaction between travel companies and airlines…………… 9
1.3 Air transportation in Russia………………………………. thirteen
2. Characteristics of the airline "Ural Airlines"………….. 16
2.1 Results of the airline’s activities…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………21
3. Ways to improve the quality of passenger service in air transport………………………………………………………… 27
Conclusion……………………………………………………….. 29
List of used sources…………………………………….. 30

INTRODUCTION

Transport is one of the most important components of the material base of the economy of any country.
Tourism is completely dependent on transport, its safety, speed and amenities provided to the tourist during his movement. Understanding the basics of relationships with transport companies, the rules of interaction with them in matters of ensuring the safety of passengers and their property, service is important for both tourists and travel organizers.
The relevance of this topic is that air transport is the most popular mode of transport in the world. Air transport is one of the fastest and most dynamically developing sectors of the world economy and every year it occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system.
The purpose of this course work: to prove that air transport is popular in tourist transportation, to consider tourist transportation in Ural Airlines and to identify ways to improve the quality of service in air transport.
To achieve the goal in the course work, it is necessary to solve the following tasks:
1. Consider the features of air transportation and identify the reasons for the popularity of transportation;
2. To study some aspects of servicing tourists by air;
3. Consider the work of the Ural Airlines;
The object of the study is: the airline "Ural Airlines".
The subject of the study is: the place of air transport in the system of tourist transportation in the airline "Ural Airlines".

1. AIR TRANSPORT IN TOURISM TRAFFIC

Transport is one of the most important components of the material base of the economy of any country. Since ancient times, transport has been the engine of progress. Man used any means at hand to transport people and goods. With the invention of the wheel, and a little later, various types of engines, man began to develop means of transportation accordingly: wagons, carriages, steam locomotives, airplanes, etc. This made it possible to travel long distances and for various purposes.
International tourism involves the movement of people from country to country. In studying its development, it is very important to determine its relationship with the transport industry. Success in generating tourism markets and adequate transport infrastructure are one of the most important prerequisites for the development of any tourist center. For its part, demand in tourism stimulated the rapid development of the transport industry.
Tourism is completely dependent on transport, its safety, speed and amenities provided to the tourist during his movement. Understanding the basics of relationships with transport companies, the rules of interaction with them in matters of ensuring the safety of passengers and their property, service, the use of appropriate discounts and benefits in sales is important for both tourists and travel organizers. The development of tourism is constrained by the fact that transport systems in a number of countries do not meet world standards for convenience, efficiency and safety, and transport projects in terms of building new airports, roads and railways require huge investments and time for their implementation.
Less than half of all international travel is by road, with the role of air transport growing every year.
In 1992, only 5% of travelers used the rail system for international travel (mainly Europe) and 8% traveled by steamboats and ferries (e.g. between the UK and France, Italy and Greece, Sweden and Denmark), and 40% of tourists reached their destination by plane.
According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend to reduce travel time in favor of their frequency (growth of short-term long-distance tours). All this causes close attention of the tourist business to air transportation.
Airplanes are the most popular mode of transport in the world. The same can be said about air travel in tourism.
And there are a number of reasons for this:
- firstly, aviation is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport when traveling over long distances;
- secondly, the service on flights currently has an attractive appearance for tourists;
- thirdly, airline companies directly and through international booking and reservation networks pay commissions to travel agencies for each seat booked on the plane, thereby motivating them to choose air travel.
Air transport is one of the fastest and most dynamically developing sectors of the world economy and every year it occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system.
Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1,000 airports in the world are involved in serving international air traffic, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation.
The largest airlines in the world in terms of traffic are American Delta Air lines, Pan American, United, French Air France, German Lufthansa, British British Airways and others. Russian Aeroflot is considered a major airline.
However, the international air transport system consists not only of international air carriers and airports, but also of states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its efficient functioning and safety.
The international transportation network currently covers all geographical regions and more than 150 countries of the world.

1.1 International organizations regulating air transport

Air transport is regulated in three ways:
National regulation - licensing of air carriers operating both on domestic and international routes;
Intergovernmental regulation - when regular air routes are based on agreements between the governments of the respective countries;
International regulation - when tariffs for scheduled flights are set (for airline members) on the basis of mutual agreements between participating airlines........

LIST OF SOURCES USED

1. Azar V.I. Transport and tourism. - M.: Transport, 2007.
2. Birzhakov M.B., Nikiforov V.I. Tourism industry: transportation. - St. Petersburg: Ed. house "Gerda", 2008.
3. Zorin I.V., Koverina T.P., Kvartalnov V.A. Tourism management. - M.: Finance and statistics, 2007.
4. Nikolaenko V.N., Skorobogatova L.G. Management of transport services in the field of tourism. At 2 o'clock Part 1: Lecture notes. - Yekaterinburg: Publishing house of UrGUPS, 2011.
5. Osipova O.Ya. transport services for tourists: Textbook. allowance for students of higher education. educational establishments. - M.: Publishing Center "Academy", 2009.
6. Transport support for commercial activities: Proc. allowance / Ed. G.Ya. Rezgo. - M.: Finance and statistics, 2009.
7. Russian tourist newspaper. - URL: www. turizm.ru
8. Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. - URL: www. favt.ru/favt_new -

According to statistics, the growth rate of the popularity of air transport is higher than that of road transport, which is due to the increasing expansion of the geography of travel and the existing steady trend to reduce travel time in favor of their frequency (growth of short-term long-distance tours). All this causes close attention of the tourist business to air transportation. Airplanes are the most popular mode of transport in the world. The same can be said about air travel in tourism. And there are a number of reasons for this:

Firstly, aviation is the fastest and most convenient mode of transport when traveling over long distances;
- secondly, the service on flights currently has an attractive appearance for tourists;
- thirdly, airline companies directly and through international booking and reservation networks pay commissions to travel agencies for each seat booked on the plane, thereby motivating them to choose air transportation

Air transport is one of the fastest and most dynamically developing sectors of the world economy and every year it occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system.

Now there are more than 1300 airlines in the world. On average, about 1.5 billion people are transported on flights annually. Over 470 carriers now provide international air services, about 250 of them operate international regular flights. More than 1 thousand airports of the world participate in servicing international air communications, about 650 of them serve international scheduled air transportation

The largest airlines in the world in terms of the number of flights are the American Delta Air lines, Pan Amerikan, United, the French Air France, the German Lufthansa, the British British Airways, and others. The Russian Aeroflot is considered a major airline.

However, the international air transport system consists not only of international air carriers and airports, but also states connected by international air lines and providing these communications, as well as international organizations in the field of air transport, taking measures to ensure its effective functioning and safety.

The network of international transportation currently covers all geographic regions and more than 150 countries of the world

Air transport is regulated in three ways:

1) national regulation - licensing of air carriers operating both on domestic and international routes;
2) intergovernmental regulation - when regular air routes are based on agreements between the governments of the respective countries;
3) international regulation - when tariffs for scheduled flights are set (for airline members) on the basis of mutual agreements between participating airlines through the International Air Transport Association (IATA) or a third party

One type of international air travel regulation is plans to create a pool that connects airlines operating on certain international routes.

A pool agreement connects airlines operating on the same international routes in order to optimize aircraft schedules, reduce the direction and regulate passenger traffic during peak hours and periods, as well as in order to increase profits on these routes and its further distribution between airlines

A pool agreement could in principle lead to the elimination of competition along the route. But it also means maintaining the possibility of participation in transportation on the lines of companies of different sizes. Pool agreements are often entered into between airlines of disparate size in order to provide them with the best transportation opportunities and profits. Financing arrangements between pooled carriers typically cap the maximum amount of revenue that can be transferred from one carrier to another to reduce the government's ability to support inefficient carriers. In some countries, however, pool contracts are currently prohibited (for example, in the USA)

International regulation of air transportation is carried out on the basis of international agreements signed between countries over many years.

The Warsaw Convention of 1929 was the first general agreement between airlines concerning the issues of ensuring the responsibility of airlines for the safety of passengers in the event of their death, injury or loss of luggage during carriage. (The Montreal Protocol later determined that the maximum liability will be periodically reviewed due to inflationary processes. Today, the airline's liability to the passenger is a maximum of 20 thousand US dollars.) This agreement is the basis for insuring passengers, mail and luggage on international air transportation.

The Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation of 1944, in the discussion on the adoption of which 80 countries took part, contains an agreement on the standardization of air service migration procedures between countries. These principles were adopted to provide the basis for bilateral agreements between countries. The agreement agreed not to regulate charter flights, allowing countries to apply individual regulation and conditions under which they accept and operate charter flights.

The Bermuda Agreement of 1946 Anglo-American on transatlantic flights regulated bilateral agreements on these routes. In 1977, the Bermuda Agreement was revised (and ratified in 1980), in 1986 the new agreement expanded the actual load on routes across the Atlantic, limited to two British and two American carriers

Since air transport occupies an increasingly strong position in the global transport system every year, the need for its global coordination and regulation has long arose. These issues are dealt with by international aviation organizations. Consider the most influential and famous of them.

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is one of the first most respected and authoritative world structures. ICAO members are 183 states. ICAO works closely with other organizations such as the United Nations Community, World Meteorological Organization, International Union of Electrical Communications, World Post Union, World Health Organization, International Sea Organization.

The International Association of Air Transportation - I ATA - was established to coordinate the actions of world airlines aimed at ensuring the safety and efficiency of air transport in all regions of the globe. Founded in 1919 and reorganized in 1945, IATA is the professional association of aviation companies operating international flights. The main function performed by the Association is the regulation of international commercial air traffic, the introduction of uniform rules and procedures for all members and the establishment of agreed tariffs for passenger transportation on international routes.

Travel agencies participate in the activities of IATA through its special branch - International Travel Agents Network (IATAN), the International Organization of Airline Agents, as well as through international organizations of civil airports

As part of the organization of tourist travel, there are several forms of interaction between travel companies and airlines:

Reservation of seats and purchase of air tickets through airline agencies;
- reservation of seats and redemption of air tickets through booking systems;
- an agreement with the airline for a quota of seats on regular airlines;
- agency agreement and work as an agency for the sale of air tickets for their tourists;
- organization of charter flights for tourist transportation

In order to correctly choose the most convenient and profitable section of tourist transportation, as well as competently conclude a contract for air transportation of tourists, you need to know all the features, advantages and disadvantages of this or that type of interaction with the airline

The travel agent also needs to know the rules for booking air tickets, working with stocks, fares and discounts provided by airlines.

Requirements of professional ethics when booking air tickets. In order to avoid additional inconvenience for air carriers, as well as to facilitate the booking process and improve the quality of passenger service, travel agents should adhere to the following simple rules:

Follow standard airline booking procedures
- Never book a double booking for a passenger if he cannot decide which flight to take. Moreover, never issue two or more tickets for such a passenger if it is obvious that he will be able to use only one of them.
- Regardless of the passenger's itinerary, be sure to try, as far as possible, to provide the airline with telephone numbers for emergency contact with the passenger along the route
- In the event of a change in itinerary by a passenger, immediately cancel the relevant booking with the airline, as well as refuse all other related services that are not required
- Strictly adhere to the deadlines and procedures required by air carriers for issuing tickets. Never issue tickets with a guaranteed seat until this guarantee has been confirmed by the respective airline.
- All seats booked with airlines must be accurately recorded and properly documented. Documents to be drawn up and copies remaining with the agent must contain an indication of the flight number, date and class of flight, the status (guaranteed / non-guaranteed seat) of each individual flight, the names and initials of passengers and their contact numbers or addresses. Report immediately in the prescribed form on receipt of all deposits

Always remember that the convenience of passengers and the normal operation of other agents and airlines depend on your efficiency, accuracy and courtesy.

Agreement on a quota of seats on regular flights. A seat quota, or otherwise a block of seats, can be either hard or soft. This affects the terms of the contract and special benefits and discounts. With a strict quota of places, the entire responsibility for the non-sale of block places lies with the travel company, regardless of the reason for the non-sale. The travel agency bears the financial losses. With a soft quota of places, the terms for the possible refusal of a travel company from a quota or part of a quota of places due to non-sale of tourist vouchers are set. These terms provide for the possibility of further sale of these seats by the airline itself or its other agents.

The contract with the airline for a quota of seats on regular flights includes:

Schedule of functioning of tours in the direction "there" and "back" with indication of destinations;
- number of tourists in each group (quota of seats);
- deadlines for filing applications and redemption of air tickets;
- deadlines for canceling tickets orders without withholding fines (soft block);
- types of fares for purchased tickets, preferential fares, conditions for granting preferential fares;
- discounts and benefits for the quota of seats;
- the procedure and terms for the return of purchased but unused tickets, liability arising from the terms of return (soft block).

Agency agreement with the airline. In principle, some airlines consider as their agents all travel companies that have an agreement with them for a quota of seats. However, in its purest form, an agency agreement is work with stocks, i.e. when a travel company gets the opportunity to independently act as an airline ticket sales agency (both for its tourists and just selling), which simplifies and speeds up the procedures for booking and issuing travel passes documents. The travel company itself acts as the "ticket sales office" of the airline, that is, it issues tickets itself and has the appropriate computer equipment and the right to access the booking network of this airline (for example, Gabriel at Aeroflot). This type of work with air tickets is called "work with a stock of air tickets".

The airline, represented by this travel agency, has an additional point of sale (one of the conditions of the agency agreement is usually the preferential sale of tickets for this particular airline for tours)

The agency agreement with the airline provides for the following issues:

Who and under what conditions provides equipment for issuing air tickets, air ticket forms;
- training of personnel for the maintenance of this equipment;
- sales volumes are most often set individually - by the number of tickets per month (for example, at least 10/200 tickets per month) or by sales revenue (from 10 to 200 thousand US dollars or more in different airlines);
- limits of possible sales (regionally or by consumer segments);
- at what price tickets are sold - at the price of an airline or at the price of a travel agency (most often at the price of an airline);
- prices and tariffs for the sale of air tickets;
- terms of payment for air tickets prepayment or payment as they are sold (for stock agents in some airlines, prepayment is set for groups of tourists);
- the amount of commission for the sale of air tickets (up to 9% of the fare sold);
- the timing and regularity of submission of airline reports, their form and the documentation required in the application (usually 1 or 2 times a month);
- the amount of bank guarantees in favor of the airline or IATA (from USD 20,000);
- Membership in IATA.

Charter (aircraft rental). When organizing charter air transportation, the customer determines the route with the airline, the obligations of the parties are negotiated with him, the compliance of the lease agreement with international rules is clarified, and the cost of the flight is determined. Then a special charter agreement is concluded, which stipulates:

Type (brand) of the aircraft;
- number of places for sale;
- the cost of renting an aircraft;
- itinerary indicating the airports of departure and arrival;
- duration of the contract (season, year, etc.);
- regularity of flights;
- the possibility and deadlines for the cancellation (cancellation) of the flight and the corresponding sanctions

The peculiarity of charters is that one full flight (the second and penultimate flights - the first return after the first arrival and the last one there before the last export) is carried out without tourists: on the last flight, the plane picks up the last tourists, but does not bring new ones, since it is no longer behind them. will return (i.e., for 10 tourist arrivals there are 11 flights). The formula N + 1 applies here. Thus, the largest number of flights during the period of the air charter program reduces the cost of a “drop-down” flight, and therefore reduces the fare

It should be noted that it is realistic to organize 20 races per season (with weekly flights). However, a charter can be launched with a frequency of 2 times a week - then the number of flights per season increases to 40. This significantly reduces the tariff, but is not available for the absolute majority of travel companies. This explains the emergence of "intermediate" entrepreneurs in the tourist transportation market - wholesalers (wholesalers), consolidating large charters in their hands and distributing them in the future among smaller firms in the form of block charters (i.e., 10-30 seats ). As a rule, the tour operator-wholesaler sells blocks of seats on his charter according to three proven options: hard, soft and combined blocks of seats.

A soft block, in which the customer does not have any financial responsibility and has the right to completely or partially refuse their seats within a predetermined timeframe, is more convenient for the travel agent. However, if the refusal occurs later than the deadline, the customer will have to pay a fine. Usually, soft blocks are used quite rarely, since they are not always beneficial to the charter holder (be it an airline or a wholesaler tour operator).

The rigid block provides for strict contractual obligations on the terms of sale and payment. The customer makes an advance payment, the amount of which usually includes the sum of the cost of two paired flights. At the same time, tariffs for the implementation of a hard block are approximately 5-10% lower than for the implementation of a soft block. In addition, with a contract for a hard block, the operator and agent fix the price for the entire period of the charter, which gives the sellers a good opportunity to vary prices during the “high” period of the season and at the end of it.

The most common sale of seats on charter flights is the so-called combined method, which combines elements of the two above-mentioned options. The total number of seats included in the block being sold is divided in a certain proportion into two parts: one of which is sold according to the "hard" system, and the other - according to the "soft" system.

Often, not one, but several tour operators act as the initiator of the charter program. At the same time, they agree in advance among themselves the conditions for organizing flights.

Normal relations with airlines when renting an aircraft provide for its payment in accordance with the contract with a mandatory balance sheet after each flight

Charter flights must not be in conflict with the requirements of the Warsaw International Convention on the obligations of the carrier to the passenger

When signing a charter agreement, the airline almost always puts the tour operator in tough conditions. First of all, the company requires an advance payment. Whatever its maximum size, the airline always insists that the first and last flights of the charter cycle be paid in advance. Thus, it insures itself and previously imported tourists against possible non-payments. Payment for flights is negotiated in advance and is made, as a rule, 7-10 days before the start of the flight. In case of late payment, according to the contract, the company has the right to impose penalties on the customer or terminate the existing contractual relationship with him

All rules of air transportation in our country are regulated by the Air Code of the Russian Federation of March 19, 1977, as well as a number of international agreements. The main body coordinating air transportation in Russia is the Federal Air Transport Service (FSVT)

There are currently 315 airlines operating in the air transportation market in Russia. Of these, 96 have licenses for regular flights and carry 99% of the total volume of air passengers.

Carriage volumes are unevenly distributed between airlines The eighteen largest airlines in Russia carry about 75% of passengers, and the aircraft of eight or nine "supergiants" ferry up to 50% of Russian travelers. 94 scheduled airlines serve approximately 23% of passengers. And the remaining 276 airlines, performing, as a rule, one-time flights, account for about 1% of passenger traffic.

Aeroflot remains the undisputed leader of the Russian aviation business. Aeroflot Russian International Airlines is the national flag carrier of Russia. The company, as a rule, has more than two times more customers than the second number - the production association Domodedovo Airlines

Recently, Russian airlines have begun to create aviation alliances. For example, in February 1998, two leading Russian airlines - Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines and Pulkovo - signed an agreement on a strategic aviation alliance. In the same year, Aeroflot signed cooperation agreements with Uzbekistan Airways and Armenian Airlines.

At the end of 1997, the Russian airline "Transaero" and the Uzbek national carrier "Uzbekiston Havo Iullari" announced the merger and coordination of their activities in the air transportation market. The new aviation association was named "CIS-alliance". Transaero also has code-sharing agreements with the Czech company CSA on the Moscow-Karlovy Vary route and with the Latvian Air Baltic on the Moscow-Riga route. In February 1999, Transaero and Krasnoyarsk Airlines signed an agreement on the joint operation of the routes Moscow - Krasnoyarsk, Moscow - Norilsk and Moscow - Krasnoyarsk - Vladivostok

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