“Uzbekistan Airways” abandons global standard practice

According to standard global practice, if a passenger purchases a round-trip ticket but does not use the outbound flight for any reason, the return ticket is automatically canceled. “Uzbekistan Airways” has abandoned this practice, the Committee for the development of competition and protection of consumer rights reported.

Previously, “Uzbekistan Airways” JSC operated under rule no. 2238, registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan on June 29, 2011. Under this rule, if a passenger purchased a round-trip ticket, for example, on the Tashkent–Urgench–Tashkent route, and for some reason could not board the outbound flight from Tashkent but reached Urgench independently, their return ticket would automatically be canceled upon attempting to board the return flight.

According to the law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “on protection of consumer rights”:

• Article 2 establishes that no legislative acts can limit the rights of consumers outlined in this law or reduce the guarantees for their protection.
• Article 21 stipulates that a seller (or service provider) has no right to compel a consumer to purchase additional goods or use additional services for a fee, nor to charge for services that were not provided.

Regarding this matter, based on the relevant instructions from the Competition Committee, “Uzbekistan Airways” JSC is introducing changes to its passenger transport rules on domestic routes as a goodwill measure for consumers. These changes, which are currently undergoing final technical testing, include:

• Passengers who voluntarily decide to cancel a flight or are unable to check in on time for the first segment of their route must notify the authorized agent of the airline within the timeframe specified by the airline about their intention to cancel the reserved transportation or change the flight date. In such cases, the ticket will be reissued or refunded in accordance with the originally paid fare conditions.
• If a passenger fails to show up for check-in on the first segment and does not notify the airline of their intention to continue the journey, they may still use the ticket for subsequent segments of the route without reissuing it. In this case, if the passenger requests a refund or reissue for the unused portion of the initial segment, a penalty equal to 100% of the value of the unused flight coupons for the initial segment will be retained. According to fare application rules, airport fees and airline service charges included in the original ticket for unused route segments will be refunded or reissued.

As a result, the amendments being introduced to the “Rules for passenger and baggage transportation by air” will further strengthen the protection of consumers’ rights.

Article 65 of the Constitution of the Republic of Uzbekistan stipulates that the State will develop market relations and create conditions for fair competition, ensuring that the rights of consumers are prioritized while guaranteeing freedom of economic activity, entrepreneurship, and labor.