How to get a refund for a tour
When a tour is cancelled at the tourist's initiative
A tour can be cancelled for a variety of reasons. Money for a tour is not always refunded in full. A tourist from Almaty must understand what the amount depends on. The closer the departure, the lower the chances of getting the money back. The season also affects the carrier's decision.
What they say about refunds
Each tour is a set of services. The money for a tour consists of the flight and accommodation. Refunding it in a single payment is almost impossible. The airline and the hotel operate by their own rules. The tour operator merely links these parts together. That is why the refund for a tour comes in parts.
High season and refunds
In summer and during holidays, tours from Almaty sell out quickly. Hotels in Turkey and Egypt are booked in advance. If a tourist decides to get a refund for a tour during such a period, the losses will be higher. The carrier is less willing to meet halfway. There are plenty of rooms in hotels, but they have already been bought up for the tour. The more popular the destination, the stricter the terms.
A tourist from Almaty may lose part of the amount for the tour.
Low season and refunds
In winter, the flow of tourists from Almaty drops. Hotels and airlines take a more flexible view of cancellations. Getting a refund for a tour at this time is easier. But even here, everything depends on the specific tour. Some destinations are closed altogether in winter. Then the refund goes almost without losses.
Step-by-step procedure
- check the contract with the tour operator
- write an application to cancel the tour
- keep all receipts and vouchers
- wait for a written response
- if refused, consult a lawyer
Insurance and refunds
Insurance rarely covers a voluntary refusal of a tour. It will only refund the money for a tour in a serious case. Then the tour can be cancelled with smaller losses. A tourist from Almaty must clarify the insurance terms in advance. Otherwise, getting a refund for the tour will not work.
Flight and ticket refunds
An airline ticket is the most expensive part of a tour. Getting a refund for a tour without refunding the ticket is difficult. Non-refundable fares are not subject to exchange. A tourist from Almaty loses the entire amount for the flight. Refundable fares allow part of the money to be returned. Fees, however, are almost always withheld.
What to take with you on the trip
Copies of the contract will come in handy in disputes. Print out the hotel booking and tickets. A tourist from Almaty must keep all receipts. This makes it easier to get a refund for the tour upon cancellation. Electronic copies will also do.
Yes, it is possible to get part of the funds back, but the outcome depends on the flight fare, hotel terms and payment method. A non-refundable ticket preserves only the fees, while hotels in Turkey, UAE and Thailand in June, July, August and the New Year holidays withhold more. The earlier the trip is cancelled, the higher the refund.
What determines the refund of money for a tour when a trip is cancelled?
A tour is a package of services where each part lives under its own contract. Therefore, the final amount that can be refunded for a tour is made up of the terms of the carrier, the hotel and the partners. Let us break down what the refund of money for a tour upon cancellation consists of.
Tour operator terms and non-refundable tickets in the package
The main obstacle to refunding money for a tour is a non-refundable air ticket inside the package. When booking from Almaty, ask the agent to show which fare is included in the tour. With Air Astana, FlyArystan and SCAT, non-refundable fares upon cancellation preserve only the fees, while the cost of the flight itself is lost.
In this case the tour operator withholds exactly the amount it has already transferred to the airline, and it cannot return it. If the fare is refundable, the money for the flight is returned according to the carrier's rules, not the tour operator's rules. The difference between these two scenarios is the largest item of losses when cancelling a tour.
Cancellation deadlines and hotel penalties in high season
In high season — June, July, August and the New Year holidays — at resorts in Turkey, UAE and Thailand, hotels set strict cancellation windows. 30 days before check-in the withholding is minimal, 14 days before it grows noticeably, and a week before it can reach the full cost of stay. In the off-season, the same hotels often allow cancellation with almost no losses.
Therefore, the question of refunding money for a tour must be resolved as soon as the trip falls through, and not a couple of days before departure from Almaty.
How to dispute the payment through the bank and get the funds back?
The bank is the second tool after negotiations with the agent. If the service was not provided and the operator is silent, the payment can be disputed. This path does not cancel the claim, but goes in parallel with it and often speeds up the refund of money for a tour.
Chargeback by card in Kazakhstan banks
A chargeback is a dispute of a transaction through the issuing bank, and in Kazakhstan it works. The application is filed with your own bank, not the seller's bank. The grounds are that the service was paid for but not received, or the seller does not respond to the request. The bank reviews the dispute and either returns the money or refuses with justification.
The review timelines depend on the payment system, so it is better to file the application in the first weeks after the tour falls through, while the dispute period has not expired.
Kaspi Red and Halyk instalments: closing the payment schedule
When paying for a tour in instalments, the refund does not close the schedule automatically. Kaspi Red and the Halyk instalment plan are structured so that the bank has already paid the seller the amount, and the client repays it in parts. If the tour is cancelled, you must separately secure the closure of the payment schedule, otherwise the debt remains to the bank even after the refund from the operator.
The procedure is as follows: first a written application to the operator or agent, then notification to the bank of the contract termination. Until the schedule is closed, payments continue to be debited, and refunding money for a tour after the fact is more difficult.
Visa, insurance and the ground part: what is not refunded
Part of the expenses in a tour goes to third parties and does not come back. These losses are counted separately from the cost of the flight and accommodation. This way it is fairer to see how much can actually be refunded for a tour.
Visa fee and visa centre services for Schengen tours
These amounts are kept by the authority and the centre for reviewing the application, regardless of the result. For Schengen tours from Almaty, this is a separate item of losses that neither the operator nor the insurance covers. If the trip is only being planned, it is cheaper to first decide on the dates and then submit the documents.
Refund of insurance and services of the receiving party
Insurance can most often be refunded if the trip has not started. Many insurers refund the premium for the unused period upon application, but only before the policy start date. The ground part from the receiving party — transfers, excursions, rentals — is refunded according to the terms of the specific partner, not the tour operator. Sometimes the partner withholds a deposit for cancellation in high season.
Therefore, when cancelling a tour, ask the agent for a written calculation: what exactly is refunded and what is not.
Documents and claim to the tour operator or agent
Without paperwork, the conversation about refunding money for a tour turns into correspondence without obligations. The claim records the date of the request and the demands. After that the operator is obliged to respond within the period specified in the contract.
Doctor's certificate on a Kazakhstan form in case of illness
The wording must link the health condition to the impossibility of the trip, and not merely confirm the visit. Keep the original: it may be needed by the insurance and the bank.
Filing a demand through an agent in Almaty or directly to the operator
If the tour was bought from a travel agent, the demand is filed through the agent, not directly to the operator. The agent is obliged to forward the claim and give a substantive response. You write directly to the operator when the purchase was made on its website or the agent has stopped responding. The claim is drawn up in two copies: one stays with you with a mark of receipt, the second goes to the addressee.
If refused, the dispute is decided by the court at the location of the defendant, so keep all correspondence until the end of the proceedings.
Exchange rate difference and refund proportions for partial payment
The money is not always returned in the amount that was paid in. The payment currency and the order of contributions have an effect. These two factors most often eat up part of the refund for a tour.
Refund in tenge when paying in dollars or euros
If the tour was paid for in currency, the refund will still come in tenge at the bank's exchange rate on the transaction date. If the exchange rate falls, the difference will not be in your favor, and you will not be able to get a full refund for the tour. The opposite situation is also possible, but you should not count on it.
The exchange rate is set by the bank, not the operator, so arguing with the amount of the exchange rate difference is pointless. Clarify the settlement currency in advance: the fewer conversions, the fewer losses upon refund.
Priority of payment offset when paying in installments
When paying for a tour in installments, the refund goes in reverse order: first the last payment is offset, then the previous ones. If only a deposit was made, that is exactly what can be refunded, not the full cost of the tour. When part of the amount has already gone to partners, it is withheld from the first payment, not from the last.
Therefore, in the application for a refund for the tour, indicate all dates and amounts of contributions: this way the calculation will be transparent and easier to dispute.
In short
- Cancel a trip from Almaty immediately: timing decides how much money will be returned.
- A non-refundable Air Astana or FlyArystan fare burns the cost of the flight.
- A chargeback at a Kazakhstan bank is filed in parallel with a claim to the agent.
- A Kaspi Red installment plan is closed with a separate application, otherwise the debt remains.
