Ukraine International Airlines (UIA), the national flag carrier of Ukraine, has suspended all scheduled and charter flights since February 2022 due to the closure of Ukrainian airspace amid the ongoing conflict. As a result, no new flight operations are currently active, and the airline faces significant financial challenges, including a reported bankruptcy lawsuit. The information below outlines UIA’s missed flight policies based on their Conditions of Carriage and applicable regulations, such as EU Regulation 261/2004 for flights departing from the EU, as well as customer experiences prior to the suspension. Note that these policies may not be actionable until operations resume, and passengers should verify current status with UIA or their travel agent.
No-Show Policy
If you missed a UIA flight without notifying the airline at least two hours before departure, you were considered a "no-show" under their pre-suspension policies. This typically resulted in the forfeiture of the ticket value for non-refundable fares, such as Economy Lite, and subsequent flights in your itinerary, like return or onward flights, could be canceled, as UIA treated the itinerary as a single contract.
- Notification: To avoid cancellation of subsequent flights, passengers needed to contact UIA at least two hours before departure via the Customer Support Center, website, or airport counter. Prompt notification could preserve the validity of remaining flight segments or allow rebooking, subject to fare rules.
- Fees: No-show on non-refundable fares resulted in the loss of the ticket value. Rebooking required purchasing a new ticket at the current fare. Flexible fares, like Economy Premium or Business Class, allowed changes with a fee, plus any fare difference, subject to availability.
- Impact on Itinerary: Missing a flight could lead to the cancellation of the entire reservation, including connecting or return flights, unless the airline was notified to confirm travel on subsequent flights.
Rebooking Options
For missed flights due to reasons within your control, rebooking was possible but subject to availability and fare rules. Passengers could manage changes through the UIA website, mobile app, Customer Support Center, or airport counter. Additional charges could include:
- Change Fee: Non-refundable fares, like Economy Lite, typically required purchasing a new ticket at the current fare. Flexible fares, like Economy Premium or Business Class, allowed changes with a fee per person per flight, plus any fare difference. Some promotional fares did not permit changes.
- Fare Difference: Passengers had to pay any difference between the original fare and the new flight’s fare. No refund was provided if the new fare was lower.
- Standby: UIA did not explicitly offer a standby policy for missed flights. If you arrived at the airport after missing your flight, rebooking on the next available flight required a new ticket purchase, subject to availability.
If you missed a connecting flight due to a delay caused by UIA, and both flights were on the same booking, the airline would rebook you on the next available flight at no additional cost, as required by EU Regulation 261/2004 for flights departing from the EU. They might also provide meals, accommodation, or transport for significant delays within their control, such as technical issues. For separate bookings, UIA was not responsible for missed connections, and passengers had to purchase a new ticket.
Compensation and Refunds
Refunds or compensation for missed flights were limited, especially for non-refundable fares:
- Non-Refundable Tickets: Most Economy Lite fares were non-refundable, and missing a flight resulted in the loss of the ticket value.
- Refundable Tickets: Flexible fares, like Economy Premium or Business Class, allowed cancellations or changes before departure with a fee, subject to fare rules. Refunds were processed to the original payment method.
- 24-Hour Cancellation Rule: For bookings to or from the U.S., passengers could cancel within twenty-four hours of purchase for a full refund, regardless of fare type, if booked at least seven days before departure. This did not apply to missed flights but could prevent no-shows if anticipated.
- Airline-Caused Delays: If you missed a connecting flight due to a UIA delay within their control and arrived three or more hours late, you could be entitled to compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 for flights departing from the EU, ranging from one hundred twenty-five euros to six hundred euros, depending on flight distance. You could also request a refund for the unused ticket portion or rebooking without fees. Claims were submitted via the UIA website’s feedback form or Customer Support Center, though reviews indicate slow response times.
- Airport Taxes and Fees: Even for non-refundable tickets, passengers could request a refund for government-imposed taxes and fees, subject to an administration fee, via the UIA website or Customer Support Center.
- Travel Insurance: If you had travel insurance, your policy might cover missed flights due to unforeseen circumstances, such as illness or traffic delays. Contact your insurer with your booking details.
Steps to Take if You Miss a Flight
If you missed a UIA flight before operations were suspended, the following steps were recommended:
- Contact UIA immediately via their Customer Support Center, website, mobile app, or airport counter to explore rebooking options or confirm travel on subsequent flights.
- Review your ticket’s fare rules on the UIA website to understand applicable fees and refund eligibility.
- If the missed flight was due to an airline-caused delay, submit a compensation or refund request via the UIA website’s feedback form or Customer Support Center, providing your booking reference and supporting documents like receipts or boarding passes.
- For tickets purchased through a travel agent, contact the agent directly for changes or refunds, as verification might be required.
- Check in online from forty-eight hours to two hours before departure (or fourteen days for Business or Economy Premium) to avoid missing deadlines. Airport check-in closed forty minutes before most flights, or one hour for certain routes like Bangkok or New York.
Additional Information
For flights departing from the EU, if you missed a connecting flight due to a UIA-caused delay and arrived three or more hours late, you could be entitled to compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004, provided the delay was within the airline’s control (e.g., technical issues or staffing). Compensation was not provided for extraordinary circumstances, such as weather or air traffic control issues. Customer reviews on platforms like Tripadvisor and Skytrax highlight significant challenges with UIA’s customer service, including slow refund processing, unhelpful staff, and poor communication during disruptions like missed flights or delays. For example, passengers reported being stranded without assistance after missing connections due to UIA delays, with some facing long waits or additional costs for hotels and new tickets. UIA’s Panorama Club offered priority rebooking for elite members, but reviews suggest limited responsiveness. Due to the current suspension of operations, contacting UIA may be difficult, and passengers with unused tickets from canceled flights since February 2022 can request reissuance for future dates, a refund (with no guaranteed timeline), or an extended promo code, as per UIA’s website.
