Why complaints about flights and tours have surged in Moscow

The rise of discontent: numbers and trends

According to the Moscow office of Rospotrebnadzor, the first six months of 2026 saw the number of citizen complaints linked to transport and tourism almost double compared with the same period last year. In six months the agency received about 41 000 statements – a 35 % jump in the share of consumer complaints. The biggest leap happened in the first half of the year: in Q1 the number of grievances against airlines and tour operators grew by 65 %, and in Q2 the pace accelerated, pointing to a peak in the high season.

What’s behind the increase?

Flight delays and cancellations

The chief trigger of the unrest has been frequent late departures and outright cancellations. The complaints point to several causes:

• unstable airport operations, including disruptions caused by cyber‑attacks;
• restrictions on flight programmes tied to the conflict in the Middle East;
• a global fuel crisis that is reshaping airline schedules.

Mass ticket refunds

When timetables shift, passengers are forced to return their tickets. That sparks disputes with tour operators, airlines and insurers, because refunds often come with arguments over non‑refundable fares and no‑show insurance.

How has this spilled over into other sectors?

The surge in transport‑related complaints has become a catalyst for discontent elsewhere:

• insurance queries rose by almost half;
• complaints about banking services grew by 28 %;
• the financial sector overall recorded a 44 % increase.

These figures make sense: when a flight is cancelled, a traveler suddenly deals with several counterparties – the airline, the tour operator, the bank and the insurer. A dispute over one item quickly turns into a chain of claims against the others.

What else has been affected?

Beyond financial and insurance firms, the statistics also captured complaints from:

• retail – shoppers struggle with returns of goods bought on trips;
• education – students and families lament cancelled school excursions;
• communications, utilities and medical services – the number of complaints in these areas has risen too, even though the link to tourism is weaker.

Practical tips for travelers

1. Watch the schedule – check your flight status a few hours before departure through the airline’s official channels.
2. Keep your paperwork – tickets, payment confirmations, insurance policies and any correspondence with the tour operator are best stored electronically.
3. Know your rights – if a flight is cancelled, you are entitled to compensation, re‑booking or a refund. Details can be confirmed with Rospotrebnadzor.
4. File complaints promptly – the sooner you lodge a claim, the easier it is to resolve the issue with the airline or tour operator.
5. Review your insurance – make sure your policy covers flight cancellations and refunds for unused services.

Outlook

If current trends hold, the flow of complaints to Rospotrebnadzor will keep climbing, and the tourism market will face mounting pressure from consumers. Airlines and tour operators are expected to step up communication with customers and rethink refund policies to cut down on conflict.

For travelers, the key takeaway is to stay informed and ready for rapid schedule changes. In a climate where politics, economics and cyber threats can destabilise flights, a proactive stance on protecting your rights is no longer a luxury – it’s a necessity.

Based on materials from: trn-news.ru.