A guide for partner agencies: how to spot a schedule change in the record and what to do before the passenger asks for anything.
An airline moves a flight that already exists on an issued ticket, and the change lands directly in the record. This is not a cancellation and should never be treated as one, either with your team or with the passenger — the flight still exists, only with a different schedule, date, or operating setup. Nobody calls you about it; the change simply sits in the booking until you open it.
What a schedule change is
A schedule change means the airline has moved a flight already part of an existing ticket — a different time, date, or operating setup than at issuance. Keep this separate from a cancellation: the flight has not been removed, it simply no longer matches the confirmation the passenger is holding. Treat each such notice as a change of plan, not as a problem to be explained.
How it shows up in the record
The change appears in the PNR, usually as a new segment line or a status note next to the existing flight. The confirmation the passenger received at purchase no longer governs — what governs is whatever the record shows the moment you check it. The agency’s work starts with re-reading the whole itinerary, not with trusting the original booking; what a booking record (PNR) holds explains how to recognize each kind of change inside it.
What the passenger can ask for
The passenger has a few paths open: accept the new time, be rebooked within the fare rules, or be refunded when the change is significant. Which path is available is not your call — it depends on the ticket’s fare and how far the flight has moved from the original plan. Do not promise the passenger in advance what is allowed; that is what the airline’s fare rules show, and fare rules for agencies covers them in more detail.
The order of steps
The order should not be skipped: the airline first files the change, the agency then issues the ticket again with the new schedule or informs the passenger of the new position, and the passenger decides which path to take. The window during which the airline allows certain actions is limited, so any delay lands on whoever holds the record at that moment — usually the agency. Check actively, rather than waiting for an outside notice.
What not to do
Do not issue the ticket again before the passenger has knowingly decided which path to take — issuing it again before a decision closes off the alternatives. Do not assume the booking is cancelled just because the time changed; that misreading creates unnecessary alarm. And do not wait for the passenger to notice the change themselves — catching it first keeps the process under control rather than under pressure.
For an overview of the terms you work under with Avionet, the travel agencies page is the starting point, alongside fare rules for agencies and what a booking record (PNR) holds for day-to-day record handling. If you run into a case you cannot resolve alone, contact us and we will respond as soon as possible.