Airline policy finder
Airline agency policies for debit memos, credits, schedule changes and voids.
Pick an airline and a topic. The rule, its source and the date we checked it update with each answer.
Reference
Agency policies, airline by airline.
Each airline sets its own rules. Check the airline's agency site before you act.
| Airline | Debit memo | Unused credit | Schedule change | Void |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta | Due on receipt | eCredit, 12 months | 180 minutes | Straight sales void in IAR within one business day, so a Monday ticket by 11:59 PM Tuesday. Exchanges and refunds void by 11:59 PM the same day, and manually entered transactions by midnight on the issue date. |
| American | 30 days to pay or resolve | Unused ticket, 12 months | 180 minutes | Void in the GDS by 11:59 PM local time one business day after issue, and Friday to Sunday tickets by Monday. Exchanges void the same day. Void in both IAR and the GDS, or the traveler may still be charged. |
| United | Ask the airline | Ask the airline | 180 minutes | Ask the airline |
| Southwest | No window published | Transferable flight credit, 12 months | 180 minutes | Void until 11:59 PM local time the following business day. |
| Alaska and Hawaiian | No window published | Credit, 12 months | 180 minutes | US agencies have 24 hours from issue or reissue to void in IAR and the GDS. That is shorter than ARC's next-business-day window. |
| JetBlue | 90 days from issue | Travel credit, 12 months | 180 minutes | ARC agencies can void within one business day of ticketing. Voiding and reissuing to get around refund deadlines can bring a debit memo. |
| Air Canada | No US window; paid memos up to 1 year from issue | Unused ticket, 12 months | 180 minutes | ARC agencies can void until 11:59 PM local time the next business day after issue, and Friday to Sunday tickets until Monday. The coupons must show VOID on both the ARC side and Air Canada's side to avoid a debit memo. |
| Another airline | 30 days, ARC's suggestion | The unused ticket, 12 months | 180 minutes | In ARC, GDS-issued sales, refunds and exchanges can be voided in IAR until 11:59 PM ET the next business day, and transactions added by hand in IAR by 11:59 PM ET the same day. Some airlines set a shorter window. |
Reference
The proof for each memo reason.
Answer the memo's own reason, and attach the records that show it.
| Reason on the memo | What it usually means | Proof to gather |
|---|---|---|
| Fare or fare rule | The airline says the fare on the ticket breaks its fare rules, or sits below the filed fare. Rules like advance purchase or minimum stay fall here. | The stored fare quote from the moment of ticketing; The fare rule as filed on the ticketing date; The PNR history with booking and ticketing times |
| Tax | The taxes or carrier charges on the ticket differ from what the airline says was due. | The tax breakdown the GDS priced at ticketing; Any tax exemption document, cross-referenced on the ticket; GDS access to the memo, if the GDS priced the tax |
| Booking practice | The airline flags how the booking was held: repeated booking and cancelling, duplicate bookings, placeholder names, or inactive and passive segments left in the PNR. | The PNR history with every change and its time stamp; The traveler's request that led to each change; The time each inactive segment was removed |
| Ticketing time limit | The airline says the ticket was issued after the fare's ticketing deadline, at the older and lower fare. | The ticket's issue time stamp; The stored fare with its ticketing deadline; The fare's filing date and time |
| Commission | The commission or incentive on the ticket differs from the contract the airline has on file. | The written contract or addendum in force on the ticketing date; The tour code or ticket designator filed with the fare |
| Refund | The airline says a refund paid back more than the fare rules allow, or came after the refund window. | The record from your automated refund tool; The airline's waiver or authorization code in the PNR; The fare rule that shows what was refundable |
| Exchange | The airline says the fare difference or change fee on a reissue was calculated wrong. | The automated exchange record from the GDS; Any residual value document, linked to the exchange in IAR |
| Waiver or exception | You changed or refunded the ticket under an airline waiver, and the waiver is missing from the ticket the auditor reads. | The waiver code in the tour code or ticket designator box; The waiver noted in the PNR |
| Name change | The airline says a name change went further than a spelling correction. | The PNR history showing a spelling fix; The airline's authorization, if it approved the change |
| Card chargeback | The cardholder disputed the charge with their bank, and the airline passes the amount to your agency. | Evidence the cardholder took part in the sale; The booking request and the traveler's confirmation |
| Unreported sale | The airline says a ticket was issued and missing from your IAR sales report. | The IAR sales report that lists the ticket; The void record, if the ticket was voided |
Sources for this tool.
Checked on November 2, 2026. Airlines change these rules, so check the policy before you act.
- Delta Pro, Debit memo information Airline
- Delta Pro, Schedule change and irregular operations rebooking policy Airline
- Delta Pro, Refund, exchange and void guidelines Airline
- Delta Pro, Delta Main Basic cancellation charge exception (February 19, 2026) Airline
- Delta, Cancellations and eCredits Airline
- Delta, Certificates, eCredits and gift cards Airline
- American SalesLink, Debit memos Airline
- American SalesLink, Schedule change Airline
- American SalesLink, Voiding a ticket in ARC Airline
- American SalesLink, Ticket validity Airline
- United Jetstream, agency portal Airline
- Southwest, GDS policy (September 24, 2026) Airline
- Southwest, Fare information and rules Airline
- Southwest, Travel exception policies and waiver codes Airline
- Alaska Airlines, Electronic Memo Manager Airline
- Alaska Airlines, Waivers and exceptions Airline
- Alaska Airlines, Contract of carriage (revised August 25, 2026) Airline
- Alaska Airlines, Saver fares Airline
- ARC, Hawaiian Airlines transaction processing (March 2026) ARC
- ARC, Hawaiian Airlines memo and refund management (July 2026) ARC
- JetBlue, Debit memo information Airline
- JetBlue, Schedule change policy Airline
- JetBlue, Change and cancellation policy Airline
- JetBlue, Fare options Airline
- JetBlue, Travel credits Airline
- Air Canada, Debit memo policy for travel agents (revised October 21, 2024) Airline
- Air Canada, Schedule change policy for travel agents (updated April 2, 2026) Airline
- Air Canada, Refund information for travel agents (2017) Airline
- ARC, Best practices for debit memo resolution and prevention (2023) ARC
- ARC, Expedited reporting FAQs ARC
- ARC, Industry Agents' Handbook ARC
- US DOT, Refunds DOT
Related guides.
Agency operationsHow do I dispute an airline debit memo?
How to dispute an airline debit memo in ARC Memo Manager, with the proof for each reason and the airline's window to file.
Agency operationsHow should a TMC track unused ticket credits?
Tie every open ticket to its traveler and its expiry, apply it at the next booking and report it to the client each month.
Agency operationsWhat happens if I miss the ARC reporting deadline?
The IAR sales report is due Tuesday at 1:59 p.m. Eastern. Here's what ARC does when it's late, and how agencies close the week on time.
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