Short answer: A waiver code is the code an airline publishes in a travel notice, so an agency can reissue a disrupted ticket with the change fee waived. Check the ticket against the notice's dates and cities. Put the code in the field the notice names, add the PNR remark it asks for, and reissue before its deadline.
Winter weather season starts now, and with it the travel notices. JetBlue's agency page already lists more than 25 waivers issued in 2026, most of them for storms in the Northeast. Each one carries a code, and that code is how the airline's audit sees that a fee was waived on purpose.
Here is how to read a notice, where the code goes, and what to check before the exchange reaches ARC.
What is an airline waiver code?
It's a short code an airline publishes when it lets travelers change plans during a disruption, such as a storm, an airport closure or a schedule problem. The notice says which tickets qualify and what the airline waives. The code on the reissued ticket ties that exchange to the notice.
Some notices carry two codes. Delta's weather bulletins list one code for rebooking in the same cabin and a second that waives the change fee alone, with the new trip priced at current fares.
How do I know if a ticket qualifies?
Every notice sets its own limits. Read them against the ticket before you touch the booking:
- Ticket stock. Delta's bulletins cover tickets on Delta's 006 stock. JetBlue's notices usually cover JetBlue-operated flights.
- Issue date. The ticket was issued on or before the date in the notice.
- Cities and travel dates. The original trip touches a listed city on a listed day.
- The rebook deadline. JetBlue gives a "rebook and travel by" date. Delta gives a reissue deadline and a date new travel has to start by.
- Trip status. In Delta's bulletins, the affected flight is still unflown and the first departure is more than 3 hours away. The traveler is also yet to check in.
A change outside those limits falls back to the fare's own rules, with any fees the fare carries.
Working one waived exchange
- 01Read the noticeMatch stock, issue date, cities and travel dates
- 02RebookSame cabin, inside the travel window
- 03Place the codeIn the field the notice names
- 04Add the remarkThe OSI line the notice gives, word for word
- 05ReissueBefore the deadline, then check IAR the same day
Where does the waiver code go on the ticket?
The notice tells you, and the order matters. Delta's bulletins set a sequence for agencies pricing by hand:
| If this field is free | Put the code here |
|---|---|
| The ticket designator field | Ticket designator |
| The designator is in use | Tour code box |
| The tour code box is in use too | First position of the endorsement box |
| Rapid Reprice in Worldspan, Apollo or Galileo | Added to the endorsement box for you |
Other airlines use other fields, so check each carrier's notice. JetBlue's waiver page points agents to its IROP and weather event policy for the steps.
What do I record in the booking?
The remark the notice gives. Delta's bulletins spell out one OSI line for reissues and a second one for refunds. Each line names the event and the bulletin date. Copy it exactly, because it's the note an auditor reads next to the code.
We'd add one habit of our own. Save a copy of the notice with the booking, with its link and the date you read it. Notices get updated as a storm moves, and the version you worked from is your proof if a memo arrives later.
Does the waiver cover the fare difference?
Read the fare line in each notice. Delta's weather bulletins waive the fare difference and the change fee when the ticket is reissued inside the dates, with the code and the remark applied. The same bulletins let travelers change origin or destination, with the fare difference collected at current fares.
JetBlue's notices vary. Most waive the fare difference, and a few say plainly that the difference applies.
What happens when the exchange reaches ARC?
ARC processes error-free exchanges during the week under Expedited Exchanges, then sends them to the airline. Once an exchange is locked down and processed, it stays as it was sent. An exchange still in error rolls into the next report as out of period.
So check two things in IAR on the day you reissue:
- The penalty amount. If the traveler forfeits residual value, ARC asks you to raise the exchange penalty to include it before you issue the new ticket. You can still fix it the next business day in the Admin/Penalty field on the Exchange Support screen.
- Linked documents. A residual value MCO or EMD is issued the same day as the exchange, so the two link as one.
Debit memos follow a different clock. ARC processes them at the end of the reporting week. If one arrives for a waived exchange, send back the code and the remark, with the saved notice as proof. Our guide to disputing an airline debit memo covers the rest.
Before the next storm
Bookmark each carrier's waiver page, and keep a one-line note in your desk guide on which field each airline wants the code in. When the notices come in bunches, that note saves the first ten minutes of every call.
Common questions
Where do I find an airline's current waiver codes?
On the airline's agency site. Delta posts them as numbered bulletins on Delta Professional, and JetBlue keeps a dated list on its travel agent waiver page. Read the latest bulletin for the event, since airlines update them as the event moves.
Does a waiver code also waive the fare difference?
It depends on the notice. Delta's weather bulletins waive the difference when the ticket is reissued in the same cabin inside the dates, and some JetBlue notices say the fare difference applies. Read the fare line in each notice.
Can another agency reissue the ticket under the waiver?
Delta's bulletins say the agency that issued the ticket handles the reissue. A traveler who booked elsewhere goes back to that agency or to the airline.
What happens after ARC processes the exchange?
ARC sends error-free exchanges to the airline during the week, and they're final once sent. Check the code and the penalty amount on the day you reissue.
Sources
- Delta Professional, Southeast and Northeast US weather, bulletin 1 (May 25, 2022) Airline policy
- JetBlue, Travel agent waiver codes (page dated November 1, 2026) Airline policy
- ARC, Expedited Exchanges FAQs ARC
Checked on November 3, 2026. Rules change, so check the source before you act on a date or an amount.
