Corporate flight ticket changes: fees, deadlines and credits

The meeting was postponed, the client asked to move the visit forward, the project needs two more days. On business trips, changing plans is part of the routine, and every change has a cost. Knowing how ticket changes and cancellations work avoids unnecessary fees and forgotten credits. This guide shows how to handle corporate flight ticket changes without losing money.

At ArrowTur, which has managed corporate travel since 1989, we handle flight changes every day for companies of all sizes. What weighs most on the final cost is not the change itself but the lack of a rule: fares chosen without checking the conditions, late notice, credits that expire unused. Here is what the rules of ANAC (Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency) say for flights in Brazil and how to build this into your travel policy.

What ANAC says about changes and cancellations

The rules are set out in ANAC Resolution No. 400/2016 and explained on ANAC’s page about trip changes and refunds (both in Portuguese). The points that affect companies most:

• 24-hour cancellation: passengers may cancel the purchase free of charge within 24 hours of receiving the receipt, as long as the ticket was bought 7 days or more before the flight.
• Cap on fees: the change or refund fee cannot exceed the value of the air transport service, even on promotional fares.
• Airport tax: it is always refunded to passengers who did not fly, and it is not included in the fee calculation.
• Fare difference: when rebooking, besides the fee set by the fare, the passenger pays or receives the difference between the amount paid and the price of the new flight.
• Refund deadline: 7 days from the request. A refund as credit is only valid if the passenger agrees.

When it is the airline that changes the flight, different rules apply: notice at least 72 hours in advance and, if the change exceeds 30 minutes on domestic flights or 1 hour on international flights, the passenger may choose rebooking or a full refund.

Flexible and basic fares: what changes

Change conditions depend on the fare family. The cheapest fares usually carry high fees or do not allow a refund of the ticket price (the airport tax is still refunded). The most flexible fares cost more at purchase but allow changes with a lower fee or no fee, paying only the fare difference.

The right choice depends on how likely the plan is to change:

• Fixed, confirmed schedule: the cheapest fare usually pays off.
• Meetings still to be confirmed, projects with uncertain dates, technical visits: a flexible fare may end up cheaper.
• Open return: when the return depends on how the work goes, compare outbound and return legs on different fares.

A good practice is to record in your reports how many tickets were changed and how much was paid in fees and fare differences. With this data, the company knows whether the policy is choosing fares that are too rigid.

No-show: the most expensive mistake

Missing a flight without notice is called a no-show. Besides losing the ticket value according to the fare rules, the passenger runs another risk: if the first leg is not flown, the airline may cancel the following ones.

On domestic round trips in Brazil, ANAC provides a safeguard: if the passenger tells the airline, before the outbound departure time, that they will use the return flight, the return leg must be kept at no extra cost. So the guidance for travelers is simple: if you are not going to board, give notice before departure time, through the agency or the airline.

Ticket credits: how not to lose money

When a cancelled ticket becomes a credit, the airline must state its value and validity in writing. The problem is that these credits end up scattered among travelers and airlines and expire unused.

• keep a central record of credits, with value, airline, holder and expiry date;
• before issuing a new ticket for the same traveler, check whether a credit is available;
• understand the usage rules of each credit, which vary by airline and fare.

How to handle changes in the travel policy

A few simple rules reduce the cost of changes:

• Who can request a change: the traveler, the manager or both, and through which channel.
• When approval is needed: for example, when the fee plus fare difference exceeds a set amount.
• Notice period: schedule changes should be reported as soon as they are known, because fare differences tend to rise close to the flight.
• Who pays for personal changes: changes for the employee’s personal reasons should have their own rule.
• Record the reasons: knowing why trips change helps plan better.

Corporate ticket changes with ArrowTur

At ArrowTur, managing changes starts at purchase: we show the conditions of each fare before issuing, so the company can choose between price and flexibility with full clarity. When the schedule changes, our team quotes the alternatives, reports the fee and fare difference before making the change, tracks the credits from cancelled tickets and records everything in the reports. Our team works Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Brasília time), with emergency support outside those hours.

Learn about our corporate travel management, talk to our sales team on WhatsApp or by phone at +55 11 5189-4120, or use our Contact us page.

Read also: New ANAC rules for delayed and cancelled flights in Brazil.

Frequently asked questions

Can I cancel a ticket without a fee?

Yes, within 24 hours of receiving the receipt, if the ticket was bought 7 days or more before the flight. After that, the rules of the fare you bought apply.

Can the fee be higher than the ticket price?

No. Under ANAC Resolution No. 400, the fee cannot exceed the value of the air transport service, and the airport tax is not included in that calculation.

I missed my outbound flight. Will my return be cancelled?

It may be. On domestic flights in Brazil, tell the airline before the outbound departure time that you will use the return: the return leg is then kept at no extra cost.