Clear English definitions for 32 terms used in flight refund and compensation claims.
Directory entries
RefundMoney returned for unused transportation or a refundable service. It is separate from payment for inconvenience or documented expenses.ReroutingTransportation to the ticketed destination on another flight or route. Whether you may choose a refund instead depends on the applicable rule and what you accepted.Fixed compensationA set payment under a specific passenger-rights rule when every eligibility condition is met. It differs from a refund, care and repayment of actual expenses.Care / assistanceMeals, communications, lodging or ground transport that an airline may need to provide during a disruption. Care can remain relevant even when fixed compensation is exempt.Expense reimbursementRepayment of eligible, reasonable costs you actually paid, such as meals, a hotel or transport. Keep itemized receipts and the airline's instructions.Proven damagesMoney claimed for an actual loss that you can document and connect to the disruption. A treaty liability ceiling is not an automatic award.Operating carrierThe airline that physically operates the flight. It can differ from the brand or code printed first on a codeshare ticket.Marketing carrierThe airline whose code is used to sell a codeshare seat. The marketing carrier may not be the one that operates the aircraft.Ticket issuerThe airline or agency that issued the ticket. The issuer can matter for refund processing and changes to remaining flight segments.Merchant of recordThe business that charged your payment method for a purchase. Its identity can help trace a refund after a third-party booking.PNR / booking referenceA booking reference used to locate a reservation. Protect it like personal travel information and enter it only on an official channel.Ticket numberThe identifier of an issued airline ticket, distinct from a flight number or booking reference. It helps identify the charged and unused segments.Online travel agencyA third-party website or app that sells travel. An OTA may handle ticket changes or refunds, while the operating airline handles flight operations.Self-transferA connection between separately booked flights that you arrange yourself. The second flight may not be protected as part of one itinerary.Final destinationThe endpoint of a qualifying itinerary used by some rules to measure the overall arrival delay. Ticket structure and connections matter.Departure delayTime between the scheduled and actual departure under the relevant rule. Airport care can use departure delay even when fixed compensation uses arrival delay.Arrival delayTime between the scheduled and actual arrival at the relevant destination. The legal meaning of arrival can differ from landing time.Scheduled block timeThe planned elapsed time from gate departure to gate arrival, including taxi time. It is not automatically the legal compensation clock.Extraordinary circumstancesEvents that may exempt an airline from fixed compensation under a particular rule if the legal test is met. They do not automatically erase every other duty.Within the carrier’s controlA Canadian APPR classification for a disruption the airline can control. A separate safety category affects which remedies apply.Required for safetyA Canadian APPR classification for a disruption within airline control but necessary for safety. It is not the same category as ordinary commercial control.Significant changeA schedule or service change large enough to trigger a remedy under the governing rule. US DOT lists specified time and itinerary changes.Involuntary denied boardingA refusal to transport a passenger who met the boarding requirements and did not volunteer to give up the seat. Jurisdiction-specific compensation may apply.Voluntary surrenderAn agreement to give up a seat in exchange for a negotiated benefit. Read the cash or voucher terms and any release before accepting.Travel voucher / creditA noncash credit toward future travel, often with expiration and use conditions. Check whether you have a right to a cash refund before accepting it.Electronic Miscellaneous DocumentAn airline document used for certain paid services or credits outside the main ticket. Ask which service it represents and whether it is refundable.National Enforcement BodyA public authority responsible for enforcing passenger-rights rules in a jurisdiction. Its power to resolve an individual payment dispute may be limited.Alternative Dispute ResolutionA dispute process outside a court, sometimes available after an airline's first response. Eligibility and binding effect depend on the provider.Special Drawing RightsThe IMF's Special Drawing Right, a changing unit used for certain international liability limits. Convert it using the relevant date; it is not a guaranteed payout.Limitation period / time limit for actionThe last date to start a claim or legal action under the applicable rule. The starting event and time period vary by jurisdiction and claim type.Subrogation / coordination of benefitsRules that coordinate payments for the same loss, including an insurer's possible recovery rights. Record each reimbursement and check the policy.ChargebackA payment-card dispute process that may reverse a charge in qualifying circumstances. It is separate from airline passenger-rights compensation.
This definition is a starting point. The rule and ticket terms for your flight still matter.