If the airline changes or cancels your flight, PayLater Travel handles it with you. We hold your booking with the airline, so the change has to be actioned on our side — you don't need to sort it out with the airline yourself.
How you'll hear about it
The airline sends schedule changes and cancellations to us as the agent that holds your booking, and we email you at the address on your booking to let you know what's changed and what your options are.
This works the same way whether or not your payment plan is complete. Because we hold the booking, the airline has our contact details rather than yours — so please keep your details up to date with us in your PayLater Travel account.
Occasionally an airline will email you directly as well. If you hear from them before you hear from us, forward it to us and we'll pick it up.
Minor changes
Not every schedule change needs a decision from you.
If the airline shifts your flight by a small amount and your connections are unaffected, we accept the change on your behalf and keep your ticket up to date. We'll email you so you know your times have moved, but there's nothing you need to do.
If a minor change still doesn't work for you — you're being met at the airport, you have a tight onward arrangement, or the new time creates a problem at your end — tell us. We'll go back to the airline and see what's possible, though the options are more limited on a small change than a significant one.
Significant changes
If the change is substantial, affects a connection, or the airline cancels a flight outright, we'll come to you before doing anything.
We'll tell you exactly what changed — your original times against the new ones.
We'll set out your options. Depending on the airline and the nature of the change, these usually include accepting the new flight, being moved to a different flight, or requesting a refund.
We'll action your choice with the airline. Accepting, rejecting or rebooking all have to be filed against the booking by us.
There are no PayLater Travel or airline change fees when the airline is the one that made the change. Change fees only apply to changes you request. If you're offered an alternative that costs more than your original fare, we'll tell you before anything is charged.
What to do
Tell us if the new schedule doesn't work. Reply to the notice we sent, or send us your booking reference and what the problem is. In particular, tell us straight away if:
Your connection no longer works, or is too tight to make
The new times mean you'd miss the reason you were travelling
You're travelling with children, or with someone who needs assistance, and the new arrangement doesn't suit
The change means you no longer want to travel at all
You don't have to accept a change that doesn't work for you. Involuntary changes usually give you options you don't have on a voluntary change, including a refund in many cases — ask us and we'll tell you what applies to your fare.
If the airline cancels your flight
We'll confirm what the airline is offering — a rebooking, an airline credit, or a refund — and action whichever you choose.
If you're at the airport, or travelling within 48 hours
If you're at the airport and your flight is disrupted, speak to airport staff. They can re-accommodate you on the spot, and that's genuinely the fastest route when you're standing there. Tell us afterwards so we can update your booking and sort out anything owed to you.
If you're not at the airport and your flight departs within 48 hours, contact us immediately and mark your message URGENT. We'll prioritise it.
Seats, bags and extras you'd already paid for
If a schedule change moves you to a different flight, seat selections and paid extras don't always carry across automatically. Tell us what you'd paid for and we'll either re-add it or arrange a refund for it. Please don't buy it again.
A note on checking your flight
It's always worth confirming your departure time in the days before you travel.
Travel insurance
Disruptions are a good reminder of why travel insurance matters. If you have a policy, it may cover costs arising from a change that fare rules don't — accommodation, missed connections, or onward arrangements.
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