What is a schedule change?

When the airline changes the time, flight number, route or aircraft of a flight you have booked, after you bought the ticket.

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Schedule change, explained

Airlines adjust schedules months ahead and sometimes close to departure. A small change moves a time by minutes; a large one can break a connection or move the trip by a day.

Airlines usually offer an alternative, and a significant change can open free changes or a refund. US Department of Transportation rules generally entitle you to a refund for a significant change to a flight to or from the US that you choose not to take.

On a business class trip

The airline moves the morning flight to London to the evening; the connection to Edinburgh no longer works, so the trip is rebooked or refunded.

Related terms

Refundable fare
A fare you can cancel for your money back, sometimes minus a fee. A nonrefundable fare returns nothing, or only a credit with the airline.
Travel credit
Value an airline keeps for you when a ticket is canceled and not refunded in money, to spend on a later ticket within a set time.
Layover
The time between two flights in a connecting city, usually a few hours. On international tickets it lasts under 24 hours; anything longer is a stopover.

Further reading: When the airline changes your flight. Every term in the glossary.