The loop · step 04
Lock-in & discrepancies
An attested record of what was filed, and every later change flagged.
Filing is a moment worth recording. Lock-in is a deliberate act, "these are the figures we filed," not a silent snapshot. It captures the figures, an optional Portal reference and date, and who confirmed them, then seals them as an immutable, attested record of what you submitted. If what you entered in the Portal differed, you edit the lock to match what was filed.
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Attested
Immutable filing snapshot
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Plain English
Every discrepancy explained
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Supersede
Re-file and clear
The reconciliation loop
Beat 4 of 4
What changed after you filed, in plain English
A certificate backdated into a period after you locked it is the classic way a return goes wrong. MyATOL catches it. Each discrepancy states the booking reference, the delta in passengers and pounds, when it changed, and why: "backdated to a June departure, not in your filed Q1." A net total against your filed figures shows the size of the correction at a glance.
Worklist · your clients
Q1 2026
Re-file and supersede
When you correct the filing, a new lock captures the corrected figures and supersedes the old one. Resolved discrepancies fold into the new snapshot and clear, and the period returns to a clean, locked state, with the full history of what was filed, and when, preserved. The audit trail is never overwritten, only added to.
Q1 2026 return
Apr – Jun · departure basis
| As issued | 500 · £1.46m |
| After errors | 494 · £1.44m |
| After changes | 489 · £1.43m |
| APC payable | £1,222.50 |
Reconciled live as certificates are issued
Built in
What's included.
- Immutable snapshot of the filed figures
- Optional Portal reference and filing date
- Confirming actor recorded with the lock
- Edit figures to match what was filed
- Post-lock changes surfaced as discrepancies
- Re-file supersedes; resolved items clear
Questions
Straight answers.
Who locks in a return?
The holder, or a consultancy filing on the holder's behalf. Consultancies are the primary filers. The lock records who confirmed it, and when a consultancy locks in, the holder is sent a filing record: the attested figures, the Portal reference, and who filed.
How are late or backdated certificates caught?
Issue times are server-set, so a certificate cannot be backdated, but it can be created late for a period already filed. Any booking with a departure date in a locked period, created or amended after the lock, is flagged automatically.
What is in a discrepancy flag?
The booking reference, when it changed, the passenger and revenue delta, and the exact figure it breaks against the locked snapshot. A net total shows the size of the correction at a glance.
Does a discrepancy block the work, or just flag it?
It flags. Locking a period never stops a booking being issued or amended into it. The change goes through, and the discrepancy is raised against the filed figures so you can decide whether to re-file. The system records; it does not gate the work.
The loop · step 04
See it on your own ATOL.
Lock in what you filed as an immutable, attested snapshot. Anything that changes afterwards is flagged in plain English, with the exact delta against your filed figures.