As holiday travel ramps up across the country, make sure you check any and all of your airline accounts. You may be sitting on a free flight that you've forgotten about!
If you have unused credits about to expire, is it "use them or lose them?" Not necessarily. But the difference may be the level of attention you're paying to the details.
When weather canceled thousands of flights last holiday season, airlines doled out travel credits. But that was a year ago, meaning anyone who received a 12-month travel credit or voucher is looking at a looming expiration date.
The same goes for anyone who received 24-month vouchers and credits issued by airlines towards the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of those are likely close to becoming invalid.
What options do you have?
First, you need to know what you have and what it can be used for.
There is no blanket rule for travel credits. It varies from airline to airline how long they're good for, who can use them, terms and conditions, and even what they're called - trip credits, eCredits, travel vouchers, etc.
Travel credits are typically for flights only. Some airlines limit credit usage to the fare price and applicable taxes and fees. That means you may not be able to use credits on upgrades like paying for baggage, priority boarding, or upgrading your seat on an existing flight. Also, many basic economy seats are non-refundable, so if you're booking, keep that in mind!
Ask for an extension. Sure, it sounds like a long shot, but it can't hurt! If your credits are set to expire and you ask nicely, some airlines have given 30- or 60-day extensions. In rare cases, they've extended credits for a full year. If you're not getting anywhere by calling or emailing the airline, try social media as well.
See if the airline has partners. If you have credits through United, which is part of Star Alliance, you can likely apply your credits to trips through their partner airlines - and there are 26!
Book a ticket now and change it later. Full disclosure — this can be risky! You can book a ticket for a future trip using your credit or voucher, but you'll need to opt for a refundable ticket. If you don't take the trip, then cancel and get a new voucher with an extended usage date. Thoroughly check the airline policies first!
Feeling generous? Donate your expiring credits to charity. While not every airline allows this, there are several non-profits that help facilitate airline voucher and credit donations.
Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Southwest Airlines, andUnited Airlines all have partnerships where fliers can donate points and miles to various charities.
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