How To Use United Credit From Cancelled Flight

The clock is ticking on Bernadine Fong's sizable United Airlines flying credit, which she caused during the pandemic. Around this time terminal year, she booked 2 concern class tickets to Europe for a dream vacation. Merely that was before the coronavirus ruined everyone's summer plans for 2020.

With the pandemic entering year 2, Fong worries her nearly $11,000 flight credit with United Airlines is in jeopardy. Now she wants to know what to practice to make sure to make the most of it earlier it expires. (Concluding updated Sept. x, 2021)

Since COVID-nineteen brought the leisure travel industry to an precipitous halt concluding bound, we've received hundreds of similar emails. Would-be passengers want to know how to protect their flying credits when information technology's still not condom to travel. And sadly, some of them are elderly and/or immunocompromised and fear they'll never be cleared for air travel once more.

Fortunately, near airlines have adopted new, flexible future flight credit policies to address the massive number of pandemic-inspired cancellations.

If United Airlines issued you a flight credit during the pandemic, here's everything you need to know about spending it.

United Airlines: You tin cancel your flight without penalization

As the spread of the coronavirus crisis continued last bound, Fong realized her summer trip likely wasn't going to happen. She knew, though, that her international flight had some hefty cancellation fees associated with information technology. Merely then Fong received what she believed to be a friendly overture from United Airlines.

"United Airlines sent me an email and asked if my plans had changed and if I would like to abolish my flight without punishment," Fong recalled. "It sounded like the airline was doing us a favor, and so I agreed."

Fong didn't know it, but United Airlines wasn't doing her a favor at all.

Elliott Advocacy is underwritten by Curvation RoamRight. Arch RoamRight is one of the fastest growing, most-highly rated travel insurance companies in the United States. Travel advisors love working with united states, and travelers experience protected with our trip cancellation and travel medical insurance coverage. Nosotros also make it easy to file a claim online with our fast, paperless claims website. Larn more about RoamRight travel insurance.

The Department of Transportation requires airlines to refund passengers if the carrier cancels the flight. If the traveler cancels the flight first, then the airline is off the hook.

United Airlines sent this email to droves of passengers terminal spring. It appears to have been a scheme to encourage travelers to preemptively abolish their flights — before the pandemic forced the airline to practice it.

This is what happens when the airline convinces you to cancel your flight

Just Fong, like many other travelers, accepted the imitation goodwill gesture and canceled her trip.

Mission achieved — from the airline'due south bespeak of view, that is.

Now United Airlines was legally allowed to continue Fong's cash, and it issued her an $11,000 futurity flying credit. The kicker? Presently subsequently, the airline officially canceled the flight. Had Fong waited it out, the $11,000 would have been in her own bank account and non in the airline'due south pocket.

But Fong definitely wasn't lone.

Exercise not allow coronavirus panic make yous cancel your trip right now!

Canceling travel plans too soon was one of our pinnacle complaints of 2020 and something we frequently warned readers about.

How will I e'er spend all of this future flight credit before it expires?

Fong says that at commencement, she didn't really mind accepting a time to come flight credit. In fact, regular readers might remember Fong. Several years agone, she gladly accepted a voucher to resolve a case in which United Airlines marked her as a no-show — on a flight she took.

United Airlines called me a no-show, but I was on the flight!

"I frequently fly on United Airlines, so future flying credit is fine with me," Fong said at the time.

But flash forward to a new world — i in which a global pandemic has settled in for 13 months and counting. Things await very different at present.

Is information technology possible to extend the expiration date on these airline vouchers?

Fong decided to contact the Elliott Advancement team once more to meet if we could ease her fears.

Equally you know, I'thousand familiar with the terms of United Airlines flight credit. I travel a lot on the airline, so I was fine with taking the voucher. Just since it must exist spent within the adjacent year and things aren't looking much better, I'g worried. I want to know if yous recollect that the airline would extend the expiration appointment on my vouchers now?

The curt-term respond to Fong's question is "no." But the long-range answer will likely be "yeah." Nosotros know that the airlines often update their policies equally we keep on this journey through uncharted territory. In fact, I've updated the article that we first published in March well-nigh coronavirus cancellation policies dozens of times.

Coronavirus fears: What you demand to know about canceling your holiday

Undoubtedly, we will need to continue to update the commodity as the policies evolve further.

Simply Fong'south concern was not misplaced. The terms of United Airlines flight credit do non permit its possessor to transfer it or apply it across multiple reservations. Fong and her traveling companion each had about $5,500 to spend. Things were looking a chip precarious.

Problem solved: Convert your flight credit into a travel certificate

Simply then Fong stumbled on to something she didn't know was possible. As she tried to detect the best way to spend her credit, she asked an agent for a recommendation.

The United Airlines agent told me to convert my flight credit into a travel document. After I did that, United Airlines turned the entire $11,000 into a lump sum credit that I could spend on myself, friends or family. Even better, on the mean solar day that I converted the credit to a certificate, the expiration appointment inverse. At present I take two years from the date of conversion to spend it all. I'thousand very relieved. I want all your readers to know this is possible!

Early in the pandemic, United Airlines started offering this pick to its passengers to entice cancellation. In fact, I was a recipient of a "Would yous like to abolish your plans?" email terminal April. I was scheduled to go to the Cayman Islands with my all-time friend. When I received the email, I already knew that the trip wasn't possible — the Cayman Islands had closed its international drome.

Merely United Airlines was pretending that information technology could all the same have us there. The e-mail didn't fool me. But I decided to have the flight credit since I hoped to exist able to reschedule speedily. (Of form, a year later, I'm still hoping.)

After I agreed to cancel, United Airlines offered to catechumen the flight credit for both tickets into a travel certificate. I accept to acknowledge, at the time, I didn't really know the departure, but why not? I clicked "convert."

Shortly, I had a travel document for the total value of both tickets that I could spend on myself or anyone else.

United Airlines flight credit vs. United Airlines Travel Certificate, which is better?

Easily down, a travel certificate is more than consumer-friendly than a flying credit on United Airlines.

You lot would exist hard-pressed to find the downside of converting your United Airlines flight credit to a travel certificate. And there are many benefits.

Note: Y'all can't use a United Airlines travel certificate on a partner airline. Then if that'south of import to you, you'll need to keep your flight credit.

To make it easier to understand the differences between flying credit and a travel certificate, United Airlines created this nautical chart.

United Airlines future flight credit vs. a travel certificate chart. Which is most consumer friendly? — **The number 1 benefit of the United Airlines travel certificate? Spending flexibility.**

*Notation: Flight credit issued prior to Dec. 2020 has an extended expiration date. Rebooked travel must begin by Dec.31, 2022. After that date, unused future flying credit will accept no value.

If y'all've got some flying credit on United Airlines that you're worried you personally won't be able to use, converting information technology to a travel certificate could be the respond to your trouble.

Yeah, you lot tin can spend your United Airlines flight credit on someone else. Hither'south how to do it.

If yous hope to spend your flight credit with someone else, you'll demand to beginning convert it to a travel document. Here are some tips so you tin make the most of the flight credits issued to you by United Airlines during the pandemic.

Convert United Airlines flight credit to a travel document (sooner rather than later on)
When you sign in to your business relationship, become to My Trips. Y'all should see a listing of all of your current and recently canceled itineraries. Click on the canceled trip, and you'll encounter the value of your flight credit with United Airlines. If yous don't intend to spend your flight credit right away, you lot'll likely want to catechumen information technology to an electronic travel certificate, which, as mentioned, has much greater flexibility. Click on that option, and your flight credit will automatically become a travel certificate.
* Update: Since nosotros first published this article, we've heard from several UA passengers who reported that they didn't take a button in their account to catechumen their flight credits to a travel certificate. Calling the airline straight immune these travelers to change their flight credits into electronic travel certificates. Only the omission of this button could exist a sign that this option will be going away soon. So if you have flight credits you would like to convert, you should consider doing information technology sooner rather than afterward.
Notation the expiration engagement
If y'all have United Airlines flight credit issued for canceled flights issued prior to Dec. 2021, you must redeem the credit and begin travel on or before Dec. 31, 2022 . The electric current policy does not allow travelers to book and travel beyond Dec. 31, 2022. Passengers must spend the value of a travel certificate within 24 months of the date of event. Retrieve this is the current policy, which of grade, is always bailiwick to change (concluding updated November. 2021). And then…
Recheck the expiration appointment and terms of your flight credit/travel certificates
It's important to keep in mind that as the pandemic continues to drag on, the airlines oftentimes update their policies. Checking the terms of your United Airlines flight credit or travel certificate should not be viewed every bit a one-fourth dimension thing. Although it isn't likely that the airline will make its policies more than restrictive, you lot might discover extended expiration dates in the future. It's wise to periodically check the United Airlines website (and this article) for the updates that will most certainly continue.
Spend your travel credit/certificate on new flights for yourself, friends and/or family
Think, if you've converted your United Airlines flying credit to a travel document, you can use its value not merely for yourself but for your friends and family . Then when you lot're fix and when the CDC indicates it's safe to travel, spend it all every bit presently every bit you can. The airlines know that, in the end, a pregnant percentage of passengers with flight credit never spend it earlier it expires. Travelers who allow their flight credit to gather virtual dust and expire provide a groovy revenue windfall for the carriers. And during the pandemic, airlines have issued more flying credit than always. The sooner you spend yours, the less probable you'll end upwardly on the losing finish of the deal. (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Elliott Advocacy)

*If y'all've got a flight credit on American Airlines, here'south what you lot need to know.