Note: The information in this article is accurate at the time of writing, which is July, 2021.
Redeeming Travel Vouchers on American Airlines
American Airlines offer four types of vouchers: travel vouchers, flight credit, trip credit, and gift cards.
Each voucher comes with different terms and conditions. So, identify which voucher you have received. You can use American Airlines vouchers on partner airlines including British Airways and Qantas as well.
1. Travel Vouchers
American Airlines offers paper vouchers to passengers. If you are a U.S. resident, you will also be able to receive electronic travel vouchers.
Call the airline’s reservation system to redeem the vouchers. The representative might ask you to email them the voucher. To do this, you can take a photograph of the voucher and attach it to the email. If you do not wish to send the voucher via email, you can go to the airport and hand in the voucher to the reservation team.
Travel vouchers allow you to pay for the flight tickets. However, you cannot redeem the vouchers for associated fees like those for baggage. You can redeem up to eight vouchers for a trip.
The travel vouchers expire after a year after the date of issuance. You can book the flight for yourself or for your family and friends. You must travel from a U.S. airport.
2. Flight Credit
If you postponed or canceled a trip, you will receive a flight credit.
When you want to rebook with the flight credit, head over to the American Airlines website and click on ‘Manage trips/check-in.’ Select ‘View canceled trips’ and enter your trip details, including the ticket number and the six-digit PNR (Passenger Name Record). The website will redirect you to the ‘Your Trip’ page. Here, you will see your flight credits.
Search for a new flight, and then on the payment screen, click on ‘Add flight credit.’ Afterward, enter the ticket number from the canceled trip. That’s it. You can now apply the flight credit.
American Airlines allows you to redeem flight credits for tickets. However, you cannot pay for incidentals including baggage fees and seat upgrades. The airline allows one credit per passenger.
You cannot book a ticket for family and friends with flight credits. Flight credits apply on U.S. domestic flights, and flights between the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. You must book your flight through the American Airlines website.
You must redeem the flight credits within one year from the date of issue.
3. Trip Credit
American Airlines offers trip credits for refunds. If you change your booking to a cheaper flight, you will receive trip credits.
Trip credits allow you to book flight tickets. For a single passenger reservation, you can redeem up to eight trip credits. However, you cannot redeem the credits for incidentals including seat upgrades or baggage fees.
You can redeem trip credits for yourself or your family and friends. The credits apply on domestic and international flights that begin in the U.S. The trip credits expire after a year from when they are issued.
4. Gift Card
If you are a U.S. resident, you can receive physical or digital gift cards. The best feature of gift cards is that they never expire.
You can use these gift cards to book flight tickets for yourself, or your family and friends. American Airlines allows you to use up to eight gift cards per trip. However, you cannot redeem gift cards for incidentals including seat upgrades and baggage fees.
Flights must take off from the U.S., the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Puerto Rico.
Redeeming Travel Vouchers on Delta Airlines
Delta Airlines offer e-credits and vouchers within 24 hours of a canceled flight. However, if you booked tickets for 10 people, Delta offers one e-credit to each passenger. For a family trip, your family members should check their accounts for e-credits as well. However, you can rebook the whole family at once with those 10 e-credits.
If you are a Delta SkyMiles member, you will find the e-credits under the section ‘Certificates, Vouchers, and e-credits.’ If you are not, go to Delta.com/redeem, select the ‘Certificate or e-credit’ field, and enter the 13-digit ticket number that begins with #006. After this, you will see the available e-credits.
When booking a flight, select ‘Use e-credits’ on the payments page. You will see your available e-credits. Choose the credits, and you are done.
To book a trip for 10 family members at once with their own credits, go to delta.com/redeem and choose the e-credits you will use. When searching for a flight, choose how many passengers you are booking for.
After you have chosen your flight, enter the passenger’s details, including the SkyMiles account number, and scroll down to payment and choose ‘Use e-credits.’ You will see the option ‘Apply e-credits’ to each traveler’s reservation.
Enter the 13-digit e-credit number and confirm the names, then click on ‘Add credit.’ Repeat the process for all passengers.
Delta allows you to redeem up to five e-credits per traveler.
Redeeming Travel Vouchers on Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines offers three types of vouchers: travel funds, Southwest LUV Vouchers, and Southwest gift cards.
Here is how to redeem the vouchers:
Proceed with the booking process as you normally would, then on the payments page, click on ‘Southwest gift card, Travel Funds, or Southwest LUV Voucher.’ Enter the 16-digit voucher number and the four-digit security code. You will find the security code under the voucher number. Click ‘Apply,’ and you are all set.
Southwest Airlines allows you to pay for the ticket and any associated taxes and fees with the vouchers. Furthermore, you can redeem vouchers only on the Southwest website and app.
Travel funds allow you to book a trip only for the originally ticketed passenger. However, you can use Southwest LUV vouchers and gift cards to book tickets for your family and friends as well.
Redeeming Travel Vouchers on United Airlines
United Airlines issues two types of vouchers: future flight credit and electronic travel certificates.
1. Future Flight Credit
If you have canceled a flight or transferred to a cheaper one, you will receive future flight credits. The credits expire after a year from when your original ticket was issued, and you cannot use the credits to book trips for family and friends.
When booking, head over to the United Airlines website and click on ‘My trips.’ You will see all the flight credits you have. Then, click on ‘Book with credit’ and you are all set.
If you receive the credit because you transferred to a cheaper flight, you can redeem multiple credits in one purchase. For canceled flights, you can only redeem one for each purchase.
You can redeem the credits on United Airlines, United Express, and partner-operated flights.
2. Electronic Travel Certificates
You can redeem electronic travel certificates on United Airlines and United Express flights. The certificates expire two years from the date of issue.
When booking a new flight, apply the certificates on the payments page. You can redeem the certificates for preferred seating as well, and you can redeem up to ten certificates in one transaction.
You must book your ticket on the United Airlines website or app.
A Note of Caution.
If you are forced to cancel a flight, or make changes to your flight booking, you might not always receive compensation from the airline.
In this case, it would be beneficial to have travel insurance. With a travel insurance policy, you have more coverage for canceled or delayed flights.
