Travel Glossary · Corporate Travel
Unused Ticket Credit
Definition
Unused Ticket Credit: Unused ticket credit is the remaining value of a canceled nonrefundable airline ticket that can be applied toward a future ticket, subject to the airline’s rules and expiration date.
When you cancel a nonrefundable ticket before departure, many airlines convert its value into a credit, often called a travel credit, e-credit, or future flight credit. Credits are usually tied to the original traveler’s name and must be used by an expiration date, and the details vary by airline and fare. On some fares a no-show forfeits the value entirely, so cancel before departure if plans change.
Several major US airlines eliminated change fees on many standard economy and premium fares in 2020, which made credits more common and more useful. Basic economy fares generally remain much more restrictive.
For companies, unused credits are easy money to lose: they sit in a traveler’s inbox and quietly expire. A travel management company tracks them and applies them to the traveler’s next booking, one of the simplest ways to reduce corporate travel costs.
Go deeper
- Travel GuidesHow to Reduce Corporate Travel Costs Without Hurting Your TravelersHow to reduce corporate travel costs: booking windows, negotiated fares, hotel programs, unused tickets, smarter policy and data, without burning out travelers.
- Corporate TravelTravel Expense and Reporting SupportBusiness travel expense support: clean invoices, tracked ticket credits and trip summaries that help finance reconcile spend without chasing receipts.
- Travel GuidesHow to Handle a Cancelled Business FlightWhat to do when your business flight is cancelled: rebooking fast, refund rights, EU and UK compensation, hotels, expenses and how a travel advisor helps.
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