Airline Credits and Vouchers: How to Use Them Before They Expire

A travel credit, sometimes called a future flight credit or eCredit, is the leftover value of a ticket you cancelled. It’s usually tied to the original traveler’s name, often must be used on the same airline and has a deadline to book or fly. Our glossary explains unused ticket credit in more detail.

A voucher is usually a fixed dollar amount the airline issues as compensation or goodwill, for example after a long delay or for volunteering off an oversold flight. Some vouchers can be used for other passengers; others can’t. Read the terms before you accept one, especially the expiration date and any routes or fares excluded.

Under the DOT refund rule adopted in 2024, if an airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you choose not to travel, you’re entitled to a refund to your original form of payment. You can accept a credit or voucher instead, but it’s your choice. DOT has since paused enforcement in some narrow cases, such as flights that are only renumbered, and is weighing changes, so check transportation.gov for the latest; our flight delay and cancellation rights guide covers the thresholds.

If you cancel a non-refundable ticket yourself, you’re generally limited to whatever credit the fare rules allow. Standard economy and above on most large US airlines usually leaves a credit; basic economy often leaves nothing.

Credits are easy to forget and hard to recover once they lapse. Keep a simple record for each one.

It can be a great deal if your plans are flexible. Before agreeing, ask what time the confirmed replacement flight leaves, whether meals or a hotel are included, and how and when the voucher can be used. Volunteers negotiate their own compensation, so it’s fair to ask whether the airline can do better.

Being bumped involuntarily is different. DOT rules generally require denied boarding compensation based on your fare and arrival delay, and if you’re eligible you can insist on a check or cash payment rather than a voucher.

Yes, and for tickets booked through an agency, it’s usually required: credits from an agency-issued ticket are typically reissued through the same agency. An advisor can apply the credit to a new itinerary, handle any fare difference and keep track of expiration dates for you.

For companies, unused credits add up quickly across many travelers. Our guide to managing unused airline tickets explains how travel programs recover that value instead of writing it off.