Managing Unused Airline Tickets: How Companies Stop Losing Credits

It depends on the fare and who cancels. Since 2020, the largest U.S. airlines have dropped change fees on most standard economy and premium-cabin tickets, so a cancelled non-refundable ticket usually becomes a credit, sometimes called an eCredit or future flight credit, for its value. Basic economy is the exception, and fares on some international routes and foreign airlines can still carry change fees.

Two rules save money. U.S. Department of Transportation rules require airlines to let you cancel without penalty within 24 hours of booking (or hold the fare) when you book at least seven days before departure. And when the airline itself cancels or significantly changes a flight, you can take a refund instead of a credit. See airline credits and vouchers for the consumer side.

A credit is usually locked to one traveler and one airline, and it expires. The traveler forgets, books their next trip on a different carrier or leaves the company, and the value quietly disappears. Credits from bookings made outside your program are invisible altogether.

No-shows are the costliest mistake. On many fares, if you don’t cancel before departure, the ticket’s value is forfeited, and skipping the first flight typically cancels the rest of the itinerary, including the return. Make “cancel, don’t no-show” part of every traveler briefing.

Keep one central register, owned by your travel management company or advisor, and check it every time a traveler books. Good business flight booking support does this automatically, so a credit is applied before new money is spent.

Generally no. Airline tickets and the credits they create are normally non-transferable, and name changes aren’t permitted on most fares. Some airlines offer corporate customers more flexibility under negotiated agreements, so it is worth asking whether your contract can allow credits to be reused by another employee.

Plan for departures, too. Because a credit typically stays in the traveler’s name, your policy should say what happens when someone leaves: use it for a final business trip, or write it off with a clear record.

Match the fare to how certain the trip is. For fixed trips, the cheapest changeable fare is fine; for meetings likely to move, a slightly higher, more flexible fare often costs less in the end. Book when plans are firm enough, use the 24-hour window when they aren’t, and require travelers to cancel through your advisor so the credit is captured.