Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. That's exactly the case with the Amex Platinum card. This process is fairly simple, but there are a few things to keep in mind. The travel credit you just received from a cancelled flight could help ETCs can be redeemed for travel operated by partners, as long as at least one segment in the itinerary is operated by United and United Express. Electronic certificates may be used for travel on United- and United Express-operated flights, and United Express-marketed flights operated by other airlines. But what if there was a way to turn that cancelled trip into something that could change a life? Convert flight credit to travel certificate booked on OTA? United Airlines | MileagePlus - Understanding/Using UA Electronic Travel Certificate & Future Flight Credit {Archive} - I have flights for August from YYZ to HNL returning OGG to YYZ originally booked in January this year. Unfortunately, they cannot be combined with ETCs or future flight credits, and, since they offer the longest validity, Id use up any other credits before tapping your TravelBank. Go to the Source. How To Use United Airlines Travel Credits - Forbes Advisor Your first instinct may be to cancel and redeposit the award, for added flexibility, but if you had been able to lock in a lower-rate award with your original booking, it may be advantageous to call in and request an agents help in making the change. are eligible for future flight credits for 24 months after the tickets initial issuance date. Unfortunately, I havent had success redeeming future travel credits for revenue tickets online you can always give reservations a call at (800) 864-8331 to rebook if you receive an error, such as the one Ive repeatedly encountered below. Yes. The electronic travel certificate will arrive in 3 7 days in your email.6. You will be asked to enter the last name of the certificate recipient. Once youve logged in, youll want to go to your main profile page. Travel certificates arent transferable and cannot be sold, but they can be used by anyone as long as the travel is booked by the original certificate holder. Learn more. ETCs can be used multiple times if the flight costs less than the value of the certificate, the balance will remain on your account. United Airlines issues travel certificates if you voluntarily give up your seat on a flight or as a gesture of goodwill. United has eliminated change fees for most of its flights (excluding basic economy), including all those that originate in the U.S. Cookie Notice is Editor-at-Large at TPG, with contributions ranging from articles digging deep on loyalty programs and credit cards to delivery flight coverage to drone photography and much more. As the pandemic has gone on, many airlines have extended the expiration dates on vouchers to give flyers more leeway. We do not offer financial advice, advisory or brokerage services, nor do we recommend or advise individuals or to buy or sell particular stocks or securities. Our partners compensate us. TPG values it at $1,600. United has three primary options for its travel funds, including future flight credits, travel certificates for canceled flights and purchased TravelBank cash. What can United travel funds be used for? Leading up to this, I had been following what United was offering in regards to canceling/rebooking flights. How To Convert Future Flight Credit To Travel Certificate. Both types of credits can be used to book new travel, but there are some important nuances to note. Additionally, unless you acquired your ticket on or before August 31, 2021, they cannot be exchanged for someone else. Was wondering if anyone has heard if it's possible to convert a United Airlines flight credit to travel certificate when booked on OTA. How Much Are Travel Points and Miles Worth in 2023? Please note that airline policies can change without notice. Can you turn flight credit into trip credit? Your financial situation is unique and the products and services we review may not be right for your circumstances. These are provided as guidelines only and approval is not guaranteed. You will see an option to redeem a travel certificate. United has three primary options for its travel funds, including future flight credits, travel certificates for canceled flights and purchased TravelBank cash. If youve got a United flight credit thats about to expire, dont fret ufffd you can usually convert it into a travel certificate. These can be used for flights on United and partner-operated flights. If the face amount of a travel certificate exceeds the cost of the ticket for which it is surrendered, any residual amount will be applied to the same PIN for use toward another ticket until either the original issued amount is depleted, or the expiration date has been reached, whichever comes first. When she's not flying, you'll usually find her in a Priority Pass lounge somewhere, sipping tea and cursing slow Wi-Fi. Cost includes $12.95 plus applicable local sales tax. But they haven't . On the cancelled trip details screen, I have a choice of "Use future flight credit" or "Convert to travel certificate". United now lists travel credits on the My account page, which you can access right here when logged into your MileagePlus account. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The company has partnered with United Travel Credit to offer rewards for loyal travelers. This card is also incredibly rewarding for travel purchases, helping you rack up a ton of Membership Rewards points for your next award trip. Tickets issued between and Ma. Electronic travel certificates (with 10 digit code and 6 digit confirmation number). This is most likely because when you cancel a flight, these add-ons are reimbursed to your original mode of payment. If youve received a future flight credit due to changing to a cheaper fare, you can combine multiple credits at once. Accruing electronic travel certificates. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. This may influence which products we review and write about (and where those products appear on the site), but it in no way affects our recommendations or advice, which are grounded in thousands of hours of research. After weve verified your paper certificate, well email you instructions on how to redeem your new electronic certificate. See what a point or mile is worth with our appraisals of a loyalty programs currency, based on redemption values. For most flights, future flight credit must be used within 12 months of the date that your original ticket was issued. When you volunteer for a bump: Airlines overbook their seats to maximize efficiency. So if you dont plan on using yours right away, make sure to keep it in a safe place where youll remember it! Next, check to see if the credit can be used for the flight youre trying to book. You can. Travel certificates are not transferable and may not be sold, traded or bartered. Special flairs: If you're a United employee or Global Services member, PM /u/Player72 with proof (ID badge or something) and you can get a special flair. Sign up and well send you Nerdy articles about the money topics that matter most to you along with other ways to help you get more from your money. If you call United reservations to use your credit, you may be charged a fee. Went in to look for the ETC choice but only FFC appeared to be available so I didn't go through with it yet. Our mission is to use donated airline miles and money to book flights to fly displaced persons separated by conflict and persecution to safe new homes. 2023 Forbes Media LLC. Carissa Rawson is a freelance award travel and personal finance writer. 3) The agent will tell you how much United credit is available to you. They also can't be redeemed for someone else unless you purchased your ticket on or before Aug. 31, 2021. United Airlines travel credits, including electronic travel certificates and future flight credit, give passenger flexibility for future trips. If you are a MileagePlus member, you can track your travel credits in your wallet in your MileagePlus account. Unlike ETCs, future flight credits can be used to cover the cost of partner flights, even those without a United flight on the same itinerary, as long as those flights are available to book via United, either on Uniteds own website or by calling reservations at (800) 864-8331. Essentially, the travel certificate has more flexibility in terms of travel date and travelers on your reservation, but the future (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Customers purchase these credits directly theyre not issued following a customer service complaint or flight cancellation. Enrollment required. EDIT: you cant convert it to a certificate, but you can use it to book for someone else - youll have to know the flights and persons you want to book for when you try to do that though. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-106296610', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flight departed (rebook or get flight credit,) So for the time-being we pushed it out to August. Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. You can do it online or call the rep for the booking. $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year in baggage fees and more at one select qualifying airline. Holders of travel credits may use them by contacting American Airlines Reservations or online at aa.com. Please note that certificates cannot be used toward non-ticket purchases, including but not limited to: If youd like to purchase these products, youll need to finish booking your flight with your travel certificate first. With that being said, if you have a FFC and do not use it all, the remainder turns into an ETC. She worked as a reporter for The Points Guy prior to becoming a freelance writer. No label was found using the key: Version_Enter, Open United's Instagram feed in a new tab, Open United's LinkedIn profile in a new tab. If it has expired, youll need to contact United customer service to see if they can extend the credit or issue a new one. Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. You can complain, just don't be an idiot and make sure you ELABORATE on the issue if you need our advice. Privacy Policy|Terms of Use Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $6,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Registries will become inactive after five years. Flights right now are generally much less than what we originally paid so while planning a replacement flight I added extras (like choosing my seat and prepaying for checked luggage) to bring the cost to what I originally paid in order to get the full value of the FFC. Instead, it offers the United TravelBank. For more information, please see our I'm in a similar boat to you - ours is on 26 May. And should I choose a certificate or the flight credit - I'm favoring the certificate due to its transferability and that my home airport is EWR so it's highly unlikely I'm flying partner metal. In most cases, this date is one year after your original ticket was issued. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. The annual airline fee statement credit can be complicated to take advantage of compared to the broader travel credits offered by competing premium cards. in six different increments, and theres no limit to the amount of TravelBank funds you can buy each year. If its not, you will need to contact customer service in order to get the credit converted. At checkout, choose travel credit as your payment option. We are planning to choose the Electronic Travel Certificate (ETC) since it provides more time to use the credit than the Future (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? At this point, youll select whichever flight suits your needs. United Airlines Future flight credit can be used to book travel on United, United Express, and partner-operated flights. Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. The majority of times, future flight credits have a 12-month use window starting from the time your initial ticket was issued. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-106296669', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights were cancelled. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. Future flight credits for tickets issued between May 1, 2019 - March 31, 2020, are valid for 24 months after the original issue date. Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now. After you successfully enter an ETC, including the year issued, 10-digit PIN code and the recipients last name, youll see the amount deducted from your flight total. Travel certificates will not be honored in conjunction with prepaid tickets, fee-waived tickets, MileagePlus awards, tour packages or other service charges, including excess baggage charges, pet charges, etc. We'd love to hear from you, please enter your comments. You can also use these credits for other purchases such as Basic economy seat selection, Economy Plus seating and preferred seat selections. Future flight credits for United tickets issued between May 1, 2019, and March 31, 2021, must be used for travel that takes place by March 31, 2022. Six choices for purchase amounts are available to members, and once a value has been bought, it is valid for five years from the day it is placed in your TravelBank account. The airline has since made that process a bit more complicated, but you may still be eligible for a certificate instead of a future travel credit. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Press J to jump to the feed. These credits can normally only be used by the traveler whose name was on the original reservation. United Electronic Travel Certificate vs Future Flight Credit United's Contract of Carriage applies to all travel on United Airlines and United Express. United Airlines makes it much easier to use up travel credits A fee may apply for redemption via telephone. Tickets for airlines are not transferrable. To use your United credit, you will need to do the following: How to Apply Travel Funds on United - NerdWallet When the change to allow family members to book, the agent was able to convert to ETC! You can earn a travel certificate for doing this. Booking flights with points or miles expands refund option. Electronic travel certificates: These are valid for up to 24 months after they were issued. Certificates are not valid for travel on Star AllianceTM flights or United-marketed flights operated by other airlines. Now I'm considering. upcoming flight credits These are valid for travel on flights operated by United and its affiliates. The information for the United TravelBank Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The new functionality goes into effect for MileagePlus members this week. They may ask for some additional information, such as your account number or the confirmation number from your original purchase, but Once you have everything they need, theyll be able to process the request quickly and easily. Connecting Flights at London Heathrow Airport, TUI Airways (formerly Thomson) Dreamliner - Movies and Seating Information, Best Layover Cities to conti onward to Florence, International connection with separate tickets at LAX. Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Forbes, Business Insider, and The Points Guy. Tell the United customer support agent that you'd like to convert your future flight credit to an electronic travel certificate. This is arecurring post, regularly updated withnew information. These are subject to the same restrictions as upcoming flight credits. Heres what to do if you need to cancel your trip, Hotel and airline elite status extensions stretching into 2023, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Can I use more than one certificate at a time? United Electronic Travel Certificate vs Future Flight Credit In most situations, the most you can hope for is a credit toward future travel. If it is ineligible for donation, please note that frequent flyer miles, credit card points, cash and crypto can also help people start a new beginning in a new home. Photo: Steve Lynes via Flickr. "Use future flight credit" or "Convert to travel certificate"? Like many other carriers United Airlines has eliminated change fees on many flights and has been issuing credits for canceled trips since the height of the pandemic. However, they have too many passengers on the plane in some cases and need volunteers to take a later flight. So I'm wondering, what is the downside of the Electronic Travel Certificate? To view your current future flight credits, log in to Uniteds website then head to the My trips page right here. If your travel credit is eligible, it will appear in the list below. Future flight credits in order to donate these, you need to convert the future flight credit to an electronic travel certificate. You can also call United at 800-UNITED-1 (800-864-8331). Travel certificates use a PIN number which is emailed to you when the travel certificate is issued. To convert your United Future Flight Credit to a Travel Certificate, simply log into your account on united.com and navigate to the "My Profile" section. If you're holding a paper certificate that we previously issued to you, you can exchange it for an electronic certificate by following the steps below. This release does not apply to the extent it is contrary to an applicable law outside of the United States. 2) Provide your confirmation number and the first four digits of your credit card number. Please note, future flight credits issued on or before December 31, 2022, have had their "travel by" date extended to December 31, 2023. NerdWallet Compare, Inc. NMLS ID# 1617539, NMLS Consumer Access|Licenses and Disclosures, California: California Finance Lender loans arranged pursuant to Department of Financial Protection and Innovation Finance Lenders License #60DBO-74812, Property and Casualty insurance services offered through NerdWallet Insurance Services, Inc. (CA resident license no. United is not liable for loss, theft or unintended use of a certificate by a person other than the original recipient. Were here to help if you need us.To convert a future flight credit (unusable) to a usable electronic travel certificate:1. Simply add money to your account and then use TravelBank Cash as payment on united.com or the United mobile app. Youll need to speak with a reservations agent at (800) 864-8331 to make the request. Next, call United customer service and explain that youd like to convert your flight credit into a travel certificate. It also seems we can apply it to multiple flights. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). Any sale or barter of a certificate, or any offer to sell or enter into such a transaction, shall render a certificate null and void such that the certificate shall no longer be redeemable by any person, including the original recipient. Should I convert it now? Future flight credits must be used by the person on the original ticket. You'll now get a new future flight credit when rebooking to a less expensive flight. TravelBank Cash can be used alone or in combination with other forms of payment to pay for flights operated by United and United Express . If you havent already, you must first sign up for the IHG and United TravelBank Cash perks. Good news: there is! Following COVID-related cancellations, travelers have had to learn to navigate the world of travel credits in a serious for the very first time. Navigating Uniteds various travel credits and policies can seem daunting, and perhaps needlessly complex. Not fair in my opinion, but I'm fortunate I can work within that restriction. You can also use these credits for other purchases such as Basic economy seat selection, Economy Plus seating and preferred seat selections. When evaluating offers, please review the financial institutions Terms and Conditions. Generally, it doesnt make sense to tie up funds without some sort of additional return, but United does occasionally offer incentives for customers to add funds to their TravelBank, in the form of a percentage bonus or fixed mileage earnings, such as 5 miles for every dollar spent. Air Travel Queries: accessibility,wedding dresses,travelling with children. I don't fly United very often. If United canceled your original flight and the airline still offers service between the same cities on your new travel date, a reservations agent may be able to reissue your award in the originally ticketed cabin at the original rate. Please do not include any spaces. So how do we make money? So lets look at how to apply travel funds on United, where you can find them and the different types of travel funds. Additionally, if your flight credit was issued as part of a refund for a cancelled flight , then it also cannot be converted into a travel certificate. There are three major types of travel funds that youll find within your, Lets say you purchased a nonrefundable flight in 2021 but needed to. The policy is valid for all current travel credits and new ones issued on or after April 1st. Yes, United confirmed the ETC can be used to book multiple (ta && ta.queueForLoad ? Upload a copy of your paper certificate or mail it to the address provided. To give you more flexibility, electronic travel certificates* are now valid for 24 months from the date they were issued. When you change your flight to a less expensive fare: and the new fare is cheaper than the previous one, the remaining funds will become a travel credit. Was wondering if anyone has heard if it's possible to convert a United Airlines flight credit to travel certificate when booked on OTA. TravelBank cash: This credit is valid for five years from the date it was deposited into your account. (Enrollment required for select benefits.). Then, you can sign in to your MileagePlus account or enter your confirmation number and last name at the bottom of the My trips page to make additional purchases. The Amex Platinum comes with access to a premium concierge service that can help you with everything from booking hard-to-get reservations to finding destination guides to help you plan out your next getaway. Sometimes it's worth a large investment to reap the benefits of a great credit card. Our opinions are our own. That means you cannot pay the taxes and fees on award tickets with travel certificates. Travel credits have become a fact of life in the current travel environment. Wed appreciate your patience as we work to make that happen. Disclaimer: NerdWallet strives to keep its information accurate and up to date. Unlike airlines such as Delta, United doesnt sell gift cards. Understanding/Using UA Electronic Travel Certificate(ETC) & Future From there, select the "Travel Credits and Certificates" link from the menu on the left-hand side of the page. 2) Provide your confirmation number and the first four digits of your credit card number. TravelBank funds can be redeemed for flights operated by United and United Express. Its important to note that travel certificates are only valid for one year from the date of issuance. After spending seven years in the U.S. Air Force as an Arabic linguist, Carissa set off to travel the world using points and miles to fund a four-year (and counting!) Utilizing United TravelBank Cash is a rather easy and uncomplicated approach. But even if they say their policy is flight credit, you can remind them that DOT RULES say you can choose a refund instead. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-106234387', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flights or do you have to use them up on a single reservation? Privacy Policy. What to Do If Your Airline Voucher Is About to Expire Indicates an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. The event we were going to has been cancelled this year but we are hoping to go late May 2021 all being well. Unfortunately, the airlines website only seems to track a portion of a customers available ETCs I keep mine organized in a spreadsheet, and I recommend you do the same. Future flight credits. What can I use my United travel bank money for? However, these certificates can be used by any traveler. A moderated subreddit for discussion of the airline and its issues/stories. Select "My trips" and "Change . Future flight credits are not transferable and can only be used for the person the future flight credit was issued to. This credit is valid for five years from the date it was deposited into your account. 1) Call 1-800-UNITED-1 or visit a United Airlines ticket counter. smartcooki 3 yr. ago Yes, if you get an electronic travel certificate. ta.queueForLoad : function(f, g){document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', f);})(function(){ta.trackEventOnPage('postLinkInline', 'impression', 'postLinks-106230920', '');}, 'log_autolink_impression');flight credit can go towards a larger variety of airlines and can be used in third-party sites. First, make sure that the credit is still valid and hasnt expired. The Science of Sound. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. Following Delta's lead, United Airlines is extending the validity of its travel credits to 24 months or two years from the date of issue. United Airlines passengers now have until the end of 2022 to use travel credits that may predate the pandemic.