How Do I Use My United Airlines Future Flight Credit

United Airlines Flight Credit

Category : Airlines / Posted on: January 25, 2023 / Author: Admin

How Do I Use My United Airlines Future Flight Credit

United Airlines Flight Credit

Similar to many carriers United Airlines has eliminated change fees from many flights and has issued credits for cancelled travels since the peak of the pandemic.

Travelers have had to learn how to navigate the worlds of travel credits after cancellations due to COVID. The complexity of these carrier-specific certificates, regardless of whether the airline intended it, can add another layer to the already complicated process of booking a flight.

Most cases, United will cancel your flight and you'll be eligible to receive a refund to the original method of payment. If you make the decision not to travel, you will most likely be issued a "future credit" or an Electronic Travel Certificate (ETC). These are two different instruments.

Both credit types can be used for new travel. However, there are important nuances. Future flight credits, for example, are only valid for a shorter time. You cannot also redeem them for another person unless your ticket was purchased before August 31, 2021.

This guide will help you to understand United's flight credits and how to redeem them when you book a flight.

Electronic travel certificates

United offers two types of flight credit. The most valuable is the electronic travel certificate. They are valid for two years after the issue date and can be used to purchase future flights credits. You can combine them with other ETCs, and they can be used for travel for anyone other than the person who changed their original trip. They are basically money you have that you can spend on United.

Customers from the United who have suffered service lapses will likely be familiar with ETCs. ETCs are issued whenever an airline offers any type of financial compensation, such as extra-long delays, broken inflight entertainment systems, involuntary refusal of boarding, and so forth.

Customers who took advantage of United's free change policy could request an ETC if they had to cancel a flight. However, this was only recently. Although the process has become a little more complex by United, you might still be eligible to receive a certificate rather than a future travel credit. To make the request, you will need to call a reservation agent at (800-864-8331).

Electronic travel certificates can be redeemed

United now lists travel credit on its "My account" page. You can access this by logging into your MileagePlus account. Unfortunately, United's website does not seem to show all of the available ETCs. I keep mine in a spreadsheet and recommend that you do the exact same.

Future flight credit

Future flight credits are not eligible for ETCs. However, they can be used to pay the cost of partner flight tickets, even if there is no United flight on the same itinerary.

The credit can only be used by the person whose name appears on the original booking. United allows credit for tickets purchased before August 31, 2021 to be used for travel bookings for others.

Log in to United's website and then go to the "My Trips" page. To book a new flight, click on the "Future Flight Credit" tab.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to redeem future travel credits for revenue ticket online. You can always call reservations at 800 864-8331 to book a rebook if there is an error such as the one below.

You lost any residual value if you changed to a cheaper flight for a while. United relaxed this restriction in April 2021. When you rebook to a cheaper flight, you'll get a future credit.

This applies to future flight credit tools that are used to rebook cancelled award tickets. Once you reissue your ticket, you will receive a refund if the new flight has fewer miles or a higher cash co-pay.

Policy on expiration

United miles do not expire but all travel credits of the carrier are subject to expiration:

Electronic Travel Certificates 24 Months from Issue Date*
Future flight credit: 12-months from the original ticket issue date**
Travel Bank 5 year after last activity

*All electronic certificate expiring before Dec. 31, 2022 will be extended to Dec. 31, 2020.
**Future Flight Credits issued before Dec. 31, 2021 will still be valid until Dec. 31, 2020

These policies are important to remember if you have several types of credit. You'll want the oldest ones to be used first.

Bottom line

Navigating United's travel policies and credits can be daunting and confusing. This guide will help you identify the credit you have and how to use them to book your next trip.