Unless you book the most restrictive basic economy fare, in most cases, if you have to cancel a flight (for whatever reason)you’ll be handed back the value of your ticket in the form of a credit to use toward a future flight.
By some luck, I’ve never had to request this option, but I know many people who have. My mother-in-law, for example, flies Alaska Airlines between Miami and Seattle about six times a year. On occasion, she’s had to cancel flights and used her flight credits to rebook other trips down the road, paying the difference when the new fare cost more than the value of her credit.
Sounds simple enough. But as I dug into the policies at major airlines, I found that a “flight credit” can work very differently depending on the carrier.
They usually come with an expiration clock that can start ticking either when you bought the original ticket, canceled the flight, or received the credit. Likewise, some airlines allow you to use credits to pay for another passenger’s trip, while others stay tied to your name.
Here’s how flight credits compare at six major U.S. airlines, as of publication.
In this article
American Airlines
American Airlines has three forms of travel credit.
The first is a Trip Credit, which is a separate electronic credit American issues for canceled tickets, significant delays, compensation, refunds, or remaining value after exchanging a ticket.
Then there’s a Flight Credit, which is the value left from an unused airline ticket. Finally, a Travel Voucher is the paper form of Trip Credit, issued when a digital credit isn’t available, including for customers in countries that don’t recognize digital credits.
The first two sound similar, but their expiration rules are very different. For Trip Credits issued on or after April 2, 2024, AAdvantage members generally get 12 months when canceling online with their number attached, while non-members get six months. You just need to use the credit before it expires; your trip can happen later. With a Flight Credit, travel must begin within one year of the original ticket issue date.
Trip Credits are more flexible in other ways, too. They can book travel for someone else and pay for eligible bags online, while Flight Credits stay with the passenger named on them and can only book flights. You can combine up to eight Trip Credits in one transaction. American allows one Flight Credit online or up to two by contacting Reservations.
Delta Air Lines
When it comes to reissuing the value of a ticket, Delta Air Lines uses what it calls eCredits. And how the eCredit was received makes a big difference.
If Delta cancels or significantly delays or changes a flight—meaning they are the ones at fault—and the passenger chooses an eCredit instead of a refund, that eCredit is valid for five years from issuance.
If you voluntarily cancel a trip, however, you have one year from the date you bought the original ticket to travel using the eCredit, not just to book a new flight, minus any applicable cancellation fees.
And only the original traveler may use the eCredit. The credit can go toward a Delta ticket and government-imposed taxes and fees, but not checked bags or other airline fees. While that’s fairly restrictive, if there’s more than one eCredit sitting in the same account, Delta does allow up to five eCredits to be redeemed per ticket on an initial purchase, and up to two when changing a ticket.
United Airlines
United Airlines has two main types of travel credit: future flight credits, which come from canceling a trip or changing to a less expensive flight, and travel certificates, which may be issued by the airline as compensation when a cancellation or trip disturbance is their fault.
Each type of credit has its own rules around expiration. Future flight credits expire one year after they’re issued, and that expiration is a travel-by date, so the first flight needs to depart by then.
Travel certificates, meanwhile, give about a year from issuance to book, with travel allowed after that deadline. Certificates also have an advantage when it comes to who travels: anyone can use one, while future flight credits stay with the original traveler. Both can cover flights and certain extras, including Economy Plus, Basic Economy seat assignments, and Preferred Seating, which is coach seating in more desirable locations, usually closer to the front of the cabin.
Multiple credits of the same type can be combined, but the two types can’t be combined together.
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines once offered a “credits never expire” policy, but sadly, like their open seating rule, that’s no longer the case.
Flight credits created on or before May 27, 2025, still don’t expire. But for reservations booked or changed on or after May 28, 2025, the deadline depends on the fare and original payment method. A Basic fare paid by credit card, for example, generally expires six months from the original booking date.
Higher-priced fares come with fewer restrictions. Eligible Choice, Choice Preferred, and Choice Extra fares receive Transferable Flight Credits that expire 12 months from the original booking date and can be transferred once between Rapid Rewards members. These credits can pay for future airfare, but not Getaways by Southwest vacation packages. Each passenger gets up to three forms of payment per booking, with each flight credit counting as one. So you can use three credits if they cover the fare, or fewer if you also need another payment method.
JetBlue
JetBlue is relatively accommodating about who gets on the plane. Its travel credits are managed through Travel Bank, but the account holder doesn’t have to be the traveler. You can use your balance to buy another person’s ticket without transferring the credit into their account.
Where JetBlue gets stricter is what that balance can buy. Travel credits cover airfare and taxes on JetBlue bookings and the air portion of a JetBlue Vacations package, but not checked bags, seat fees, pets, same-day switches, or other extras.
Expiration dates vary, so your account is the place to check yours. The date is a booking deadline: use the credit by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on its expiration date, and you can travel later. You don’t have to use the whole credit at once. You can choose how much to use, and any money left stays in your account until its original expiration date. You also can’t combine multiple travel credit accounts in one transaction; JetBlue allows one account per person.
There’s one extra thing to watch with partner airlines, though. Some airlines, like JetBlue, will only refund the value of a canceled flight into travel credits for flights operated by the airline, not a partner flight, even if it was booked directly through JetBlue. If you’re thinking about rescheduling a partner flight, check the rules for that flight before canceling.
Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines gives you a little breathing room with its expiration rule. Eligible canceled-ticket value can live as a credit certificate in your Alaska Wallet. Credit certificates are valid for 12 months from the original ticket’s issue date or 30 days from cancellation or exchange, whichever gives you more time.
You only have to book by that deadline; travel can take place up to 11 months later. My mother-in-law did just that, using a canceled Alaska flight credit toward another Miami-to-Seattle flight and paying the fare difference.
Credit certificates can cover a new ticket’s fare, taxes, and government-imposed fees, but not checked bags, service fees, trip protection, or other extras. Certificates and Wallet funds are nontransferable. Alaska allows up to six credit certificates on one reservation, and additional certificates can be deposited into your Wallet instead.
The Shortcut
Check the start date, not just the length: A "one-year" credit may be counted from the day you bought the ticket, not the day you canceled.
Know whether it's book-by or fly-by: Some airlines only need you to book before the deadline. Others need you on the plane by then.
If the airline canceled on you, ask before accepting a credit: Credits from airline-caused disruptions can come with much longer windows. Think years, not months.
Assume it's locked to your name until you confirm otherwise: Only some carriers let you book for someone else, and even fewer let a credit cover bags or seats.
