united travel credit

United Airlines flight credits: Everything you need to know

Editor's Note

Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here .

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.

Following COVID-related cancellations, travelers have had to learn to navigate the world of travel credits in a serious for the very first time. And, whether or not it's the airline's intention, the intricacies of these various carrier-specific certificates can add yet another layer to the already complex process of booking a flight.

In most cases, if United cancels your flight, you're eligible for a refund to your original form of payment. Meanwhile, if you are the one making the choice not to travel, you'll most likely end up with what the airline calls a "future flight credit," or an Electronic Travel Certificate (ETC), which are two different instruments.

Both types of credits can be used to book new travel, but there are some important nuances to note. For instance, future flight credits are valid for less time. They also can't be redeemed for someone else unless you purchased your ticket on or before Aug. 31, 2021.

After reading this guide, you'll walk away with a better understanding of United's various flight credits, and how you can redeem them when booking a flight.

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Accruing electronic travel certificates

Of United's two flight credit offerings, electronic travel certificates are the most useful since they're valid for longer (two years from the issue date) than future flight credits. They can also be combined with other ETCs and can be redeemed for travel for someone other than the person whose original trip was changed. In short, they're basically like money that you just happen to have to spend on United.

United customers who have experienced various service lapses are likely already familiar with ETCs. You'll receive one whenever the airline issues any form of monetary compensation — an extra-long delay, broken in-flight entertainment system, involuntary denial of boarding and so on.

Until recently, customers taking advantage of United's free-change policy had been able to request an ETC when voluntarily canceling a flight. 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. You'll need to speak with a reservations agent at (800) 864-8331 to make the request.

Redeeming electronic travel certificates

United now lists travel credits on the "My account" page, which you can access right here when logged into your MileagePlus account. Unfortunately, the airline's website only seems to track a portion of a customer's available ETCs — I keep mine organized in a spreadsheet, and I recommend you do the same.

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.

If you've selected an eligible flight, you'll see an option to redeem your ETCs on the payments page. Certificates can be used to cover the cost of seat assignments when selected during the purchase process, too, which adds another layer of usefulness.

Related: Here's what to do if you need to cancel your trip

ETCs can be used multiple times — if the flight costs less than the value of the certificate, the balance will remain on your account. If you're purchasing a higher-cost flight, you can combine ETCs with a credit card payment to cover the difference.

After you successfully enter an ETC, including the year issued, 10-digit PIN code and the recipient's last name, you'll see the amount deducted from your flight total.

United recently added the ability to combine up to 10 ETCs on the airline's website. Alternatively, you can call the reservations line at (800) 864-8331 to have your certificates combined over the phone. Just note that when combining certificates over the phone, the expiration date may be updated to 24 months from the date the oldest ETC was issued, not 24 months from the date your ETCs are combined, so that's something to keep in mind.

Future flight credit

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 United's own website or by calling reservations at (800) 864-8331.

These credits can normally only be used by the traveler whose name was on the original reservation. However, United is allowing credits issued for tickets purchased on or before Aug. 31, 2021, to be used to book travel for others.

To view your current future flight credits, log in to United's website then head to the "My trips" page right here . From there, click the "Future flight credit" tab and select the "Book with credit" option to book a new trip.

Unfortunately, I haven't 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 I've repeatedly encountered below.

For a while, if you moved to a lower-cost flight, you lost any residual value. Luckily, United backtracked on this strict restriction in April 2021. You'll now get a new future flight credit when rebooking to a less expensive flight.

The same applies when using the future flight credit tool to rebook canceled award tickets. If your new flight requires fewer miles or a lower cash co-pay, you'll receive a refund for the balance once you reissue the ticket.

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 agent's help in making the change.

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.

Related: Guide to the United MileagePlus program

For example, since United was responsible for the cancellation, in my case, an agent may be able to honor my original 60,000-mile award rate between Newark (EWR) and Dublin (DUB), even if a similar award is priced higher on United's website today. There's never any guarantee, but it's certainly worth making the request.

Meanwhile, if you're looking to book a cash fare, you may be able to call United reservations at (800) 864-8331 to have your future flight credit canceled, with the balance issued in the form of an ETC, instead. That's certainly your best bet if you're looking to move to a lower-cost flight, or prefer to use your credit to book travel for someone else.

United TravelBank

United offers a third type of travel credit, via the airline's TravelBank . Customers purchase these credits directly — they're not issued following a customer service complaint or flight cancellation. It's also possible to boost your balance with the since-discontinued United TravelBank Card.

The information for the United TravelBank Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Generally, it doesn't 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 .

TravelBank funds can be redeemed for flights operated by United and United Express. Unfortunately, they cannot be combined with ETCs or future flight credits, and, since they offer the longest validity, I'd use up any other credits before tapping your TravelBank.

Related: Hotel and airline elite status extensions stretching into 2023

Expiration policy

While United miles no longer expire , all of the carrier's travel credits are subject to expiration as follows:

• Electronic Travel Certificates: 24 months from issue date*
• Future flight credit: 12 months from original ticket issue date**
• TravelBank: 5 years after last activity

*All electronic certificates due to expire prior to Dec. 31, 2022, will be extended until Dec. 31, 2022. **Future flight credits issued on or before Dec. 31, 2021, will be valid until Dec. 31, 2022

So keep these policies in mind if you have a few different types of credit since you'll want to use the ones expiring soonest first.

Bottom line

Navigating United's various travel credits and policies can seem daunting, and perhaps needlessly complex. Still, armed with this guide, you should have a much better idea of how to identify which credits you have at your disposal, and how to make the most of them when booking your next trip.

Additional reporting by Benji Stawski.

• Check Travel Credits

Need to check your travel credit balance? Use your reservation number to lookup your credit balance.

Frequently Asked Questions

To look up your travel credit information, you need to enter your reservation number and the last name of the reservation’s lead passenger exactly as they appear in your travel documents. The lead passenger is typically the person that made the original booking. If you are still having issues getting your travel credit information, please call us at 1-888-854-3899.

The amount displayed is only your credit with United Vacations. If you also have an United Airlines credit and wish to use it, then you will need to call us at 1-888-854-3899.

If you are ready to use your travel credits to book another vacation, please follow these steps .

Please review our travel credit information to get additional details about redeeming your travel credit, what terms apply and other frequently asked questions.

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How to Use Travel Funds on United

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Like other major U.S. airlines, United provides travel funds for its customers. These can come about as a gift due to a canceled flight or other reasons. However, finding and using these funds isn’t the most intuitive experience. So let’s look at how to apply travel funds on United, where you can find them and the different types of travel funds.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

Step-by-step guide to using your United travel funds

Applying your travel funds to a United flight is both easy and intuitive. First, you’ll want to search for a flight directly on the United site.

Your United funds can be used for any class of service, no matter which cabin you’d initially booked. At this point, you’ll select whichever flight suits your needs.

The next page will include your traveler information, including your name, birth date and frequent flyer info. This will all need to be filled out before continuing to the next page.

TravelBank funds can’t be used to pay the taxes and fees on an award flight.

Future flight credits: You could only apply one credit to each booking if these credits stemmed from a canceled flight. If you’ve received a future flight credit due to changing to a cheaper fare, you can combine multiple credits at once.

Electronic travel certificate: You can apply up to 10 of these to your booking.

You’ll need to click through seat selection and other bundle options to reach the checkout page.

You can either apply your travel credits or your TravelBank cash to your flight costs. As we noted above, how many you’ll be able to add to your booking will depend on the type you hold.

If your TravelBank balance doesn’t cover your total flight cost, United may allow you to cover the cost by combining TravelBank cash with:

MileagePlus Miles.

Credit cards.

Travel certificates.

How do you get United travel funds?

There are three major types of travel funds that you’ll find within your United account.

Future flight credit

When you cancel an eligible flight: Let’s say you purchased a nonrefundable flight in 2021 but needed to cancel it as government restrictions made it impossible to travel. United has eliminated change fees for most of its flights (excluding basic economy), including all those that originate in the U.S. In this case, you’ll receive future flight credit valid for later travel.

When you change your flight to a less expensive fare: If you need to alter your flight and the new fare is cheaper than the previous one, the remaining funds will become a travel credit.

Electronic travel certificate

When you volunteer for a bump: Airlines overbook their seats to maximize efficiency. However, they have too many passengers on the plane in some cases and need volunteers to take a later flight. You can earn a travel certificate for doing this.

As a gesture of goodwill: In some cases, United may be willing to offer you travel credits for future travel.

United TravelBank cash

Unlike airlines such as Delta, United doesn’t sell gift cards. Instead, it offers the United TravelBank. You can purchase TravelBank cash in six different increments, and there’s no limit to the amount of TravelBank funds you can buy each year. However, there is a limit of $5,000 per day on TravelBank purchases and they’re all nonrefundable.

You will need to be logged in to your MileagePlus account to purchase TravelBank cash.

» Learn more: Booking flights with points or miles expands refund option

Where can you see your United travel fund balance?

Searching for either of your United travel funds is simple. First, you’ll need to log in to your account using the “Sign In” button in the top right corner of the United homepage.

Once you’ve logged in, you’ll want to go to your main profile page. From here, you’ll want to select the Wallet dropdown:

This will show you all the different methods you have available to pay for your United tickets. For example, if you’re searching for flight credits from canceled flights, you’ll want to select Travel Credits. If you’re looking for United TravelBank funds, you’ll want to choose the TravelBank tab.

Future flight credits will display your confirmation number and the time you have left until your credits expire.

Your TravelBank balance is also available and will show how long you have before those funds expire.

» Learn more: Your guide to travel cancellation refunds and vouchers

How long are United travel funds good for?

Future flight credits: These credits can be used for up to a year after the original issue date of the ticket.

Electronic travel certificates: These are valid for up to 24 months after they were issued.

TravelBank cash: This credit is valid for five years from the date it was deposited into your account.

What can United travel funds be used for?

Future flight credits. These can be used for flights on United and partner-operated flights. 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 must be used by the person on the original ticket.

Electronic travel certificates. These have the same limitations as future flight credits. However, these certificates can be used by any traveler.

TravelBank cash. These funds are only applicable towards flights.

Can I use more than one certificate at a time?

The rules for applying travel funds will differ depending on which types you hold.

If you’re looking to use your United travel funds

United has three primary options for its travel funds, including future flight credits, travel certificates for canceled flights and purchased TravelBank cash. Apply these funds when purchasing a flight, though you’ll want to be aware of any limitations before you book.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on dining, hotel stays and United® purchases. 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases

50,000 Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-2x Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases, dining, at gas stations, office supply stores and on local transit and commuting. Earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.

75000 Earn 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.

1x-3x Earn 3x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel, 1x on all other purchases

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open.