Don’t waste your pandemic travel credits

Traveling by any means Bonker now, So you may not be thinking of booking a trip right away.Or maybe you Revenge trip And reservation all In any case, if you have electronic credits or vouchers for travel canceled during the pandemic, you need to use them immediately or find a way to save, extend, or get credits before they expire. I have.

As The Washington Post points outThe travel agency distributed the voucher promptly, rather than issuing a refund if necessary, for cancellations, assuming that the customer would not actually use the voucher before it expired. And that’s exactly what’s happening.

If you can’t use your voucher or credit in the near future, there are several ways to prevent it from being lost.

Check voucher status and policy

First, collect all the information. Log in to your travel account and note the vouchers or credits you own, their value, expiration date, and redemption policies and restrictions.

Request a refund instead

Customers and company representatives who spoke to the post reported that vouchers are often redeemed for a full refund. Airlines, cruise lines and other travel agencies may need to provide you under the Terms of Service if you cancel your trip without any other means. ..Of course, this may not be the case if: you Cancel. However, it’s okay to ask a question. surely.

Use only some of the expired credits

If you have a certain amount of e-credit that expires, you can keep that e-credit active by spending some of that money on a super-cheap itinerary (such as a one-way flight) and saving the rest. There may be cases. future.

Another hack: Book your trip with points or electronic credits and cancel within a 24-hour penalty-free period. This will redeem your credit into your account and reset the expiration date. Please note that this may have charges and restrictions.

Prevent general travel points from expiring

Another thing to check is whether you can accumulate miles and travel points (and other benefits) for frequent flyer services over time and expire soon. Many reward programs have suspended frequent flyer expiration dates and extended existing premium membership benefits, but these restrictions are beginning to begin again.

For example, American Airlines AAdvantage miles will expire if they have not been used for 24 months. That is, there is no acquisition or spending on your account. Americans suspended mileage expiration during the pandemic, but reinstated the rules on April 1. Keep your account aliveYou only need one transaction, such as credit card billing, redemption for cheap flights and other trips, and cash / mileage donations to charities.

Plan the trip anyway

Depending on the type of voucher you have, booking now can be a great deal. For example, a cruise line may cost less than the sum of the original credits, so you can pay more. This may be better than wasting your money if you want to escape, feel safe to do so, and have some flexibility.