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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.
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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.
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s 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.
