Airline Credit Expiration: the Two Dates to Track Before a Credit Expires
Airline credit expiration comes in two kinds: a book-by date, when you only need to make the new booking, and a travel-by date, when the whole trip must be flown. Find which one your credit has, and when its clock started.
Airline credit expiration is really two different deadlines. A book-by date means you have to make the new booking before it; the flight itself can be later. A travel-by date means the whole trip has to be flown before it. Rules differ by airline and by fare, and they change, so the date printed on your own credit is the one that counts. Write it down with its kind.
Big travel sites keep tables of each airline's credit rules. Those tables go out of date, and the airline's own policy pages change with new fare types. This guide does something different: it shows how to read your own credit, so you know which date to track, and how to find the credit again when you need it.
Book-by vs travel-by: the two airline credit dates
Every airline credit has an expiration, but it can mean one of two things.
- Book-by date. You must make the new booking before this date. The flight can be after it. If a credit says book by March 10, a booking made on March 9 for a flight in June is fine.
- Travel-by date. The whole trip must be flown before this date, return flight included. The same credit with travel by March 10 needs you home by March 10.
The difference is easy to miss, because both often appear as a single "expires" line. Read the full wording on the credit email or in your airline account. If it says "travel must be completed by", it is a travel-by date. If it is not clear, ask the airline, and write down the answer and the date you asked.
When does the clock start?
The second trap is the start date. On some credits, the expiration is counted from the day you bought the original ticket, not from the day you canceled. If you bought a ticket in March and canceled in June, a credit valid for a year from the ticket date has about nine months left, not twelve.
Look for these words on the credit: "from the original ticket issue date", "from the date of purchase", "from the date of issue". They decide how much time you really have.
Where airline credits hide after a few months
Credits are easy to lose because they are rarely where you look for them. A credit may sit in:
- Your airline account, if you were logged in when you booked or canceled.
- A separate email with the credit number or voucher code, sent days after the cancellation.
- The original booking, found by confirmation code and last name, if you booked as a guest.
- A travel agency or booking site account, if you did not book with the airline directly.
Many credits can be used only by the traveler named on the original ticket. Check this before you plan to use one for someone else. The same habit that works for gift cards that expire with a balance works here: keep the code, the amount, the date and the name together.
Credit or refund? When you can ask for your money
A credit is not always the only option. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation's 2024 rule on airline refunds, passengers are owed a refund when the airline cancels a flight or significantly changes it and the passenger does not accept the alternative. A significant change includes departing three hours or more earlier or arriving three hours or more later on a domestic trip, six hours or more on an international one.
Under the same rule:
- Airlines must tell you about the refund before offering a credit or voucher instead.
- Refunds are due promptly: within 7 business days for credit card purchases and within 20 calendar days for other payments.
- Credits for certain health cases last longer. When a doctor advises you not to travel because of a serious communicable disease, or a government restricts travel because of one, airlines must offer a credit or voucher valid for at least five years from issue, under conditions set out in the rule.
If you canceled a nonrefundable ticket yourself, the airline's own policy applies, and a credit is usually what you get. Check whether the price of the original trip matters too: our guide to what to do when a flight price drops after booking covers when a change can return the difference as a credit.
Let Tracy keep the credits and both dates
With dEssence you send Tracy, its assistant, the credit email pasted in, a screenshot of your airline account or the voucher PDF, from Telegram, iMessage, Chrome or the web. She pulls out the amount, the code, the traveler and the date, and keeps whether it is book-by or travel-by. Ask for a reminder and she messages you 30 days before, or whenever you choose. She does not log into airline accounts, does not read your inbox and does not book flights; you send the credit and she brings it back while it can still be used.
Frequently asked questions
Do airline credits expire?
Most do. The rule depends on the airline, the fare and why the credit was issued, so check the date and its wording on your own credit.
What is the difference between book by and travel by?
Book by means you must make the new booking before the date, and the flight can be later. Travel by means the whole trip must be completed before the date.
Can I get a refund instead of an airline credit?
If the airline canceled or significantly changed your flight and you did not accept the alternative, U.S. rules say you are owed a refund. If you canceled a nonrefundable ticket yourself, the airline's policy applies.
Can I extend an expired airline credit?
Sometimes. Some airlines extend a credit when you ask, as a courtesy. Contact the airline before the date, not after.