KSL INVESTIGATES

What are the rules for airline travel credits?

Aug 8, 2022, 6:15 PM | Updated: 6:55 pm

RIVERTON, Utah — After canceling a beach vacation to Hawaii, a Utah woman believes she has $1,400 in flight credits. Ongoing flight cancellations have plagued the summer travel season, and a lot of travelers are being made whole with flight credits rather than refunds.

As this woman learned, flight credits might not be as good as money in the bank.

“Hours and hours of chats and departments telling me to call another department,” is how Jennifer Burt described her frustration after trying to book a family trip to Hawaii.

She had $1,400 in future flight credits from United Airlines after she canceled her Germany trip last year because of COVID-19. But this new booking got really jumbled. 

“And every time it said there’s an error with your card,” Burt said. “So, I tried that card again. Then I tried another card, and I tried that card twice.”

Jennifer says she wound up getting charged four times. When she called the airline to fix that, another $2,100 got tacked onto her credit cards.

“I said, ‘tap out cancel everything,’ she said. “I was like I’m just not doing this.”

Eventually, Burt got all the extraneous charges fixed and her money back, but not the flight credits.

“I just want my flight credits, my $1,400 in flight credits back.”

Getting nowhere with United, Burt called in the KSL Investigators.

We investigated the federal rules and found, well, nothing that tells airlines how to handle travel credits when a passenger cancels a flight. By law, if the airline cancels the flight, or even bumps it too much, they owe the passenger a refund – and that includes flight credits. But when the passenger initiates the change, airlines have a lot more latitude on whether flight credits need to be refunded.

But in this case, Burt only canceled because United’s ticketing system was acting weird. And she canceled within 24 hours of booking her flight. So, we contacted the airline on her behalf, through the corporate PR folks, and just like that, some good news for Burt. She is getting her flight credits back.

A spokesperson wrote they regret any miscommunication” and “apologize for any frustration this has caused.”

You should know that nearly all airline flight credits expire – usually within a year. Southwest is an exception. Two weeks ago, it dumped expiration dates for its flight credits.

Now, Congress and the Transportation Department are mulling over new rules that require flight credits to be indefinite.

KSL 5 TV Live

KSL Investigates

two men sit at a table and look at a phone...

Matt Gephardt

Imposters stealing Utah restaurant names to deceive drivers and customers on food delivery apps

When a popular Provo pizzeria couldn’t get a food delivery app to remove an impostor account, the owners decided to Get Gephardt to investigate.

41 minutes ago

Utah’s Supreme Court heard arguments in May 2023 in the first appellate challenge involving a 202...

Daniella Rivera

Utah Supreme Court upholds prior ruling in first challenge of 2021 self-defense law

Utah's Supreme Court sided with a man who fired several shots after a bizarre vehicle crash in the first challenge of Utah's 2021 self-defense law.

8 hours ago

Jen and Tyler Erickson show KSL’s Matt Gephardt sewer water...

Matt Gephardt and Cimaron Neugebauer, KSL TV

Raw sewage floods basements, but who’s responsible for the damages?

A Farmington couple says their home got flooded with raw sewage after a nearby water park drained a pool into the sewer system. Now, they're stuck in a fight over who's -responsible for tens-of-thousands of dollars in damages, so they decided to Get Gephardt.

4 days ago

Joshua Homer appears in court in Weber County on Oct. 18, 2022....

Daniella Rivera and Keira Fairmont, KSL-TV

Rapist at the center of KSL Investigation ‘Failure to Protect’ pleads guilty

Guilty: An accused serial predator in Utah, who’s had more than a decade of allegations against him is now a convicted rapist following a KSL Investigation.

4 days ago

a blue truck with identified with letters "elan solar"...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage, KSL TV

Utah based Elan Solar sued by state regulators

Lawsuit filed by the Utah Division of Consumer Protection against Utah based Elan Solar

5 days ago

paper work showing charges...

Matt Gephardt and Sloan Schrage

Thieves fraudulently billing Medicare for catheters on behalf of Utahns

Medicare paid out thousands of dollars for a medical device on behalf of a Utahn that never ordered it, let alone received it.

6 days ago

Sponsored Articles

Modern chandelier hanging from a white slanted ceiling with windows in the backgruond...

Lighting Design

Light Up Your Home With These Top Lighting Trends for 2024

Check out the latest lighting design trends for 2024 and tips on how you can incorporate them into your home.

Technician woman fixing hardware of desktop computer. Close up....

PC Laptops

Tips for Hassle-Free Computer Repairs

Experiencing a glitch in your computer can be frustrating, but with these tips you can have your computer repaired without the stress.

Close up of finger on keyboard button with number 11 logo...

PC Laptops

7 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Laptop to Windows 11

Explore the benefits of upgrading to Windows 11 for a smoother, more secure, and feature-packed computing experience.

Stylish room interior with beautiful Christmas tree and decorative fireplace...

Lighting Design

Create a Festive Home with Our Easy-to-Follow Holiday Prep Guide

Get ready for festive celebrations! Discover expert tips to prepare your home for the holidays, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere for unforgettable moments.

Battery low message on mobile device screen. Internet and technology concept...

PC Laptops

9 Tips to Get More Power Out of Your Laptop Battery

Get more power out of your laptop battery and help it last longer by implementing some of these tips from our guide.

Users display warnings about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), access to malicious software ...

Les Olson

How to Stay Safe from Cybersecurity Threats

Read our tips for reading for how to respond to rising cybersecurity threats in 2023 and beyond to keep yourself and your company safe.

What are the rules for airline travel credits?