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No one could fault Kristina for overlooking the expiration date on her family’s $2,622 travel credit from American Airlines. For over a year, Kristina was in crisis mode after her husband’s brain cancer diagnosis. Of course, during that time, taking a vacation was last on her list of things to do.
When doctors deemed Kristina’s husband well enough to travel, her mind turned back to their AA credit. She intended to use it to book flights for a memorable trip while her spouse could enjoy it.
But when Kristina signed into the American Airlines website, she could not find the travel credit. Hoping to receive some instructions about how to locate and redeem it, she called the airline. Soon a sympathetic AA agent explained that her flight credit had expired months earlier. The entire $2,622 was gone.
Kristina instantly joined the ranks of countless airline passengers each year whose credit expired before they could use it.
In fact, one of the most frequent airline-related help requests we receive at Consumer Rescue involves expired travel credits. For most, it’s gone forever — airlines rarely restore credit after it’s expired. That’s true across the industry.
If you have American Airlines travel credit, it is crucial that you understand which of the three different types you hold (trip, flight or voucher). The rules for each vary significantly — including the expiration policies.
Here’s everything you need to know about American Airlines travel credit rules so you won’t lose yours. (And I’ll tell you what happened to Kristina’s $2,622 in the end).
The three types of American Airlines travel credit
American Airlines issues three types of travel credit: trip, flight, and travel voucher. The type you have depends on the reason you received it.
Trip credit
The most flexible of all American Airlines travel credit is trip credit.
Trip credit is generally issued as a goodwill gesture in the case of an extended flight delay or other inconvenience. It may also be provided for a variety of issues where the airline owes the passenger compensation.
American Airlines is also known to offer trip credits in place of required cash refunds after a flight cancellation. Passengers should always keep in mind that if the airline cancels their flight, it owes them a refund to their original form of payment. Airline customers should not feel compelled to accept anything other than a refund after a carrier-caused cancellation.
Related: Help! American Airlines gave me trip credit instead of $5,075 cash
What to keep in mind:
- AA trip credit holders may use it to buy flights and pay baggage fees for themselves or others.
- It can not be sold, bartered or transferred to a third-party.
- It typically expires one year after the date of issue. Except…
- If the passenger agreed to a trip credit after AA canceled their flight, the Department of Transportation requires it to be valid for five years.
- Travel must be booked by the expiration date of the trip credit.
Flight Credit
One good thing that came out of the COVID pandemic for air travelers was the elimination of almost all flight cancellation fees. Now, when a passenger needs to cancel their own flight, they’re issued a full-value flight credit.
However, AA flight credit comes with restrictions that, my case files show, many customers aren’t aware of — until it’s too late.
First, and most importantly, the expiration date of American Airlines flight credit is based on the date of purchase of the original ticket (not the date of the canceled flight).
What to keep in mind:
- American Airlines flight credit can only be used by the passenger to whom it was issued.
- It is valid for 1 year from the date of the original ticket purchase for AAdvantage members.
- If the passenger is not an AAdvantage member, flight credit expires in six months from the purchase date. This is important to note, because in some cases, depending on how far out the customer booked their flight, they may not receive any credit.
- Travel must begin by the expiration date of the flight credit.
Related: American Airlines promised me an $18,349 refund. Why did I get an AA flight credit?
Travel voucher
In the past, American Airlines frequently issued paper vouchers or e-vouchers for similar reasons as trip credit. Travel vouchers are becoming much less common, and are being phased out.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
- The holder of an AA travel voucher can book flights for themselves or others.
- It can only be used to pay for flights.
- It is valid for one year from the date American Airlines issued it.
- As with trip credit, if the travel voucher was offered after AA canceled the traveler’s flight, the DOT requires the expiration date to extend for five years.
Related: You should not try to sell your American Airlines voucher. Here is why
How to find (and use) your American Airlines travel credit
Not a week goes by that I don’t receive a request for help from a distraught airline passenger who misunderstood their credit. Some of the travelers who have contacted me have thousands and thousands of dollars on the line.
One common theme among these air travelers is a belief that American Airlines (or another carrier) never told them the credit came with an expiration date.
The truth is, the expiration dates and terms of AA travel credit are crystal clear — if you know where to look and actually look there.
Pro-tip: Make sure to enroll in the loyalty programs of all airlines you fly. These are free programs and obligate you to nothing, so there is absolutely no reason not to join. If you need to cancel your flight, you’ll find it much easier to navigate the redemption process of your credits if you’re a member of the loyalty program. You’ll also enjoy expanded expiration dates of your travel credits if you are a member of the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program.
Sign into your AAdvantage account to locate your travel credit
The first step to determining what kind of travel credit you’ve received and its terms and expiration date is by signing into your AAdvantage account. Scroll down and find the “Travel Credit” button.
On the next screen, you will find all of the information you need to know about any AA travel credit you currently have.
American Airlines has made it simple for its customers to understand their travel credit. The above screenshot shows that I currently have $24.23 in trip credit, a leftover balance from a previously redeemed flight credit. It also clearly shows that I must use this trip credit by March 2, 2026, or it will expire.
Note: This is trip credit so I just need to book a flight before the expiration. If this was flight credit I would need to begin travel by March 2.
Related: My $7,662 American Airlines voucher expired! Can I get it back?
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Redeeming AA travel credit
Trip credit and flight credit are easy to redeem — especially if you are an AAdvantage member. Sign in to your account, make your reservation, and proceed to the”review and pay” page. If you have travel credit available, a banner will remind you to apply it.
After clicking the “add trip credit/ flight credit,” your available credits will appear. Check the box, then pay any remaining balance.
For travel vouchers, you may need to mail in the physical document. You must contact American Airlines directly to make sure you understand how to properly redeem your voucher.
Note: The official number for American Airlines general reservations is 1-800-433-7300. AAdvantage members can call 1-800-882-8880.
How do non-AAdvantage members check their travel credit?
Here’s where it’s a little tricky and much easier for an AA customer to lose their travel credit. If you do not belong to American Airlines’ frequent flyer program (AAdvantage), you will need to keep the documentation you receive regarding the credit. The number on that form is what you will use to redeem it.
To learn about your travel credit, if you aren’t an AAdvantage member, you will go to the “Find your trip” page on the AA website. You do not need to log in to do this. Select the option to find your travel credit and enter your last name, birthdate, and the code associated with your credit. Proceed with redemption in the same way as AAdvantage members, entering the code on the payment screen.
The good news for one family: AA reissued their flight credit
In the end, Kristina’s family got very good news from American Airlines. I urged her to reach out to the airline through our executive customer-facing contacts for the airline.
And that’s exactly what she did… and with wonderful results.
Good Morning Ms. Couch Friedman,
AA and I have been emailing back and forth during the weekend regarding our flight credit. At first their answer was unchanged; they cannot reissue our flight credits. But when I explained and implored his understanding, he sent me an email today that all our flight credits have been restored! It was a great surprise, and I am very grateful.
I want to thank you also for what you do. Because of you, I was able to pursue this. You gave me your time and attention and that shows you are a good person. I will include you in our prayers from now on.
Thank you again, Kristina **** (Editor’s note: Family name is redacted for medical/privacy reasons)
Thank you, Kristina, that’s very kind of you. I wish your family all the best, and I hope you enjoy that meaningful trip you’re planning.
Related: United Airlines travel credit: Here’s everything you need to know
The bottom line
Most requests to reinstate expired airline credits do not have a happy ending.
And readers should know that, despite the many pleas for help we receive, it is rare for our team to pursue an expired travel credit case. There are only so many battles we can take on here at Consumer Rescue. Asking companies for goodwill gestures reduces the time and effort we have to spend investigating and mediating problems where a business has made a mistake.
However, losing an airline credit is entirely avoidable.
Don’t miss out on yours:
- Sign up for your airline’s free loyalty program, to make redemption easy
- Read the terms associated with your travel credit
- Mind the expiration date
If you do all of that, you’re virtually guaranteed not to lose your American Airlines travel credit. Happy travels! (Michelle Couch-Friedman, Chief fiasco fixer and founder of Consumer Rescue)
