What would you do with $2,000+ in flight Credits

[+ VictorPowers]

As you’d imagine, my travel type structure has ended with this crisis. I have canceled both personal and business travel and have $2k+ in Delta Travel Vouchers. This amount allows me essentially round trip travel worldwide. What should I do and where should I go???

[RealAvalon]

Okay men. Seriously. Tongues back in your mouths.

[+ VictorPowers]

The better question is if you'd even be able to utilize them before they expire. I'd rather just submit a refund request and get the cold hard cash ( and yes you can do that ).

I have about 6 different dates for when they expire. Most recent is 7/1/2020

[+ VictorPowers]

Okay men. Seriously. Tongues back in your mouths.

That means you @mike carey and @asian sensatin ?

[alrajee]

I'd fly Delta Premium Select to Osaka, some time in the fall (when I hope the pandemic would have finally died down).

[+ azdr0710]

What should I do and where should I go???

 

$58 RT Delta SLC-PHX through most of the summer!! ....believe it or not, even at 115 degrees, you'll shiver when you get out of the pool (low humidity is the trick!)

 

Edited March 29, 2020 by azdr0710

[mike carey]

I have about 6 different dates for when they expire. Most recent is 7/1/2020

I read that and thought, wait, don't you mean 7 Jan 2021? Then realised it says 1 Jul. That's not far away, so you may not have a chance to fly before then. I'm luckier, my PSP trip credit is good until 31 Dec 21.

 

I make no comment on your post directed to me, lol. I'll just have to wait!

[+ tassojunior]

As you’d imagine, my travel type structure has ended with this crisis. I have canceled both personal and business travel and have $2k+ in Delta Travel Vouchers. This amount allows me essentially round trip travel worldwide. What should I do and where should I go???

 

American is flying Miami to LAX for $34 roundtrip. JetBlue is $26 RT. Buy up a whole plane and stretch out.

 

https://viewfromthewing.com/13-cross-country-airfares-but-why-are-airlines-pricing-below-marginal-cost/

Edited March 29, 2020 by tassojunior

[CuriousByNature]

Hmmm... if it was me, probably a destination that rarely has seat sales.

 

On my bucket list:

 

The Seychelles

The Maldives

Some place in East or South Africa for a safari

Manaus for an Amazon cruise

Perth for Western Australia and the Ningaloo Reef

 

But $2000 may only get you economy class for those routes.

[maninsoma]

The better question is if you'd even be able to utilize them before they expire. I'd rather just submit a refund request and get the cold hard cash ( and yes you can do that ).

 

If the airline cancels a flight, the passenger is entitled to a refund. If you choose to cancel your reservation and you bought a non-refundable ticket, you aren't entitled to a refund. Maybe some airlines are giving refunds to customers who change their own plans, but I think most of them are simply issuing travel credits and eliminating the change fees they normally charge. The expiration date of travel credits is typically one year from the date of original booking, but according to this site a number of airlines have changed their policies given the reality that a lot of people won't be able to travel before their credits expire.

[MscleLovr]

Airline policies do vary internationally @maninsoma

 

A good example is BA. I’ve received full value credits from British Airways for flights I don’t want to take currently. The credits were for non-changeable, non-refundable tickets and the credits only expire 12 months after the original date of the first flight. The credits can be used to pay for flights of lesser value. Full cash refunds are being given when BA cancels flights.

 

A bad example is QF. I had fully refundable tickets (in F to Sydney) with Qantas. It has cancelled the flights and offered me a full value credit. The credit is valid only for 12 months from the date of the original booking (not the first flight) and can only be used to pay for a flight costing the same or more. I insisted on a cash refund (which I received 4 days later) but Qantas deducted a fee “for cancelling” of A$1000 per ticket.

[mike carey]

I was in the same position as @MscleLovr, but different route and different flexibility and class of ticket (and we have chatted about our respective experiences), and my flight was cancelled much later than his was. I don't pretend to understand the complexities of pricing for fully flexible fares, but it seems with QF some of the fine print varies depending on the price of said 'flexible' fare. I had more time to read into the fine print of the cancellation rules as I was still waiting, more in hope than expectation, to see if the trip might still have been possible. As I read it, they allow full credit even of restricted fares if you take a voucher, but apply the cancellation fee that was in the original ticket if you want your money back. I was prepared to accept that, but I'm sure there are many others, not just him, who would, or could not.

 

As it happens, QF changed their policy after @MscleLovr cancelled his ticket and extended the validity of the vouchers to 31 Dec 21. That may have helped him, but if the post corona QF doesn't offer F he could have ended up with a voucher worth more than the cost of any flight he could take with them.

[MscleLovr]

he could have ended up with a voucher worth more than the cost of any flight he could take with them.

 

You’re right @mike carey That’s why I took the less-than-full cash refund.

 

These different policies may affect the reputation of the airlines. I now regard the customer service of British Airways very highly and will recommend them. I used to be a great fan of Qantas, but after this sharp practice - charging a cancellation fee after they cancelled the flights - I’d tell others to avoid the airline.

[+ BenjaminNicholas]

I hate to say this, but this pandemic isn't going away soon.

 

We're only in the first wave of it. There will be a second wave in the early fall if projections by virologists are correct.

 

That said, if you can cash it out, do it. Put that money in your pocket now.

[+ tassojunior]

What happens to partially-used roundtrips? Friends have a return left to Europe in late May on American that originated in Europe.

 

I guess driving to the airport and talking to a desk wizard is the best method if social media fails.

[Boy4]

I'm in the same predicament. I have Regal Movie Theatre rewards points that expire in May.

[down_to_business]

Just in case this helps anybody

 

You are entitled to a refund for your canceled flight — even if the airline says you aren’t

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tips/you-are-entitled-to-a-refund-for-your-canceled-flight-even-if-the-airline-says-you-aren-t/ar-BB11HRaf?ocid=primedhp

[MscleLovr]

You are entitled to a refund for your canceled flight — even if the airline says you aren’t

 

You‘re correct @down_to_business (assuming its an intra-US flight or overseas arriving or departing from the US). But as I understand the situation, there’s a catch.

 

The catch is that the airline gets to calculate the refund. You don’t get back 50% of the price you paid. The airline is allowed to calculate how much the ‘one way’ flight you’ve taken would cost had a single journey been bought. The difference is the refund; in quite a few circumstances, this single can be more costly than a return ticket.

[Guest]

I got full refunds on my American Airlines and Avianca flights (for the stud I was flying in from Colombia to join me). While the future is uncertain, there is certainly a good chance that international travel may be unachievable until there's an effective vaccine available. Most experts seem to think that's well over a year away. I would try to get a refund. Otherwise, what to do depends wildly on what your personal preferences and budget entail. What do you like to do? What's your non-flight budget? What's your travel style? It's unlikely travel will be back to normal before July 1st of this year, though there's no telling. In general coronaviruses don't seem to spread much in the warm months, so maybe it will die down. But it has taken hold in tropical countries, so maybe this coronavirus is different.

[RealAvalon]

As you’d imagine, my travel type structure has ended with this crisis. I have canceled both personal and business travel and have $2k+ in Delta Travel Vouchers. This amount allows me essentially round trip travel worldwide. What should I do and where should I go???

Is the Salt Lake City airport open?

[JayCeeKy]

Demand a Refund - this ain't going away soon. Invest money in 1) Kimberly-Clark (makers of personal care products like TP, wet wipes, etc. 2) Zoom Video Communications (provides remote-conferencing) 3) Clorox. Maybe wait for a really bad dip before buying.

[marylander1940]

As you’d imagine, my travel type structure has ended with this crisis. I have canceled both personal and business travel and have $2k+ in Delta Travel Vouchers. This amount allows me essentially round trip travel worldwide. What should I do and where should I go???

 

I'd go to Hawaii first class!

[SirBillybob]

If it’s a history repeat, Spanish flu 3 waves beginning March ... the 2nd wave late Fall 1918 the deadliest. What might have been appropriately called herd immunity took at least 11-12 months.

 

One must hope for a vaccine and minimal mutation. Then possibly travel in a year from now if infected and recovered, or successfully inoculated.

Edited March 30, 2020 by SirBIllybob

[+ Charlie]

Back in December, I used a ton of frequent flyer miles to purchase a one year membership in the Star Alliance airport lounges, because I expected to be doing a fair amount of leisure flying in 2020. I haven't used it, I'll bet I never get to use it at all, and I'm sure there won't be any refund.

[instudiocity]

Demand a Refund - this ain't going away soon. Invest money in 1) Kimberly-Clark (makers of personal care products like TP, wet wipes, etc. 2) Zoom Video Communications (provides remote-conferencing) 3) Clorox. Maybe wait for a really bad dip before buying.

Proctor & Gamble, makers of Charmin