Whether you get an American Airlines voucher due to COVID cancellations, a flight disruption, or other circumstances, you might be wondering if you can sell it to get money back?  

While American Airlines themselves will not exchange your voucher for cash, it is possible to sell your voucher to someone else to get some money back. 

Listing your unwanted American flight voucher on the SpareFare marketplace is quick and has a high probability of selling for the best price.  The entire process is secure from end to end. 
 

How To Sell Your American Airlines Flight Credit?

You’ll need the 13 digit ticket number or 6 digit confirmation code, and the last name associated with your AA credit.  

Here are the steps to sell your American Airlines flight voucher online:
 

1. List your voucher on the SpareFare marketplace by completing the form for vouchers found here. 
2. After your voucher listing is complete, you will begin to receive bids on your voucher. 
3. Once you accept a bid on your voucher, the buyer will send the payment to SpareFare.
4. You submit the voucher credentials to be validated by SpareFare, and then sent to the buyer.
5. You will be paid in 10 working days after the transfer of the voucher to the buyer. 

That’s all there is to it!  You will get approximately 70% - 85% of the voucher value back and help someone else get a great deal on their flight.

Note that if you can’t find your voucher credentials, you can search for the email from American Airlines that was sent to the original account holder, login to your AAdvantage account, or call AA customer service to have them reissue it.
 

Can You Transfer The Voucher To Someone Else?

Yes, American Airlines credits can be used by someone else with the permission of the original owner.  Anyone can use the credit toward a flight at the checkout page on the AA website or app with the ticket number and last name of the voucher owner.

The name on the voucher does not need to be changed to the name of the new recipient. Additionally, the original voucher owner doesn't need to be a traveler on bookings made with the voucher.

Remember that AA travel credits can only be used for booking flights, not for seats, bags, or upgrades.

American Airlines Travel Credit Rules

American Airlines has 3 primary types of travel credits.  Each type comes with different terms and conditions that you need to be aware of.

 

Trip Credit

 

• Trip Credits are fully transferable and anyone can book flights with the credentials. They do not need to be transferred to the new person’s name.
• They can be used for non-award flights.  It cannot be used for bags, seats, and upgrades. 
• You can use up to 8 Trip Credits per reservation as long as the currencies match.
• The currency on the Trip Credit must match the currency of the flight booking to make the reservation online.  If not, you can call the Reservation Department to make the booking for you.  
• For Trip Credits issued after April 22nd, 2024, they will be valid for 6 months for non-AAdvantage members.  For AAdvantage members, the Trip Credits are valid for 12 months. 

 

Flight Credit

 

• Flight Credits are non-transferable and can only be used by the passenger on the original booking. 
• Only 1 Flight Credit can be used toward a booking on the AA website or app.
• They expire 12 months after the original flight date. 

 

Travel Voucher

 

• Anyone can use a Travel Voucher to book their flights, but the booking needs to be made by contacting the AA Reservations department.
• Up to 8 Travel Vouchers can be used for one reservation on the AA website or app. 
• Travel vouchers are valid for 1 year from the date of issue. 
• They can only be used toward the purchase of flights.  It cannot be used for extras like bags, seats, and upgrades.

 

AA Travel Credit Restrictions Summary

 

	TRIP CREDIT	FLIGHT CREDIT	TRAVEL VOUCHER
Transferable	YES	NO	YES
Expiration	6-12 Months	12 Months	12 Months
How Many Per Booking	Up To 8	Only 1	Up To 8
Used For	Flights Only, No Extras	Flights Only, No Extras	Flights Only, No Extras
Redeem	AA Website Or App	AA Website Or App	Contact Reservations

 

 

What Is The Expiration Date? 

American Airlines Trip Credits are valid for 12 months for AAdvantage members, and valid for 6 months for non-AAdvantage members.  It is free to join AAdvantage, so that is an easy way to get extra life out of your Trip Credit.  Separately, Flight Credits and Travel Vouchers are valid for 12 months.  
 

Note that AA Trip Credits have a book-by expiration date so you don't need to travel before expiration, you need to book your flights by then. 
 

You can confirm the expiration date in the original email or by checking the AA travel credit tool on their website. 

Make sure to confirm the expiration date of your flight voucher as they cannot be used afterwards.  If you decide to sell it on SpareFare, the more time until expiration, the better odds of a successful deal at a great price!

 

Can I Exchange An American Airlines Voucher For Cash?

 

No, cash refunds for your American Airlines travel vouchers are not permitted after it has been issued, but they can be redeemed toward a future AA operated flight.

 

If you cancel your flight within 24 hours of booking, you can get a refund minus any applicable taxes or reservation booking fees. 

 

Note that if your flight has a schedule change of more than 4 hours, or 90 minutes within 72 hours of departure, you are entitled to a refund if you decide not to travel. 

 

In the event you can’t make your flight due to serious illness or death of a passenger, you can submit a claim to American and they may issue you a refund at their sole discretion. 

 

Lastly, if you are not able to completely use the voucher before expiration, any remaining amount on the credit voucher cannot be converted into a cash refund. 

 

What Is The Balance Of My American Airlines Voucher?

You can check the remaining balance and expiration date of your American Airlines voucher on the AA voucher details webpage or by checking your AAdvantage account.

 

Keep in mind that travel vouchers may not show up in their system for up to 24 hours after they are issued. If you didn’t receive an email containing the voucher details by then, contact the AA customer service. 

 

When you make a booking with the credit, any residual amount will be reissued on a new credit to the email of the person who made the booking (Not to the original credit owner’s email address).

 

Separately from trip and travel credits, evouchers are generally paper travel credits and you can check the balance for them at the AA website here.

 

How To Use The American Airlines Travel Voucher

 

To use an American Airlines trip credit, you will search for the flight you want to book on the AA website or app. Then enter the voucher credentials (13 digit ticket number and last name) on the checkout page of the AA website for the ticket purchase. You will see a payment option that says “Use Trip Credit”. 

 

The amount of your credit will be deducted from the flight ticket total. If the value of your credit is more than the flight, a new credit for the remaining value will be issued to the email on the booking (not the original owner's email) to be used on future bookings.

 

Tips To Sell Your Voucher Successfully 

Now that you listed your voucher sale, you need the best tips to set yourself up for success. 

 

The Appropriate Discount:  People purchasing flight vouchers online are looking for a deal.  But that doesn’t mean you need to sell your voucher for a steep discount!  To get an idea for the right  pricing, look at other comparable vouchers already listed or ask us what a fair value is. The more flexible you are, the faster you can get a deal done. 

 

The Details:  Include what the voucher can be used for, the expiration date, any restrictions, and how the voucher can be used.

 

Communicate:  You may start to receive bids pretty quickly, and communicating with potential buyers is highly beneficial.  You will have the ability to message buyers directly so you can finalize a sale. Bidders may also have questions on your listing that you can help with. 

 

Negotiating: A good negotiation can be fun!  You may get wide ranging bids.  Depending on the expiration date and potential restrictions, you may need to be more flexible to make a sale.

 

Reasons To Sell Your Flight Voucher

Nearly 10% of travel reservations end up getting canceled or rescheduled.  If you find yourself in one of the following situations, fear not, we will help you recover as much money as possible!

 

• You have a flight cancelled for an airline that you can’t use because the airline doesn’t service the area you live. 
• Your business trip is cancelled but you purchased non-refundable hotels and flights. 
• You have a family emergency after booking a non-refundable flight so you can’t go on the trip anymore. 
• Your flight is canceled due to conflict or war in the destination country. 
• You remembered you have an unused voucher sitting around and you would prefer to have some cash instead!

 

Still Need Help?

 

If you have questions about how to sell your American Airlines voucher online, get in touch with us at our contact us page, or message us right from the chat box in the corner!

 

If you’re ready to list your voucher, go to our Offers page here.