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Whether you end up with a United Airlines voucher from COVID, a flight cancellation, or other circumstances, you might be wondering if you can sell it to get money back?
While United Airlines themselves will not exchange your voucher for cash, it is possible to sell your voucher and recover some cash.
Listing your unwanted United credits on the SpareFare marketplace is fast and has a high probability of selling at the best price.
You’ll need the 6 digit confirmation number or 10 character pin, and the last name of the voucher owner.
If you can’t find your voucher credentials, you can also provide your email address, and United will send the travel credit information to the designated email address.
Here are the steps to sell your United Airlines flight voucher online:
United Airlines has two types of travel credits, Future Flight Credits and Travel Certificates. Both are fully transferable, with the consent of the original owner, as the vouchers are not personalized.
The name on the voucher does not need to be changed to the name of the new recipient. Furthermore, the original owner of the voucher doesn't need to be a traveler on bookings made with the voucher.
Future Flight Credits are provided for canceled trips or if you change your flight to a less expensive option.
Future Flight Credits are non-transferable if issued after September 1st, 2021, and they need to be used by the same traveler. However, if the Future Flight Credit was issued before August 31, 2021, anyone can book travel with it.
Travel Certificates are issued for giving up your seat or for miscellaneous compensation from United. These credits can be used by anyone regardless of when it was issued. United Travel Certificates are the more flexible of the two options.
United travel credits generally have an expiration date one year after they were issued. You can find that information on your original email or by checking the United voucher management webpage.
Note that the expiration dates have a different meaning depending on the type of credit you have.
“Travel By” Expiration Date: Future Flight Credits have what is known as a "travel by" date. This means your trip has to begin before your credit’s expiration date.
“Book By” Expiration Date: Travel Certificates have what is known as a "book by" date. This means you just need to book your flight before the expiration date, not actually travel before it.
Be sure to double check the expiration date of your specific flight voucher. If you decide to sell it on SpareFare, the longer the time until the expiration date, the better chance there is of a successful deal!
Your United travel voucher generally cannot be exchanged for a cash refund after it has been issued.
If you purchase a flight with a credit and then cancel it, you will be refunded with a credit that has the same expiration date as the original one, as refunds are applied to the original form of payment.
If you are not able to completely redeem the electronic voucher before the expiration date, any remaining amount on the credit voucher cannot be converted into a cash refund.
If you are unsure what the remaining balance is, or if you have a voucher to use in general, you can check the United Airlines website voucher management tool.
You will need to enter the voucher pin and last name associated with the voucher to see the balance.
You can find this information in different places depending on the type of voucher you have.
Future Flight Credits: With Future Flight Credits, you use the original confirmation number for the flight that was canceled. You can also find the information if you have a MileagePlus account.
Travel Certificates: With Travel Certificates, you will use a 10 character PIN that is issued in the original email you receive from United.
If you can’t find the PIN number, you are able to enter your email on the United website to receive information on any credits you may have.
Keep in mind that any newly issued travel vouchers may not show up in their system for 24 hours. If you didn’t receive an email, try checking back after one business day, or contacting United Airlines customer service.
Now that you listed your voucher sale, you need the best tips to set yourself up for success.
The Right Discount: Bidders looking to purchase unused flight vouchers online are looking for a deal. But that doesn’t mean you need to let go of your voucher for nothing! To get an idea on pricing, check out other comparable vouchers or fee free to ask what a fair value is. The more flexible you are, the faster you can get a deal done.
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.
The Details: Include what the voucher can be used for, any restrictions, the expiration date, and how to use the voucher.
Get Your Negotiating Pants On: Who doesn’t like a good negotiation? You might get wide ranging bids. Depending on your voucher, you may need to be flexible to make the sale, especially if there is limited time before the expiration date.
Nearly 10% of travel reservations end up getting canceled or rescheduled! If you find yourself in one of the following situations, don't worry, be happy… You can sell your voucher.
You had a cancelled flight for an airline that you cannot use because the airline does not service the area you live.
You have a canceled business trip 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 was canceled due to a war or conflict in the destination country.
You have an unused voucher sitting around and you would prefer to have some cash instead!
To use the voucher, you simply enter the voucher credentials (voucher pin and last name) on the checkout page of the United Airlines website for the ticket purchase.
If the value of the travel credit is more than the price of the ticket, any remaining amount will be applied to the same PIN for use toward another ticket until it is depleted.
If you have questions about how to sell your United 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.
If you have a flight, a hotel reservation or a holiday you can no longer use, you can sell your booking to other travellers.
