Travel is often unpredictable regardless of how prepared you are. Sometimes your flight get canceled or delayed all of a sudden due to technical problems or bad weather. It makes the airline owe you something. When something bad happens and the fault is at the airline’s side, then you are most likely offered something to compensate. Instead of cutting you a check, they often issue you airline voucher you can use for future travel. Is it worth it? Should you accept it?
What to do with airline voucher offered to you?
Keep in mind that the airlines don’t want to lose a lot regardless if they are at fault for bad travel experience you have with them. They still have to maintain their cost as well hence they increase the chance that you won’t even be able to sue the voucher. Therefore, it is important that you ask several questions before simply accepting the voucher.
You need to ask about the validity limit of the voucher. For example, an airline offers you generous vouchers but you have to use it within three months. If you are frequent traveler then you may have chance to use to good. However, it will be a waste if you don’t even have any plan to travel within three months. If the voucher’s validity limit is too short, you might have to think twice before accepting it.
You need to know the value of the voucher, if it is limited only for you to use and not anyone else. If it can be used to buy someone’s else ticket as well then it might be worth it. However, most of the vouchers offered by airlines valid only for the one who initially received. If you are okay with it then you can consider accepting the voucher for your use.
Cost coverage can be a deal-breaker as well. Hence, you need to ask if the voucher cover the whole cost of the ticket. However, it is so seldom for airlines to give full coverage. Usually, there are some limitation so the receiver of the voucher still have to pay for most of the fare. Airlines usually cover for the base fare.
It is also important to ask about the range validity of the voucher. Find out if it can be sued for multiple flights or not. Some vouchers are only valid for one transaction. Even if you use less than what the value of the voucher, the remaining value won’t be able to reuse. You will just lose the value.
Airlines voucher come with various limitations you should be aware of. Comparing to cash value, airline voucher is worth a lot less indeed. If airline offers you voucher after you ask them for cash, consider several things mentioned above. If the face value of the voucher is double the cash then it is worth it. If it is worth less than cash value, accept the voucher and ask for more offers.
