After a tumultuous year of holiday and flight cancellations, millions of people are still holding onto airline vouchers.
But with travel abroad not legally permitted until at least 17 May – possibly longer – some vouchers are close to expiring and many people now want a refund.
In some instances, the airline has ended the route from the airport the passenger was due to fly from or the destination they were supposed to fly to.
But what can you do if your voucher is about to run out? Find out below.
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Can I get a refund on my airline voucher if the expiry date is about to run out?
It depends. If you accepted this voucher last year and were given no option for a refund, or you were misled into accepting it, you could dispute it. First, approach your airline and explain the situation, and why you want a refund. If it refuses, you can take your complaint to alternative dispute resolution. It’s free in most instances, and several passengers have had success doing this.
If you were offered a refund at the time and the options were displayed clearly and you chose to accept a voucher, you won’t be able to swap for a refund. The best thing to do in this instance is check to see if the validity has been extended – see further down the article for airline policies. If not, use the voucher or you will lose your money
It may be difficult to predict when we can travel again, so you could choose a flight for 2022, where there’s a higher chance travel will be less restricted.
Has British Airways’ voucher validity been extended?
Yes. BA has extended its voucher validity until 30 April 2023. If your voucher says it expires earlier than that, it will have been automatically extended for you. BA should be in touch about it soon.
Be aware when you book, that your trip’s return date must be fully completed by 30 April 2023.
If you don’t think you will want to fly, BA vouchers can be transferred to family or friends. You’ll need to phone BA to do this.
Has easyJet’s voucher validity been extended?
All vouchers expiring on or before 30 June 2021 will be extended by six months and easyJet says it is contacting customers directly to let them know. All vouchers can be redeemed online.
Although the extension is shorter than BA’s, you do not need to have flown by the date shown on the voucher, just booked.
EasyJet also allows vouchers to be transferred to family or friends.
Has Jet2’s voucher validity been extended?
Jet2 told us it has stopped issuing vouchers since October. Instead it is choosing to refund everyone whose flights have been cancelled since this date.
Has Ryanair’s voucher validity been extended?
Ryanair told us its travel vouchers can be exchanged for cash at any time, so if your voucher is due to expire soon, you can trade it in.
Alternatively, you are allowed to extend your voucher’s validity one time for up to 12 months.
Has Wizz Air’s voucher validity been extended?
No. Wizz Air told us you have 24 months to use credit. So even if you were issued this credit last March, you should still have another 12 months to use this.
Wondering whether to book a holiday? Read our article on whether we think summer holidays abroad will go ahead in 2021
source https://www.which.co.uk/news/2021/03/need-to-know-airline-voucher-can-get-refund/