Whenever things go wrong, airlines love to offer vouchers.
Airlines around the world use flight vouchers as a form of compensation. What if you don’t want a voucher but money? Do you really have to accept a voucher instead of a refund or flight compensation? What to do if you have received a voucher but were, in fact, eligible to a compensation or a full refund, or even both? Can you exchange a flight voucher for cash?
Let’s look at the law (Regulation UK261, Regulation EC261/2004).
Airline Flight Vouchers in the UK
Flight vouchers are coupons issued by an airline.
Mostly they are worth a certain amount of money, and can be used as a form of payment.
There are different types of flight vouchers, hence it’s understandable why people often get confused. While some of the vouchers are refundable, and you can exchange them for cash, others are non-refundable and can only be used for booking a flight or purchasing some extra services. It’s important to know the type of voucher you are issued. It’s also important to know the difference between a flight voucher, compensation and refund for cancellation.
A voucher is not the same as a compensation, or a refund.
1. What Kind of Travel Voucher Do You Have?
How to find out what kind of voucher do you have?
Firstly, what is the reason why you were issued a voucher?
1.1 Your EU/UK Flight Was Cancelled
If your flight was cancelled, you should always be given a choice.
If an airline cancels a flight, it should give you a choice between a full refund and an alternative flight. The new flight can be either with your airline, or with another airline. You don’t have to pay extra in neither of the situations. In some situations, if it’s a last-minute flight cancellation, you will also be eligible to a flight cancellation compensation.
The refund and compensation (if you are eligible to it) should be paid to your bank account. If you are issued a voucher, it must be refundable, so that you can exchange it for cash.
1.2 Your EU/UK Flight Was Delayed
In case of a flight delay, there are two most likely scenarios.
This delay was either due the fault of the airline, or it wasn’t.
If it was due to the fault of the airline, you might be eligible to flight delay compensation. Find out if you can get compensation in your particular situation, and don’t agree to anything less than what you know you are entitled to.
The compensation process and compensation amounts are regulated by the UK law. In most situations, you can receive £220, £350 or £520. You might be given a flight discount voucher instead of compensation. If it has happened, check your voucher’s type and value. It should be a refundable voucher which you can exchange for cash. You can also request this compensation to be paid directly to your bank account.
If the flight delay wasn’t due to the fault of the airline, the airline isn’t obliged to give you any vouchers. It isn’t their fault after all. However, if they do give vouchers, they most likely will be the type you can only use for your future bookings on their website.
1.3 You Were Denied Boarding
In case of overbooking, you don’t have to agree to give up your seat.
However, sometimes you don’t have a choice — the plane is overbooked, and you are denied boarding. If you didn’t agree to this voluntarily, you should be receiving a new flight or full refund transferred your bank account and a full compensation for denied boarding (overbooking). You don’t have to accept any vouchers.
Or it may be a voucher, but the type you can exchange for money.
If you agree to give up your seat voluntarily, you may be offered miles, flight vouchers or airline discount vouchers. Pay close attention to what you are getting — if it’s refundable or not, the validity and what for you can use it. The airline is free to offer whatever they see appropriate.
1.4 Other Situations
First of all, pay attention to what you are being offered.
When in doubt, do your own research to find out if you’re not being tricked by the airline. Here on this website we talk about different situations — when you are entitled to compensation, refund or voucher. In many situations you can demand a full refund, instead of a flight voucher, even though you are offered the latter.
Here’s a summary of what you can get in each situation:
| Situation | UK flight compensation | Refund |
|---|---|---|
| Flight delay (3+ hours) | If it’s due to fault of your airline , you will be entitled to EU / UK flight delay compensation | No |
| Flight delay (< 3 hours) | No | No |
| Flight cancellation (less than 14 days before the flight) | If it’s due to fault of your airline , you will be entitled to EU / UK flight cancellation compensation | Refund or new flight |
| Flight cancellation (more than 14 days before the flight) | No | Refund or new flight |
| Denied boarding (overbooking) | Yes | Refund or new flight |
| Denied boarding (other reasons) | No | Negotiable |
In some situations, you can get a refund, in some — a flight compensation, but in other situations — you can get both. In all the situations mentioned above, compensations and refunds have to be paid either in cash or transferred to your bank account.
2. How to Exchange Flight Vouchers for Money?
Only special, refundable vouchers can be exchanged.
In order to find out if your flight voucher is refundable or not, look at the voucher you’ve been issued. Most likely you will find it in your e-mail. See if you can find more about what for, how and where you can use it. Alternatively, contact your airline’s customer service.
Exception. If you’ve been unknowingly given a non-refundable voucher in a situation when you are eligible to a flight compensation or refund, you have a right to request an exchange. You can request the compensation to be paid directly to your bank account. There are ways how you can do it. You can do it yourself. Or you can hand over your case to a flight compensation company to do it on your behalf. Our partners offer such a service. You just need to fill in a single form and give all the flight details. They will do the rest.
3. How to Request a Refund?
It depends from the airline and their policies.
With many airlines you can do it online or by contacting the airline’s customer service. You can request a refund of your ticket price, any extras that you have additionally booked, or your travel vouchers, as long as they are refundable. In many situations you can also follow the refund request status online (on some website or via email).
3.1 What If You Cancel a Flight, not the Airline?
If you cancel a flight, your eligibility for a cancellation refund depends on the specific terms and conditions of your airline ticket. For example, if you purchased a non-refundable ticket, you may not be entitled to a refund if you cancel your flight.
4. Demand a Refund, Not a Voucher
As you can see, there are many situations when you should be given a choice.
You don’t have to accept miles or airline vouchers instead of compensation. You also don’t have to agree to coupons when, according to the UK law or EU law, you are entitled to receive a full refund to your bank account. Yes, you may agree to any of that, but you should be given a choice which the airline has to respect.
What if you have made a mistake?
What if you agreed to a voucher in a situation when you could have gotten money? Could you still get a full cash refund instead of an airline voucher? It all depends on your case, but you should definitely try to get an exchange. Especially, if you initially weren’t given a choice, and the airline just gave you a voucher without a proper explanation of your rights.
Read more: Your Flight Refund Is Taking Forever. What Can You Do About It?
5. Flight Voucher Is Not a Flight Compensation
It’s important to distinguish between flight vouchers and flight compensation, as they serve different purposes and are governed by different rules.
A flight voucher is often offered by airlines as a goodwill gesture or as an alternative to cash refunds when a flight is cancelled. It is essentially a credit note that can be used for future travel with the same airline, often within a specified time frame. While this may seem like a convenient option, it’s crucial to remember that accepting a voucher may waive your right to further compensation.
While some airlines may attempt to offer vouchers in lieu of cash compensation, passengers should know their rights. In the EU and UK, airlines are required to provide compensation in the form of cash, electronic bank transfer, cheque, or, if signed by the passenger, travel vouchers. Passengers have the right to insist on the form of compensation they prefer.
Featured photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels