Travel Bank: How Does This Work For Travelers?

Travel Bank is a feature offered by some airlines, such as JetBlue and United, that allows customers to store credits from cancelled flights and use them for future bookings. The process for using Travel Bank varies depending on the airline, but generally involves logging into the airline's website or app and selecting the Travel Bank option during the booking process. Travel Bank credits can be used for a limited time, typically between one and five years, and may be subject to certain restrictions, such as being valid only for flights and not for additional fees.

Refunds are issued to each traveller individually

When it comes to refunds, JetBlue's Travel Bank policy can be a little tricky. One important thing to note is that refunds are issued to each traveller individually, even if they are all part of the same booking or reservation. This means that if you are travelling with family or friends and have to cancel your flight, each person will receive their refund separately in their respective Travel Bank accounts.

For example, let's say you booked a flight with JetBlue for yourself, your partner, and your child. Unfortunately, you need to cancel the trip and request a refund. Instead of receiving one refund that covers the entire booking, each of you will get a separate refund in your individual Travel Bank accounts. This can be quite inconvenient, especially if you need to rebook a flight for everyone in your group.

The challenge arises when it's time to rebook. You can only use one Travel Bank account per reservation. So, in the case of our family example, each family member would need to be rebooked separately, and then all the reservations would have to be combined into a single record locator over the phone. This adds an extra step and can be a bit of a hassle, especially for larger groups.

Another scenario where this refund policy can be problematic is when you are booking travel for someone else, such as a friend or colleague. In this case, the refund will go to the traveller's Travel Bank account, not the person who originally booked and paid for the ticket. This can make it quite difficult for the person who made the booking to receive their money back, especially if they are not a TrueBlue member themselves.

Funds are valid for one year

When you cancel a JetBlue flight, the refund is credited to your Travel Bank account. This is a holding account that keeps the value of your cancelled flights for one year. You can use these credits to book a new flight within a year.

Travel Bank funds can be used within one year from the date of issuance. So if you cancel a flight on 1 December, you must use the credit by 1 December the following year. There is no way to extend this credit.

United TravelBank credits are valid for five years from the date the funds are deposited into your Travel Bank account. This is a much longer validity period than other types of airline travel credits, which usually only give you 12 months to use the funds.

Future flight credits are valid for up to a year after the original issue date of the ticket.

Travel Bank credits can be used to book flights for others

When you cancel a JetBlue flight, the refund is credited to your Travel Bank account. This is a holding account that keeps the value of your cancelled flight for one year, which you can use to book a new flight within the same time frame. Travel Bank funds are distributed per flyer, which means that refunds are issued to each traveller individually, even if they are all on the same record locator. This can be inconvenient for families travelling together.

However, Travel Bank credits can be used to book flights for others. While you cannot transfer a JetBlue Travel Bank credit to someone else, you can use it to book a new ticket for a friend, family member, or anyone else. The name on the ticket does not need to match the name on the account. Additionally, you do not need to be travelling with the person to apply your credit to their ticket.

To use your Travel Bank credit, head to the JetBlue website and sign in before booking a flight. Search for a flight as you usually would and enter the passenger information. On the payment screen, select the "Travel Bank" option located above the credit card entry field. You will then be prompted to sign in to your Travel Bank account if you are not already logged in. You can choose to use as much or as little of your credit as you like.

Funds can be viewed on the airline's dedicated Travel Bank website

When you cancel a JetBlue flight, the refund is credited to your Travel Bank account. This is a holding account that keeps the value of your cancelled flight for one year. You can view your JetBlue Travel Bank funds on the airline's dedicated Travel Bank website. This is automatically linked to your TrueBlue account when you cancel a ticket associated with your frequent flyer number. JetBlue will email you instructions on how to sign in to your account.

If you cancel a ticket for someone who isn't a TrueBlue member, they will receive an email with credentials to log in to their Travel Bank. Once signed in, you can view your Travel Bank balance and when your funds expire. You can also click the "Account Statement" link to view a list of recent Travel Bank transactions.

United also offers a similar TravelBank system. You can access your United TravelBank account information and balance by navigating to your United Wallet on the app and the computer.

Travel Bank credits can be used to pay for the flight fare and taxes

Travel Bank credits can be used to pay for the flight fare and associated taxes, but there are some restrictions. For example, JetBlue Travel Bank credits can only be used for airfare and taxes on JetBlue-operated flights booked through their website or mobile app. Similarly, American Airlines specifies that travel credits can only be used to book flights and cannot be used for extras like seats or bags.

United Airlines' TravelBank funds can be used to book United-operated or United Express-operated flights, but not for other travel purchases like hotels or car rentals. Additionally, TravelBank funds cannot be used to pay taxes and fees on award tickets.

It's important to note that the usage of Travel Bank credits may vary depending on the airline. Be sure to review the terms and conditions of the specific airline's Travel Bank program to understand the restrictions and limitations on using credits for flight fares and taxes.

Frequently asked questions