The COVID-19 pandemic pushed many Americans to cancel those big vacation plans, but it may be time to think about rescheduling.
As pandemic restrictions lighten up, the travel industry is starting to reboot and vouchers from any previously canceled flights may soon expire.
Policies for travel vouchers vary widely from airline to airline.
"It really depends and it’s so important to check the individual fine print of your ticket," said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com. "Some airlines are more generous than others."
Delta has just extended the expiration dates for travel vouches out to the end of 2022, but many other airlines are offering a shorter timeframe.
Some vouchers may last just one year, which means credit from a flight originally scheduled for spring 2020 will expire soon.
"A couple other things to look for: do you need to travel by the time the clock runs out or just rebook? The other thing is, do you need to be on the ticket or can you transfer it to a friend or family member?" said Rossman.
The answers to those questions could have a big impact on whether or not you are able to make use of those vouches.
Regardless of whether or not you feel comfortable traveling currently, Rossman said it is still important to act sooner rather than later.
"It’s much better to act on the front end, even if that means just calling up and saying, ‘Hey, can I get some more time?’ Maybe they’ll give you that for free."
Rossman said there is one silver lining to all of the travel delays: the price gap between first or business class and economy has fallen, which means you may be able to get more value out of that voucher.
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