Alaska Airlines and Other Major Carriers

Every time I check my wallet or airline dashboard, there’s some new rule I missed. Five-year expiration? Sure, but only if you dig through layers of fine print. I tried to rebook last-minute and realized every airline rewrote their credit policies after the new FAA act, but nobody mentioned it out loud.

Alaska Airlines’ Current Credit Expiry Policy

Alaska Airlines—one week I’ve got a clear expiration date, next week, I get an email saying credits now last five years (thanks, FAA Reauthorization Act, I guess?). But here’s the catch: you have to use the credit before it expires, but you can fly whenever. Nobody really clarifies that.

If you’re sitting on expiring Alaska credits, you can use them online at alaskaair.com—no need to call, unless you run out of funds. If you use a credit and then change your flight, sometimes the expiry resets, but only if the agent remembers to do it. FlyerTalk folks claim they got an extra year after a short chat. When I tried, I got bounced between two agents and a chatbot before I gave up. My advice? Screenshot everything, save emails, and set way too many reminders.

Smaller Airlines and Their New Credit Rules

So, these little airlines—Sun Country, Breeze, Allegiant, Avelo, all those—seem to just change their minds every other month. Kelly (you know, the one who always finds the weirdest deals) tried using her Avelo credit last week. They told her, “Nope, only for new bookings, no extensions, period.” Then two days later, out of nowhere, she gets this cryptic email saying her credit’s magically extended because of some “system update.” What? There’s no logic. My brain just gives up.

Honestly, it’s chaos. Sun Country sometimes lets you call and plead your case (medical excuse, weather, whatever), but there’s nothing official. No promises. I read somewhere—maybe from that points guy on Twitter?—that Breeze credits expire hard after 24 months unless you file a complaint. Bloggers toss out these hacks (book, cancel, repeat) but try that when you’re actually on a schedule and suddenly the customer service robot is reciting policy at you like you’re in trouble.

It’s not even the policies, it’s the way the airlines seem to just make up the rules on the fly. I swear, I can’t keep up. Unless you’re a lawyer with a vendetta or just, I don’t know, bored, you’re not tracking this stuff.

Refunds, Flight Cancellations, and Change Fees

My inbox melted last week. Half my travel plans? Gone. If you think you understand airline credit rules, you either work for the airlines or you’re delusional. Every airline has been quietly tweaking how they handle credits, fees, refunds—especially after cancellations. And then the government steps in, but, like, only sometimes? I don’t know.

How Cancelled Flights Affect Credit Expiry

Does anyone actually keep tabs on their airline credits unless a canceled flight shoves it in your face? Since April 2025, the DOT dropped a rule: if the airline cancels, they’re supposed to just refund your money, not toss you a credit like it’s confetti.

But nowhere in those rules does it actually stop airlines from updating their own terms. United, for example, extended credits by a year, except if you’re stuck with Basic Economy. Then you basically have to call and beg. And Delta, last time they canceled on me, the refund clock just started over—buried in their FAQ, of course. JetBlue? They’re like, “Nope, expiration is from the original issue date, doesn’t matter why.”

I talked to a few travel agents (three, to be exact) and they said sometimes credits just disappear if the company’s account holder leaves. Not in the main policy, just—gone. Apparently, the DOT refund only happens if you ask for cash, not if you just accept the credit. Don’t trust the pop-ups. Ever.

Waivers on Change Fees and Travel Fund Extensions

So, everyone “knows” change fees are gone, right? Until you try to cancel and get hit with a partial credit and a timer. And if you’re on Basic Economy? Good luck—unless you call at some ungodly hour and catch someone in a good mood.

United, American, Delta—they change their “waivers” all the time, then quietly roll them back. Waivers almost never apply to the cheapest fares. Southwest? They let you cancel up to ten minutes before departure and the funds last a year (I checked with their support myself), but Alaska and JetBlue? Back to the old rule: cancel and you get a credit, not cash, unless the airline cancels on you.

During the whole 2021-2024 mess, sometimes you could sweet-talk your way into an extension over chat (some Expedia rep bragged about it), but now it’s just “sorry, use it or lose it.” I had a voucher expire before I even remembered I had it because the airline switched to SMS reminders, not email, then blamed my spam filter. Classic.

How Competition and Customer Experience Drive Changes

Every time I try to read an airline’s updated fine print, I wonder: why now? Fares are still ridiculous. Customer service bots everywhere, but the only thing that makes airlines change is when a competitor does something first. It’s like a weird game of copycat with my money at stake.

Industry Trends Toward Flexibility

Prices jump around for no reason, loyalty programs keep getting stingier, and then suddenly—surprise!—flexible policies that they pretend have always been there. I don’t buy it. Delta and Alaska just pushed credit expiries out five years (as of June 2025), but that’s only because the DOT and FAA put pressure on them.

Airlines copy each other. Government says “jump,” airlines say “how high?” Some NYU Stern study said 59% of people in 2024 stopped rebooking because of unfair credit expiries. Does my old voucher work now? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It’s all just one-upmanship—one airline changes, the rest scramble to look “innovative.”

People buy cheap tickets, then life happens, and the airlines don’t care unless their rivals start making a fuss. The second the FAA or travel bloggers start talking, suddenly it’s all “we hear you!” Sure.

Customer Service Commitments and New Policies

I met this airline rep—let’s call him Nick from Phoenix—who straight up told me, “Every complaint about credit expiry bumps it up the queue.” So, the more people scream, the faster stuff changes, especially when the DOT is breathing down their necks.

One time, I tried using a credit with a 12-month window, the site crashed, and the help line just shrugged. Now, there’s a new webpage with 5-year credits (FAA rule, May 2025). But who actually reads those pages? (Spoiler: not most people, except maybe me.)

Airlines love to promise “fairness” now, but only when it’s convenient. If the DOT or the public stops yelling, do they keep these “customer-first” changes? In my experience, only until the next quarter’s numbers drop, then it’s back to “efficiency” over people.

Next time I get bumped, I’ll have no idea if it’s a new rule or just someone’s spreadsheet. At least now I keep every receipt and chat log. You never know.