What is a travel voucher?
Travel voucher means two different things, an airline credit and a reimbursement claim form. This cheat sheet covers how to think about both and what to check before you accept an airline voucher. The detail is further down.
How to think about it
- Two different things. Airlines issue vouchers as compensation or in place of a refund. Federal agencies, state and local governments and universities use "travel voucher" for the claim form filed after a trip.
- A voucher doesn't replace a refund unless you say yes. Under DOT's refund rule, when an airline cancels or significantly changes a flight, it can offer a voucher instead of a refund only if it tells you about your right to a full refund and you agree to the voucher.
- Five years minimum. A voucher offered in place of a required refund must stay valid for at least five years from the day it's issued.
- The traveler signs, then officials approve. On the federal Travel Voucher form, the traveler certifies the claim is true and correct, then an approving official and a certifying official sign.
Before you accept an airline voucher
- Ask for the restrictions. Airlines must disclose material restrictions, like fees, advance purchase rules, capacity limits and blackout dates, before you decide.
- Ask what the cash amount is. If you're bumped involuntarily, the airline has to tell you how much cash you'd get and that you can turn down the voucher and take the cash.
- Check the value. A voucher offered in place of denied boarding cash must be worth at least as much as the cash, not counting fees to use it.
- Write down the expiration date. Airlines must tell you when a voucher issued in place of a refund expires.
Types of travel voucher
| Type | Who issues or files it | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Denied boarding voucher | The airline, when it bumps a passenger from an oversold flight | Worth at least the cash owed, restrictions disclosed first, and the passenger can take cash instead |
| Voucher in place of a refund | The airline, after it cancels or significantly changes a flight | Valid at least five years, and only if the passenger affirmatively accepts it |
| Government travel voucher | The traveler, filed with the agency after the trip | Lists the travel period, any advance and the amount claimed, signed by the traveler and an approving official |
Questions
Do airline travel vouchers expire?
Yes, but a voucher a U.S. airline offers in place of a required refund for a canceled or significantly changed flight must stay valid for at least five years, and the airline must tell you the expiration date when it issues it.
Can I get cash instead of a voucher when I'm bumped?
If you're denied boarding involuntarily, yes. The airline can offer free or discounted travel in place of the cash payment, but it must tell you the cash amount and that you can decline the voucher and take the cash.
Is an airline voucher the same as a refund?
No. When a flight is canceled or significantly changed, the airline owes a refund, and it can't treat you as having accepted a voucher instead unless you affirmatively agree.
What is a travel voucher in government travel?
It's the claim a traveler files after a trip, listing the travel period, any travel advance and the amount claimed. Federal employees must file a travel claim within 5 working days after the trip, and the agency must reimburse within 30 calendar days of a proper claim.
Sources
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR Part 250, Oversales, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR Part 260, Refunds for Airline Fare and Ancillary Service Fees, accessed November 2, 2026.
- U.S. General Services Administration, Travel Voucher (OF1012), accessed November 2, 2026.
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 41 CFR Part 301-52, Claiming Reimbursement, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Per Diem Expense Report Template (Free), accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, What happens when a flight is overbooked?, accessed November 2, 2026.
- Engine, Managing Business Trips With Engine, accessed November 2, 2026.