Silver linings abound. Though it is possible to combine multiple United electronic travel certificates, here are the nuances to know before completing that transaction.
For what it is worth, travelers cannot use both future flight credits and travel certificates in the same transaction.
For clarification per United, future flight credits are issued if you cancel your trip or change your flight to a less expensive one, whereas travel certificates are issued if you volunteer to give up your seat on a flight, or as a gesture of goodwill.
(Ironically, in this definition I was able to use a future flight credit in conjunction with a travel certificate, although it may be because I used a travel certificate to book the flight I later requested a refund, so maybe it went back to the original form of payment?)
United does allow for multiple certificates, though it is unclear how many can be used in a single transaction.
As for the maximum on other airlines, Delta allows up to five eCredits per ticket, American Airlines typically allows one flight credit online (call in! to get eight), and Southwest allows up to three forms of payment, including credits, per passenger.
The smallest electronic travel certificate will be absorbed first
Thankfully! There is nothing more annoying having 23 cents leftover and figuring out how to spend it on something. On one certificate, I had $29.02, the other $1652.01 which I wanted to use on a $ $253.50 flight.
I searched for the smallest certificate first, checked in, and then searched for the larger certificate.
After, I clicked purchase, I was issued a single certificate for $1427.53 (thank god), meaning the smaller certificate had been fully used up.
The certificate expiration date will change to a different date
The most interesting thing about using the electronic travel certificates is that they had different expiration dates. The largest certificate had an expiration date June 10, 2026 while the smaller certificate had an expiration date of July 30, 2026.
(I was concerned that it would use the travel certificates in order of expiration date, not by amount.)
The process of combining multiple travel certificates. (Courtesy of Map Happy)
United does state that "the latest expiration date will become your new travel certificate's expiration date."
Interestingly enough, when the new, post-purchase travel certificate was issued, it has an expiration date by July 29, 2026 (just one day earlier than the one with the furthest expiration).
Either way, I was a happy camper.
