If an airline is delayed, loses your bags or is rescheduled, airline personnel may offer you an airline voucher. However, most often airline vouchers are unused as passengers don’t read the fine print before accepting the voucher. Here are some questions that should be clarified prior to accepting airline vouchers.

How long are the airline vouchers valid? – Tight validity periods will mean that you will not have the time or the budget to use your voucher. Look at validity periods beyond six months to one year.

Who can use it? – Ask if the voucher is only limited to you, or if it can be handed over to someone else.

Does it cover the whole price? – Airlines will seldom offer the full cost of a future trip, and therefore you often will have to pay government taxes and fees separately. Other limitations should also be considered like if the voucher only covers the base fare and if a fuel surcharge has to be paid.

Do you need to use the entire voucher – Sometimes a voucher will cover your entire travel cost, but you may have more value on your voucher. Ask if you can transfer the balance on to another voucher or if you lose that value outright.

Are there any fare limitations? – Some vouchers will not be valid for certain flash sales during certain months or for economy class tickets.