I don’t buy very many tickets, nearly everything I book is with miles.
But thanks to dirt cheap fares and the return of United TravelBank funding I have found myself booking some paid tickets. Sort of…thanks to AMEX airline fee credits.
If you cancel a ticket booked with United TravelBank funds you can request that you get a refund in the form of an electronic travel certificate valid for 2 years.
In the past I wasn’t able to combine TravelBank funds with an electronic travel certificate when redeeming for a ticket.
I’m not sure when that changed, but I was surprised when United.com allowed me to first apply $20 of expiring TravelBank funds and then apply $5.10 of an electronic travel certificate for the same ticket.
United.com looked like it was confused after I applied both of them, with all of it appearing to come from my TravelBank balance, but funds also saying applied from my electronic travel certificates:
However it successfully redeemed the correct amount that I entered from both balances!
Of course if I didn’t have status, but had a United credit card, I’d want to put a token amount on the card to take advantage of the credit card benefits. But with United status there’s no need to do that.
If you still have AMEX airline fee credit for 2020, go and buy some TravelBank funds before the promotion ends tonight!
I was trying to book a flight today but couldn’t figure out how to pay with travel bank Cash. What am I missing?
Should be a payment option on the final checkout page.
Not available on the app, only on desktop
They’re still offering ETC?
Yes, though you need to insist on it.
Whats the best way to do that? Chat? Twitter? PUTPAC?
Thanks.
Call and insist I had to do it Sunday. Twitter said no and you can’t do it online you have to call and stand your ground to get an etc.
Do u know if they are still offering ETC because they are not willing to give me. Maybe u can send a copy of the email u got
Try sending a DM to @United on Twitter
I might be wrong here but I think if you use travel bank funds or etc your free Cc bag is valid, only when you pay with different Cc that they don’t give you the free bag
What’s the difference between Travel Bank and ETC?
DEAD!
I bought a ticket using travelbank funds and ETC, and today I got an email from United that there is a problem with my upcoming reservation and it has not been ticketed! I called them, and they said that you cannot combine travelbank and ETC, and the gave me a choice which one I wanted to use, and had to pay the rest in order to ticket the ticket
Odd. Mine ticketed.
Try again?
I couldn’t try again because the price of the tickets went up $400+ from when I bought them. Instead I paid the $25 instead of the ETC, and used the Travelbank funds. But it did take over an hour on the phone with the United premium desk!
I tried to combine ETC and TravelBankbfinds today and it wouldn’t let me. I read in the terms and conditions of the travelbank funding that United may allow it “from time to time.” Seems ridiculous to me to not allow it, United credit should be United credit.
One idea I had: what if you booked a random flight with TravelBank, cancelled it and asked for an ETC, then combine that ETC with your other ETCs to book the desired flight. Think that might work?
Did you try applying the TB and then the ETC?
But yes, your idea should work just fine!
I just tried applying tb and then etc option was blocked
Is there any way to get etc instantly?
Can i book with tb then cancel for future flight credit and combine that with etc?
This option seems to no longer be possible.