Airline Flight Vouchers

If you are flexible, you can occasionally pick up a windfall of several hundred dollars in the form of an airline flight voucher.

In July, while returning from a business trip, the flight I was booked on for the last leg of my trip home had to switch airplanes. Apparently, the originally scheduled airplane had a mechanical problem and the replacement airplane was equipped with fewer seats.

Consequently, the airline asked for volunteers to take a later flight. My traveling companions’ carry-on luggage was already stowed in the cargo compartment of the DeHaviland commuter plane so they could not volunteer. My bag was checked and I was pretty confident that even though it would arrive before I did that the airline would hold it for me. And, since I had no pressing schedule for that afternoon I raised my hand.

In exchange for waiting in the airport for two more hours I took home a $300 voucher good for any flight on that airline as long as I make the reservation within a year of the issue date.

My wife and I plan to use the voucher to reduce the cost of a future vacation trip.

Picking up a flight voucher is an uncommon event. But, there were about 50 people on that flight and most could not or would not volunteer. I could and did because I was flexible enough to adapt to the revised flight schedule.

Link to Other Topics in the Special Report: Cutting Expenses