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How to manage unused airline credits for business travel

If your company travels often, chances are you have unused airline credits sitting in the background. A canceled flight here, a traveler change there, and they add up quickly. These credits are meant to protect your budget, but many expire before they’re ever used. That’s wasted spend your business shouldn’t have to absorb.

The good news: with the right visibility, reminders, and expert guidance, those credits can be turned into measurable savings and value instead of lost money.

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Why unused airline credits cost businesses money

Unused travel credits aren’t just an operational headache. They’re a financial leak. Finance leaders see it at year-end when expired credits show up as wasted spend. Travel bookers feel the pressure of tracking dozens of credits across multiple airlines and platforms.

The most common issues include:

  • Credits expiring without notice
  • Travelers forgetting which airline issued the credit
  • Missed opportunities when bookings happen outside the correct system
  • Losses from one-off travelers such as speakers or guests

Daniel Salib, Customer Success Manager at Corporate Traveler, explains:

“The biggest challenge my clients face is keeping track of credits that have expired. This information is important for the CFO, as it helps them understand why the credits expired in the first place.”

For companies already stretched thin, managing credits often feels impossible until the losses become too big to ignore.

The biggest challenges of managing travel credits

When businesses try to manage unused airline credits themselves, they usually run into three main roadblocks:

  1. Lack of visibility. Credits are scattered across multiple airline systems, which makes it hard to get a single, clear picture.
  2. Limited time. Bookers already juggle bookings, policies, and reporting. Credit tracking often falls to the bottom of the list.
  3. Expiry rules. Credits come with different values and timelines depending on the airline. One mistake and the value is gone.

These challenges make it easy for even well-organized teams to lose track.

Corporate Traveler’s smarter credit management solution

Corporate Traveler combines smart automation with Travel Manager expertise. This dual approach makes credit management proactive and effective.

Airline credit reports

No digging, no guessing. Airline credit reports highlight upcoming expirations first, making it easy for decision-makers to act fast.

Real-time booking alerts

Our systems flag when a traveler has an eligible credit during the booking process. Melon then prompts our Travel Managers to apply those credits automatically.

Human Travel Managers vs. software-only tools

Software can track expiry dates, but it applies rules blindly. A Travel Manager can consider traveler schedules, fare rules, and overall cost efficiency. This ensures credits are used in the best way possible.

Chloe Stinis, Team Leader – Customer Success, explains:

“Credits are managed in two key ways to save clients both time and money. First, we keep our key contacts informed by providing a monthly airline credit report. This report offers a clear overview of all unused credits available across the company, enabling them to notify relevant travelers about any credits they can use. Second, credits are managed on an individual level through our dedicated Travel Managers with the travelers directly. Our booking systems are configured to trigger alerts during the booking process when a traveler has available credits with a specific airline. When this occurs, our Travel Managers proactively propose travel options that utilize those credits. This process ensures no value is lost and that credits are applied wherever possible to reduce overall travel costs.” 

Real results from smarter credit tracking

The process isn’t theoretical. Clients see measurable savings:

  • Nutrition International avoided significant losses by tracking credits through our monthly reports.
  • Many clients save $2,000 or more by applying credits identified before they expire.
  • Bookers save hours of manual tracking and reconciliation, freeing them to focus on other priorities.

The financial and time savings create immediate value across finance and travel teams.

Best practices for managing unused credits internally

Some businesses prefer to keep credit management in-house. If that’s your approach, here are a few best practices:

  • Keep a central log of all credits with airline, traveler name, value, and expiry date
  • Confirm credit values directly with airlines, as they are not always equal to the original ticket value
  • Prioritize usage during busy travel periods such as Q4
  • Set calendar reminders so expiry dates don’t slip through the cracks

Daniel cautions: “This can be a time-consuming and complex process. Credits are often not the full value of the original ticket, which can be confusing to track.” Without dedicated support, many credits still go to waste.

For businesses looking to improve compliance and visibility, a strong travel policy can help centralize processes and reduce risk.

Why this matters for your business

Unused airline credits don’t have to be wasted money. With Corporate Traveler, you get:

  • Visibility through regular reporting
  • Accountability with proactive reminders
  • Expert guidance from Travel Managers who make every credit count

Our systems and people work together to ensure credits are spotted, applied, and maximized. What used to be a headache becomes a source of measurable ROI.

FAQs about unused travel credits

Talk to our team about setting up smarter credit management for your business travel and stop leaving money on the table.

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