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Update: In January 2023, Virgin Australia further extended the validity of Future Flight Credits and Travel Bank Credits issued on/before 31 July 2022 until 31 December 2023. These credits can now be redeemed until 31 December 2023, for travel up to the same date.
Virgin Australia has extended the validity of many Travel Bank credits issued for cancelled flights until 31 January 2023.
The expiry date of unused Travel Bank and Future Flight Credits issued since the start of the pandemic had previously been extended until 31 July 2022. This latest change gives Virgin customers up to six months longer to redeem their travel credits.
Travel Bank credits have been given to Virgin Australia customers throughout the pandemic for flights cancelled due to COVID-19, or when a customer chooses to cancel their booking under Virgin’s current Flexible Flying policy (which is due to expire at the end of this month).
If a customer cancels their flight, Virgin’s policy is to issue Travel Bank credit unless the customer had booked a refundable ticket type. Virgin only gives refunds to the original form of payment on Business fares, for an $80 penalty on Economy Flex fares, or in cases where Virgin has itself cancelled the flight.
Redeem for travel until December 2023
Virgin Australia Travel Bank credits are normally valid for 12 months from the date of issue. But Virgin is now extending the expiry date of unused travel bank credits due to expire before the end of January 2023 until 31 January 2023.
Last time Virgin extended the expiry dates of Travel Bank credits, it emailed affected customers to advise them citing “the uncertainty with travel at the moment” and saying “we want to ensure you have time to spend and enjoy your Travel Bank balance.”
The email sent in September 2021 also contained Travel Bank account number details and instructions on how to redeem a travel bank:
How to use your Travel Bank
- Start your flight search on virginaustralia.com and remember to tick “I would like to use Travel Bank” on the final stage of your flight search;
- Enter your Travel Bank username and click “Let’s Fly”;
- Select the fare you would like to purchase;
- Complete passenger details, and add flight extras as needed;
- Once you reach the Payment page, select Travel Bank as your form of payment;
- Log in using your Travel Bank username and password and use the slider to determine how much of your credit you wish to use for this booking. You can choose to part pay with Travel Bank credit and cash.
Your Travel Bank credit can be used for multiple bookings, and any remaining balance is valid for use up until the expiry date, which is outlined in your Travel Bank account.
Presumably, customers with unused Travel Banks will also be contacted about this latest change.
Virgin Australia bookings can be made up to 330 days in advance. If your Travel Bank credit expires on 31 January 2023, this means you could book travel up to 27 December 2023. (To book travel for dates in December 2023, you would need to book shortly before your Travel Bank expires in January 2023.)
Virgin Australia Future Flight credits, which were issued to customers who had booked Virgin Australia tickets before the airline entered voluntary administration in April 2020, are also now valid until 31 January 2023. But Future Flight credits are more restrictive than Travel Bank credits as they can only be used to book flights with availability in specific fare classes (or a limited range of other ancillary services such as Economy X seating).
This latest change will make it less likely that people will lose their Virgin flight credits before having a realistic opportunity to use them, particularly people living overseas in countries where Virgin Australia is no longer flying.
Join the discussion on the Australian Frequent Flyer forum: Is it possible to keep extending travel credits?
