Originally Posted by
friedablass
Glad to see that I'm not the only one confused by all these YMMV DPs
.
For your expiring FFC I would try the following - book a flight and instead of canceling it (which previously resulted in an FFC with old expiration), see if you can change it to a flight date that is past your expiration. You can try this right away, not need to wait 24 hours. If that works then push it out as far as you can and then I would just let it sit there until you're ready to change it to a flight you actually want to take.
Originally Posted by
unfrequent_flyer
I just tried this with a FFC that expires Jan 23, 2026. I booked a flight, topped it off with ~$15 and when I try to change the flight all the dates are blocked out after Jan 23 so I can't even select them. It's been less than 24 hours though. I guess I'll wait and see what happens after that. When I select 'cancel options' it even says FFC, begin travel by Jan 23, 2026.
Originally Posted by
mitchell
I ran into a greyed-date issue a few days ago on a flight change (First flight had all dates greyed out - past, present, future). What I did...
(1) Start flight change on AAA-BBB RT
(2) Delete both legs
(3) Add 2 new legs AAA-BBB, BBB-AAA
(4) Finish flight change
This allowed me to change my flight.
Good luck.
-
Note: I can't reproduce the OP's problem.
(a) Had FFC expiring Feb 2026
(b) In Dec 2025, used FFC to book Jan 2026 RT
(c) Changed Jan 2026 flight to Oct 2026 RT (in less than 24 hrs)
(d) Today if I try to change the flights, nothing is greyed out until Dec 13 2026
Originally Posted by
unfrequent_flyer
Looked like this worked. I pushed it to April. Oddly enough when I click cancel option now, it says FFC begin travel by Jan 23, 2026 still so I wonder what will happen after that date. Thank you!
Originally Posted by
mitchell
Don't cancel it.
I lost a $400 flight.
(1) United offered me free change/refund due to a schedule change.
(2) When I cancelled, it went to an expired FFC. I saw the date but misread the year, so I thought it was ok.
(3) FFC never showed.
(4) When I called support, they said original payment was an FFC which had expired. Would not help me.
To get around this problem:
(1) If I get a free change/refund, I use the free change to change flights until the change/refund option disappears (Sometimes it persists, possibly forever).
(2) Then I cancel for an FFC with a better date (the date that I booked the flight + 1 year).
Originally Posted by
DTW_AKL
I’ve got $520 in FFC that will expire toward the end of the month. I don’t need to travel between now and then and was going to just let it go to waste.
But, is it worth the effort to use it for a domestic out and back mileage run? I’m no where close to getting status with UAL, all I have is the mileageplus explorer credit card. Maybe there a way to put these $520 in FFC to work for me before they expire? I’m located at DTW and open to your ideas!
Thanks
Originally Posted by
Boom130J
Don’t let your FFC expire.
If there isn’t a trip you want or need to take, there is a work around to extend your FFC.
Book something for slightly more than your FFC, wait >24 hours, cancel and your new FFC will be for the full purchase price with expiration date well into the future.
Originally Posted by
cfischer
that doesn’t work anymore. See the ETC/FFC thread for current options
Originally Posted by
UAflyerwhoflystomuch
it does - you need to convert it to a travel certificate (agents will do that, then book it for a trip in the future)
Originally Posted by
tcdtcd
Agents will SOMETIMES do that. Some will not!
Originally Posted by
DTW_AKL
Thanks! This is what I was hoping to find out. A way to possibly extend the credit to this summer, because I would definitely book again with UAL using this credit for a European vacation. But, without the credit in my back pocket, I would shop around for deals when booking.
Do you think it’s worth bringing this up when talking with the agent? Letting them know that if the FFC can be converted into a travel certificate I would *promise* them I’d book on UAL for my upcoming trip?
To everyone encouraging me to take a little get away, I’m sorry but my work schedule won’t allow anything beyond a half-day excursion, so I can’t take a mini-vacation. Only thing I could use it for would be a mileage run, but yah, i’m not sure it’s worth 6-8 hours of my life and a trip down to DTW to ride on a flight over to EWR and back, just to get 1000 miles. Thanks for the ideas though!
Originally Posted by
drewguy
I have encountered this problem several times. Sometimes I can make one combined booking from the FFC (i.e., use it for both pax, with each holding an FFC), but after that can only use the residual value of mine in booking a flight for both pax.
I called in today to have UA book a ticket using my and my spouse's FFCs - I gave them the cart number. Thought it would be easy, but no . . . the agent ended up converting both FFCs into an ETC, used that to purchase the flight for me, and I got an ETC for the balance (expiring 1 year from original booking that led to FFCs). I asked her to report this as a "bug" and she gave me some incomprehensible explanation that it wasn't really a bug.
happy to see all this discussion to extend UA FFC. but clearly this has become YMMV. which means we have to try all different strategies and see wat works. its gonna take some work.
i think default strat is book another flight, use FFC then cancel after 24hrs and see wat happens. then try converting to ETC by begging. if no go then try booking then changing the dates past FFC travel date.
if still no, book w/ FFC again and call agent (ideally 1k specialist) to see if black magic date change can be done. i think status def helps and which call center you get routed. crazy enough ive gotten better help overseas philippines vs domestic USA.
the 24hrs trick always worked for me until few months back. then i had to book then call and tell them "my flight date change doesnt work". HUCA black magic needed. YMMV. but i def dont think its a long term solution.