I'm only a week away from my award trip. I booked a cheap-o 20,000 mile trip from PHL to SFO. I've noticed on seatmap that there don't appear to be ANY seats available in coach. Are the odds good that I'll be denied boarding if they are overbooked? I'm a silver pref... but would that matter?

Not quite sure what you're asking here.

1. If you booked the flight, you have a seat.
2. If you're looking to get bumped, you might very well have an opportunity here, Your status shouldn't matter - volunteer early; especially if they put the "volunteers wanted" sign out!

There's a lot of controvery as to whether you should take the voucher for dollars or a flight voucher. I take the flight voucher and either use it or give it to family members. Others prefer the dollar voucher because they can apply ir to a flight for which they get miles.

It doesn't happen to me enough to worry about.

Hope this helps.

If it's overbooked, you're not guaranteed a seat. If going for the bump, check in early, and ask the counter or gate agent if the flight is overbooked. If so, you can ask to be put on the bump list at the gate. Even if the counter agent will mark your record, the gate agent is the one that keeps the list, and it helps if they already know your face and you've told them that you don't mind a bump.

Sorry. I wasn't clear in my intentions. I would like NOT to be bumped. I already have enough free tickets and vouchers! Usually I fly B and Y class tickets on business travel. I've never been bumped on these. I'm wondering if traveling on an award ticket places me in prime bumping territory.

I don't think a free ticket falls into the consideration.

If you do get bumped, make sure in addition to getting a voucher or money, you also get them to put you in a Y or F booking code - so you can earn miles http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

This isn't something that I have a lot of experience with (us CPs don't get bumped much) but...

As I understand it you're a candidate for (involuntary) bumping if you lack a seat assignment.

If you have a seat assignment you have nothing to fear. (Barring a screw-up where they give the same seat to 2 people -- it's pretty rare but it does happen... actually I think what happens is they take it away from someone after the BP is printed and then give it to someone else. But this is a tangent...)

Things that result in a lack of a seat assignment include: buying cheap tickets, buying not so cheap tickets at the last minute, skipping the choose seats part of a web booking and forgetting to ask for (or check on) a seat assignment in advance. Late check-in without a previously confirmed seat assignment aggravates your chances of getting to the gate without a seat assignment. Re-routes also potentially put you in this position.

Anyone who has a seat can volunteer -- who they take is at their discretion but volunteering early and often improves your chances http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Having said all that -- I find it hard to get bumped. Even when they're looking for volunteers they never seem to end up taking anyone on the flights that I'm on. Not that I need any more free flights. I especially don't need any free flights that can't be upgraded...

Call the silver line. They might be able to get you seats. Check in early. If you check in early, and have status, I don't really see you getting bumped.

------------------
Don't feed the trolls.

Assuming you check in before the deadline they'll only bump you involuntarily if there aren't enough volunteers. The USAirways Terms of Transportation (Conditions of Carriage) require them to ask for volunteers before bumping anyone who doesn't want to be bumped.

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
X. Denied Boarding
Upon request US Airways will advise a customer if his/her flight is overbooked. When US Airways is unable to provide a previously confirmed seat due to more customers holding confirmed reservations and tickets on a flight than there are available seats on the flight, US Airways will take the actions regarding voluntary and/or involuntary denied boarding specified below.

Voluntary
Request for Volunteers: US Airways will request customers to relinquish their seats voluntarily in exchange for compensation (monetary or travel credit) as determined by US Airways. The request for, and selection of, volunteers will be in a manner determined solely by US Airways. Selection of volunteers is based on a variety of factors. Volunteers may not be selected in the order received, and some may not be selected.

Involuntary
Boarding Priorities: If a flight is oversold and there are not enough volunteers, other customers may be denied boarding involuntarily, in accordance with the following:
The last customer(s) to present him/herself (themselves) at the boarding gate may be denied boarding in the event of an overbooked flight.
Boarding preference will be given to Dividend Miles members based on their status in the program and time of check-in.
Special efforts will be made to never involuntarily deny boarding to customers requiring special assistance, unaccompanied minors or connecting customers.

Transportation for Customers Denied Boarding
US Airways will transport customers who have been denied boarding, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, on its next flight on which space is available at no additional cost to the customer. If US Airways is unable to provide onward transportation, US Airways will attempt to arrange for transportation for the customer on the next available flight of another airline with which US Airways has an agreement allowing the acceptance of each other's tickets, at no additional cost to the customer.

Compensation for Flights Within the United States and Canada
Voluntary - Volunteers on flights within the United States and Canada will be offered one of the following types of compensation as determined by US Airways:
A transferable voucher for one free roundtrip coach class ticket on US Airways within the United States and Canada,
OR
A transferable voucher for a discount on a future ticket purchase on US Airways, valid systemwide.

Involuntary - Customers denied boarding involuntarily on flights within the United States and Canada will be offered one of the following types of compensation:

A transferable voucher for one free roundtrip coach class ticket on US Airways within the United States and Canada,
OR
Cash compensation in the amount of 200% of the sum of the values of the customer's remaining flight coupons of the ticket to the customer's next stopover, or if none, to his/her destination, but not more than $400.00. However, the compensation shall be 50% of the amount described above, but not more than $200.00, if US Airways arranges for comparable air transportation, or for other transportation acceptable to the customer, scheduled to arrive not later than two hours after the planned arrival, at the airport of the customer's next stopover, or at the airport of the customer's destination of the flight on which the customer holds a confirmed reservation.

...

Waiver of Payment of Compensation
Denied boarding compensation payment may not be made if:
The customer has not complied with the applicable time limit for presenting himself or herself at the boarding gate even if the customer has already checked in at another location.
The customer is offered accommodations in a class of service on the aircraft other than that specified on his/her ticket (at no extra charge), except that a customer seated in a section for which a lower fare is charged shall be entitled to an appropriate refund.
The flight for which the customer holds confirmed reserved space is unable to accommodate that customer because of the substitution of equipment of lesser capacity when required by operational or safety reasons.
US Airways arranges comparable air transportation, or other transportation used by the customer at no extra cost to the customer, that at the time such arrangement is made, is planned to arrive at the airport of the customer's next stopover or, if none, at the airport of the final destination not later than one hour after the planned arrival time of the customer's original flight or flight(s).
</font>


[This message has been edited by pdhenry (edited 10-04-2003).]

Well I've got seat assignments. So I probably won't be bumped, tho it would be nice to get in B or Y class so I could collect some miles or get upgraded!

(My favorite words at the airport are "Philadelphia passenger MCO_Mouse please check with us at the center podium"... which usually means a free upgrade!

In any event I hope to catch some good California election drama while I'm there!