I'm flying OAK-PHX-MCI-PHL next friday and the PHX-MCI (flight 590) leg has availability zeroed out in every fare class, front and back. So I really wouldn't mind being bumped - no chance of upgrade, second flight is an RJ, and there are plenty of ways for them to get me from PHX to PHL not much if any later.

So I have some questions I'm hoping you all can help me out on:
1. Is there anything I should do to increase my chances of getting bumped? (Obviously it's largely luck of the draw.)
2. What is the current state of bump compensation? I read in a post from a while back that HP gives out vouchers, but you don't earn miles on flights gotten with them. Is this still true?
3. Will I be able to get the original miles and segments credited easily if I get something direct?
4. Any other advise you might have?

Thanks for your help!

1. Be first up at the gate desk when the agent arrives to open up the flight - then politely ask if he/she needs volunteers.
2. When I took a bump on US, it was an RTFC coupon with, AFAIK, no miles. Things might have changed since then.
3. No - if you're rebooked on a US/HP flight, you'll get credit for the miles and segments you actually fly. If you're rebooked on another airline, then you can get credit for your original itinerary.
4. Happy bumping! :)

2. When I took a bump on US, it was an RTFC coupon with, AFAIK, no miles. Things might have changed since then.

Thanks for your comments.

The flight I might be bumped on is an HP flight, and I wasn't sure if that made a different.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=487884

Seems to indicate that HP gives out discount vouchers but that a ticket bought with them does not accrue miles. This seemed like a particularly funky set of criteria, and there was some discussion about even if at the time of that thread it was still true.

Flight 590 is booked a few seats over in coach and still has one seat left in F.

Flight 590 is booked a few seats over in coach and still has one seat left in F.

Well as of right this minute it's:
F0 A0 Y4 H4 S0 N0 T0 X0 O0 R0 W0 B0 Q0 L0 K0 V0

So I guess, who knows.