Good overview article. I’ve managed to score $300 twice from United due to giving up my seat; but both times happened without me intentionally aiming to get bumped.

Anybody have had success planning for it intentionally? I sat next to a guy once who said based on strategically booking a couple of flights during the xmas holidays (which he would take anyway), and aiming for ones which will be full, he flies free the rest of the year. Yes, I know, I shouldn't believe EVERYTHING my seatmate tells me. But that's why I'm asking here.

p.s. Once was offered $600 to give up a seat on a LH FRA-EWR flight, and actually had the flexibility in my schedule to take the flight the next day. (They were even going to pay for the night in the hotel!) But I was on the final leg of a ZRH-TLV-ZRH-FRA-EWR trip, and was coming down with a severe case of, um, the stomach flu, and couldn’t stomach (no pun intended) the thought of hanging out myself for a night in a FRA hotel. But I still question that decision...

p.p.s. Rudi - thanks for yet another valuable tip.