A few years ago, I was in the same shoes as kipper. Non-elite, volunteered to be bumped, got bumped. At the end of the boarding process, though, there were empty seats due to noshows from delayed passengers. GA saw me there and asked me to board. I got bumped, and I got on my original flight!

Looking back, I should have stayed out of the area because the later flights were full, and I would have been bumped if I had not boarded the plane.