Wirelessly posted (My IV to the Net: Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows NT 5.0) BlackBerry7250/4.0.0 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1)

If you voluntarily give up your seat ( "getting bumped") you have the option to receive an e-cert (ECV - Electronic Credit / Coupon Voucher = money off) or a Free Ticket anywhere in the continental US, I believe. Not sure if AK is included. I know HI is not.



Domestically ECVs are normally $300. International flights ECVs are normally $700. Although I believe both can be offered at lower amounts (and probably higher as well, if the situation demands it).



IMO one should almost always take the ECV. Reasons: 1) You receive FF miles for the flight flown using the ECV. 2) With the Free ticket when trying to book, you are pulling from the award flight fare class (W, I think) which means that it is many times tough to find a seat.



There is one reason to take the Free Ticket and that is if you know for sure that a flight you will be taking costs more then $300 and the flight is in the continental US. And your travel dates are flexible.



How do you get an ECV?

Get bumped. Book flights that appear full (don't just go by NW's seat chart). Check flyaow's (I think, sorry going from memory) seat availability site. You can find the site URL in a post/sticky at the top of the Mileage Run forum.



If you think a flight is going to be oversold, go up to the Gate Agent and ask. If they say it will be volunteer to be bumped.

IMO it is always good to negotiate a confirmed seat on the next available flight and the ECV. Also some food voucher(s) if the next flight is more then 3 hours later.



Hope that helps.