So I show up for my 6:55 AM flight, and as I approach the counter to get my BPs, I notice that the place is pretty well packed with pax. No upgrades, either. Hmmm. My spider sense starts tingling.

I dash to the semi-secret alternate Security entrance, and a few minutes later I'm airside. Strolling past the gate, no one's there, so I go for my morning coffee and bagel.

About a half hour before scheduled departure, I go back to the gate. Approaching the GA, I asked her right out if she needed any volunteers. She allowed as they might, so she took my BP. All the pax load on the plane.

She's pecking away, so she tells me I might as well board, and if they need me she'll come get me -- like I haven't heard that before.

Anyhow, my original seat (5D) is now taken up by a family of three with an infant, so, good guy that I am, I go to his former seat, 12B. A middle seat. Hmmm. There had been a flight cancellation, so much to-ing and fro-ing with duplicate seat assignments and so on.

Finally, the GA is strolling down the aisle doing a head count. She spots me and discretely raises a quizzical eyebrow. I respond with a slight head nod, and she motions me out. Whoo-hoo! I made it!

I spring from my seat (greatly suprising an Asian woman in the aisle seat, who was wrapped in two blankets ... "Lady, you're not flying non-stop to Narita from Buffalo!" ... Sheesh!).

Well -- I get off and after a couple of minutes she hands me two BPs (in F, naturally) for the next flights out, and two $5 meal vouchers. She tells me she's closing out the flight, so she'll do the ECV's when I come back for the next flight.

That suits me, so I wander off for breakfast. While I'm eating I get all my paperwork done, which consists of two crossword puzzles, the Jumble, and the Cryptoquip. Whew! Finishing up, I then head back to the gate.

At the gate, she tells me they don't have $300 there (I presume she meant they don't have that option on her menu), so she hands me one for $250 and another one for $100. Sweet.

Then I read the text -- it seems that each voucher is good for $250/$100 toward the purchase of another flight, or 25,000/10,000 miles! Holy Mackerel! 35,000 miles just for waiting around for a couple of hours! Hey, I can do that all day long.

Naturally, I tried it on the next flight, but they had just enough seats. You can bet I'll be attempting this on every flight I possibly can from now on. It won't last forever, but I'm gonna ride this pony until it drops over dead.

So my question is:

1. Is this normal for a bump voucher? The last one I got was $300 off, pure and simple.

2. I think I'll take the miles -- I'm told you can only use one voucher per ticket, whereas miles go in the pile with all the rest. 35,000 miles gets you a domestic r/t, but the Good Lord intended that miles shall be used for premium seating internationally, and that's what I'm going to do.

Anyhow -- dollars or miles - what would you do?