ElmhurstNick

I have a J ticket from SEA-ORD for Sunday 8/27 on a completely sold out 9:50am flight. I suspect that there's cruise ship traffic on this flight - the next flight has about 20 seats unassigned on an MD-80.

I've never successfully volunteered before, but I have nothing in particular to do that evening. So I'd like to find a way to get a voucher *and* some additional mileage at the same time.

The conditions of my ticket are such that I can't just do a reroute myself because I'll exceed the mileage limits for the overall ticket. Thanks to FTers tipping me off on Canada-Europe C fares, I have a free weekend in Victoria for a European business trip in September!

I'll be coming in on either an 8:40am or 6:40am flight from Victoria on Horizon. I'm booked on the later flight, but can switch to the earlier one if it makes sense.

What are the odds of getting them to both give me a voucher before boarding even starts, and let me take a routing from Seattle that includes AS? Mileage-accruing options in order of my preference are:
- 9:39am AS SEA-SFO (by far my first choice as there is a chance UA will cancel flights and thus make my connection oversold as well.)
- 9:40am AS SEA-SNA
- 9:27am AS SEA-LAX
- 7:50am AA SEA-SJC (4 hr layover, can I get convince a friendly agent in SJC to then route me via the Vegas redeye?)
- 7:30am AA SEA-DFW
- 7:30am AS SEA-PDX
- 8:00am AA SEA-BOS (an extra 1700 miles, but 1/2 of them on an F-100 )
- 10:47am AA SEA-DFW
- 1:15pm AA SEA-ORD nonstop

What strategy should I use? Should I start at the gate itself, or at the Admirals Club before the gate opens? Do I bring up the AS routings before I get my voucher, or afterwards? Finally, any chance they'd give me two VIP2s instead of a cash voucher???

Thanks in advance for all the help!!
nick

Captain Mike

My experiences with bumping are numerous, and you've done everything you can to prepare. I would suggest changing to the earlier Victoria departure (6:40 a.m.), since the later one will put you too far back in the check-in line at SEA. You can actually volunteer for the SEA-ORD bump when you check in at Victoria, if you want. Have the gate agent enter this into your reservation, so the folks at SEA will see it when they open the podium there. I would also suggest bypassing the Admirals' Club, since I've never heard of bumps occurring there - only at the gate. I have received a voucher and an alternate routing just once before boarding starts - this is very unusual in the "bumping" world. At SEA, get to the gate 75-90 minutes before departure and just stand there. You will be first in line, and the agents will not have arrived yet, but that's O.K. (People will look at you a little strangely, but that's O.K. too). When they open the podium, you're first in line to volunteer! They'll ask your final destination, and then they'll draft some "possible" alternate plans to get you there. It's good that you have prepared some alternate routings, and you can offer them if asked, but in my experience, the agents are very good at creating alternate ways to get you to ORD. Just give them your ticket and boarding pass, stand back, and watch. Most agents don't appreciate your nagging them as departure approaches, so just sit back, watch, and listen. The voucher value will likely start at $400 or $500, depending on how many seats are oversold. They rarely go over $1000, except on international flights. All successful volunteers get the same amount, so as the agents announce higher offers as departure approaches, don't worry. You will get $600 if that's the final offer, even if you volunteered at the beginning and were quoted less. A complimentary upgrade to first class on your new flight(s) is given, if possible. You can also make a call on their phone to inform significant others of your change in plans - sometimes a "phone card" is given to you instead.

I've been bumped when I really didn't expect it, and also gotten on flights where I was SURE I'd be bumped. There's a little bit of strategy involved, and and whole lot of luck!
Best wishes! Let us know what happens.

ElmhurstNick

Thanks for the advice. Since my ticket is booked in F for a domestic leg, I would expect to get F on anything else.

Also, my YYJ-SEA flight is on Alaska, not American, so I won't be able to put anything in the record there. But I figure I can stop at the Admirals' Club and have them do it for me.

Thanks again.