I got bumped from a CO flight earlier this year and got a $300 voucher as compensation. If I buy a ticket with the voucher, do I get Onepass miles? Does it matter whether the ticket is over $300 (so that I actually pay some money) or not? I haven't been able to find the answer, but I expect that someone in this group has done this and knows.

Thanks for your help.

Yes you get miles even if you use half the voucher. It will also list the price in the airfare column. These vouchers are like cash plus you don't have to pay the federal excise tax so you really got 324 in value. I always try to get as many as I can. Sometimes I have gotten bumped off a bump one day I got $1600.

Yes I've found I do receive the correct miles/bonus when using vouchers. You can also upgrade (either with status or miles).

A related comment - I believe when you are flying free, as in a FF reward flight, you do not get miles. Therefore if you and you spouse are going on a vacation and only have enough miles for one free ticket, get the freebe in your spouse's name (assuming your spouse does not belong or have status) and buy a ticket in your name. That way, you will maximize any benefits. It worked quite well with me when we went from EWR to HNL. I got my elite status for the return flight. Even though it did not result in an upgrade, the advance boarding was worth it.

DD

Does anyone else hvae experience earning miles usin g a bump voucher?

Also what is your typical compensation?

$300 is pretty standard for CO, on most domestic flights, although I have received as high as $500.

You do earn miles on flights with tickets purchased with a voucher, as it technically is a revenue ticket.

I got $500 the other day. Plus 2 meal vouchers and a drink coupon. Most $$$ I every was offered.

I too was offered $300 last year.

I have a $500 voucher. Is it possible to buy more then one ticket with one voucher as long as they're on the same itinerary? (say my wife and I to FL).

We're going to FL next month, and each ticket is $220. each way. I would love to use as much as the voucher as possible.

Been bumped more than a dozen times with vouchers from $200 (yrs ago) to $600 pp (bumped CDG-EWR). And always request to be placed in F on your new flt if possible..
If given a choice, I always take the voucher over the free ticket; freebies are extremely hard to use, and you can't upgrade and don't earn miles.. Plus, vouchers can be used toward any flt, domestic or int'l (on Co, Co Mic, and certain code shares). You definitely DO earn miles and bonuses on tickets issued with vouchers. Never had a problem with this.

AKelley, for the most part, no, the vouchers are non-transferable, and have no residual value.. Use the voucher for a ticket =/+ the cert value to get the most out of it.. This is NOT always the case if you have one of the old "hand written" vouchers (not the new electronic ones). Take them to a travel agent and see what they will do for you; esp if voucher has only your last name on it.. If they will not issue your wife's ticket, perhaps they will issue you an MCO for the residual (rules are constantly changing on these).. Of course, a TA will prob charge you a fee for the exchange (got any friends in the business??)

Onepass mileage upgrades are questionable.. It doesn't say anything specific on the new "Electronic Travel Certificate". But it does get specific under the "Onepass Promotional Reward Certificate Terms and Conditions" (on the back of the upgrade certificates): Rule 5. "Rewards may not be used in conjunction with any other travel certificate, reward bonus offer, Onepass reward, premium offer or certain promotional fare offers". I have always gotten around this; if I get an answer I don't want, I hang up and try again until I do.. This is trickier using these new travel certificates; they no longer allow anyone but CO to issue the ticket. Used to be you would have it issued by a Travel Agent, then call in the upgrades and nobody was the wiser (the cert or other disc showed up as nothing more than an addendum to the fare basis). Now, CO can see from moment one all the details... But I have sucessfully upgraded 4 tickets on last 4 vouchers, even after trading in the orig. tickets for new ones.

One thing that burns me up with CO and upgrades: They have so many limitations on using them! For example: You must pay full fare for children for them to upgrade (why? they still discount kids in first by 25% internationally, so what's the difference?). You can't use any discounts at all if you want to upgrade, re: Customer Care discounts, Ent. Book coupons, etc. We have thrown out more of those $100 customer care coupons and I have never paid a child's fare for my kids (int'l), just to waitlist them for upgrades they sometimes don't get! So basically, I want to upgrade to (let's just use for example ), Europe, instead of paying about $275 for my 8 yr old daughter and $360 for myself, I pay $750 and hope that the upgrades will miraculously appear! And when they don't, I can't help but feel ripped off (esp when you do that x 4, several times).. Does this annoy anyone else??


[This message has been edited by Fishbait (edited 03-13-2001).]

Fishbait:

It's an electronic one, so it looks like I'm outta luck. Although it doesn't hurt to give CO reservations a call and give it a shot, right?

Yeah, I actually do have a friend in the travel business - my father is a part-time TA!