On Christmas Eve I'm supposed to fly EWR-SNA on a fairly full flight booked with award miles. Anyway It would be much easier to take a flight into LAX instead but none are available. Should I volunteer to be bumped on my packed EWR-SNA flight and ask to be put on an LAX flight? Would they do this? Would they offer compensation as well? What are your epinions?
Thanks
Jonathan

Jonathon,
If the flight is completely overbooked and they are soliciting volunteers you might volunteer to go to John Wayne instead. A nice agent may accomodate you. Trying to get compensation from CO for them doing you a favor is a bit low IMO.

you mean go to LAX instead? Yeh I think I'll do that.

reldude, by all means volunteer--- at the time you volunteer, you can ask what they will offer as an alternative. My hunch is that the flight to LAX plus Super Shuttle is what they would offer everyone. Especially this being Christmas Eve, if the LAX flight is still open, I think that would be preferred vs. rebooking the next day.

I myself have been bumped on CO IAH--ONT and routed IAH--LAX like 10 min. later, with a shuttle to ONT. I checked bags to ONT so I had to go there... but other occasions that I've been bumped on a DCA flight and routed to IAD with a taxi voucher to DCA, I can usually use the voucher for a direct taxi home since the fare IAD--DCA is about the same as IAD--home.

I completely disagree. By volunteering, you would be doing Continental a bigger favor. If you are bumped, you deserve compensation.

Still, I certainly wouldn't count on getting bumped. Have you called Continental to ask them if your flight is overbooked? As part of their customer committment, they will give you a yes or no answer as to whether or not the flight is overbooked.

If the flight is not overbooked, you may ask about getting put on the LAX flight anyway. Sometimes you'll get an agent who will accomodate such a request.

I have had one time in the past where CO has helped me out.

I was flying PHX-EWR-MHT (My home is in the Hartford area). Flying into BDL would have been a lot easier. I asked the agent at customer service if I could be put on the non stop flight to BDL which was leaving in about an hour. She said NO WAY and I moved onto the next agent. Again, NO WAY. So, as most on flyertalk know, just keep moving on. I went down to the gate where the BDL flight was boarding and told the gate agent about my problem, or we could say inconvience. She was glad to put me on the flight to BDL.

After everyhting was done with, I not only got to BDL, my bags were lost and delayed for 3 days. I asume they ended up going to MHT. So, I not only got to BDL instead of driving home 2 + hours, I also got a $150 voucher for the inconvience, and I bought all new baseball gear (I had a important baseball game the next day) which CO paid for fully with show of receipts!

It doesn't hurt to try and ask not only once, twice but three times.


Eric

P.S.

I got all of my miles too!


[This message has been edited by FlyBDL (edited 12-18-2002).]

i disagree. when i have been bumped in the past, i have gotten compensation AND re-routed to the airport of my choice. they just need the seat as quickly as possible to get the flight out.

By all means, if the flight is overbooked, volunteer to be bumped and rerouted to LAX. If the flight to Orange County is not overbooked, and you still would rather fly to LAX, follow this strategy, which has worked for me before. Check in for the Orange County flight without checking any luggage (carry on only). Then proceed to the gate of the flight that is going to LAX. Show the agent your boarding pass for Orange County and then tell them that you just spoke to your ride on your cellphone and it would be much more convenient for them to pick you up at LAX. Say, "since there is room on this flight to LAX, would it be possible for you to put me on this flight instead? I would sure appreciate that."

It worked for me twice. Good luck.

I've done this a few times.

A little off topic, but US always says OK, UA never says OK, and CO is about 50/50

It really helps if you are really nice.

I would think that with SNA being a "premium" airport, it may be easier to talk one's way onto a LAX flight than vice versa-- using the rationale that average SNA fares are higher than comparable LAX fares.

If reldude is booked on the 5:10pm EWR-SNA flight, I would say his chances of being bumped are extremely high--- the flight doesn't even show full fare F seats to sell. Know that there is a 4:55pm EWR-IAH flight with connections to ONT-- so CO may very well start bumping early (i.e. 40 min. before departure) to get people onto this connection. So, make sure you get to the airport extra extra early-- I'd say even 90 min. early at the gate if you can-- and have some reroute options in mind. Later EWR-LAX flights don't come up with seats to sell

I keep wondering about Reldude's posts. The 5.10p EWR-SNA was cancelled weeks ago.

What are you wondering?
I'm on a morning flight out of EWR

What are you wondering?
I'm on a morning flight out of EWR

Uhh, Reldude never mentioned a time. It was Viajero who was speculating that he was on the 5:10pm flight.

Reldude,

Yes, it is completely possible. I do this often on bumps; switching MCO/TPA/SRQ, SNA/LAX/SAN, even once getting bumped in LAS and driving to SAN to get a flight home. Its doubtful they will begin bumping early; I have never known for sure if I will actually be bumped before the plane was fully boarded and seats counted. Try to be prepared ahead of time by checking alternate flight availability. Be first on line at gate, ask if volunteers may be needed. If they hold your ticket, ask to be protected on your choice of flight AT THAT TIME; do not wait until after your original flight has left (if you are elite and any A/F is avail, they should be able to secure this as well). It always helps if you travel without checked bags, otherwise you may have to head to SNA to pick them up anyway.

Robin