Will do and now I'm seeing 0s on the way home too.

I wouldnt count on the too much. 3 out of 4 of my segemnts on my last trip were '0ed' and all 3 took on SBYs

So by all means go for it! but just keep in mind its getting harder and harder to actually get them. Also make sure you do your homework and know what other options might exist on CO and other Carriers, if everything is sold out for that same day and the next day it could be awhile till you make it back. 2 yrs ago I ran into that and the 1st op wasnt an op for me , so I skipped the VDB and flew out.

edit: original response deleted .....drunk posting.........I answered the question "How much does CO overcook by?"....sorry

In my experience, if you do OLCI, the option to be a volunteer doesn't show up at the kiosk once you get to the airport. If you're trying to get at the top of the list on your return flight, make sure you don't select "auto-checkin for the rest of your itenerary"

Getting to the top of the list doesn't mean anything. GA do not have to bump in order of those the sign up for the bump. Just make sure that you speak with the GA in control of your flight and that the options they are offering meet with your approval. Good luck.

the other week when we were #2 & 3, the GA told me when I asked what #s we were that there was only 1 person ahead of us, thats how I knew we were 2nd & 3rd.

I said something like I guess all of us Plats think alike and was told the other person didnt have any status. At no time was it ever indicated that he would follow anything other then the order we signed up.

I understand if You needed say 2 people and felt taking a couple would cost CO less 1 hotel room say, or needed 1 person and 1 & 2 were a couple. But I thought youd ask in the 2nd case if they were willing to split up and 1 stay behind if they said No then youd go down the line to #3.

are you saying you can take the last person who signed up say #5 before asking any of the others before #5, speaking where say #1 is 1 person 2&3 are a couple and #4 is 1 person as is #5? I understand if say 1-4 said unless you give me X I will Fly, X can be a FC seat or fly another carreir or $500 voucher etc etc. But if no one said or asked anything is it fair to take #5 before 1-4?

Now one time I was passed over as CO needed say 20 Vols and since it was families that were trying to get on they were looking for an equal party, they said its alot easier to take a party of 4 and replace them with a party of 4 since the seats should be together etc. I had no probs with that.

But a GA simply being able to take whomever they wanted to out of any order doesnt sit too well. Again if #5 said Id take a $200 voucher and the others wanted more , no prob as long as 1-4 were told the score and had a chance to decline it, again thats if theres enough time to ask 1-4. But under so called normal circumstances Id hope that the GA would respect the order that the people signed up

It's not the the list isn't followed, but the list can be troublesome for the reasons that you sited. If the first person on the list had a final destination that would cost me more money to get him to than the pay out, I would skip him. The list is there so that GAs know who is interested in the bump. And you don't have to sign up on the list if you want the bump, just volunteer at the gate.

I'm sure final destination and lack of checked baggage has a lot to do with it. If you're flying SFO-EWR, and all flights to EWR are full, it may make sense to bump someone going to a destination they could get to their final destination via IAH (assuming IAH flights are open) vs. booking another carrier.

Also, in a next day bump situation, I've seen preference given to people who originated there (so they can avoid hotel rooms).

This is why the conversation with the GA is very important. I don't want the GA making any assumptions about my flexibility. If I have no bags, I point that out. If I'm willing to fly to alternate airports, I mention that. If we're two together and can split up, I let them know. I also point out win-win situations they may not be expecting (e.g., $300 + hotel + food + IAH-SFO tomorrow --> $400 + no hotel + no food + IAH-SMF tonight, and I'll take it from there).

Ok I just learned something theres a list besides the 1 at the Gate? I always do my thing at the gate with the GA, where else can it be done?

Ive done that as well, also i usually hav esome alternative routings on other Carriers just in case Especially with Intl flights. Been told I couldnt be confirmed for 3 days then I said why not route me with BA all the way thru LHR, are you sure thats available let me check, no problem you are correct there are a few seats left on BA.

I feel having my homework done will help both the GA or Counter Rep(if Intl) and me much better and waste less time and sometimes might mean being able to get the other flight rather then overnight it.

I have time on my side most GAs or Reps dont, meaning I can play and check on everything possible they must clear out the flight then those who werent on it and are their responsbility, then move onto their next gate and flight in most cases. So they dont have the time to simply stand there and check everything or think of everything. So its usually whatever the next flight is w/o thinking of other routing or other Carriers. So I try to help them out as well as myself, at times they even were able to outdo me, as my info wasnt up to the minute as theres was, once they understood that I think out of the box and are very flex within reason they too will check around rather then simply say next flight is in 6 hrs or tommorrow

Thanks for all this, one more question though-if I check in online at home, does that mean it does not offer me the bump list at the kiosk? I guess talking to the GA is of most importance anyway.

99.99% of the time I do OLCI, I cant ever remember being asked if I was willing to be a Vol, and thats with the flight/s being 0ed out

Never remember seeing that question at the kyosk since the few times I used the kyosk the flight wasnt oversold

Good Luck with it, please let us know what ends up happening

Here with my report.

3 out of 4 segments were 0s and only one needed volunteers. That one, a flight from IAH to LIR, started at $500 and went up to $600 plus hotels and meals. The kicker-the only flight offered was TWO and a half days later. I would have been that flexible on the way home but delaying our Spring Break by that much would have caused family havoc. No one on the flight took the bump and they got us out by some involuntary bumping. It looked sad for some, two families were split up and I sure hope they didn't have to wait for two days to get out. The involuntary bumpees were told they were bumped because they didn't check in prior to one hour, but the bumpees said that wasn't possible due to the long lines at IAH. They were upset.

My first flight from DCA to IAH offered $300 when I checked in at the airport kiosk but in the end we weren't needed. I had previously tried OLCI from home but the computer would not let me print boarding passes. (International?)

On the way home, everything was still Os but flight went out full and not oversold. At least one standby got on too.

Yesterday (Friday 20-March) flew from DEN-STL on UA.
I then flew STL-CLE on CO.

FYI - My UA flight was oversold and I volunteered at check-in and at the gate. In talking to a non-rev I was told that the RJ was over by 1. They did not need any vols. However, at boarding I was given a $50 UA voucher for volunteering. Not a coupon, but a voucher.

I was in STL I had around a 3 hr layover and hung out near the podium.
Two GAs were working furiously (with no flight nearby).

All the 50-seat RJ flights out of STL (to CLE, IAH, and EWR) were overbooked.

When they stepped away to work an incoming flight I saw their screen.
The 5 remaining flights were over by 2, 3, or 4.

My CLE flight was oversold and the GAs were working with Air Canada over two hours before departure. The GA's had 4 pax traveling to Toronto which they rerouted directly on Air Canada ($200 comp). The found the bumpees at the check-in counter.

In the end, our flight cleared two standbys and went out with an empty seat.

as I said before it seems 4 is the magic # CO will overbook by and all the times my flights were 0ed CO not only didnt need any Vols but we took some SNYs

VDBs are getting almost impossible to get with CO