$300 voucher for the non-stop I wanted anyway
Apr 30, 2011, 8:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 6
$300 voucher for the non-stop I wanted anyway
So, I had a confirmed ticket on Delta leaving Orlando at 4:15pm on Friday, but my business was all wrapped up by Thursday evening. So, needless to say, I was looking to get home as soon as possible on Friday morning.
My final destination was Cincinnati.
I looked at the flights, and realized all were pretty full. I called Delta at 4:45am to get a "day of change" on a route through DCA, leaving at 7:45am, which would get me home by 12:30pm.
There was a non-stop leaving for Cincinnati at 8:10am, but when I called in at 5:10am, there were no seats available.
So, I go to MCO, and check-in at the Sky Club, and try again to check on the 8:10am. No luck. I get a "Standby" ticket, but no guarantees. I'm not expecting anything - just asking, politely, to have a chance on the 8:10.
I go to the gate for the 8:10am at 7:10am. No gate agent. At 7:20am, a flustered gate agent finally appears. She takes a quick glance at my boarding pass, informs me that it's a "Standby" ticket, and quickly dismisses me to move on to the next person in line. I'm not overly offended. She had 20 people in line to process in 10 minutes. I get it.
Knowing that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I scoot down to the gate for my confirmed flight, which is doing the final boarding call for DCA. When I get there, the gate agent is overjoyed to see me. She says, "Are you <NAME>! My flight is oversold, and no one is volunteering. I can get you confirmed in 1st class on the non-stop to Orlando, plus a $300 travel voucher, if you'll give up your seat on this flight to DCA."
Are you kidding me?? Heck yeah, I'll take that deal! $300 to take the flight I was trying to work SkyClub, Platinum Medallion desk line, etc. to get on? You betcha'!
So, I got paid $300 to switch from the 4:15pm to the 8:10am non-stop.
Sweet!
My final destination was Cincinnati.
I looked at the flights, and realized all were pretty full. I called Delta at 4:45am to get a "day of change" on a route through DCA, leaving at 7:45am, which would get me home by 12:30pm.
There was a non-stop leaving for Cincinnati at 8:10am, but when I called in at 5:10am, there were no seats available.
So, I go to MCO, and check-in at the Sky Club, and try again to check on the 8:10am. No luck. I get a "Standby" ticket, but no guarantees. I'm not expecting anything - just asking, politely, to have a chance on the 8:10.
I go to the gate for the 8:10am at 7:10am. No gate agent. At 7:20am, a flustered gate agent finally appears. She takes a quick glance at my boarding pass, informs me that it's a "Standby" ticket, and quickly dismisses me to move on to the next person in line. I'm not overly offended. She had 20 people in line to process in 10 minutes. I get it.
Knowing that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I scoot down to the gate for my confirmed flight, which is doing the final boarding call for DCA. When I get there, the gate agent is overjoyed to see me. She says, "Are you <NAME>! My flight is oversold, and no one is volunteering. I can get you confirmed in 1st class on the non-stop to Orlando, plus a $300 travel voucher, if you'll give up your seat on this flight to DCA."
Are you kidding me?? Heck yeah, I'll take that deal! $300 to take the flight I was trying to work SkyClub, Platinum Medallion desk line, etc. to get on? You betcha'!
So, I got paid $300 to switch from the 4:15pm to the 8:10am non-stop.
Sweet!
Apr 30, 2011, 9:19 pm
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Fairmont Platinum, Aeroplan Diamond, HHonors Gold, SPG Gold
Posts: 18,686
So, I had a confirmed ticket on Delta leaving Orlando at 4:15pm on Friday, but my business was all wrapped up by Thursday evening. So, needless to say, I was looking to get home as soon as possible on Friday morning.
My final destination was Cincinnati.
I looked at the flights, and realized all were pretty full. I called Delta at 4:45am to get a "day of change" on a route through DCA, leaving at 7:45am, which would get me home by 12:30pm.
There was a non-stop leaving for Cincinnati at 8:10am, but when I called in at 5:10am, there were no seats available.
So, I go to MCO, and check-in at the Sky Club, and try again to check on the 8:10am. No luck. I get a "Standby" ticket, but no guarantees. I'm not expecting anything - just asking, politely, to have a chance on the 8:10.
I go to the gate for the 8:10am at 7:10am. No gate agent. At 7:20am, a flustered gate agent finally appears. She takes a quick glance at my boarding pass, informs me that it's a "Standby" ticket, and quickly dismisses me to move on to the next person in line. I'm not overly offended. She had 20 people in line to process in 10 minutes. I get it.
Knowing that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I scoot down to the gate for my confirmed flight, which is doing the final boarding call for DCA. When I get there, the gate agent is overjoyed to see me. She says, "Are you <NAME>! My flight is oversold, and no one is volunteering. I can get you confirmed in 1st class on the non-stop to Orlando, plus a $300 travel voucher, if you'll give up your seat on this flight to DCA."
Are you kidding me?? Heck yeah, I'll take that deal! $300 to take the flight I was trying to work SkyClub, Platinum Medallion desk line, etc. to get on? You betcha'!
So, I got paid $300 to switch from the 4:15pm to the 8:10am non-stop.
Sweet!
My final destination was Cincinnati.
I looked at the flights, and realized all were pretty full. I called Delta at 4:45am to get a "day of change" on a route through DCA, leaving at 7:45am, which would get me home by 12:30pm.
There was a non-stop leaving for Cincinnati at 8:10am, but when I called in at 5:10am, there were no seats available.
So, I go to MCO, and check-in at the Sky Club, and try again to check on the 8:10am. No luck. I get a "Standby" ticket, but no guarantees. I'm not expecting anything - just asking, politely, to have a chance on the 8:10.
I go to the gate for the 8:10am at 7:10am. No gate agent. At 7:20am, a flustered gate agent finally appears. She takes a quick glance at my boarding pass, informs me that it's a "Standby" ticket, and quickly dismisses me to move on to the next person in line. I'm not overly offended. She had 20 people in line to process in 10 minutes. I get it.
Knowing that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, I scoot down to the gate for my confirmed flight, which is doing the final boarding call for DCA. When I get there, the gate agent is overjoyed to see me. She says, "Are you <NAME>! My flight is oversold, and no one is volunteering. I can get you confirmed in 1st class on the non-stop to Orlando, plus a $300 travel voucher, if you'll give up your seat on this flight to DCA."
Are you kidding me?? Heck yeah, I'll take that deal! $300 to take the flight I was trying to work SkyClub, Platinum Medallion desk line, etc. to get on? You betcha'!
So, I got paid $300 to switch from the 4:15pm to the 8:10am non-stop.
Sweet!
Take joy in the idosyncracies of travel.. when something happens unexpectedly positive, celebrate!
