Party of 10 (all relatives) got $800 each for a bump in HNL (and lodging, meals, etc.). Too bad we had to spend another day in Hawaii.

November 1999 - Booked from SJC-SNA. The entire system was bolixed up from weather. The gate agent made an announcement that AA was offering $1000 for anyone willing to give up their seat and take the next flight to LAX, or spend the night at SJC and take the 0700 flight to SNA next day. AA would pick up the cost of ground transport from LAX-SNA.

It was a Sunday evening and I was already late. I took the voucher for a $1000 and went to LAX that night. I ran out of steam at SNA and got a room at the Marriott at my own expense. Lived near Riverside, but worked in Long Beach. As it was nearly midnight, did not want to make the commute. Still came out way ahead. The voucher financed 3 tickets SNA-ORD-SBN/Return.

$1000 was the first offer. My experience is usually that it escalates from $300 or so. Everybody looked at each other in disbelief; it was a near-riot trying to get to the counter. A lot of people took the offer.

I think it would be helpful if writers indicated if the circumstances of the denied boarding were voluntary or involuntary. This makes a big difference in the value of the compensation that the airline offers, IMHO.

Best offer for voluntary denied boarding compensation I saw this year was in June on my final American Airlines segment from Dallas to Cancun. They were offering a $1000 travel voucher, airport meals and First Class seating on the next flight out (4 hours away) to anyone willing to give up their seat.

Got $800 from Lufthansa for a DFW-FRA flight...they offered hotel, meals, etc. and since I live here they said to go out to a nice restaurant and bring them the bill. Took my girlfriend to a great steak place and had an excellent dinner. Showed up the next day and they asked me as I was boarding the plane if I'd stay another day so I got another $800. Decided to blow off the trip anyway and they gave me a full refund on the $400 ticket.

Until 1998 or 1999 US rt vouchers given as voluntary compensation were not even transferable. Even now that they are, I still wish they would give $ vouchers. Before they were transferable, my wife was able to earn 4 rt vouchers one at a time, starting with an award Z class (free) ticket bump. Each free flight resulted in another free flight. What's unusual is that she doesn't usually travel, so she was a $0 revenue passenger the entire year.

My best was for a trip from sfo to new orleans. the plane was downsized due to mechanical problems. I asked to go on the volunteer list. They told me I wasn't needed but, then someone came up at the final boarding call. He was upset because he had been moved from an aisle seat due to the plane change. He was demanding an aisle seat. They asked me if I would give up my aisle seat for compensation. I said yes and then, as he was changing my seat decided to ask what I would get. He said "well, the $300.00 I told you earlier we would be giving if you gave up your seat." So, I got a $300.00 voucher for a middle seat on my original flight, plus, a few drink tickets. Oh, yeah the ticket was free from another voucher."

Last year going to Brussels out of JFK, I voluntarily bumped off.

Got off the Delta flight and was put on Sabena flight 4 hours later.

For my troubles:

received a $1,000 Delta dollars voucher

AND

upgraded to business class BOTH going to and returning from Brussels.

And, oh yes, I was flying on a ticket priced at $352.00 which was funded with a $350.00 Delta Dollars voucher.

It's an episode like this that makes me ask "Is this a great country, or what?"

March 2000:

On NW, LAS/MSP (connecting to LGA). All PAX seated. FA comes over the intercom and says that plane is too heavy (freight?) and 78 -- yes, 78 -- PAX need to get off.

Plenty of empty seats still on plane. Must be heavy cargo.

FA offers $750.
FA offers $1,000. Wife and I get off. (Wife flying free on award travel!)
While on line to get voucher, FA offers $1500!

Everyone gets $1500. (Wife and I get two $750 vouchers each, good on NW/CO/KLM).

Protected on flight 5 hours later. Back to the casino....

My best bump was MIA-CUN a couple of years ago, they offered $400 and a seat on MX to CUN 45 mins later. I took it, they got their plane out, then told us that they had increased the offer to $600 on the plane, so everyone got $600. Free drinks on MX, too!!
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MY best bump was that 4 of us were traveling Atlanta to Honolulu on United via LA. Total cost of the tickets was $305.12 r/t. We left extra time to get bumped, just in case :-)

Got to LA and they bumped all 4 of us. The next flight was the same time the next day. They offered us $400 each plus hotel, dinner and breakfast. We thought a free trip to Hawaii and $95 extra was a good deal. My friend wanted a little better. He asked if instead of the $400 could we just go 1st class from LA to HNL. The gate agent (bless her heart) said that we HAD to go 1st as coach was filled the next day, but if we wanted, she could give us FC all the way back. We took it and had an enjoyable trip. This was during the time that United had problemsand was told to be liberal with refunds, and upgrades.

My Mom (80 years old) could not understand why we were staying in LA overnight and why we couldn't go to Honolulu right away. Try explaining the process to someone who doesn't fly often....

The best was the $1,000 each for myself and my sons for the half hour trip from Memphis to Huntsville, AL. Unfortunately it was a SMALL plane, so no upgrade was involved, but the hotel overnight wasn't bad.

My personal record is $2,300 from AA on four consecutive voluntary bumps within 24hrs. It started on LAX-BOS Saturday after Thanksgiving 1998. Though I had wanted to fly out on Sunday so that I could spend more time with my family, the Sat fare of $300 was more than $200 cheaper than Sunday’s fare.

My first voucher was $600, and I asked for a flight the next day to give me another evening to hang out with the family. My second voucher was $400 to take a flight three hours later. On the third I was told no volunteers needed and so took my seat in the plane. Then an agent announced that one volunteer was needed for $1000. My hand shot up before she finished talking and I got called up. Another person who volunteered a half-second after me got an upgrade to business. An hour later I got $300 to take a flight an hour later.

Can only say been bumped once (voluntary)but it was memorable. AA flight Miami to London 2 years ago. Given $1000 voucher plus night stay at Hyatt Coral Gables and meal vouchers. Since the meals could only be ordered in the hotel restaurants, the designated amounts of $10, $20 and $30 for breakfast, lunch and dinner were basically discounts. SuperShuttle to and from airport and best of all, no taxes on use of vouchers which make them more valueable.

On my upcoming trips, I don't really mind if I make it there ontime. I have some expensive trips planned for this summer, please bump me. Please.

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"Fly me to the moon and let me earn alot of miles."