pshuang,

Yes you are technically correct. What you are doing at that point is very risky. You are correct that for all bumping situations, if there are not enough volunteers, the airline will generally continue to raise the offer (up to a point where they will involuntarily deny boarding). But if someone takes the latest offer before you (assuming that person is the last needed volunteer) because you are hoping for something better, then you are bummed. For me, if the original offer is to my liking, then everything else is gravy.

I don't know about any other airline, but I am glad that AA gives everyone the last, best offer.

thanks for the information on quotes onedog http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Bump story and a question:

Girlfriend & I travelling on Delta JFK-LAX 3 weekends ago, flight is overbooked, I offer our seats when attendent B calls for volunteers (though slightly pissed, as checked in with attendent A, and had her start a volunteer list with our names on it).
Next flight was a over 6hrs later, but each of us got:

- $400 Delta travel voucher (choice of that or $250 cash)
- $10 lunch voucher
- upgrade to Delta Business Elite

BE allowed us to spend the time in the Crown Room lounge (MUCH nicer than in the terminal). Plus, because we got the business class transcontinental mileage bonus (10k miles) for that segment instead of the coach one (6k miles).
This was all on a $209 pp websaver fare. Totally weekend cost was $846 (departed Sat afternoon, return Wed morning), but received $800 in travel vouchers, and almost 44,000 FF miles.

Question - we could got have gotten bumped from the next flight (following flight would have only an additional 2 1/2 hr wait) but my girlfriend didn't want to lose our BE seats.
If you have First/Business class seats (whether purchased or upgraded), and you give them up to be bumped, are you likely to get F/B class on the rebooked flight? If I gave up my first rebooked BE seat for a 2nd rebooked coach one (maybe no room in BE), could I expect/ask for any extra compensation? How about a systemwide upgrade voucher to use on a subsequent flight?
I would certainly ask for a pass to the First/Business lounge. If they want me to wait for a later flight (especially 6+ hrs), they can let me do it in comfort.

Jeff

Congratulations on the excellent bump w/DL (and on such a cheap fare too)!

I have found that if I volunteer for a bump, I am offerred a seat which is in at least the same class of service as what I just gave up, but I would definately make sure.

For an additional 2 1/2 hours, assuming that you had the free time and didn't need to be anywhere in a hurry, I would have probably given up my seat. Achieving the double bump is a great way to earn travel money.

[This message has been edited by onedog (edited 07-10-2000).]

A comment was made that one could withdraw the offer to volunteer, seemingly as late as one wants. There is a practical limit to that, however. Any change of mind needs to be before boarding passes have been issued using the volunteered seats. That means that you'd best be watching the gate counter action closely.

I, myself, am a college undergrad, and have frequently done a lot of DTW-NRT/KIX-MNL/BKK RT flights on NW. Here's what I figured out after all these years:

a. Given your travel date is on a Thursday and is not on a peak season, your chances of overbooking is low, unless there's bad weather. Peak time: WINTER, on Saturdays.
b. If economy is overbooked, and there are a bunch of business/first class seats open, economy class pax get upgraded at the gate agent's discretion.
c. ALWAYS, when checking in (luggage check-in), ask the gate agent if the flight is overbooked. If so, ask how you can get on the list. Do the same at the gate counter. [Sometimes when you don't expect it, the flight can be overbooked.] In Bangkok, I got my $500 voucher at luggage check-in, 2 hours before the flight when I arrived at the counter. In Detroit, you get vouchers at the gate, after the overbooked flight has departed.
d. If you fly back to Asia in December, particularly on a Sat (Dec 9 or 16 this year), there's a high chance of overbooking or operational upgrading.
e. When travelling from NRT to the USA (at least w/ NW), the Japanese agents usually don't give out vouchers. They prefer to reroute you and upgrade you, considering NW has a bunch of other flights departing to the USA within the hour. I think UA codeshares with ANA and/or JL to ORD and other US cities. There's chances of upgrading from NRT to USA, But don't expect vouchers. (However, business class upgrades are awesome! I heard that a one-way ticket from NRT - DTW in business class costs $3,000!)
f. However, from NRT to an Asian destination, they'll give out vouchers at the boarding area since the next flight out is the next day.
g. In terms of types of people airlines look for, volunteering comes on a first-come, "first-serve" basis. (They're serving me by either upgrading me or giving me vouchers.)

Little story to end: In early January, 1999, there was a snowstorm in DTW and a lot of Asian flights got cancelled. At that time, I was leaving Manila to go to Detroit. In Manila, there were 3 flights bound for Detroit -- all overbooked. I was offered $400 to take the flight the next day. I declined.

Once in Tokyo, my flight to Detroit was badly overbooked. I heard no annoucements asking for volunteers. Some paid economy pax went straight to the gate agent and asked about volunteering. The gate agent just upgraded their seats and put them into another city, with connecting flights to their intended destination. No vouchers.

I requested also to volunteer and was offered to be rerouted to another city and upgraded. No vouchers. I asked if I could decline the upgrade and get vouchers. Nope. I just took my original flight to Detroit. Lesson learned: Don't bet on getting vouchers at NRT when flying to the USA. Should have just given up my seat in MNL and ran away with $400 in travel vouchers.

Go Blue!

- Pat, Detroit resident, college student in NY, loves to pester relatives in Asia

Some friends told me that on 7/1/00 DL was offering $1,000 vouchers for pax volunteering for BOS-ATL flights. I was on a BOS-CLE-ATL flight on CO on 7/1 and the BOS-CLE was overbooked (but they ended up not needing volunteers). They handed out 2 drink/headset coupons to those that volunteered.

Think I'd rather have got the $1000 than the headset coupon! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I am new to the "bumping game" but was quite successful on a flight back from Vegas, checked in early, offering to be bumped, at the last minute they bumped me I got a $200 voucher boarded another plane immedietly and beat my lugggage back to DTW. I am using part of the voucher for a trip to New Orleans at the end of the month and hope to get bumped both ways!!! One of the best ways to be bumped is to look professional in dress and maner and be nice!!! This is fun!!

As a family of four I appreciate YOU!!! Thank you to all of the nice fliers out there who understand children need to be near their parents. Not to mention who wants to sit next to someone elses children. Thank You agian. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif isleroyal

I haven't had much experience getting bumped since my college days of holiday flying, but recently I have been able to fly internationally in Business instead of coach. The gate agent (SJC-NRT in a 777) said that they won't bump a business class passenger. They will move coach up to business instead of bumping.

They'll bump business class if you volunteer. I'm pretty sure you're well-protected from an involuntary bump when up front.

I played UA one night when they were grossly overbooked at the end of a holiday weekend. Got the operational upgrade, then immediately asked to be bumped as long as I could keep the FC seat on the Monday morning flight. Ended up with the typical basket of goodies: hotel night, meals, FC in the morning, $400.

Thanks Wiirachay !!

One thing I fly on Thu is b'cos AA consider Friday as weekend (so fly on Thu is cheaper) and Thu's airport is nicer than weekends.. but for the sack of bumping, I will switching my habit http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I have one tip and a question.....

The tip is: we volunteered our 4 seats on AA last week on the first leg (SAN/DFW) of our trip. Agent asked if we were willing to split up if she needed fewer than 4 seats. Fearing for the stability of our marriage ("Dear, I'm going, but you and the kids are staying...see ya!"), I said it was "all or nothing". Turned out she bumped THREE people! When I asked what would have happened if we had agreed to split up, she said the three bumpees would have met me at our final destination (MIA), after connecting through DFW, just 1 1/2 hours later. Those three would be a $300 voucher per person richer, and would have been upgraded to FC. Needless to say, EXPLETIVE DELETED! Moral of the story/tip: When volunteering, don't say you won't split up without first asking when your traveling party will be reunited if you agree to separate.

Now the question.....this past spring, we were bumped (again, SAN/DFW on AA) and were shuttled one hour up to the Orange County airport, where flights had some room. Got to Florida just 3 hours later, after connecting through DFW. Question is this.....we were first in line, and after being rerouted through SNA, the agent asked (shouted, really) if anyone else in line behind us wanted to hop on the same shuttle, with the accompanying $400 per person offer. Of the 12-15 people in line, not one spoke up. WHY? This was a Sunday morning flight, so not many business travelers, I'd guess. Did people have family or hotel commitments worth more than $400 per person for a delay of a few hours? Really, I think many people do not understand the bumping routine. They're afraid it's a trick or a scam of some sort. It's like "My ticket says this flight, at this time, on this day. That's what I reserved and paid for. Now you want me to give that back, you're going to shuttle me to another airport, and get me to my destination who knows how much later? No thanks". While people going to a specific occasion (business meeting, wedding, funeral, etc.) might not want to risk it, I continue to be amazed at all the others who remain locked in to their original itinerary, no matter what. Do FT'ers have thoughts as to why this is?

jetsetter - do u know what flight no/time of day this BOS-ATL bump occur?
I am going to BOS next week, and have some flexibility on departure time. Flight from BOS to ATL are often full, would be nice to know exactly which one was especially overbooked.