My best "bump" was a Houston to DC National trip. My ticket sent me from IAH through Newark with two hour layover then down to DC. I got bumped off the Houston-Newark leg (free r/t certificate in hand), caught a flight an hour later to Newark, then caught the same connecting flight I was originally scheduled for to DC!!! Basically, Continental gave me a free ticket to spend my layover time in Houston as oppossed to Newark...thanks Continental, we should do business more often!

[This message has been edited by geo1004 (edited 02-21-99).]

My best bump was on a short haul Edmonton to Calgary. They asked for volunteers once we were all on the plane (just so two friends could sit together on the same flight). Air Canada took me off the prop flight put me on a Canadian jet flight a half hour later which, because it was faster, arrived only 15 minutes later than the Air Canada flight. The reward -- $300 towards my next ticket which back then (the Canadian dollar was almost on par with US) was equivalent to a free trip almost anywhere in North America! I didn't get any miles on Air Canada but $300 for 15 minutes inconvenience was a real deal.

Now I tend to want to get to where I'm going and the volunteer rewards don't seem to be as good as they used to. I would like to hear from some of the Canadians to see what their experience has been with compensation for bumping recently.

being bumped on international travel is even better!!

I got bumped of a LH FRA-JFK flight last october. I hab bought the ticket last minute for under $300rt. LH bumped me sent me via lhr on virgin upper class (much better than lh coach or BC) and gave me $600 in LH vouchers. in addition to that they gave me meal coupons and a hotel room at JFK after arrival(it was 1 am). They gave me twice the amount i paid for the ticket plus a seat on VS upper clas.. It can't get any better than that.
(return flight was on SQ in coach..great)!!!
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

All,

In your experience, do you generally earn airline miles if you are bumped to a later flight and given compensation?

Thx,

Ken

My experience is: Not on United. They'll (of course) give you the miles for the later flight you do take, and for any flight you later buy using the vouchers, but not for the flight you were voluntarily bumped from.

Not sure about other carriers. Never hurts to ask, I suppose.

When you get bumped onto another airline you can earn that airline's frequent flyer mileage for that flight, but not the miles from the airline you booked with. It helps to have a list of your FF numbers handy (and/or memorized).

International flights are definately the most lucrative. The most I've been offered was $1,100 for a transatlantic flight; I'm still annoyed that that was one of the times I couldn't skip the flight (I was on the way to propose to my now wife, so I did the right thing http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif).

Good Times to Bump (based on living in a small southern city which is a state capital:

Thursdays in any week when the legislature is in session. They all go home Thursday afternoon and flights oversell.

Sunday mornings the day after college graduation. Families fly in during the week for the Saturday ceremony but all go home Sunday.

Any flight to the airline's hub around 5PM Tuesday thru Friday. Business folks going home fill it up and over.

I love bumping! I flew AUS to YVR, on Northwest, with a stop in MSP. On the way back, my MSP to AUS was oversold. They offered a $400 voucher, and a trip to HOU then to AUS. Went over to the HOU flight, overweight. Put me on the nonstop back to Austin just 3 hours after my original flight, another $400 voucher, and a first class seat :-) Im planning a trip to New York and Toronto, only looking at those flights with connections. My travel is more based on economy rather than chances of bumping. Still, im first to volunteer!

Just heard a great offer earlier today sitting at LAX. Was at the satellite United Express terminal (you know the 71A-H one) waiting for a flight to Palm Springs. Anyway, flight going to Santa Rosa on United Express (this is around 2:00pm) was overweight due to the high temperatures. They needed two volunteers and were offering............are you ready for this........$600 in vouchers each!!!

The one time I wish I was flying to Santa Rosa instead of Palm Springs. Take care all.

CS

I have never been bumped before. For the record, I have never even heard of voluntary bumping announcements before. On one transpacific flight, Y was oversold so they pushed me up to C, but never asked for volunteers.

So, the question is: When and where are these "voluntary bumping" announcements made? At check-in? At boarding? Once on board? And do they ask Elite flyers, or always only put non-elites off the flights (assuming they don't want to even voluntarily inconvenience elite flyers)? What happens to checked baggage?

Maple

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Spare the miles, spoil the flight!

Not sure about other airlines, but:

Delta asks at the gate check-in. They do make announcements if they need extra seats.

United: Same. They also frequently will have a note or crawler on the sign announcing the flight (at the gate) noting that the flight may be oversold, and inviting volunteers.

They don't always ask as you are checking in for the flight, so if you are interested, just smile pleasantly and ask when you check in if it looks as though they'll need people to volunteer to give up their seats and take a later flight. If they say "Yes", go ahead and volunteer.

I really don't know how they select volunteers. Some say it's based on the order in which people volunteer, some say it's by elite status first. It may even be discretionary with the gate agent for all I know.

Obviously, though, if you're a party of 6 and they need only 2 seats, they may well pass you over and go to other volunteers rather than asking whether you'll split your party. I would suggest that in such case, if you're willing to split your party you mention it when you volunteer.

Hah! You would think, but one time I was in front of a party of 6 when 3 seats were needed, but AA used that party instead of me. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I always arrive at least an hour before the flight to see if the plane is overbooked, and try to be first in line. I ask if it looks like it is possible that they may need volunteers. I am bumped maybe 5% of the time - but last year I got 600 miles from United. Once I was bumbped and arrived at my destination BEFORE my original flight - I was originally going from San Diego-Tucson with a stop in Phoenix, They put meon a flight an jhour or so later direct from San Diego to Tucson.

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TucsonSam

Since we travel during school holidays, we often have the opportunity for a bump. My best was an AA direct flight from San Diego to ORD. I got $800 in vouchers and F seats routed through DFW.

Regarding earning miles, we always earn miles on the rerouted flights. Even in the original flight was a ff ticket, they always forget to indicate this on the rerouted flight so we get the miles anyway. I consider it part of our compensation. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

Worst bumping I saw recently... Christmas day, ORD-SFO-OGG. On a day when we should have been playing with our new toys, we were on a layover in San Francisco. About 3/4 of the way through boarding, they stopped allowing passengers on. The pilot announced that there was too much fuel on the plane and they were attempting to remove some - 1/2 hour delay. How can this take so long? Don't they have proper equipment? It took 2 hours. On a bathroom trip during the wait, I realized there was a line of people, including small children, waiting in the jetway - not back at the gate - to board the plane. At the end of two hours, they still didn't board the rest of the plane. We continued to Maui having whole rows to take naps in. I can't imagine what compensation they gave the families in the jetway.

[This message has been edited by DebBrown (edited 05-08-2001).]

Mondays and Fridays are best to get bumped, also Sunday night. Get to the airport early and be waiting for the gate agent when they arrive about 1 hour before the flight (hint: you can also ask the ticket counter if the flight is overbooked).

Compensation is based upon when they can get you on the next flight - the longer the wait, the more $$$ http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

It also helps if you are a frequent flyer - they usually go out of their way (at least DL does) to make you happy