jms8090

Going to FLL from LGA on Feb 26th on American no less and would like to get bumped off of this flight. think that my chances are good due to the sheer number of people that travel this route in winter. I usually get to the counter early and put my name of a wait list to volunteer. does anyone know of any other way to increase my chances?

MileCrazy

BestFares had an article about this recently, but i can't locate the link, so i'll just repeat what i read:

1. arrive at airport 90 min before departure
2. get to gate before it opens and be first in line
3. ask if flight is oversold and if volunteers are needed
4. ask what compensation is being offered
5. if you like the compensation, volunteer
6. be a savvy negotiator, but don't hold out too long
7. ask what flight you will be protected on (get protected under rule 240)
8. carry a flight schedule to tell agent what flight you prefer
9. make sure you are confirmed on new flight
10. if next flight is overbooked, repeat process

note: be aware that if bumped, your baggage may arrive at destination before you do.

jms8090

thank you for info...do you have a further explanation of rule 240? been looking for an explanation of this rule for some time...thanks!

Boomer

Try http://www.onetravel.com/rules/rules.cfm

It has great info about airline rules.

MileageAddict

I've been bumped a few times between Seattle and Phoenix during the winter months on Alaska Airlines. Friday late afternoon flights between Seattle and Detroit used to offer bumping opportunity until NW added DC-10's to the route.
I have never been involuntarily bumped but one time I was flying between Seattle and Eugene, OR on Horizon Airlines and the flight attendant announced that the plane had exceeded its weight limit! Four people including myself took a flight 60 minutes later and were compensated with a free ticket.

geo1004

I am from DC but used to live in Miami. Coming back to MIA on a Sunday night, I flew to Tampa and then onto MIA on a prop commuter (US Airways). When scheduling, it was the lowest fare so I accepted that odd route. The commuter flight was oversold so I took the bump and got the free ticket. Took another flight an hour and a half later. The agent told me that my original flight was "almost always" oversold. I used the free ticket to go back to DC a few weeks later and requested the same DCA-Tampa-MIA flights for my return. Once again. I got bumped. Took the free ticket. I repeated the process again the next month. Got bumped. It worked again!!! My discounted $190 r/t to DC on my original ticket netted me three additional r/t's!!! Further, I was able to upgrade the DC-TPA segment each time with upgrade certificates! Moral of the story: If you want to get bumped, and you've got the time, find those flights you know will be heavily booked, get there early, smile, and offer your seat to the agent.

kokonutz

I LOVE it!!! Getting bumped is one of my FAVORITE passtimes at an airport!

Geo is right! Just look for the crowded gate areas, and next time, book that flight!

ShowMeTheMiles

Why wait to look for crowded gates areas? With the wealth of experience on this site (travel experience that is), we could create our own little list. My contribution: the last UA flight from ORD to Denver on Sunday evenings. Almost always overbooked.

geo1004

Getting bumped at the airport. What else is as free and fun??? (And you don't even need protection). One thing I always look for when I book a flight is the spacing between flights to the same destination. That Tampa to MIA commuter flight I mentioned a few posts back was the first flight of the evening hours to MIA on that carrier. Lots of morning and early afternoon flights but then a loooooong space between the last early afternoon flight and the one I got bumped off of several times. Hence, more people forced to choose that flight AND more chance for incoming & connecting traffic to build up and create the beloved oversold situation. Check your system schedules...they are your friend.

EMD

Detroit to Charleston, WVa - 4:15 pm flight on Northwest - have gotten bumped twice - got $500 once and $300 the second time - there is a 9 something flight which is always empty.

kokonutz

Another trick is to look for routes that are heavliy served by an airline's feeder airline, but has one flight a day on the regular airline. The regular flight will tend to be overcrowded with people who need to make the route, but refuse out of fear or comfort to take the propeller flight. Book the jet flight, and take a bump to the (sometimes simultaniously departing) turboprop (or regional jet)!

This has worked for me (going from UA to United Express) on a couple of IAD-ATL flights as well as IAD-JFK and IAD-RDU.

[This message has been edited by Matt Wald (edited 02-18-99).]

Rudi

seen today at Zurich airport, terminal A, in the middle of/before the check-in-area (that is where Swissair, Sabena, Austrian, Delta, Crossair and Balair check-in):

a monitor with the headline "CASH NOW - FLY LATER" listing the flights for which the airlines are looking for volunteers to be bumped.

diver

My all-time best bump with the highest payoff was EWR to MCO on a Friday evening in the summer. I was first given two free tickets from CO (anywhere in the US, Mexico, and Alaska) good for two years. They also gave me meal vouchers. An hour later, I volunteered again, getting yet another free ticket. I finally made it on the last flight that evening but when I got to Orlando, all rental cars (at least the economy ones) were gone!

More Tips

Go on a Friday or before a holiday.

Specifically book flights that are oversold. It is first come, first serve on the day of the flight.

Leave yourself extra days to get to where you are going.

Tell everyone around you that it is such a terrible deal so that noone else takes the bump and the stakes get ever higher.

Lastly, wait until the end of boarding to get on. Many times, I get bumped because I am the only one left out there and a last minute business traveler will not take no for an answer - they are getting on that flight.

pkfloyd7

Great flight to get bumped is Cincinnati to Denver on Delta 639 4:15pm flight is almost always full and often offered as bump.
They are only offering $300 Delta credit instead of a full ticket this week.

hhui

though I've never taken the bump myself because it always falls at a bad time, _any_ Continental Express flight from Cleveland is good. Just go there and watch and they will usually call out for volunteers every hour or so, because the propjets are weight-limited.

I have no idea why they haven't caught on yet..