Since every passenger on the plane is paying a different fare and talking about it why should vouchers be any different?

It's been a while since I got bumped, but the last time I did it was on CO and the GA gave you what they offered at the time. I actually waited until they bumped up the offer. I would have been unhappy if they gave the first who volunteered (for less) the same as me.

I am a little sorry to blast you for posting something on FT, but all you are going to do is get 45 people's opinions. What are you going to do? Count them up and get a "scientific" answer to your question?

Good luck.

A few years ago, I was in the same shoes as kipper. Non-elite, volunteered to be bumped, got bumped. At the end of the boarding process, though, there were empty seats due to noshows from delayed passengers. GA saw me there and asked me to board. I got bumped, and I got on my original flight!

Looking back, I should have stayed out of the area because the later flights were full, and I would have been bumped if I had not boarded the plane.

I have been bumped on UA, US, and, years ago, HP. On all 3, I was one of the first volunteers, but I ultimately got the highest offer, as did all the volunteers. As near as I can tell, this is usually the case, because they don't usually rebook you until after the flight has boarded, and then they are accomodating everyone.

I was on a HP flight from LAX to LAS, they offered $200 voucher and a flight 1 hour later. I took the offer but they still needed more passengers. Few minutes later they offered $300. GA called me over and said I would be getting $300 and a seat up front for volunteering first.

That seat up front for volunteering first sounds like the advantage conferred for being first to accept the fraternity bid.

Unless they know that they are going to need the seats, like the Sunday after T-Day. Late afternoon, early evening flights with the preceding flights all full. AA offered $300 for SNA-SJC, same to all volunteers, about 1 hr before flight time. No flights available until Mon but I was looking forward to dinner with Mom more than a potential second bump. Already had the rental car reserved. US never seems to want to offer anything but free tickets and they make you wait until the flight leaves to get it. I always refused them. UA (actually UX and again on X-Mas day,) needed 26 volunteers when they downgraded equip from a 76 to 50 seater. $600 that time, though I did sit next to another pax who got only $400. FC seat on next flight, which also was downgtraded from a 320 to a 319, so technically, my assigned seat didn't exist, but there was another open in FC. I heard AA was offering $500 and a later same day flight in LHR for some flights on the Mon after T-Day.

I always find it best to get on the list early, even if it means going to another gate, before your gate opens, and having that GA put you on the list. They usually know which flights they are going to need volunteers on well in advance of the gate opening.

And always ask for your seat as reserved (or UPG'd) until they agree to compensation, that way you don't lose it if they end up not needing it. I did miss an UPG to FC from 10F on a 757, when they didn't need my seat. At least I didn't end up in the middle seat in the back.

I find this time of year getting bumped should be easy no matter the aircraft or airline. The closer to Christmas, the eaiser it gets.

In my situation, we had to stay near the gate, or at least return before the flight left, as they were not printing new tickets until after the original flight left. I did consider trying to get bumped from my new flight, but they weren't dealing with any of that. The arriving flight had been delayed, so when they arrived, they herded everyone off the plane, then herded everyone on as quickly as possible. They stopped allowing people to stow carry-ons about halfway through boarding, and insisted everyone else gate check their bags, as they were in a hurry to get the plane off of the ground. Since the arriving flight, and likewise, the flight I was on, had been delayed, the flight crew was close to running out of flight time for the day. It was a, "If everyone isn't on the plane and seated, with luggage stowed and seat belts fastened in ten minutes, no one is going anywhere tonight." So, a bump on that flight wasn't going to happen.

Make sure that you volunteer for all segments when checking in for the first. I was able to get bumped a few times on flights out of hubs by volunteering at my first, smaller airport. Be pleasant. I always say something like, "my plans are flexible and I can travel on another flight if it will help you out." I would think that the staff at BDL will be more receptive than at STL. I have been bumped into FC, onto other carriers (and received double FF points), with award tickets, and so on.

Elite status does not matter. It is not rude to ask more than once. Use the same pleasant, helpful tone to ask all appropriate personnel (check-in and gate agents at each airport).

You can negotiate compensation. I have not been in a situation to try it (although I have requested and received meal vouchers and phone calls). I have spoken to others that have. It depends on the number of volunteers and standbys.

Good luck.

There is a large bump thread discussing this at

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278082

My rule of thumb is I avoid 50 seaters because they on average have only one or 2 overbooked seats. They are more likely to fill up on days when larger planes don't though.

I like to book the heavest travel days so I always go for the larger planes. When a flight is overbooked by 30 you have a much greater chance of a bump.

If you are successful getting bumped, you might ask to get a dollar value certificate rather than a free round trip. My experience with free round trips are limited availability.

I had a US Air certificate. Airfare where I wanted to go was under $200, but there was no availability with the certificate. I was able to call customer service and they exchanged my round trip cert for a $200 cert and it worked out, but you might be better off asking for the dollar value cert up front.

A smaller aircraft can be replaced with a larger aircraft if the airline predicts a significant capacity problem and the larger aircraft is available, which would eliminate the bump possibility.

Does the possibility of a "weight" bump add to the chances of a bump on a smaller aircraft? Or do they consider a "full flight" to be less than 100% capacity, allowing for weight?