Bumping...and changing airlines
 

I am one who looks for bumps...nothing like getting miles and a voucher. The ultimate, of course, is getting bumped and rebooked on a different airline, asking for your original miles, and getting miles on your new flight too! (Waiting for it to happen for me.)

Because of that possibility I generally check flight options from each point in my itinerary so I can be ready to ask for advantageous booking times.

QUESTION: Do the majors like DL, CO and NW ever rebook onto Southwest? Do they have the same swapoff arrangements or not?

Most of the major airlines do not have ticketing agreements with Southwest, and that limits their willingness to rebook on Southwest. However, I know of quite a few cases where America West has rebooked passengers on Southwest, especially out of Phoenix.

I am not sure about CO and NW.

But on HP, I found myself in a bind, and an HP angel secured me a last-second seat on a WN flight from SAN-PHX. Maybe WN and HP are just buddies here at SAN, I don't know http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Thanks for the responses....I always check out alternate flights on the general booking searches like Travelocity or ITA but realized I wasn't getting any info on Southwest. Thought it might at least be worth having the notes on Southwest options. (I don't save miles on WN so it really wouldn't be my airline of choice, but it might come in handy if I wanted to get home!)

A couple of years ago, CO rebooked me on a WN flight IAH-AUS. I had missed the original CO departure due to a missed connection.

Not your neck of the woods, but.....

My mom was rebooked from NW onto Vanguard from MDW--MSP when NW had a mechanical on the last flight of the night. Yeah, I know a mechanical is different than voluntary denied boarding, but it surprised me because Vanguard doesn't have any interline ticketing agreements with anybody.

UA rebooked me on National earlier this year LAS-SFO. they managed to make me miss that flight too http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

In my own opinion, if you want to get booked, look like a very busy, important business person who can't stand to be late. That seems to get the best offers. Yes, I do believe that offers vary even for the same flights. Not fair, but how it seems to work.

Just curious,

I was bumped by UA several weeks ago and put on an AA flight. All of the UA segments have shown up in my MP account, and the AA segment is in my AA account, but there is nothing in my MP account for the AA segment. I am not so concerned about the FF miles, but need the status miles.

Anyone know the rules?

Bruce

It sounds like everything is in order--- you wouldn't get MP credit for an AA segment. UA entitles you to credit for your original UA flights, which it sounds like they did post. The AAdvantage segment credit is the special bonus that you wouldn't have gotten had you never been bumped.

I'm assuming you mean that all the UA segments have posted EXCEPT for the one you did not fly.

From what I have read, sometimes it is possible to receive the credit for the unflown segment. My impression is that it is best to ask for this as part of your compensation...otherwise I suspect it will not post since you are not on that plane. It wouldn't hurt to contact them and see if you can get it now.

My son was scheduled on AA from SJC to SNA, AA cancelled flight and reaccomadated him on Southwest.

March this year KLM in AMS offered me a Southwest-Connection DTW-STL as I missed their last flight due to a late flight out of AMS (I choose the free hotel night and traveled on NW next morning...)

brucemcal-

Was the AA flight in place of your UA flight? I've had them place me on DL before when they cancelled a UA flight and got the UA miles without any problem, and got UA miles for a Qantas flight last week HKG-SIN when UA cancelled the route. It's best to call and request the credit. I initially did HKG-SIN by e-mail and was turned down, but when I called and explained why I was on that flight I got the UA miles. Doesn't hurt to call and sell your case.

Twice this year I was bumped to another airline due to flight problems. The gate agent each time (NW, AA) redid the rebooked ticket to the different airline (US) I wanted instead. It doesn't hurt to ask.