Last night, I performed a rare "triple bump" and had the chance to keep it going as an unheard of quadruple bump!

I had a ticket on the 7:30 p.m. United Express flight from LAX to Palm Springs. The flight was overbooked -- mostly because United reduced the number of LAX-PSP round-trips from 20/day to 12/day. They asked for volunteers, and I was first. Initially, they didn't seem to need me and actually sent me to the plane. Then, at the last minute, they pulled me back, I guess because some other passenger showed up. I got $300 in United vouchers to take the 8:55 p.m. flight.

That flight was overbooked, too. Again, I volunteered. This time, there was no question that I was needed. I got another $300 and a booking at 10:21 p.m.

Again, same routine: overbooked, volunteered, was needed, got another $300, and rebooked at 11:16 p.m.

The 11:16 flight was the worst of all. They were begging people to volunteer and offering $500 or a free ticket within the lower 48 states. I was tempted, except that I would have to leave the airport and go through LAX security the next morning. That was such a dreadful thought that I just took the last flight to Palm Springs, and here I am!

Maybe I can do this again on Sunday (in the other direction). Getting paid $900 tax-free to sit in an airport for a few hours isn't bad at all!

Bruce

Very good deal! Hope you use those vouchers to go somewhere fun. I've only ever gotten bumped going on US from EWN (New Bern NC) to CLT. Have gotten a couple free flights that way - one of which I got bumped from and earned another free flight.

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I Love New York

Last July my girlfriend and I were flying GPT-ATL-MIA on DL. We were on an RJ in the first row and I overheard the gate agent asking the flight attendant to make an announcement for volunteers. I think I was already telling the attendant we would give up our seats before I had even finished waiting for an answere from my girlfriend! Anyway got $200. each and a flight out two hours later. After arriving in ATL, found out that there were severe thunderstorms in the area which affected flight operations, thereby overbooking our flight to MIA. Volunteered again and this time got $300 each and hotel overnight (at least from 2:00a - 5:00a). Next morning same thing - to make a long story short - 4 flights later we finally got on a flight to FLL (with limo svc to our doorstep in Miami)and $3600 between us in vouchers.

I've never had the chance to use more than one voucher at a time. Can you combine these vouchers, say all three vouchers and take $900 off an int'l ticket?

No, you can't, which is one major reason that I fly AA instead of UA. AA allows you almost total flexibility with vouchers, adding them up however you want to, while UA issues you a booklet (in this case, it would be a booklet of 4 vouchers in $75 increments) and allows only the combination of THOSE 4 vouchers...so if you're buying a ticket that's more than $300 you will pay cash for the rest of it. Also, if I remember correctly, if your ticket were, say, $100, you would use two vouchers and get NO residual amount back in another voucher. I could be wrong on that last part though.

I don't know about UA but on AA you can combine them but you don't really want to! WHY? because each voucher allows the US taxes to be waived on all tickets purchased, so if you use a voucher smaller than the price, you pay the difference, but the next voucher does the same on the next ticket. On a trip to Antigua one spring break a couple of years ago, the three of us totaled $5000 in vouchers with 2 bumps (on AA). I rotated the vouchers but didn't realize to spread them out. Now I am. With the last $99 voucher balance from that windfall, I used it towards 2 tickets to London and the US taxes on both tickets was eliminated. So rotating you vouchers is the best strategy.

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DtG

Hmmmm. Interesting. I was told by AA once (or twice?) that whether the taxes were waived depended on whether the majority of the ticket was paid with the tax exempt voucher, or not. If the majority (more than 50%) of the ticket was paid with a voucher, then the taxes were waived, whereas if the majority was paid with real money, then taxes would be charged. I don't know if they really knew what was going on, but that was what I was told.

It appears that I could have done this again on Sunday morning. They were asking for volunteers for the 6:15 a.m. flight! I had a ticket for the 7:10 a.m. They needed two volunteers, got only one, and involuntarily bumped another guy. I chose to take my flight, but all the flights for the rest of the day were oversold apparently. They were putting people on taxis to Ontario for alternate transportation!

The main reason that I did not volunteer is that they were offering free tickets, rather than dollar vouchers. For reasons discussed above, dollars are much better for frequent flyers like us. Another reason is that I would be bumped only once and have to endure a long cab ride to Ontario. No thanks.

Bruce

Sounds like a great weekend to go to PSP!!! Was anything special going on??

Back in Feb., 10,000 people from across the US converged on a conference in FAT. I got $600 from AA for that one.

A buddy got $800 from HP. UA Express agents were just beside themselves... I watched the gate action from a distance. That was a good day to fly out of FAT.

I also got bumped from LAX-PSP on Thurs. 11/1. We got $250 times 3 tickets, and they put us on a shuttle van to PSP, plus $45 in dinner vouchers. Couldn't spend that much at Chili's! (alcohol not allowed )

I don't think I would do this again with kids, as the van took longer than advertised.

This was the second bump of our vacation. We later volunteered a third time (DFW-MCI) for $300 each, but at the last minute a connecting flight was late, so 12 people missed their flight, thus no bumping was necessary.

whoa!

bdschobel

You are my hero. I have done the PSP-LAX run a few times and never had such luck.

I had a business meeting in PSP Friday-Saturday, but it didn't start until 11 a.m. on Friday, so I could have theoretically stayed over in LAX Thursday night. Just couldn't bear the thought of going through security!

Bruce

Bruce, are you sure that you aren't paying off the WSJ reporters with these vouchers to get quoted?



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I'd rather have the vouchers!

Bruce