bhatnasx

Just curious, can the WorldClub reps put you on the bump list or do you have be put on the bump list by the gate agent? Usually the GA's show up an hour before a flights scheduled departure, but if I were to ask a WC rep, could they put me on the bump list? I know UA's RCC folks do it.

Thanks in advance!

OMAguy

in my experience, at hub airports where i would be in a WC, only the gate agent can put you on the bump list. the reason why (explained to me) is that a bump list only exists once the gate agent has determined the flight is oversold and volunteers may be needed. the gate agent has taken control of the flight at that point and everything must be done through him/her.

in some smaller stations, this is done at the ticket counter, but never in the hubs or larger stations.

that being said, i have had a very nice WC rep in MSP call to the gate from the WC and have the gate agent place me on the bump list several times.

CaseyN2

You could put yourself on the "Bump list" directly from home, if you use the check-in feature on NWA.com.
When a flight is oversold it will ask you if you want to be put on the volunteer list.

Wiirachay

Yes/no. In theory, yes, because the G/A's are supposed to use the bump list feature in the NW software. I've had W/C agents put me on the list before. However, some W/C agents are hesitant because they know some G/A's are lazy to use the bump feature and just take names on a written list.

- Pat

rashby

I have been told by WC people they couldn't put me on the list and other have actually put me on the list. Every flight that I was on the list for a bump this year left with empty seats. Good inventory control I guess. I have also been put on the list at the ticket counter in MIA.

ilovemiles

How recently has this happened to you? I have had it tell me that the flight is oversold and to see the gate agent if interested, but never had it put me on the volunteer list.

ed1

How recent was this? I've twice gotten a notice on screen when checking in from my computer, and once at the Kiosk in PHL. All three said that I should see an agent to volunteer. In PHL the ticket agent was able to put me on the list for my connecting flight out of one of the hubs (I forget if it was DTW, MEM, or MSP) and when I got to the gate and checked, I was indeed #1 on the list - I had to tell the ticket agent that she should be able to do this (WC agent told me that the ticket agent could do this when I talked to her the night before). Same WC agent told me that WC agents were not supposed to do this, but busy gate agents had asked that WC agent do it previously, when they gate agent was very busy.

I've gotten the same story (that WC agents were not supposed to do this) at DTW's clubs. I've been able to get on the list before/after the boarding of flight preceding my flight at my scheduled gate, but I chose times when the gate agent was not busy to ask them.

One thing to keep in mind, even if the flight is only "full" and not overbooked, it doesn't hurt to tell them that you are willing to volunteer, should it become necessary! I did this on my DTW/TPA flight in Oct., and ended up getting bumped. I was waiting in the gate area during the boarding and was not the first one to reach the counter when they asked for volunteers, but made sure that they knew I had already offered to do so earlier. The gate agent verified this with the other agent (to whom I had offered to volunteer) and I was the only one bumped from this flight.


-Ed

SDF_Traveler

Interesting - that is the one route I typically got my bumps on in the past. I haven't flown it lately, but in the past (esp on Sat mornings) it was almost always a guaranteed bump.

I haven't taken a bump in quite some time now as I haven't had much wiggle room in my travel schedules -- but it's rare for me to see them requesting volunteers, unless it is happening when I am in the WorldClub, and by the time I get to the gate, boarding has already started. The far majority of my flights have been pushing back full lately.

SDF_Traveler

rdestes

I want to reinforce the notion of volunteering when you check in even if they aren't asking for volunteers. NW uses a code (starts with a "V" but I can't remember it) to put you on the list. My wife and I were both so listed on a recent trip to Bangkok....no indication the flight was oversold but we did it because we had previously been able to volunteer on another flight to Bangkok. We were comped as volunteers ($700 each) and next day out.

ed1

Lately, it seems that Sun. is the best for bumps to TPA, and Fri. for bumps to PHL. When I plan to travel, the first thing I do after getting the cheap fares (I use the flexible travel option, to call up Wed., Th., Fri. departures and Sat., Sun., Mon. returns) is to check the seat maps and look for nearly full flights. If I find two or more possibly full flights on the same trip, I book that choice. I've almost always found at least one segment that was nearly full for any weekend I want to travel between those cities.

I'm rarely at the gate when they first announce that they are looking for volunteers (usually in WC), but if I'm looking to get bumped and the flight looks at least nearly full, I go to the gate and ask the agent about a volunteer list. This was the first time that they didn't actually start a list when the flight was full, as soon as I asked about volunteering.

-Ed

ed1

In that case (my previous post) they weren't even taking volunteers (officially), but I checked at the WC (on my way between arrival and departure gates at DTW locked up my laptop and asked if the flight looked overbooked). They said it might be, so I headed to the gate (long layover) and during a quite time before they started boarding the flight preceding mine, asked the agent about it. Agent said the flight was full, but not oversold. I said if anything should change in the meantime, I would like to take a voluntary bump. So it doesn't hurt to make that known, even if they aren't actually taking a list!

-Ed