I keep reading about it. Can't figure it out. Did a search, yada yada yada.


Sounds like some flyertalk wizadry or something.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=324984

how hard? I mean, it's not like I just did the search today or resurrected one of several old threads on this subject. I mean, it's not like it's ON THE SAME PAGE or anything!

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78061

Yeah, that's the thread that spawned my question. It doesn't really answer the question though, does it? It talks ad nauseum about the reference code and how to get one...but what is it to get?

I have used the 'BUMP' program many times over the past few years. But more recently it is very hit or miss. In Orlando (MCO) for example, my home airport, the counter agents won't take another airline ticket unless it's endorsed - but that doesn't mean the program isn't still around. The MCO agents are some of the laziest, disconnected, indifferent in the entire system. Point being...they might not even care to know 'BUMP' is still around.

Flying out of Portland (PDX) several times this year I have changed over my CO or DL tickets to NW...and these were K,T class tickets. I also succesfully changed over a DL ticket out of Gulfport/Biloxi.

I do know at some point the 'BUMP' program was revised to exclude tickets from then-America West, AirTran, Frontier, Spirit. That was a few years ago.

Bottom line after all this...I don't know if 'BUMP' actually exists.

To answer the OP's question: believe it stands for "Bring Us More Passengers". Bring a paper ticket (some claim to have had success with e-ticketes) from an airline that NW will take the ticket from, and NW will give you a seat on the same route (minus/plus connections) dependent on space availability.

Steve B.

The eticket part works only if the issuing carrier will send control of their ticket over to another airline. Most airlines won't transfer over eticket control.

I used it earlier this year on a flight Nashville to MSP. Had to give the TA the exact code to enter into the system so she could read up on the program. her response was, "Never heard of it before, I have turned hundreds of passenger away unless they had a full fare ticket from another airline. She took the Midwest Airline ticket and gave us seats on NWA. It is a space available program so it is not costing NWA much to take the risk of not getting paid from the other airline....and you might just buy from NWA for them being so kind. You should only do it on a one way or the return trip on RT because if you do it on the outbound the orginal carrier will cancel your trip and you will need to find your own way home...

It can work for you, but make sure you know ALL the rules before you do it.
Wildman

Yes, the other airline needs to release your ticket first. If you are planning on using this program, you should not check in for your flight. It will make it much easier to switch to NWA. If it is a multi segment trip the other airline involve needs to release all segments of the trip to make it work for you and NWA. It is a good program and I think NWA is wise to keep it available. A goodwill gesture that hopefully will Bring Us(NWA) More Passengers. I think if you use the term BUMP most agents will think you are trying to give up your seat on NWA instead of trying to get a seat.

The basic idea is that if the seats exists, to go ahead and take the passenger whether it's obvious or not that NW will get the money for flying them. After all, if the seat is available, it's of virtually no cost to NW, and they do collect on some percentage of tickets.

Steve

I think the program still exists, at least informally. I've moved a NW flight over to CO a few times without much hassle. Just had to get the NW gate agent to release the ticket to CO and then go to the CO counter and have them issue boarding pass. This works really well on hub-to-hub routes for partner airlines (i.e. IAH to MSP, ATL to MSP, etc.)

Ok, it's not my imagination. I agree wholeheartedly. Although, I might be too if I had to see so many screaming kids all day too.

I can attest that NWA has the ability to grab a CO e-ticket without needing CO to release it. The catch is: don't check in for your CO flight. If you check in, then NWA can't gain control of the E-Ticket. Otherwise any NWA agent can simply enter your CO E-Ticket #, grab the unused flights, transfer them over to a paper ticket and print out the tickets...without ever having to go to CO. I've done this numerous times out of PDX and MSP. NWA will then issue you boarding passes with the CO paper ticket attached.

This does not work with DL, for whatever reason, but it does work with UA tickets (at least in my experiences).