Serial Bumping on Overbooked Flights?
Dec 12, 2005 | 1:23 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 44
Serial Bumping on Overbooked Flights?
I can imagine that on a popular route right before a holiday, there would be several consecutive flights that would be overbooked. Has anyone made a day of going to the airport with a ticket on the earliest flight and getting bumped from one to the next to the next, collecting a free ticket or travel voucher each time?
Dec 12, 2005 | 1:50 pm
#2
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: AA, Hilton, Marriott
Posts: 469
$6000 at FLL
We did this at FLL some years ago. Our family of four got bumped off three consecutive flights for our return to SAN after spring break. Mopped up $6000 in AA vouchers. It was magic. But I have not heard of this happening recently. I think gate agents look at the next flight, see that it is already oversold, and keep going until they find one with seats available. If you are not willing to wait until the next available flight, they probably will not use your seat and will not issue the bump to you. Instead, they'd probably resort to involuntary bumping, despite all the unpleasant side effects that go along with that.
Dec 12, 2005 | 2:14 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: BLI/SEA
Programs: UA 1K; AA Gold; Hilton Gold; Starwoods Gold; Ameniti; Priority Club; Hertz Gold 5*
Posts: 124
Not a holiday, but last year on Friday OAK-SEA; I received 2 vouchers for systemwide travel on AS for two consecutive VDB. The GA said that overbooking on Friday in OAK was always prevalent due to so many business flyers trying to get out to go home on the weekend.