anyone ever get bumped on NWA?

[dznyacct]

My son and I leave in the morning for our Easter/Spring Break WDW trip. We are flying Northwest. I called NWA and our flight is overbooked. Does anyone have any experience with volunteering to be bumped on a NWA flight? I wondered what their normal compensation was and do you have a choice as far as what flight you are put on. Our scheduled flight is non-stop and they have more flights tomorrow that have one or two stops/plane changes. We have extra time in our schedule, but I really wouldn't want a flight that has two plane changes. Thanks for any experiences you can share.

 

[rhiansmom]

I have flown NWA more times then I care to count (only carrier out of my local airport) and found that their customer service is the worst... they have stranded me in the minneapolis airport more than once.

Their true "customer service" people go home at a certain hour so when I miss the last flight home I have already missed the customer service people. I have never volunteered to be bumped and prolly never will as the largest compensation I have ever received is a $35 off my next flight coupon.

 

[dznyacct]

WOW! I would have thought you would have been compensated with at least a round trip continental US ticket. $35, definitely not worth my time. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[JoannaOhio]

Why don't you ask when you get to the gate if they need volunteers, and what the compensation would be, and what other flight they would put you on? That way you'll be able to make an informed decision. I've only ever voluntarily gotten bumped on US Air, and the compensation was a roundtrip ticket to anywhere in the continental US, to be used within a year.

BTW, just because they say they're overbooked, doesn't mean they'll actually need volunteers to give up their seats. They may have no shows, or people who have changed their flights in the meantime.

 

[smilingmouse]

My family and I volunteered to be bumped on our 01/05 flight. We received 300.00 vouchers and a comp. upgrade to 1st class on the night flight. We also got food vouchers...
We were happy to be bumped

 

[safetymom]

The airline holds seats back to be assigned at the gate so the plane may not be overbooked but it looks full.
If you want to volunteer be sure to tell the gate agent.

 

[Brian Noble]

First, check flight availability on your flights with this tool:

http://www.flyaow.com/classcwt.htm

If it shows "Y0", then NW is no longer selling tickets for this flight, at any price, to anyone (other than Plat Elites, who are guaranteed seats on sold out flights more than 48 hrs out.) If there is any number after the Y, then you are not yet overbooked, and chances are good that there are no bumps.

If it does show Y0, arrive at the airport 3 hours early, rather than 2, and tell the check in agent that you'd be willing to take a later flight if necessary. You want to arrive early so that you are on the top of that list. When you get to the podium, check again with the gate agent.

If you are bumped, you can expect to recieve either a $200 credit or a $300 credit; it depends on how long you have to wait for your next flight (I think the cutoff is 4 hours, but don't know for sure.) Alternatively, you may be offered a US48 round trip voucher. That voucher is heavily capacity-controlled, though, and can be tough to redeem, so you want the credit for a future flight instead. Also, ask if there is a way you can call ahead to let your family know you will be late. This should get you an "amenity pack", which contains a certificate for free freq flyer miles, a coupon for $X off a flight of $Y (for several different values of X, Y), and a 10 minute phone card. Finally, ask if you can be seated in First on your new flight, and try to get boarding passes printed right then.

If you have a later flight in the day, you need to know that it is possible you will have to stay overnight. In this case, NW will put you up at a local hotel. So, weigh this in your decision.

Finally, don't get your hopes up. NWA has been getting pretty good at predicting noshows. Most flights I've been on have had at most one or two empty seats, but I haven't seen a flight have to bump anyone for over a year, and I fly at least monthly.

 

[mousey]

This was last year but we were bumped in Orlando. They started offering people $300 and the next flight out, but by the time I got to the front of the line, I received $500 (travel credit) and they flew us 1st class actually getting us home 45 minutes earlier. There were 4 of us--so $2000 travel credit took us to LasVegas and Florida again, plus I took my mother to Charlotte, NC for a weekend trip paying only $10.00--we used every penny of those vouchers.

 

[DebbieB]

I booked a business trip for April 10 to 15 today on NW, PIT/MSP, neither flight had seats to assign, although there were quite a few "preferred" seats left according to the NW website. So i don't have a seat assignment either direction, I'll have to jump on 24 hours to do online check-in. When I flew with them last month, I got the last seat available for assignment when I reserved it, 18E (back center). I did online check-in the morning of the flight and got 6F, a previous "preferred" seat.

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

I fly NWA regularly and have been bumped more than once voluntarily. Usually it is a $300 credit. When I get bumped on Mesaba, the credit is less. Credits have to be used to book a flight within a year (not the flight, the booking) of issue. Even better, if you use those credits to book a flight, and the fare of the flight you book goes down, you can request the difference in credits again. I happen to love flying NWA for this very reason!

Have fun!

 

[Brian Noble]

ExPSG: Are you getting the full fare difference, or the fare difference minus $25? The stated policy is the latter.

mousey: NW agents have been told to try to hold the line on vouchers. Since the involuntary bump amounts are $200/$300, they no longer go above these for volunteers. Sadly, the $500 days are over, as far as I can tell.

 

[disnutt]

I fly NWA to WI for work and there is always a request for bumping. I've never been able to do it but always wanted to. My kids are a little older now so maybe when I go in May I'll get the chance. DH can watch them a little longer for some free travel vouchers.

 

[Disney5Mom]

We were offered $300 vouchers last week to be bumped from our Detroit- Buffalo flight on our way home from Disneyworld.First they were offering to fly us to Boston and back to Buffalo,then to drive us to Buffalo after flying us to Rochester.Then to put us up overnight in Detroit. Book your seat assignment online asap so that you won't be bumped if you don't want to be.Good Luck! Our flight was overbooked by 30 seats (March Break)

 

[PURTYPAT1]

dznyacct

I have been bumped several times. The worst was with NW. The free tickets they gave me, were restricted, & couldn't get "any" weekend dates, which includes a year in advance.

My Sister & friend were both bumped in Feb. with NW
My other sister was bumped with AA

My Advice:

As soon as the gate agents check in (about 1 hour before flight leaves)
Go up & put your name on the list. Tell them you want to know what they are offering, before the flight leaves!!!!!!!

You Legally have up to 15 minutes before you flight leaves to change your mind.

If they offer you free tickets, ask if they will be unrestricted. If they say yes, tell them no, you want air money. Find out what there air plan for you will be.

Remember, they can send you out with Continental if they can't find you a flight out, on NW. so ask. (I know I did this)

Hope this make sense to you

Patricia

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

ExPSG: Are you getting the full fare difference, or the fare difference minus $25? The stated policy is the latter.

mousey: NW agents have been told to try to hold the line on vouchers. Since the involuntary bump amounts are $200/$300, they no longer go above these for volunteers. Sadly, the $500 days are over, as far as I can tell.

I have never been assessed the $25 fee, if that's policy. Not sure if it's because I have the silver/elite Worldperks or not, but even before I reached that mileage level I was never assessed the fee.


Will someone PLEASE turn off the faucet in So Cal???

 

[dznyacct]

Thanks everyone. We were scheduled to fly from Orlando to Indy last night. I knew that our flight was overbooked, so I asked about getting bumped at the gate and asked what they were offering. 2 roundtrip tickets per person or 2 $300 travel vouchers per person and seats in first class on the same flight the next day. I called WDW and there was availability for a room at PC. I put a temporary hold on the room and told the ticket agent that I wanted to volunteer. With a PAP in my hands (and $600 in NWA credits each), visions of many more WDW trips in the next year danced in my head. The agent was having trouble getting his printer to work to print my vouchers, so he asked me to take a seat. I was soooooo excited at the thought of having another day in paradise. We already decided it would be spent at MGM. My son wasn't too thrilled, but I told him for $1,200 in travel vouchers he could be inconvenienced for 24 hours. Five minutes before boarding began, I was called to the counter. They didn't need my seats after all. I was crushed. It was like winning the lottery and being told that the ticket was a mis-print. Oh well, I'm flying NWA in 78 days for our "girls only" WDW trip. Maybe I'll get lucky that time!

I keep thinking what I would be doing right now at MGM today. Oh well, it was a GREAT trip and I am thankful for that.

 

[Alexander]

We took a bump out of Orlando last summer. We each received $300 vouchers, they were able to get us home that evening on Delta, it was only a 45 minute later flight, and they gave us food vouchers. We have always had good service from Northwest.

If you are ever given a choice between vouchers and tickets, I was told by NW to take the vouchers because they will only honor so many tickets on every flight and you may not be able to use them when you want to. The vouchers are like $300 in cash so you can use them anytime. The only reason I would take tickets is if I was going to fly to Hawaii or somewhere that cost more than $300. We would just have to be flexible in our travel dates.

 

[rsschneck]

First, check flight availability on your flights with this tool:

http://www.flyaow.com/classcwt.htm

If it shows "Y0", then NW is no longer selling tickets for this flight, at any price, to anyone (other than Plat Elites, who are guaranteed seats on sold out flights more than 48 hrs out.) If there is any number after the Y, then you are not yet overbooked, and chances are good that there are no bumps.

If it does show Y0, arrive at the airport 3 hours early, rather than 2, and tell the check in agent that you'd be willing to take a later flight if necessary. You want to arrive early so that you are on the top of that list. When you get to the podium, check again with the gate agent.

If you are bumped, you can expect to recieve either a $200 credit or a $300 credit; it depends on how long you have to wait for your next flight (I think the cutoff is 4 hours, but don't know for sure.) Alternatively, you may be offered a US48 round trip voucher. That voucher is heavily capacity-controlled, though, and can be tough to redeem, so you want the credit for a future flight instead. Also, ask if there is a way you can call ahead to let your family know you will be late. This should get you an "amenity pack", which contains a certificate for free freq flyer miles, a coupon for $X off a flight of $Y (for several different values of X, Y), and a 10 minute phone card. Finally, ask if you can be seated in First on your new flight, and try to get boarding passes printed right then.

If you have a later flight in the day, you need to know that it is possible you will have to stay overnight. In this case, NW will put you up at a local hotel. So, weigh this in your decision.

Finally, don't get your hopes up. NWA has been getting pretty good at predicting noshows. Most flights I've been on have had at most one or two empty seats, but I haven't seen a flight have to bump anyone for over a year, and I fly at least monthly.

Thanks for the info. I book marked the sight and will check it out for upcoming flights. We will take a bump just about ANY time. We have been bumped twice on Delta and would do it again!