anyone with any bumping experience on SWA?

[dznyacct]

Has anyone had any experience volunteering to get bumped on SWA? Our flight down to Orlando from Indy (2 weeks from today ) is sold out, as is our return flight. I will be travelling with my DS (16) and his friend (also 16), so I'm not too worried about keeping them occupied (thank goodness for portable DVD players and MP3 players !) before the next flight a few hours later. What kind of compensation does SWA generally offer (a certain $$ amount certificate or a free round-trip certificate)? The only downside is the next available flight is not non-stop (stopping in Baltimore), but hey for a free flight I think we could be inconvenienced ! Thanks for any experiences you can share .

 

[rgf207]

Usually you get 1 free voucher per person being bumped

 

[JDietz40]

We were thinking about the same thing both of our flights now show sold out.

We hope to be going to DL later this summer and some credit toward airfare would be nice. Does anyone have any idea how SWA handles this if you have 2 seats booked as a person of size. I really could fit in one seat by SWA's rules but I prefer 2 for the comfort of all.

John

 

[goofyforlife]

My husband volunteered to be bumped off southwest....

The voucher was for a given dollar amount (i'm not sure how they determined but his was for something like $230)

Also it was a paper voucher which means you can't use it to book internet fares.

 

[clkelley]

Many moons ago, I saw this offered once. It was $100, plus the value of that leg of the flight.

So if you are on a really cheap Ding! fair, it could be as low as $129.

Carol

 

[Lewisc]

SW does a very good job in calculating no-shows. I'd be surprised if they need any volunteers, let alone 3.

SW won't overbook another flight to protect passengers who are bumped, or elect to take another flight. Be careful if the GA talks about priority standby.

 

[taimgxe]

I have voluntarily given up my seats on occasion... Most of the time, they will refund the flight leg your are giving up back to your credit card or however you paid, plus give you a voucher for a specific amount. I have had anywhere from $150.00 to $250.00/person. Depends on how many seats they need to fill and the possibility of getting people on later flights. Definitely give it a try... Oh, and the paper voucher is what you will receive. However, you can still purchase internet and DING fares, it will just take a little more work on your part. Think of it as a rebate. You would have to buy the tickets for whatever trip you are taking. Once the trip is over you send the voucher in to the Southwest Customer Relations with a copy of your confirmation. Assuming they are not backed up, it takes about 5-7 business days for them to credit back you card. I am done it 2 times before and it worked great. Plus, you can call them and get a status update.
Otherwise, you would have to purchase tickets at the airport using the vouchers.