Compensation for Volunteering to be Bumped?

[lovetoscrap]

I am flying out tomorrow morning on Delta and when I checked in online it says that the flight is oversold and they will be asking for volunteers to be compensated for taking a later flight (which also all appear to be oversold!).

I haven't done this in a very long time. I know that years ago you could walk away with a few flight vouchers and a fistfull of cash. But I am thinking now they are pretty conservative and don't offer much--they just bump the last people to check in and they are lucky to get a free cocktail.

I am not in a huge hurry to get where I am going so I don't mind volunteering to be bumped, but I also want to be compensated for getting up at Zero-dark-thirty to be at the airport at 6am (8am flight) and then sit around for hours until the next flight (11ish). Not sure a $100 voucher or something like that will make it worth my time.

How much is reasonable to expect them to be compensating for this?

 

[Jestocost]

Most recently, I typically have heard offers for $200 credit for a future flight. If the time until the next available flight spans a meal period they also have been giving out $10 food vouchers. This is on AA, so YMMV.

 

[DebbieB]

If they offer a "free ticket anywhere in the Continental US" beware. Those tickets come from the same pool as frequent flyer tickets, which can be difficult.

 

[prncess674]

I am flying out tomorrow morning on Delta and when I checked in online it says that the flight is oversold and they will be asking for volunteers to be compensated for taking a later flight (which also all appear to be oversold!).

Even though they say this, there is always the possibility that enough passengers will not show up and no volunteers will be needed. Airlines are quite good at managing over sell situtation.

I haven't done this in a very long time. I know that years ago you could walk away with a few flight vouchers and a fistfull of cash. But I am thinking now they are pretty conservative and don't offer much--they just bump the last people to check in and they are lucky to get a free cocktail.

Time of check in makes a difference, but if a passenger checks in according to the COC (contract of carriage) they have just as much right to a seat as the first person. Airlines will keep upping the ante to get people to volunteer up to the point of the IDB (Involuntarily Denied Boarding) compensation. IDB are VERY VERY RARE! There is always someone will to take vouchers or credit for future travel.

I am not in a huge hurry to get where I am going so I don't mind volunteering to be bumped, but I also want to be compensated for getting up at Zero-dark-thirty to be at the airport at 6am (8am flight) and then sit around for hours until the next flight (11ish). Not sure a $100 voucher or something like that will make it worth my time.

Before volunteering ask what the current offer is and what is the next GUARANTEED seat is. My general rule of thumb is $50-$100 per hour wait time. I expect more if it means it is cutting time out of the start of my vaca. I have more tolerance for waiting if I am headed home and not in a rush. If my original seat is at 8am and the next guaranteed seat is at 11am I would expect $200 - $300 in future travel credit. As a PP stated never accept the free ticket because those are hard to cash in.

I also sometimes press my luck and will tell them to hold my ticket till the end. Many times I will wait till last to board and see if they are still desperate for one last volunteer and have managed to get quite lucrative offers just for waiting a few hours. I have done this on several occasions and managed to get $600 in travel vouchers and a FC seat.


How much is reasonable to expect them to be compensating for this?[/QUOTE]

 

[macraven]

i came back last tuesday on an afternoon flight with American.

it was announced the flight was overbooked and they needed 3 volunteers.

any volunteer would receive a $300 flight voucher that was valid for one year.

also, the volunteer would be guaranteed a seat on the next flight out, which was 3 hours later.


after that announcement was made, it was like a stampeded to the counter to be one of those volunteers.