Ever been asked to be 'bumped'?

[juliebro]

Anybody else been approached at the airport and asked if they would volunteer to be 'bumped' off the flight, as it was full? If so, what sort of offer did they make to you?

Julie

 

[TraceyL]

I haven't (unfortunately) but my parents have. Virgin offered to fly them via Miami with an internal flight to Orlando and promised an arrival time within 2 hours of their original time plus a free return flight each anywhere in the world - valid for 18 months. DM turned them down (she's scared of flying) much to DF's disgust !

 

[snookhams]

We haven't but friends of ours who flew home from Orlando 3 days before us were asked if all 8 would like to fly home the next day and they would be put up in a hotel with transfers there and back and again the offer of a return flight each to anywhere in the world valid for 18 months and they DECLINED, if they had offered me that I would accept without even consulting with DH.

 

[profdsny]

Never been lucky.

 

[neo's white rabbit]

If they were going to put us/me up, get us home and give us free return flights too I'd say thank you very much and where's the hotel unless I absolutely had to be home the next morning!

I've often heard them asking for for willing bumpee's - hope I can take advantage of the offer one day.

 

[Enright78]

yes, we did this with AA in New York last october. 2 free flights anywhere to be used in 12 months, free hotel, transfers, meal vouchers, and next available flight. We volunteered and were very happy with the deal!

 

[carene]

Yes, and American Airlines as well.
They were offering $350 compensation per person and a guarantee 1st class seat for those who would get the next available flight.
Tempting, but we didn't take them up on their offer. We all agreed we'd been in Chicago for far too long, and couldn't wait to get back to UK!!!

P.S seems i read somewhere that it is AA's policy to "double book" all seats so that when there are ' no shows' -- the company does not lose out on an empty seat.

Of course, more often than not, you have two passsnegrs waiting for every single seat, and they have to do the "bribery thing" - so IMHO, their policy sucks!!

 

[Enright78]

I think almost all airlines routinely overbook as they cannot afford to fly with empty seats especially in the current economic climate. I never noticed AA to be any worse, we have flown with them for the last 5 trips and it is the first time it has happened!

 

[juliebro]

Yes - we told that US airlines routinely overbook (by at least 10%) as lots of people just don't turn up. However, if almost everyone does, then they have to look for volunteers. We were offered $400 each, hotel, meals, transfers and business class travel the next day. We accepted the offer, although it did mean a day less in Florida!

 

[Manatee]

In Jan flying back from Orlando with Virgin, got the overnight hotel and free tickets to anywhere they fly to, had to decline as we had to get back for work/start of school term, NW also asked us in 95, we received $500 dollars each in travel vouchers and the next flight out of minneapolis in first, (but that was before we had three boys under six in tow.

 

[Muppet]

We bumped from PE to first class on our way back this year as they had double booked the seats. However this only arose when we come to sit dwn and there were people all ready sat there!!!!!

First class was lovely but I don't think I'd could justify paying for it.

 

[KayleeUK]

When we flew last year from Heathrow to Orlando via Washington, they asked. They were only offering a return in the US as compensation, the next flight was an hour or so later. As it was on our way to WDW there was no way I was going to delay our departure. Now if they offered rtn worldwide I would definately say yes please

 

[***SandieUK***]

With the free return flights thing, do they specify when you can take them? I would have to go in school holidays. If you can take them anytime then I might consider volunteering to be 'bumped' if it meant an excuse to go back to Florida the following year!

 

[Hilary]

We've come close to being bumped twice now - once with BA and once with Virgin, and both on the outbound leg. In both cases they had found enough willing passengers by the time they got back to ask us, and we didn't find out the precise 'deal' on offer.

I'd have to be offered pretty good compensation (such as free worldwide flights) to be delayed going out , but I'd probably be happy to pay them if it meant we could stay there a bit longer!

 

[***SandieUK***]

Has anyone been bumped when travelling with Travel City Direct's European Aviation? I know they don't operate as many flights as the major airlines so I suppose it is unlikely that they would overbook.

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

EAL is a charter-only airline as far as I know, so they don't need to overbook (you can't cancel your seat without loosing money, so no problems with no-shows).

Regards

Rob

 

[TracyK]

This happened to us at the weekend. We were due to fly from LA to Heathrow on Friday. We were asked to volunteer to fly the next day. We got $400 each and a night at the Hilton LAX with three meals. This was with Air New Zealand. I would have been really pleased with the offer of free flights as I always go at expensive times so that would have been worth far more to me. When we showed up the next day they were looking for volunteers again.
By an amazing coincidence my sister and her family flew from San Diego on Saturday. They changed planes in Atlanta and they were asked to stay over night with the offer of $600 compensation each from American Airlines. She was really gutted when a party of six were late and they refused to board them so my sister missed out on her $2400 compensation.
I have seen this happen before but I think from our recent experience it must be on the increase. A lady at Heathrow told us that they'd recently paid a family three nights compensation. They intended to get the house double glazed with their windfall.
Tracy

 

[Janice]

We were asked on our very first trip to Orlando in 95 if we were prepared to go on 'Standby' for the flight home. The compensation was a nights accommodation in the Hyatt at the airport, all meals till we got the flight the next day, free transporation and free entry to a dinner show that night, and tickets to Universal the next day, and then complimentary return tickets to anywhere in the world that Virgin flew to, to be used within 18 months. We said yes - and we had to wait till about 15 minutes before the flight departed before we knew if we were on the plane or not! So we really only gave up our chance of visiting Duty Free! (and like that is a big MISS isnt it!) LOL

Unfortunately they didnt need out seats so we got the flight home - I was really disappointed as in those few hours we were waiting to know I had planned to use the tickets to get to my BIL's wedding in South Africa!

Never mind. I do know someone who got bumped 3 times alltogether!

 

[Minniespal]

I think I would turn them down. By the time I finally get to the airport I know exactly when I will be in Florida and to voluntarily arrive much later would be beyond me.

 

[paulh]

A few years back we booked a cheep flight from teletext £99.00 each for 2 weeks to florida flying with virgin 2 adults 2kids and at the time kids were younger and smaller.Got to the check in and there was a problem with the seating they said they would sort it out at the gate.When we were about to board they called us over and told us that they could not sit us directly together and 2 of the seats did not recline they offered us £150.00 for the seats that did not recline.When we boarded the seats were right at the back of the plane so kids spent most of the time playing in the galley area there and as they were small at the time it did not matter if the seats did not recline and that was the trip we bought in to dvc what a holiday that was
Paulh