Volunteering to get bumped

[Luckymommyx2]

Just a quick question for all of my Disney traveling experts out there....

I noticed our flight is booked solid. Since we don't have any plans our first day and we're the first flight out, I'm thinking we could wait until the next flight (an hour later.) Has anyone volunteered to take a later flight and if so, did you get any future flight credits or a bump to first class? Just curious to see if/what the airlines would offer.

Thanks!!

 

[davedmaine]

Just a quick question for all of my Disney traveling experts out there.... I noticed our flight is booked solid. Since we don't have any plans our first day and we're the first flight out, I'm thinking we could wait until the next flight (an hour later.) Has anyone volunteered to take a later flight and if so, did you get any future flight credits or a bump to first class? Just curious to see if/what the airlines would offer. Thanks!!

If they're over-booked, you might have a chance. Incentives start very low though so volunteering right away won't get you much.

 

[tstidm1]

I have gotten a free Round Trip Ticket and upgrade to business class from Airtran for being willing to be bumped to a later flight. What I do is when I get to my gate or check in I ask if the flight is oversold. If it is, I say I would be willing to be bumped if need be. You have the right to say no if you originally say yes or wait until the make the compensation to your liking.

 

[keishashadow]

Just a quick question for all of my Disney traveling experts out there....

I noticed our flight is booked solid. Since we don't have any plans our first day and we're the first flight out, I'm thinking we could wait until the next flight (an hour later.) Has anyone volunteered to take a later flight and if so, did you get any future flight credits or a bump to first class? Just curious to see if/what the airlines would offer.

Thanks!!

what airline? They tend to vary as to what they offer. I've seen it go up to 3 RT flights on AT.

as suggested above, present yourself @ the counter and ask to get '1st dibs' specifiy you want "X" number of bumps as per your party size.

 

[dis_guy]

Once upon a time in DEN, United had a very overbooked fight to MCO. They opened with a free ticket, and ended with going out on the next morning's flight in first class, hotel, and $200 spending money as well as the free flight for each person in your party. Mind you that was a few years ago.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

The offers usually start out pretty low; like a $100 ecertificate. In my experience, someone almost always bites. You didn't mention your airline, but it's highly unlikely you'll be offered a bump up in class. I have been offered a bump on United a number of times at check-in, but never accept. Using travel certificates can be a pain; at the very least, hold out for a cash offer.

Keep in mind that your flight may not be sold out, or if it is, this can change before departure. Also, the larger your group, the fewer chances you will be accommodated together on a later flight.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you are planning to volunteer get to the airport early. Ask the at the ticket counter if the flight is full. If it is go to the gate and stay there. As soon as the agent arrive go up to the desk and ask if they are looking for volunteers.

For SWA they give $150 if they can get you on a flight within 2 hrs. plus the cost of the one way ticket price you paid for the flight you are volunteering to give up.

We have been willing to be split up because they only needed 1 volunteer. You have to tell them that because they may only need one of you. I went from TPA to BNA to MDW and met up with my husband in MDW for the final leg of our flight to CLE. He went from TPA to MDW.

 

[deakam]

If you volunteer then you must negotiate the terms with the airline. If they bump you, and con not get you to your destination within one hour of your original landing time, they are required to pay 200% of the price of your one way ticket up to $650.00. They may offer you a free ticket on a future flight but you can insist on the check. Per the United States government website.

 

[bumbershoot]

I don't know what is normally done, but this is what happened with us!


The day of the Superbowl this year, we had a flight. I had tried to tell DH that we should change it, as it became more apparent that he might be in severe emotional pain being on our connecting flight (out of Newark no less!) that left before it started and landed in Seattle after it would finish. DS and I were on miles and hubby was booked for cash.

Got to MCO nice and early as we like to do. The area started filling up. DH was getting really sad about flying. And then they announced it. They needed volunteers.

The lines to the desk were already really long. DH made the decision to go straight to the desk, bypassing (cutting) the lines. The people in the lines were already waiting there, they weren't getting into line based on the bump option, and since the employees did not turn him away as they would have done if he had just gotten impatient about a normal thing to go to the desk for, it turned out OK. (and even though I am vehemently against "cutting", I think in this case it actually HELPED the people already in line, and again, since he wasn't turned away, I think it was OK and I would recommend it to others in such a circumstance)

They needed 9 volunteers, and we were 3. So we got on the list. At that time they were offering $300 vouchers and a flight out, etc.

Once it was all taken care of, they were offering $400 vouchers; they weren't able to do 3 $400 vouchers, so they gave us 4 $300 vouchers, which kind of works out better given the prices we generally travel under. This was a VERY busy travel time (the next day was worse), and getting us out that day wasn't possible. Nor is it what we wanted, anyway.

They also gave us food vouchers for the airport and/or the hotel they sent us to. Turned out to be only $7 per person per meal, which doesn't get you very far, but we dealt with it. In our case, DS and I didn't have much of an appetite anyway, so it worked.

They put us up at the Doubletree. Tried for the Hyatt in MCO but it was full. Oh well.


And while travel out the next day was difficult, and involved a few extra changes to the flights, it worked out. For some reason, United found it impossible to keep our reservations connected, but even that worked out. DH was upgraded to Business class for one of our flights, and no one had a problem with me using his ticket so that I could have some ME time and DH could have some "play videogames with DS time".

Oh, and DS and DH got to watch the Superbowl on the BIG TV in the Doubletree lobby, while I got a bonus day at Epcot. Win win! And, for DH's team, win.


Worked out well for us!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

If you volunteer then you must negotiate the terms with the airline. If they bump you, and con not get you to your destination within one hour of your original landing time, they are required to pay 200% of the price of your one way ticket up to $650.00. They may offer you a free ticket on a future flight but you can insist on the check. Per the United States government website.

This isn't quite right.

It makes a difference if the bump is voluntary or involuntary:

http://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/14/250.5

 

[Mom2Luci]

I volunteered last year on a Delta flight from ATL to MDW and got a $400 voucher, hotel, and an upgrade to First on the first flight the next day. Worked out well because I was not feeling good anyway.

 

[jdb in AZ]

We were booked to fly home on the red-eye from Miami on New Years Eve after a cruise. Five of us volunteered to be bumped, so we ended up getting first-class seats on a flight the next day. The airline also put us up in a nearby hotel. We went to dinner and a movie instead of sitting around the airport on New Year's Eve with other relatives waiting for our original flight. So we arrived a few hours later than other members of the extended family but we were rested and they were exhausted from the late-night flight.

 

[Luckymommyx2]

Thank you all for the wonderful replies! I've enjoyed reading your experiences so far.

We are a family of 4 flying from Philly to MCO via US Airways. We're the first flight out and wouldn't mind taking another flight since we're just staying at the Hyatt the first night. If we're offered a decent deal to bump then we will but if it doesn't happen we're fine starting our vacation as planned!

 

[athumann]

This happened to me last Sunday and it was on United. When I checked in I was asked if I would be willing to take a $150 travel voucher to take a later flight and I said sure since I really didn't need to be anywhere until Monday morning anyway but buy the time I got to my gate it looked like they already had a family that volunteered to be bumped. The United employee was joking with them that they were getting a mini vacation in Chicago.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

I noticed our flight is booked solid.

How did you determine that the flight is booked solid?

Many seats can appear to be unavailable on an online seat map, despite being unassigned. The airlines can hide dozens of seats on each flight. Some seats are only shown to elite frequent flyers. Other seats are held back for airport control.

If the airline has stopped selling tickets for the flight at any price, then the flight could really be booked solid.

 

[seashoreCM]

For volunteering you must go by the compensation and amenities that the airline offers at that time.

For involuntary bumps the airline must pay compensation in cash according to the federal law, or the same compensaion that volunteers got, whichever the passenger chooses.

A significant disadvantage of "free round trip" vouchers is that you can't use them for any flight you might choose but rather only on flights where seats of certain prices or less are still open. Because of this, some seasoned travelers volunteer only if they can get "dollar value" vouchers.

Usually it is not practical to volunteer when going to Disney because the delay could result in loss of your car rental reservation or you have fewer chances for a rebook if your replacement flight is cancelled and you lose a night at your resort.

 

[jdb in AZ]

How did you determine that the flight is booked solid?

Many seats can appear to be unavailable on an online seat map, despite being unassigned. The airlines can hide dozens of seats on each flight. Some seats are only shown to elite frequent flyers. Other seats are held back for airport control.

If the airline has stopped selling tickets for the flight at any price, then the flight could really be booked solid.

We just ask the gate attendant when we get to the gate. A nephew who travels a lot for business will often ask, but before volunteering to get bumped, he waits til the airline "sweetens the pot." When the offer is high enough to suit him, then he'll volunteer.

Several years ago we flew to Hawaii and the airline asked for a volunteer after most passengers had already boarded. An airline employee got on the plane's P.A. system and kept increasing the "offer" until someone agreed to take it.

 

[bumbershoot]

I forgot one pretty important thing in my post.


They had loaded our bags already, and couldn't get them off. DH didn't even ask them to get the bags until it was likely too late, anyway, so I'm not sure where the fault lay.

That would have been OK for us, because we were just off a cruise and should have had a variety of overnight things in our carryons...except that we had gotten to the airport SO early, we moved everything into the checked bags.

And we were dressed for Seattle, but still in Orlando. After it had gotten hot. No PJs, no clothes for the next day, nothing extra. We did have one travel tube of toothpaste in a pocket somewhere, but I got to visit Target to get all sorts of things for either that night or the next morning, because none of us like to be gross.

And for my visit to Epcot the day of the Superbowl, I was dying of heat in my long-sleeved shirt, so I got a new short sleeved Mickey shirt out of it, LOL.


That is especially important if you're thinking about a bump on your way TO the destination!