Getting Bumped

Not long ago, I called a friend of mine who lives in a major city on the East coast. It was early on a Friday afternoon, I figured I would catch him before he left work for the weekend.

"Hello, this is Mike," he said, answering my call to his cell phone.

"Hey, its David, whats up?" I responded.

Mike said, "David, you are not going to guess where we're at, right now."

I replied to him that I didn't have a clue, obviously not at work, by the sound of his voice. And, I could here the sweet voice of his wife in the background.

"We're in a suite, at the Marriot in Philadelphia, waiting for a flight to the Dominican Republic tomorrow morning," said Mike.

To make a long story short, let me tell you what happened to my friend and his wife.

Mike had booked a 4 night get-a-way package in Dominican Republic as a suprise birthday gift for his wife's 30th birthday. Everything was cool when they checked in for their flight from Baltimore to Puerto Plata. But things got messed up after they boarded their connection flight in Philadelphia to the Dominican Republic.

Everyone was seated when the gate agent came onboard and informed the passengers she needed 4 passengers to give up their seats. No one moved as she explained they we're offering $200 to take a later flight. She briefly left the plane and Mike whispered to Lena his wife, "If she offers $400 bucks, we're outa here!"

Moments later, the agent returned and offered $400 per seat.

Mike jumped up, pulling Lena with him and said, "We'll take it."

The gate agent informed them to meet her at the counter, at the top of the jetway, so Mike and his wife deboarded the plane.

In a few more moments, the gate agent arrived, along with another couple who had also volunteered to give up their seats.

The gate agent explained that the two couples would be compensated very well for giving up their seats. She gave them $400 each, accomodations at the Marriott with meal vouchers and rebooked them on the morning flight the next day in First Class! Then she gave each of them a voucher for a round trip ticket anywhere USAir flys in the USA and Caribbean with a 1 year valadity.

Needless to say, Mike was a happy camper.

I know passengers are compensated when they are "bumped" off a flight, but I had never heard of compensation so well like USAir did that afternoon in Philadlphia for my friends, Mike and Lena.

Bumping is when an airline overbooks a flight and must "bump" or deny people with confirmed reservations. Overbooking flights is a common practice among airlines to help limit the number of empty seats on full flights. Some people miss their flight, others change their plans at the last minute and seats are left empty when they could have been filled. Overbooking their flights is the answer to that problem for the airlines. According to what I can find out from my sources, the airlines will overbook somewhere around 3% above seat capacity.

First step is to be on a flight that has a high chance of being overbooked, which are:

• Those leaving Friday afternoon or Sunday evening
• Nonstop flights to and from major cities
• Before and after a major holiday

The night before your flight, call the airline customer service line and ask them if the flight is overbooked. If it is, then you're in business.

Get to the gate as early as possible, at least 90 minutes before departure time. Inform the gate agent you would like to be put on the volunteer list. Stay near the gate so you can respond quickly if your name is called.

According to the DOT's Consumer Guide to Air Travel:

The DOT has not said how much the airline has to give volunteers. This means carriers may negotiate with their passengers for a mutually acceptable amount of money-or maybe a free trip or other benefits. Airlines give employees guidelines for bargaining with passengers, and they may select those volunteers willing to sell back their reservations for the lowest price. If the airline offers you a free ticket, ask about restrictions.

How long is the ticket good for? Is it "blacked out" during holiday periods when you might want to use it? Can it be used for international flights? Most importantly, can you make a reservation, and if so, how far before departure are you permitted to make it?

When is the next flight on which the airline can confirm your seat? The alternate flight may be just as acceptable to you. On the other hand, if they offer to put you on standby on another flight that's full, you could be stranded.

Will the airline provide other amenities such as free meals, a hotel room, phone calls, or ground transportation? Of course they will, but you may have to ask for them. It all depends on the agent and how desperate the airline is.

You can negotiate with the gate agent, what they offer first may not be what they are willing to give. Being curteous and professional the entire time will go a long way towards getting the compensation you want. This is perhaps the most important point. I have seen airline employees "buck up" when a passenger gets testy or demanding.

Here in the midwest, we have a saying, "You catch more flys with honey than you do vinegar." Be kind and talk soft.

The first and most imporatant step is to make sure they have you a confirmed seat on the next available flight to your destination, even if it's on another airline.

If the airline tries to avoid giving you a confirmed seat on the next available flight, mention to them rule 240. They will know exactly what it means. Rule 240 states you are entitled by law to have a confirmed seat on another flight.

Once a confirmed flight has been arranged, you will need to negotiate your compensation. Make sure they are going to give you a free flight or a heavily discounted fare. Also ask what restrictions are on the free flight. Is it a round trip ticket? Does it expire? Can it be used internationally? If the deal is not good enough, be prepared to walk away from it.

If you are delayed for more than two hours, ask the airlines for meal vouchers and access to the airlines V.I.P lounge.

If the agreed replacement flight does not fly out until the next day, make sure the airlines will compenstate your cost for lodging and meals. If you don't ask, they may not willing offer like USAir did for Mike and Lena.

If the gate agent can get you on a flight leaving in one hour or less, the chances are pretty good they are not going to give you a free ticket. You can expect the compensation to be much lower.

You won't get compensated if your flight is cancelled, getting bumped is quite different than your flight being cancelled.

You can learn more about getting bumped in greater detail at Travel Secrets Guide. My friend, James Steubing has written a comprehensive guide explaining in detail about getting bumped as well as other secrets of the travel industry.

This special report, "Getting Bumped", was written by David Tinney, author of the bestselling e-Guide Why Not Fly Free. It explains in easy to understand terms how to accumulate massive amounts of frequent flier points for free travel. These points can be redeemed for airline tickets, vacations, hotels, cruises, etc.

Getting Bumped © of David Tinney. No reproduction of this article without written permission. All rights reserved.