| If you have been in an airport, particularly on a busy | | | | and you have cash on you, find out how many |
| travel day, you may have seen gate attendants | | | | volunteers need to voluntarily bump themselves off a |
| looking panicked, and heard the calls for volunteers to | | | | flight, and look for likely candidates. College students |
| bump from a plane flight. The usual reward for this is | | | | waiting in a terminal are good candidates for this - a |
| a voucher generally good for a flight comparable to | | | | hundred bucks out of your pocket means they may |
| the one you were been bumped from. | | | | volunteer when otherwise they would not. Take |
| From an airline perspective, empty seats are lost | | | | notes and get receipts - you can take the airline to |
| revenue. Airlines routinely overbook flights by 4-6 | | | | small claims court and get reimbursed. |
| percent, because on average, that's the number of | | | | The second strategy is having a flexible schedule; I |
| people who miss connections, have to cancel at the | | | | routinely plan my flights on the assumption that I will |
| last minute, or otherwise can't make the flight. For | | | | volunteer for bumps to get the voucher for my next |
| something close to 80 percent of all airline flights, this | | | | business trip. |
| overbooking isn't a problem. For those 20 percent of | | | | I had a two year streak going where, by taking |
| flights where it is, it can be a great inconvenience or | | | | bumps, I did not have to pay for a single trip. Just be |
| a great opportunity. | | | | prepared for sitting in a terminal if this is the case. If |
| Airlines offer vouchers rather than refunding airfares | | | | you volunteer to take a bump, be polite about it, but |
| to your purchasing mechanism for two reasons. The | | | | remind them that you're doing them a favor, and see |
| first is time; it often takes 24 hours or more to | | | | if you can get a voucher plus airline mines, or hotel |
| process a credit card refund, and that takes more | | | | accommodations, or an extra ticket. |
| labor on their part to make it happen. The second is | | | | Using vouchers requires a bit of forethought and |
| that a surprising number of vouchers don't get used. | | | | planning. First of all, make sure you store them in a |
| If you're bumped from a flight, make a fuss and you | | | | safe place, and write down the date that they |
| can usually get more than a voucher. Ask for two | | | | expire. Whenever you're booking your next travel |
| tickets or three. Ask for hotel credits or gift cards to | | | | run, use the vouchers first before paying any money |
| restaurants. If you're using an airline miles program, | | | | to cover the airfare. Remember, airlines are counting |
| ask for bonus miles. Don't be afraid to show your | | | | on the fact that most vouchers end up unused - use |
| irritation when doing this; the airlines give out | | | | them to your advantage when you get them; be |
| vouchers to stifle complaints, and remember that | | | | aware that some airlines put blackout dates on |
| you're aiming to get the best reward possible for | | | | vouchers; this is why it's better to use them earlier |
| your inconvenience. | | | | rather than later. |
| If you absolutely have to make a connecting flight, | | | | |