Airline Bumping Guide - Make The Most Out Of Getting Bumped!

People often ask which flights are best to book if you want to be bumped. It's not an exact science. Even if the flight is overbooked, a high no-show factor can mean that the plane takes off with plenty of available seats. High-demand business flights offer no guarantee since many passengers are flying on unrestricted tickets without penalty for no-shows. Bumping can be unpredictable. Bad weather can force flight cancellations that load up later flights. Mechanical problems can send a planeload of people to already heavily booked flights.

Business travelers are highly inconvenienced by bumping, but the people who are hardest hit are often infrequent flyers who are in the dark about how the bumping process unfolds and what rights passengers have.

Other travelers consider overbooked flights a golden opportunity. If you have time to spare and play your cards right, you could walk away with a free roundtrip ticket--not a bad return for an investment of a few hours time. Best of all, many free roundtrip certificates allow you to fly with no advance notice--the perfect insurance to tuck away for times when you might otherwise be forced into paying exorbitant last-minute fares.

Here are ten basic strategies for people who don't mind being bumped and want to get the best possible payoff.

1. Call your travel professional within 24 hours of departure. Agents can review the seat charts and allocation of remaining seats. If there are no seats left to be assigned or the seats are under "airport control," you have a clear indication that the flight is overbooked.

2. Arrive at the airport approximately 90 minutes before departure flight time. Get to the gate even before it opens for your flight and make sure you are the first person in line.

3. Ask if the flight is overbooked and if they are seeking volunteers. If they are, ask what compensation you will get if you voluntarily give up your seat. If you like what's being offered, volunteer to be the first on the list.

4. Take a close look at the terms of the compensation offered. Look for compensations that come without blackout dates or other weighty restrictions.

5. Be a savvy negotiator, but don't assume that the ante will be upped if you play a waiting game. If you hold off, you could be out of luck.

6. Ask the agent what flight you will be protected on. If they can't guarantee you a seat on their next flight out, ask them to protect you under Rule 240 (a term the airlines understand) with a guaranteed seat on another carrier's flight.

7. Carry a flight schedule so you can tell the gate agent which new flight you want (once Tom was bumped from a connecting flight, pocketed a free roundtrip certificate, was confirmed on a nonstop and arrived 16 minutes earlier than originally scheduled).

8. Be nice and kind. Politeness can pay off. The gate agent may not know until the last minute how many seats are needed. After volunteering, remain in sight but don't crowd the counter. Remember, bumping is at the agent's discretion. Don't be a nag, as rude behavior cam bump you right off the list. Even if you're not bumped, the gate agent may give you a courtesy upgrade anyway. If they don't mention anything, don't be afraid to ask.

9. If you are bumped and have more than a two-hour wait, ask for all the extras: a free long distance call (or five-minute calling card), a meal ticket, free admission to the airport club with a free drink, and headset coupons to use during your flight. It's important to be courteous and imperative to be presentable. A gruff manner and torn jeans won't do the trick.

10. If you have been rebooked with the guarantee of a seat, and your next flight appears to be overbooked, go back to step one and observe the same strategies for your new flight. You could end up with another free ticket or airline voucher.

Keep in mind that most airlines require that you check in at the gate at least 10 minutes before your domestic flight. If you don't meet this requirement, the airline is not obligated to give you a dime in compensation. Most airlines require a 30-minute check-in minimum for passengers with advance seat assignments. You can still slide in (in terms of bumping compensation) under the 10-minute rule, but you could lose your seat assignment. Airlines can change these policies with little notice, so always confirm the current policy for your specific flight.

If you don't want to be bumped, regardless of the compensation offered, there are a couple more things to know.

The DOT's Basic Rules On Involuntary Bumping On Domestic Flights

DOT requires each airline to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn't. Those travelers who don't get to fly are frequently entitled to denied boarding compensation in the form of a check or cash. The amount depends on the price of their ticket and the length of the delay:

* If you are bumped involuntarily and the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to get you to your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation.

* If the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to arrive at your destination between one and two hours after your original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights), the airline must pay you an amount equal to your one-way fare to your final destination that day, with a $400 maximum.

* If the substitute transportation is scheduled to get you to your destination more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (200% of your one-way fare, $800 maximum).

*You always get to keep your original ticket and use it on another flight. If you choose to make your own arrangements, you can request an "involuntary refund" for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from. The denied boarding compensation is essentially a payment for your inconvenience.

Like all rules, however, there are a few conditions and exceptions:

* To be eligible for compensation, you must have a confirmed reservation. A written confirmation issued by the airline or an authorized agent or reservation service qualifies you in this regard even if the airline can't find your reservation in the computer, as long as you didn't cancel your reservation or miss a reconfirmation deadline.

* Each airline has a check-in deadline, which is the amount of time before scheduled departure that you must present yourself to the airline at the airport. For domestic flights most carriers require you to be at the departure gate between 10 minutes and 30 minutes before scheduled departure, but some deadlines can be an hour or longer. Check-in deadlines on international flights can be as much as three hours before scheduled departure time. Some airlines may simply require you to be at the ticket/baggage counter by this time; most, however, require that you get all the way to the boarding area. Some may have deadlines at both locations. If you miss the check-in deadline, you may have lost your reservation and your right to compensation if the flight is oversold.

* As noted above, no compensation is due if the airline arranges substitute transportation which is scheduled to arrive at your destination within one hour of your originally scheduled arrival time.

* If the airline must substitute a smaller plane for the one it originally planned to use, the carrier isn't required to pay people who are bumped as a result. In addition, on flights using aircraft with 30 through 60 passenger seats, compensation is not required if you were bumped due to safety-related aircraft weight or balance constraints.

* The rules do not apply to charter flights, or to scheduled flights operated with planes that hold fewer than 30 passengers. They don't apply to international flights inbound to the United States, although some airlines on these routes may follow them voluntarily. Also, if you are flying between two foreign cities - from Paris to Rome, for example - these rules will not apply. The European Commission has a rule on bumpings that occur in an EC country; ask the airline for details, or go to http://ec.europa.eu/transport/passengers/air/air_en.htm.

Airlines set their own "boarding priorities" - the order in which they will bump different categories of passengers in an oversale situation. When a flight is oversold and there are not enough volunteers, some airlines bump passengers with the lowest fares first. Others bump the last passengers to check in. Once you have purchased your ticket, the most effective way to reduce the risk of being bumped is to get to the airport early. For passengers in the same fare class the last passengers to check in are usually the first to be bumped, even if they have met the check-in deadline. Allow extra time; assume that the roads are backed up, the parking lot is full, and there is a long line at the check-in counter.

Airlines may offer free tickets or dollar-amount vouchers for future flights in place of a check for denied boarding compensation. However, if you are bumped involuntarily you have the right to insist on a check if that is your preference. Once you cash the check (or accept the free flight), you will probably lose the ability to pursue more money from the airline later on. However, if being bumped costs you more money than the airline will pay you at the airport, you can try to negotiate a higher settlement with their complaint department. If this doesn't work, you usually have 30 days from the date on the check to decide if you want to accept the amount of the check. You are always free to decline the check (e.g., not cash it) and take the airline to court to try to obtain more compensation. DOT's denied boarding regulation spells out the airlines' minimum obligation to people they bump involuntarily. Finally, don't be a "no-show." If you are holding confirmed reservations you don't plan to use, notify the airline. If you don't, they will cancel all onward or return reservations on your trip.

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