"BUMPING FOR $$$$$"

I've got some real good bump stories. The first time I got paid for a bump was about 20 years ago. I don't remember to much of the details now, but I know they gave me about twice what I paid for the entire round trip.

The second one was when about a dozen of us went to Vegas about 5 years ago. We were about 10 minutes for the boarding and they announced they needed one person to give up their seat and wait for the next flight. I jumped up right away and gave up my seat. They paid me a $250 voucher and told me I would be on the next flight which was in 45 minutes. The flight we were on was a "puddle jumper" and my new flight was direct. I was going to be in Vegas 30 minutes before them. I filled out all the paper work and was going to go to the food court and get a soda. I get about half way there and they page my name and they tell me to come back to the gate immediately. They told me that two people that had checked in were nowhere to be found, and if I wanted to, I could get get back on the plane. I told her I would and I started to give her back the voucher. She said that it was mine to keep. We landed in Oamha (I think) and about two-thirds of the people got off the plane. All my friends were shocked when I popped my head up and waived at them. They couldn't beleive that they let me keep the voucher and get on the plane.

Another time I took the bump was when three of us were headed to Vegas. I paid for my two friends to go because I got the tickets for $99 each way. We get to the gate and I'm not thinking because it's so early and I overhear these two guys talking. I hear one guy say that they will leave on the next flight. The light bulb goes off over my head and I run up to the counter. I ask the lady if they need anyone else to get off the plane. She says they need nine more people. I tell her all three of us will get off the flight. She asks if my friends are alright with that. I tell her that I paid for the tickets. They don't have a choice. They gave me three vouchers for $310. Since I only paid about $650 total for the tickets, I was up almost $300 for the trip before we got off the ground.

The last time I got bumped, I was on a four day trip to Vegas. I took one personal day off from work to go along with my normal three days off. I had the last flight out comming back home and I'm sitting on the plane when they say they need three people to get off the flight and leave the next day. I couldn't do it because I had to be at work the next day, so I kept my mouth shut. Right before departure, they come in and announce they have to kick off the three lowest paid passengers. Guess who was one of them. They gave me a voucher for $450 and I had to call off work the next day. When I arrived at the airport the next day, I was going to be put on an early flight. The same gal was working the gate again and she asked if I was willing to take another bump and get paid again. She said that they were four seats away from selling out and she told me that I would be on a flight later that day without fail. They didn't need me to get bumped again, but it would have been nice to get paid again.

Ray

we would Fly America (Worst) West from JFK to Phoenix to Las Vegas . Never Failed ,when we got to Phoenix the Flight would be overbooked, What Made this Such a Sweet Deal was we would Get $3oo to $400 in Vouchers apiece, Had an Hour Delay for the Next Flight at the Gate we Just exited from. And There was a Bar Right at the Gate serving 2 for 1 Cocktails , What a Great Way to Start a Vacation, and My Next Trip was always paid for in advance with vouchers HATED it when US Air Took them over.

I've only been bumped once and that was on they way home from Vegas many years ago. We were at the airport 90 minutes before boarding but they couldn't give us a boarding pass - said we'd need to get it at the gate. When we got to the gate the agent asked if we (my husband and I) would be willing to take a later flight. The would reimburse us the cost of the ticket + $100. We said sure, figuring it would come to about $250 total. Imagine our surprise when he handed us a voucher for over $500 - SWEET. We arrived home about two hours later than originally planned.

That $500 paid for a trip to San Diego and another trip to Vegas. Actually, now that I think of it, that was the first time we ever won in Vegas - and that was at the airport

This would be an interesting way to make money if you can find some cheap flights to popular places...
of course it would be a gamble. I can't imagine anyone here taking that risk.

This got me wondering... Does anybody know if Airline "A" has the information on airline "B's" ticket sales? If you knew someone that worked for airline "A" that could tell you if any flights were filling up on a day you were flying out (or close to it), you could book that flight and hope to get bumped. I know if there delays because of weather they can try to find people seats on other airlines. I just wonder if they can do this a month or so in advance.

Ray

another double post. my connection STILL sucks!!!!!

Ray

Jean Scott offers great bump advice in her first frugal book.

No way I would Bump enroute to Vegas, but getting to spend more time in Vegas to catch a much later flight is great!!!

Why wouldn't you take the later flight (3 or 4 hours) going to Vegas when they are going to pay for your entire trip next time????

The time I took the bump for the three of us, I was able to take five of us the next trip and we only paid about $150 cash.

Ray

Blade only takes direct flights to LAS, no time for connecting flights.

When you gotta go (to Vegas) you gotta go.

Just last October my wife and I were heading to Vegas on a late Thursday flight from Dallas. We were meeting a bunch of her friends from Louisiana who were also flying that night, as well as some California friends who were arriving Friday. On our drive to the airport wife calls her La. friends and it turns out they had miscommunicated to us, they weren't go to Vegas until the following week.

We were booked on the last flight out of DFW and they needed six people to bump. Since we weren't meeting anyone now until the next day, and we live ten minutes from the airport, we graciously accepted the two $500 vouchers, which we will be using to go to Vegas for Super Bowl in February. Sweet deal!