How To Get Bumped

Positioning for Good Pay-Off

Here are some strategies for people who don’t mind being bumped and want the best possible pay-off for giving up their seat.

• Call your travel agent within 24 hours of departure. Agents can review the seat charts and 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.

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

• Ask if the flight is oversold 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 first on the list.

• Take a close look at the terms. Look for compensation that comes without blackout dates or other weighty restrictions.

• Be a good 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.

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

• Carry a flight schedule so you can tell the gate agent which new flight you want. (Once, I was bumped from a connecting flight, pocketed a free round-trip certificate, was confirmed on a nonstop and arrived 16 minutes earlier than originally scheduled).

• 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.

• 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.