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  • #1

    airline bumps

    Yesterday we took a voluntary bump off a NWA flight, and they offered us a free roundtrip 48-state ticket or $300 travel voucher. I've heard bad stories about trying to redeem the free ticket, but I'm never sure if the voucher is better.
    Any one have experience with these and can counsel me?
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  • #2
    Sorry, I don't have experience, but congrats on the free tickets. I would gladly do that if the opportunity ever came up (and I wasn’t on a tight schedule). I wish that would happen to me someday.

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    • #3
      I gave up my seat on a Continental flight from Houston to Amarillo, and got a $500 voucher. I ended up waiting 9 hours but got there just the same. I haven't used it yet, but the only catch is that it must be used on one ticket, international or domestic. But that shouldn't be a problem, I have a big trip planned in a few months.

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      • #4
        still not sure

        A couple of on-line forums say that the tickets (because they're limited to the same seats as frequent flyers get) are hard to use, but the money vouchers spend like cash. But you have to call to use them and thus the airlines stab you again with a $15 charge for buying tickets on the phone.

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        • #5
          I'd fight the $15 charge up the chain of command until they waived it for two reasons: 1) you weren't the one that overbooked the flight in the first place, and 2) they're the ones that require you to call in. It's not like you're calling in by choice.

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          • #6
            Here is a great article that Jeffrey wrote, "The Art of Getting Bumped Off a Flight."

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            • #7
              great article

              It looks as if I did the right thing then, getting the voucher rather than the ticket. And just FYI, we sat right next to the gate agent's desk, and I popped up like a jack in the box when she was looking for "volunteers."
              She only needed two, but it was me, DH, and our daughter, so she took all three of us.

              Plus, she got us on a flight out less than two hours later.

              I've heard lots of bad press about NWA, but they were great both ways on this trip.

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