I just did it for the first time and I scored reward$$! I also feel happy because a family of 4 was allowed to get on the flight together. I highly recommend it if you are traveling alone. It is that good- especially because I was only delayed 7 hours and purchased a day in the Sky Club for $29. I am so happy that I could do it on the spot because DH is very cool about that kind of thing. Just a suggestion to travel bees to make a 'what if' plan with DH before you leave on any work trips. All my work friends I was travelling with couldn't do it because their DH would have flipped out. Either that or they weren't expecting it and I think they just couldn't entertain the possibility of changing plans last minute, especially with childcare plans. Has anyone else done this? Was it worth it?
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We did a couple of years ago (pre kids). We was flying from Charlotte to Roanoke & the plane was over it's weight limit. The gave us $200 vouchers for each of us & paid for a hotel room overnight. We didn't mind as it didn't throw off our schedule too much.
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Yes! I always volunteer if they ask and I've earned quite a few free flights that way! Unfortunately it's been quite a while since they've asked for volunteers and now with LO I'm not sure if i'd be so keen.
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My husband did. He was also delayed by less than a day and got a really good reward.
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Ok let's just get this out there. I got $800 Amex gift card. I'm just blown (but not flown) away! I never knew such rewards existed!@BadgerMom: I'm pretty sure I wouldn't do it with LO. Everything just kind of lined up for me on this one.
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I've never done it, but I love to hear the airline crew up the offer to get takers. Some people get so much money if they just sit out awhile.
DH doesn't do it because with his job any rewards he would get he would have to turn over.
@808love: before volunteering did you make sure you could still leave the same day?
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When I checked in online, a pop-up offered the opportunity to 'click on a bid' to become 'volunteer' if needed at the gate. I had to choose $100, 200, 300 , 400 or 500. I went for $500 and was unclear if it was just an airline voucher or cash. I checked in at the podium and told them I was still willing if I someone needed my seat. They told me to wait until the very end to walk on. I heard an overhead announcement but I didn't see anyone walk up. At the very end, she called me up and told me I'd fly out tomorrow and is that ok. The family who was holding their breath, waiting to see if they could go on their family vacation was looking on. So I said OK-- I had googled possible cheap hotels with airport shuttles nearby, just in case. At that point another random stranger lady (who did it the night before) told me she got $800 amex gift card + hotel...a very nice amenity filled hotel, she added, with airport shuttle. When they serviced her, she was surprised that she got all that plus additional meal vouchers, which she hadn't gotten the day before. When it was my turn, the gate attendant said she spotted a flight out that day, so I wouldn't have to do an overnight and I agreed. (I was concerned I was affecting LO who was expecting me back that day. DH was on board though. Plus I wouldn't have to unpack and wear clothes that touched my dirty laundry.) So @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: short answer, no. : -) I think I could have negotiated a lot if they were desperate. Like, I want meal vouchers. But I just took what they offered online and left.
I still thought it might be $500 but when I opened my email, it was $800.
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Yes! We travel a lot, so as long as I don't need to be back, I'll volunteer.
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Never heard of an Amex gift card, just vouchers toward travel. DH volunteered on a work trip last year and got $1,000 voucher from Delta that we are now using towards our trip to Europe. Given the right situation I would do it!
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@Bluemasonjar: Wow! That's great!
I could have picked from a multitude of companies such as Marriott, Nordstroms etc but I picked Amex.
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My hubby used to do this all the time pre-kids and I didn't mind. We got a lot of extra mileage and vouchers that way.
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We did this pre=baby but now with 2 kids I think DH would lose his mind. I haven't tested that though. The only trips I've taken have resulted in me coming home earlier than expected.
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Yes! We used to do this pre-baby all the time and once we were in Phoenix on a Sunday flying Southwest and bumped flights twice but somehow got to our destination the same time in a roundabout way and each made $1000 in vouchers.
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I would do it for cash but not for an airline voucher.
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My husband does when he travels for work, as long as it's not urgent be be somewhere. We wouldn't with LO.
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Yes, the incentives are great, so I'm glad to have taken advantage several times before having a baby, when my schedule was more flexible.
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I always offer!
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@ElbieKay: do u consider an Amex gift card cash? I do. We always use Amex anyway.
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I would totally do it, but in every single instance where it has been offered it has been a flight where I had a connection or someone was going to be waiting to pick me up.
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I hate travelling and probably wouldn't do it now that I have a kid. I would only do it if the people on standby tugged at my heartstrings TBH.
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I always did this pre kids...I'm usually to anxious to get home now to do it but would still consider a same day bump!
@808love: what airline was this? I have only ever heard of flight vouchers, miles, hotels and meal coupons - never gift cards!!! That's a great perk!!!
My best perk was a free r/t flight anywhere delta flew (including international), first class on a flight 2 hours later, access to the worked club plus 10k miles... I then took a bump off the next flight for another voucher and 10k more...I ended up getting home 6 hours later on a first class ticket! Total score!
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@808love: that turned out really well in your case. One time I was on a flight that was delayed until the next day. The airlines shuttled us all to a hotel. I have never been so scared in my life. The room was gross. I used plastic bags to walk on in the room.
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I have voluntarily been bumped but also been the one overbooked.
It worked out best when work had paid full price for a ticket and since I got bumped (and they couldn't find volunteers) I got the rebate of the ticket which was like $1500. So definitely push when they ask for volunteers because otherwise they have to pay the bumped traveler quite a bit of money.
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@T.H.O.U.: That's cool!
I'm sure they would rather pay me to delay a few hours than have a family of 4 lose their Aulani vacation. (Imagining in my head...)
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Never. We did consider it on our last leg home from visiting my mom, but they weren't paying that much and it would have meant that we'd miss our train home.
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DH and I lived on opposite sides of the country for two years before we were married, and we did a lot of long weekend trips to visit. I did this several times during those years and racked up a $500 travel voucher every time.
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@Mrs D: It was Delta.
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My husband and I each got $400 to delay only 2.5 hours once. We were going on a kid free long weekend and had booked a noon flight. We just ate lunch amd had alcoholic drinks in the terminal and flew out at 2.30 pm. Pretty sweet deal.
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We were traveling as a group of 4 one time. They were offering great travel vouchers for four seats to switch, so we went and offered. Turned out they overbooked, and we were the group of four they were trying to get on haha. I'd offer again if we weren't in a rush ( and if we didn't have little kids!)
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@Anagram: Was it cash? I guess I'm still wondering because when I clicked during online checkin, it seemed like it would be $500 voucher (for airline travel) but it was better than I expected.
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@808love: I flew delta last week and they had the auction thing when I checked in online. I passed because I was with DH and DD and we were flying to WDW. If I was travelling alone I totally would have, though!
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@Charm54: Exactly. That was what I did. I bid $500. When I got there, they gave me $800.
I still thought it might be $500 but when I opened my email, it was $800.
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