WillTravel

The airline is United, which has to be my favorite airline based on all the benefits I have gotten from it, although I collect on Air Canada Aeroplan.

This saga starts out January 4, when I took a bump in Mexico City and ended up getting business class on American Airlines, plus $300 in travel credits, and a quicker routing.

So back home with my $300 in travel credits, I purchased a $326 YVR-PHL ticket on United (an excellent deal). I then paid $6 for a roundtrip ticket to New York City. This was for May 20-26.

I had a great time in NYC, and an enjoyable time in Philly for the few hours I had available for it (I had a night there coming and going).

On May 26, I had to catch my PHL-ORD flight. I was traveling carry-on only, but being in Zone 4, I was forced to gate-check my carry-on, without too much thought about what was in it. On board, we were forced to wait for about 1.5 hours before we could fly, supposedly due to bad weather in Chicago.

I arrived in Chicago, and just missed my onward Vancouver connection. Rats! I did have to pay my own hotel that night, and I had to wait about 2 hours in line to be rebooked, for 3:40 PM the next day, May 27.

I made the best of it, and enjoyed the chance to just sit and watch TV, and be on the Internet, and work. Luckily I had brought my work laptop with me, a last-minute decision.

At the airport on May 27, I volunteered to be bumped. This time, I got a free stay at the Crowne Plaza, a $15 food voucher (not much really, of course), and $400 in travel credits. So I went to the Crowne Plaza, did some more work, enjoyed dinner, and took a taxi to Target (I was suffering from the lack of items in my carry-on).

I went to the airport on May 28 for my 9:40 AM flight. I again volunteered to be bumped, and was given a first-class seat on the 8:20 PM flight plus another $400 in travel credits, plus a $15 food voucher. I went back to the Crowne Plaza and stored my luggage, and went into Chicago. I had a great day with the Art Institute, the skyscrapers, Millennium Park, and the promenade along Lake Michigan. Back I went to the Crowne Plaza, got my luggage, got the priority screening line and access to the Red Carpet Club, and settled in to work a few hours. My flight was delayed a couple hours, but that just gave me a little more time.

Finally I got home. My gate-checked carry-on wasn't there, but I'm told it's coming today. Most likely my trip to Target will be covered.

simpsonc510

Hey, that's great! I'm one who is usually on a tight schedule and I have to get home so I cannot volunteer to get bumped. Maybe sometime in the future, I'll just do it ... Sounds like you've done well.

Melnq8

I was recently on a United flight from COS-SFO where they asked for seven volunteers to leave the plane due to 'weight issues'. It was a Canadair Regional Jet, which I've flown often, but it was the first time I've seen that happen. I thought it was odd, considering the flight wasn't even full. Why sell the tickets if they know there's a chance they'll be overweight?

There I go being logical again...

I'm not sure what they were offering; there was no way we'd have agreed to being bumped with three connecting international flights...but bless those volunteers, they got seven of them ...eventually, and after announcing that the plane wasn't going anywhere until they did.

So for those of you willing to be bumped, good on ya!

WillTravel

Melnq8, keep in mind that if they accepted you for bumping, they would probably have done a total reroute and maybe put you in business class on a better routing. Quite likely, if you had volunteered (and you wouldn't have to agree until you know what is offered), you would have been rejected just because of the complications. A couple years ago, I was initially rejected, but then they decided they needed to accept my willingness to be bumped, and actually brought me off the plane after I had boarded (and I got a better routing).

WillTravel

The "weight issue" probably related to cargo, rather than the number of passengers. Sometimes planes have to go out with fewer passengers than seats, or offload luggage, to stay under the limit when cargo is considered.

Melnq8

WillTravel -

We were already booked in Business Class for two of our three international flights. I figured if they had to resort to kicking people off the flight, the three of us would be the last to go considering our connections.

It would take a heck of a lot for me to consider an international re-route...although we did once accept a Singapore Air offer to be re-routed in exchange for Business Class seats. They were in a bind and we were in no hurry, so it was win-win.

MissGreen

My husband took a voluntary bump on a trip from Sydney, Australia to Boston (or somewhere near, I cannot remember!). He was given approx $500 in vouchers and was upgraded to business class for the leg from Syd to LAX. He was booked on the next flight out to LA... only a couple of hours later, which made no difference as he had a 5 hour stopover at LAX before his next connection so he got to his destination at exactly the same time!