Christina

I'm not sure there is a final answer on this, just looking for opinions or maybe things I hadn't thought of. I'm interested in a RT N/S both-ways ticket on United for a certain date this summer, but United's fares are too high for me. I will book another airline with a stop rather than buy it, even though I really would far prefer nonstop both ways, of course. If you look at the seating charts on this flight on the United website, it says there are none available and you can't reserve one. They will sell you a ticket, though, just very expensive. So, I guess they are in the overbooking point.

A consolidator (airfares.com) who specializes in United has this same ticket for about $600 cheaper than United, including taxes ($1300 vs. $1900). I have gone through to the end point where you need to actually put in a CC, and it appears you can actually buy that fare on the website.

I am tempted to buy it, of course, at that price which matches other airlines with stops, but am leery because I really cannot handle being bumped and don't want to cause that to happen. I know there is a lot of time between now and the flight (it is end of July), so some people may cancel, and whatever flight I substitute could end up fully booked, anyway. They usually are.

However, on the other ticket I would not have a consolidator ticket and the airline I am considering is only about half full now, so I shouldn't be at the top of the bump list.

What would you do. The United flights to/from this city are all pretty full now, so I don't think that if I were bumped, I'd get there very soon to when I wanted. Does anyone know if a bulk ticket would put me at the top of the hit list for bumping? That's what I don't even know. Of course, I am assuming United's online seating charts are fairly accurate as to how full they are.

Thanks for any thoughts.

kayd

Just because a seat is not available for you to select does not mean it has alrady been reserved. Airlines withhold choice seats for their later-booking prime passengers (high-mileage frequent fliers and those willing to pay very high last minute prices). If these more desirable passengrs do not materialize, the seats are available to be assigned to passengers with tickets but no assigned seats.
The way to avoid being bumped is to get to the airport plenty early, so that later-arrving passengers, not you, suffer for the overbooking.

Christina

Thanks for your opinion. I can see that maybe the seats aren't full but just aren't available for me to pick. HOwever, I still wonder if having one of those bulk fare tickets puts you at the top of the bumping list, regardless of when you get to the airport. I guess not many people read this board to talk about that.

kayd

The Washington Post yesterday reported at least one airline says its order of bumping starts with ticket holders without seat assignment in reverse order of check-in (last to arrive, first to be bumped):

"According to Northwest, involuntary bumping is rare. But when people do need to be bumped, the airline chooses them 'in reverse order of the time of check-in for passengers who were not holding a seat assignment.' "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...042700682.html

If the consolidator checks out as legit and you get to the check-in desk three hours before departure, your chances of getting on are very good. Only you can decide your level of comfort with the risk. Have you asked United what its policy is?

Dorothy01

If earning FF miles is important to you, please note that some airlines exclude consolidator fares from earning FF miles.

WillTravel

The odds of being bumped are very low - 1/650 according to one site. If you do online checkin 24 hours in advance, they go even lower.

On our last trip, I checked in online for my return trip home, but because we didn't have a printer easily available at the hotel, I didn't bother checking in my daughter. When we went to the airport, she was offered a chance at a possible voluntary bump for our subsequent connecting flight, but I was not. As it turned out, no bumps were needed on that flight, but the check-in time clearly made a difference. We were on award tickets.

I would be willing to book tickets that were several hundred dollars cheaper for the very low risk of being involuntarily bumped.

Seamus

Yes, I would and in fact have done so - just once for a transatlantic itinerary, but it worked out fine.
Do be sure that you red the fine print, though - not all consolidator sites are created equal. I ran into a couple that offered a great deal - all the way to CC but then came back and said, sorry not available any longer. In the scenario you paint, I would snap it up.

Christina

Thanks, I am glad to hear other people's opinions, it's hard to decide. IN the interim, United dropped its fare back down a bit, but it's still about $300 more than the consolidator.

oh, I know the consolidator could claim it wasn't any longer available, that wouldn't surprise me -- but if it were, it would be a good deal.

Basically, it was United RT nonstop both ways $1900, consolidator $1300 for same flights versus Air France same itinerary around $1300, but only nonstop one way. Since last week, UAL has dropped back down to $1600 for that fare, but it's still around $300 more than the consolidator and AF. So, I'm really only gaining the nonstop one direction and I don't think that is worth $300 to me, but at the same price, it's a good deal.

I have thought about the FF points, not sure how I feel about that, though. I don't fly a whole lot that I ever count on them much.

kenav

Used a consolidator for Swiss Airlines a few years ago. No problems. Regular flight, regular ticket; not bumped. Everything OK. Got FF miles too.

Christina

well, not that this is that interesting, but thought I'd wind this up by what I finally did.

I've been unable to decide, and finally just made a purchase because I was afraid I'd end up getting nothing and missing my vacation. Some of these flights were virtually full and fares weren't changing much. However, in the last week, the AF flight dropped at little to $1300 (NS one way of my itinerary), and the UAL NS both ways dropped from $1600 down to $1450. The consolidator rose a bit and was around $1350 for the UAL NS.

total NS both ways was worth the extra $150 to me, I decided (between AF and UAL), and I called UAL and they told me they did not give FF miles for bulk fare tickets, and they would book me on a seat I wanted and it was confirmed (got aisle/window as I wanted). So, I paid the regular UAL fare and bought from them directly as I decided the extra $125 it cost or so was worth getting the seat assignment and the FF miles (which are around 8000 for this flight). That will give me enough miles that I can upgrade to first class at least one-way on my next United Europe ticket, and that alone was worth the $125 I paid, to me.

At least that was my thinking. Fares sure are high this summer, though.