We take the bump

[BigDUSA 71]

My wife and I are flying to Beijing and we connect in Chicago. The flight is oversold and we volunteer to be bumped. United offers us $2KUSD in travel vouchers or $1600.USD in cash. Cheap Charley who lubs the bump takes the 2K. They put us up for free at the airport Hilton gave us vouchers for meals and here's the kicker, we've been upgraded to business class for our flight tommorrow.

Edited April 20, 2009 by BigDUSA

[Rick1079 0]

Sounds like you got a great deal BigD

[jacko 8,814]

You weren't in Business Class already?

[BigDUSA 71]

You weren't in Business Class already?

 

Cheap Charley lubs business but is to cheap to pay for it. Mrs Cheap Charley feels the same way.

[js007 795]

I could have had a deal like that one time in Minneapolis. I was going on a Northwest flight to Tokyo when they asked for volunteers to take the same plane the following day. They'd put you up in a hotel and give you an $800 voucher for another flight. I should have taken it, but I wanted to get to Thailand, as I was just going on vacation. In retrospect, it was probably a good deal.

 

J

[Obsession 571]

Wise choice.

 

Doesnt seem to happen so much in the UK.

[bigdelta 46]

Too funny-you DIDN'T take the cash-amazing.You just saved UA $1k.

In my experience in the industry,passengers nearly always take the cash,1- if it's offered and 2-if it's within shouthing distance of the value of the vouchers-which yours was.

Up to you............

Edited April 20, 2009 by LTGTR

[Sailfast 503]

Nice job BigD. Since my trips are long and I have time to kill, I always hope for an offer. I would have taken the cash as I'd be afraid of any restrictions on the voucher, but as they say, "up to you".

 

Do me a favor and let me know if Business class has seatback entertainment. I'm thinking of booking that flight and using miles to upgrade to bus. class. (another member answered a question I posted and said there is not seatback entertainment in economy).

[jacko 8,814]

Nice job BigD. Since my trips are long and I have time to kill, I always hope for an offer. I would have taken the cash as I'd be afraid of any restrictions on the voucher, but as they say, "up to you".

 

Do me a favor and let me know if Business class has seatback entertainment. I'm thinking of booking that flight and using miles to upgrade to bus. class. (another member answered a question I posted and said there is not seatback entertainment in economy).

I don't think I have been on a Biz Class flight ever, that did not have a personal screen. Mostly, they come out from a compartment under the armrest.

[BigDUSA 71]

Nice job BigD. Since my trips are long and I have time to kill, I always hope for an offer. I would have taken the cash as I'd be afraid of any restrictions on the voucher, but as they say, "up to you".

 

Do me a favor and let me know if Business class has seat back entertainment. I'm thinking of booking that flight and using miles to upgrade to bus. class. (another member answered a question I posted and said there is not seat back entertainment in economy).

 

No seat back entertainment in economy and as jacko mentioned there is a small video screen that pops up from a compartment under the armrest in business. The only restriction on the voucher is I have one year to use them. I received four vouchers in the amount of $250USD each and I can give them to another person if I so choose.

[soi unwise 6]

So you and CT flying off to Phuket for a couple of days after your night together in Bangkok ?

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

Good for you, BigD. I wonder if the overbooking is a sign that the total number of seats on flights to China has been reduced so far that demand is exceeding supply. It usually takes the airlines awhile to work out the balance.

 

Evil

[vidman 2]

Im just back in the uk myself and Emirates (to dubai) had overbooked the flight also!

 

Nice free upgrade to biz class! (although the grass is always greener when you can see through the curtains to first class...grrrrrr

 

Incidently this aint the first time emirates have upgraded me (its getting a bit of a habit with them).

 

Some tips i have heard for upgrade are:

 

 

travel alone

be polite

be smartly dressed

arrive late-ish

have frequent flyer card

 

Last time i was 1 seat away from 600pounds comp and a free dubai return (unfortunately someone never turned up and they didnt need my seat)

[BigDUSA 71]

Good for you, BigD. I wonder if the overbooking is a sign that the total number of seats on flights to China has been reduced so far that demand is exceeding supply. It usually takes the airlines awhile to work out the balance.

 

Evil

 

We would have taken the bump the next day but they were only 80% full. So far this year, I've been bumped twice by UA.

[TheFiend 1,181]

Im just back in the uk myself and Emirates (to dubai) had overbooked the flight also!

 

Nice free upgrade to biz class! (although the grass is always greener when you can see through the curtains to first class...grrrrrr

 

Incidently this aint the first time emirates have upgraded me (its getting a bit of a habit with them).

 

Some tips i have heard for upgrade are:

 

 

travel alone

be polite

be smartly dressed

arrive late-ish

have frequent flyer card

 

Last time i was 1 seat away from 600pounds comp and a free dubai return (unfortunately someone never turned up and they didnt need my seat)

 

I'm like you...... had biz class "free" upgrades on 3 out of 4 of my recent Emirates return flights - one was on a "economy" reward ticket as well!!!!

 

Another reward flight is about to be booked..... and I am just waiting the ok to book my next freebie trip..... 2 weeks ago arrived to check in 3.5 hours before the flight and they upgraded me at check-in - so you don't always have to check-in lateish to stand a good chance of upgrades....

 

Middle of May sounds good for my next trip....... bonus time...... and it will also mean I'll have got to spend 3 months out of 6 months in Thailand.... I love working for a company that allows me to take such long breaks with full pay...

 

And I think I'll visit some estate agents this next trip......

[midlifecrisis 4,048]

are those vouchers considered taxable income?

[BigDUSA 71]

are those vouchers considered taxable income?

 

I've taken vouchers before and never received a 1099 but I'll check with my CPA.

[expat67 5]

Im just back in the uk myself and Emirates (to dubai) had overbooked the flight also!

 

Nice free upgrade to biz class! (although the grass is always greener when you can see through the curtains to first class...grrrrrr

 

Incidently this aint the first time emirates have upgraded me (its getting a bit of a habit with them).

 

Some tips i have heard for upgrade are:

 

 

travel alone

be polite

be smartly dressed

arrive late-ish

have frequent flyer card

 

Last time i was 1 seat away from 600pounds comp and a free dubai return (unfortunately someone never turned up and they didnt need my seat)

 

 

Damn. how did they get that 600 pound person on the plane? That is one BIG person. I am surprised that they even allow someone that size on a plane.

[sinbinjack 251]

I once flew Delta to Orlando with a stopover in Cincinnati,when I was actually on the plane to Orlando there was an announcement that they were looking for flyer's that would take a bump so some family could fly together .The offer was $700 for each seat ,as there was only myself and my son I took the bump .I was booked on the next flight which was in 4 hours ,they gave us 2x$20 meal vouchers so we sat in the pizza place and watched some sport ,which was what we had planned to do in our Orlando hotel as we were not going to pick up the rental car until the next day.

The real point to my story is that I got what was equivalent to £1000 in vouchers for a 4 hour wait on tickets I had paid a little less than £400 on. The best deal in the world as It made no material difference to my holiday.The $1400 was used for 2 flights to SanFransisco and another to LAX.