Bumped From a Flight

GETTING BUMPED: A GOOD DEAL ON SOME AIRLINES,
BUMPEE BEWARE ON OTHERS

by Laura Glendinning

For the flexible traveler, getting bumped off an overbooked flight is no big deal. It’s also not too big a deal to the major airlines, many of which use a business model which hinges on deliberately overbooking flights to assure every seat has a warm body in it. They know there will always be a few folks ready to give up a seat in exchange for a voucher and a free flight in the future.

But few people realize that though the airlines push vouchers on those that volunteer to get bumped off an overbooked flight, they are required by FAA rules to pay you the cash value of your forfeited seat. No, they won’t hand you cash at that very moment, but you can and will get a check in the mail – if you hold out for it and don’t succumb to the gate crew’s pressure tactics to give you a voucher.

But let’s say a voucher is fine with you, and in fact it can work in your favor since some airlines will give you a lot to avoid sending you that check you have a right to. Use this guide to know basic policy on whether the airline readily offers a ticket or cash, has blackout dates on the voucher use, limits seat availability, requires you to redeem the voucher in person, will apply it to all fares, is transferable to someone else, and is in an easily redeemable electronic form.

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, here’s how the most frequently traveled American airline stack up when it comes time to use that voucher. Click here to see how each airlines voucher program stacks up.