Airline code for Voluntary Bump

[sage]

I can't remember where I read it but there is a special code or phrase that you can use if you want an airline bump that will get you on the next available flight.

Apparently it is well known to checkin staff but not to the general public.

Does anyone on TUG know what this is and how it is applied?

We are about to travel within the US and want to know this just in case.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Gillian

 

[falmouth3]

When you check in, you just tell them that you would be willing to be bumped. You will be put on the list and if they need your seats, you will get a bonus. That may be a few dollars or a free ticket, depending on how desperately they need your seat. Also be aware that you may not get on the next flight. It will be the next available flight.

Good luck.

Sue

 

[JoeMid]

I can't remember where I read it but there is a special code or phrase that you can use if you want an airline bump that will get you on the next available flight.

Apparently it is well known to checkin staff but not to the general public.

Does anyone on TUG know what this is and how it is applied?

We are about to travel within the US and want to know this just in case.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Gillian

Next available flight does not necessarily mean next flight!
You may be asking about being 'protected' on the next available flight. There's nothing magic here. You can ask if the flight is overbooked and ask if they need volunteers, normally at the gate when they 'open' one hour prior. At that time ask what they're offering for alternate transportation and compensation, if it doesn't work, don't volunteer.

 

[sage]

Rule 240

Thanks for the replies.
I did a few web searches and found it. It is rule 240.

Rule 240: Understanding your rights according to Rule 240 is vital. This article from Aviation.com explains the ins and outs of Rule 240, which states “that if an airline [can’t] get you to your destination on time, it [is] required to put you on a competitor’s flight if it would get you there faster than your original airline’s next flight.” Some airlines, including Delta, “no longer make any mention of transporting passengers on other airlines in the event of a flight disruption,” so it’s in every passenger’s best interest to speak up.
Found it on:
http://www.airlinecreditcards.com/t...ets-the-major-airlines-dont-want-you-to-know/

 

[falmouth3]

That's not the exactly same thing as taking a bump. That rule defines your rights to get on another flight but you may not get a "reward" or you may get a lesser amount. Your reward is getting to your destination earlier than your scheduled airlines next flight.

You can volunteer to take a bump and possibly get cash or a free ticket. The ticket is usually for a US domestic flight so if you want to take a bump, cash, if available, may be in your best interest. My nephew got a $400 voucher for future travel and that served him well since he enjoys international travel.

Sue

 

[camachinist]

Rule 240 is an old rule, but portions of which live on in the COC (contract of carriage) that passengers (and the airline) agree to when we buy tickets. Rule 240 generally doesn't apply to VDB (voluntarily denied boarding) situations. Airlines will rarely endorse under VDB guidelines but can and do under IDB (involuntary) guidelines, which are different.

When seeking VDB, ask about whether the flight is "oversold" at check-in and if it is, or even if it isn't, ask to be added to the VDB list. Often, not having status and/or a seat assignment makes VDB/IDB more attractive to GA's (gate agents). A sure sign of oversell is the TA (check-in agent) telling you that you'll get your seat assignment "at the gate". All you'll get is a DM (departure management) card to get you through TSA.

For a complete treatese on the process and tips on how to maximize opportunities, please see the thread linked below:

http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=278082

Happy bumping!

Pat

 

[arlene22]

Here's a link from the TUG travel archives. Probably not as up to date as Pat's flyertalk link.

 

[camachinist]

The FT thread dates from 2003, but FT's mods do a real good job of confining topics to specific threads, so it does have some very current info. Pay special attention to postings by member jerrycrump as he has applied statistics and over 20 years of bump experience to the advice he gives. He is also honest about the vagaries of inventory management and "beating" the airline at its own game.

As with nearly everything FT, details get far too technical for the average traveler to be really interested in, but I think there's some good basic suggestions there.

BTW, I've never been bumped in nearly .6MM miles of revenue and award travel. Guess I'm doing something wrong

Pat

 

[falmouth3]

On Dec. 24, I had to be at the airport in Manchester NH. I was speaking with one of the United ticket agents who was converting a bump certificate into a ticket for me. (It was surprisingly non-busy that afternoon.) Anyway, she was telling me that she sees "regulars" who book on the busiest travel days, such as the start of winter or spring vacation. She said they take bumps on one flight after another and get 3 or 4 trips out of sitting at the airport all day. I guess if you don't mind sitting there, it can yield a fair bit of free travel for you if you plan it right.

Sue

 

[falmouth3]

Debunking Travel Myths

Just saw this article tonight:

http://www.portfolio.com/business-travel/seat-2B/2008/01/15/Debunking-Travel-Myths

The Airline Secret Code
The hardest-to-kill legend is the claim that you’ll receive special treatment from an airline only if you utter the secret code “Rule 240.” Whenever your flight is canceled or seriously delayed, the story goes, simply ask the gate agent to Rule 240 you, and the airline will magically place you, at no additional cost, on the next available flight of any other carrier flying the route.

The problem? There is no Rule 240, at least not anymore. Rule 240 was shorthand for an old Civil Aeronautics Board regulation that required airlines to immediately place you on another flight, regardless of the fare you originally paid or the carrier you originally booked. But the C.A.B. and its rules disappeared after the airlines were deregulated in 1978.

Today, carriers set their own rules, and they’re laid out in the “contract of carriage” buried in the fine print on airline websites. You agree to the contract when you buy a ticket, and most carriers have terms similar to the jargon imposed by Delta Air Lines. Delta’s contract promises nothing; it even specifically disavows its responsibly to place you on the flight with the date, time, and destination printed on your ticket. As for getting help if your flight is grounded, lots of luck. According to Delta, any assistance is “at our sole discretion.”

Why does the myth of Rule 240—and the chimera of mandated federal travel assistance—persist? Airline legerdemain. At least three carriers—Delta, United, and Northwest—call their proprietary contract terms Rule 240. This must be some sort of inside joke that amuses airline-contract lawyers.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Personally, I love the Alaska Airlines bump policy. No vouchers good for $xxx - it's good for a free flight anywhere Alaska or Horizon flies, for any coach fare class except unrestricted.

Take a bump - go to Hawai'i or Mexico. I love it.

 

[camachinist]

Non FF'ers like and usually accept the DBCfree (free r/t ticket), but FF'ers prefer vouchers because they earn status/redeemable miles and can, if requested properly (like for an international flight) be issued for international travel. On UA, DBC books into a specific fare bucket, so is less flexible than on AS.

Because travel out of our local is quite expensive, the DBCfree might be tempting, but when I'm trying to maintain status, those vouchers sure might attract me.

Recently, whilst waiting for my UX flight at SFO, the SFO-EUR (Eureka) flight went weight restricted and they were offering 600.00 for an overnight bump. No DBC, no 200; straight to max compensation. I saw beads of sweat running down the service director's forhead as he kept trying to get someone to take it

Pat

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Non FF'ers like and usually accept the DBCfree (free r/t ticket), but FF'ers prefer vouchers because they earn status/redeemable miles and can, if requested properly (like for an international flight) be issued for international travel. On UA, DBC books into a specific fare bucket, so is less flexible than on AS.

Because travel out of our local is quite expensive, the DBCfree might be tempting, but when I'm trying to maintain status, those vouchers sure might attract me.

Recently, whilst waiting for my UX flight at SFO, the SFO-EUR (Eureka) flight went weight restricted and they were offering 600.00 for an overnight bump. No DBC, no 200; straight to max compensation. I saw beads of sweat running down the service director's forhead as he kept trying to get someone to take it

Pat

I like the RT vouchers because I can get more value from them. I use them for flights that would otherwise be $600 to $800. Then I put a $50 companion fare certificate with it, and I've converted that voucher into $1200 or more of flight value.

Over the last three or four years though, AS has greatly improved their yield management algorithms. It was formerly pretty easy for me to collect three or four vouchers per year. since 2003 I haven't been able to get more than about one per yearr, yet the number of occupied seats on flights is noticeably higher.

I suppose that's why AS has been the most profitable of the "legacy" carriers.

 

[Icarus]

I like the RT vouchers because I can get more value from them.

It's good that you figured out what works for you. For anybody, YMMV with these things. You have to figure out which works best for you.

With most of my travel on UA, the $ off vouchers are much better for me. The free tickets on UA are restricted. The $ off vouchers can be used on any fare, any flight and you earn status miles and redeemable miles when using the vouchers.

I took what amounted to almost a free mileage run/vacation between LAX and HKG last December from collecting a $600 voucher by taking a bump from a flight from SFO - Maui last year. I needed the miles to retain status for this year. That's what worked for me.

-David

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

With most of my travel on UA, the $ off vouchers are much better for me. The free tickets on UA are restricted. The $ off vouchers can be used on any fare, any flight and you earn status miles and redeemable miles when using the vouchers.

If the AS vouchers were only good for heavily discounted fares, they wouldn't be very good. But they're not. You get one, you can probably fly to Mexico or Hawai'i for Presidents Week. Doing that with FF miles uses peak miles.

And you can collect those things on flights such as SEA-BOI, which often runs less than $100. If you really knew how to plan it so you could get the bumps, you could never pay more than $100 for a flight anywhere in the AS system.