Have you gotten travel vouchers from airlines for giving up your seat? Free travel?

[RunMaker]

Flight leaves at 3pm. You give up your seat for $500 and leave on the 445pm flight just a little bit later. Something like that.

Anybody done that?


And if knowledgeable in this game, do you know how to research which flights/routes/airports have high overbooking tendencies?



??????

 

[Willie99]

No, but I know of others who have and my wife is always looking to get bumped so we can get free flights

 

[RunMaker]

Thanks for the reply. Starting to read up on this and it seems ridiculously good. And if you take the next flight in the morning, they throw in a local hotel and transfers. Just seems too easy.

 

[GoBlue34]

Have a few times, it doesn't happen/offer very often. Latest was I was traveling to Arizona from Omaha (with a stop in Denver). The flight from Omaha to Denver was oversold so I got $400 in vouchers to take another flight. They were able to route me through St Louis instead and I got to Phoenix 10 minutes sooner than I would have going through Denver and got $400 in future flights.

 

[Hamilbet]

Ive done it a bunch of times. The best is when no one takes the offer and they keep upping it. I travel for work on a very loose schedule so I accept one of those offers at least once a year.

 

[RunMaker]

Nice. I was thinking of doing it a few days before Xmas. They would have to be oversold unless I'm mistaken.

 

[CarolinaKid]

i been on board before and they ask if anyone would get off, you can get a round trip on the airline free

 

[Betallsports]

Did it a long time ago where they gave us $200 each and a free flight.

Now a days the offers are better, and ever since that doctor was dragged off the plane they have upped it Big time

 

[C.P.]

Just once for me...but it was cool...

years ago..

free hotel, transportation , hotel food, 400.00 each and first class tickets for the ride home the next day...

and to top it off...are bags were waiting @ the airport when we landed (not lost or stolen)...

if you have the time...I'd do it in a heart beat...

 

[RunMaker]

Excellent information. I wonder if you can do it twice. Because I was going to arrive to one city early, then there are 3 following flights that they could put me on... so wondering if I could give up the first flight, then have a seat for the second flight and give that one up, too.

Honestly, if I can get > $500 out of the deal, I think it's worth it.

 

[RunMaker]

Starting to go through the different airlines. Some give gift cards, some give cash. American Airlines looks like it is running a scam. You have to mail in paper vouchers through the mail to cash them in? Ha ha.

Read the comments. it is absurd.


http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/08/25/redeem-american-airlines-paper-travel-voucher/



Anybody recommend a good airline for this? AA is scamville central.

 

[Jstack34]

Was flying to San Jose this summer. They offered $1,000 on my initial flight and then offered $1,000 on the connection flight. I had to be in SJ that day to pick up my keys or I would have done it.

Also flew to Texas and they offered $500 but it wasn't worth the hassle to me since I was only going to Texas for a few days/CFB game.

 

[pele272]

Southwest is the best for it, they even give vouchers for simply being delayed some of the time. United has been the worst for me as they are super cheap about it. I’ve actually used the paper vouchers from American before, however, I found the exact flights I wanted and then went to my local airport which isn’t too far from me and gave them the flight #’s that I wanted to book. They booked me and I was able to redeem the vouchers there. Still wasn’t as easy as booking online but I was worried about mailing them. It simply cost me an extra trip to the airport.

 

[pele272]

I will say that when I went to use the AA Voucher at the airport though they weren’t exactly happy about it. They made the remark, “oh wow, I haven’t done one of these since training” and had to go get some big manual from the back to figure out how to do it. Took like 20 minutes but they got it done

 

[RunMaker]

Southwest is the best for it, they even give vouchers for simply being delayed some of the time. United has been the worst for me as they are super cheap about it. I’ve actually used the paper vouchers from American before, however, I found the exact flights I wanted and then went to my local airport which isn’t too far from me and gave them the flight #’s that I wanted to book. They booked me and I was able to redeem the vouchers there. Still wasn’t as easy as booking online but I was worried about mailing them. It simply cost me an extra trip to the airport.

Just what I wanted to hear. And is exactly what I read in the comments about it. I was thinking the only way to get rid of the risk is to do what you did -- go to the airport and cash them in that way.

Funny you say "United" b/c that was my second option after American Airlines. AA is by far the best travel option b/c they offer several flights after my initial flight.... so I'm hoping I could do this two times for at least a grand.

 

[pele272]

Southwest, JetBlue, Delta I’ve had most success with. Only did American that one time with the vouchers. I’ve never accepted any of the United offers because they’ve been like $200 Voucher for arriving like 6 hours later and I didn’t think it was worth it. Southwest gave me $800 one time for arriving 3 hours later, although it was a cross-country flight (Florida-Cali). It’s supply and demand though, if someone is willing to accept a low-ball offer then u can’t get much out of them. If they make multiple announcements well then they are having trouble finding volunteers and the ball is in your court.

 

[RunMaker]

Not liking the smell too much of these vouchers. Anybody get cash or a check from American?

 

[RunMaker]

Nothing new in this video. Same topics covered.

From what I'm seeing I've never actually seen somebody get actual "cash"; all I've read is people get checks sent to their home address.

I'd rather take a $700 check than a $900 voucher, especially from American if they're doing this "send in your paper voucher to some office that's based in a Florida swamp where the mail doesn't arrive".

 

[RunMaker]

"Recommended to not check in online and pre-select a seat" ...?

I don't understand this advice. Seen it multiple times. What difference does it make? I'd be offering my seat whether I've chosen a seat or not...

Also don't understand the advice of "don't hand over or hand over your boarding pass". I'm not inclined to give up my pass until my deal is secured. Why do they need my boarding pass to be put on the list? And I've read that once they have it... they can bump you out of your seat to a less desirable seat so you're moved on the same flight from a good aisle seat to a shitty back row middle seat.

 

[cgarn]

Got free travel about 10 years ago. Flew Jetblue to Tampa and on our connecting flight at JFK we sat on the runway for just under 5 hours. If we hit 5 hours we had to turn back. Luckily we did not and got into Tampa very late. Fast forward 5 days latter, I get an email from Jetblue that our entire trip was comp. So we went to Orlando the next year.

6 years ago took the family to Vegas. On the way back we had a connection in Chicago. Thunderstorms grounded us. Unfortunately United left us in Chicago for 2 days. Had to fight with them to get a flight but we did get to stay at 5 star hotels for cheap. Wrote a letter to United and got nothing.