Ok, confession time. I made a huge blunder yesterday that cost me $1,000. I underestimated something very important, but have learned an important lesson that I want to pass on to you. My Choice To Visit An Airport Lounge...
An Overnight Airline Bump I Simply Could Not Take
For the first time in many years, I was offered the opportunity to take an overnight bump off my confirmed airline flight in exchange for compensation. Turning it down was surprisingly bittersweet, flooding me with happy memories of yesteryear...
$10,000 Visa Gift Card To Take A Later Delta Air Lines Flight?!
When flights are oversold, airlines have tools at their disposal to incentivize volunteers to step forward and take alternate flights. In the case of one Delta Air Lines flight, those willing to give up their seat were reportedly offered...
United Makes It Easier To Give Up Your Seat
United Airlines is making it easier than ever to volunteer your seat in an oversell situation. New technology on the mobile app, united.com, and airport check-in kiosks will provide more options, including instantly confirmable alternate flight arrangements (with compensation)....
$10,000 Voucher for United Airlines Bump!
Back in the day, I thought a $600 for a bump was a job well done. But how about $10,000?! The Northeast storm earlier this week led to thousands of flights cancellations, including most United flight in/out of New...
How Valuable is Your Time? Airline Bump Economics
Earlier today, I wrote about my oversold United redeye flight, where passengers were offered $2000 to take a flight the following morning. I’m still not understanding why there were not more takers. First, I do acknowledge we are talking about...
$2,000 for a United Bump…
My flight from Los Angeles to Newark on Thursday night was so full I was unable to get a seat on it. That, in and of itself, is not all that unusual during the busy holiday travel season. The...
No More Bumps on United Airlines for Me
My United redeye flight to Philadephia Monday turned out to be oversold. But I did not take a bump. It simply wasn’t worth the effort, a stark change in the post-merger world. Overnight bumps used to be an incredible...
Captain Denny Flanagan, a Bump, and Tri-Cabin First Class
It’s Easter weekend and we are at the height of the spring travel season–and I’m loving it! This morning I show up at the gate for my Philadelphia-Los Angeles flight and lo behold, Captain Denny Flanagan is there doing...
United Express Drama and VDBs at Washington Dulles
Last night was quite a spectacle at the United Express gates in Terminal A at Washington Dulles. I’ve found over the years that United chronically overbooks these regional jet flights and have had the good fortune of getting bumped...
Back in the USA + A Bump on United Airlines
I am back in the U.S. this week for Thanksgiving and am just grinning tonight that my little ploy worked. My company booked me on a non-stop Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles tomorrow but I opted to...
My First Bump on Lufthansa!
I do not always blog about my weekends, but if I am not traveling overseas I am usually traveling around Europe. Last weekend, I had a trip planned to London, departing Friday evening and returning early Monday morning to get me...
Route through Chicago if you want a bump this summer?
Continuing on the theme of bumps, Chicago O’Hare (ORD) might be a wise airport to connect in this summer if you are looking for a bump. It also might be the airport you want to avoid if you are...
Bump Strategy: Take the Earlier Redeye
Sunday evening I travelled from BUR-SFO-IAD-PHL, including a redeye from SFO-IAD. United is currently running two redeyes from SFO-IAD Sunday evenings, a 767 departing at 2230 and a 757 departing at 2315. I am used to taking the 2230 flight,...
After Blogging About Bumps, I Get Bumped Off a United Express Flight
Yesterday I blogged about a LA Times story bemoaning the fact that more passengers are being bumped off of flights. Just an hour after posting, I got a bump of my own. My Sunday evening IAD-PHL flight was zeroed...
Robbed of a $450 Bump on US Airways Due to Broken Crew Seat
After landing in Baltimore at 0115 this morning, I curled up in a quiet spot in the airport for a few hours before my 0600 departure to PHL on the obscenely expensive 90-mile BWI-PHL flight. As I walked over...
A Recap of My Thanksgiving Travel on United – Yes, I scored another $600 bump
I mentioned last week that I had a row with a Service Director at SFO on Wednesday. I had just arrived from San Diego (surly and argumentative SEA-based FA’s on the flight) and had a tight connection down to...
Easy Bump or Illusory Hope? Gauging my Chances for a VDB Opportunity on United Today
I am scheduled to fly from Ontario, CA (ONT)-SFO-ORD-PHL later today and am hoping that I will get the opportunity to give up my seat on one of the flights. Unfortunately, it looks like my best shot is ONT-SFO...
Almost Another $600 Bump on United Airlines from San Francisco to Chicago
Yesterday evening I flew from Burbank to Philadelphia via San Francisco and Chicago and almost got another $600 bump at SFO. I got to the gate in San Francisco and peered up at United’s EasyInfo screen in the gate...
