Airlines employ many shady practices in order to maximize their profits.  One such tactic is to overbook their seats in hopes that some of those passengers will not show up.  Airlines hate empty seats so this practice was created to ensure no plane flies below capacity.

Actually it isn’t a bad plan, you sell more tickets than you have seats and if someone doesn’t show up you either get ticket change fees (if it was planned) or you get to keep the full price of the ticket (in the case of a no show).  If everyone does show up its still not a problem because you can just “Bump” some of those passengers to another flight.

What is bumping?

Bumping occurs when a flight is oversold and everyone shows up ready to take to the air.  Since airplanes don’t have a standing room only seating plan, not everyone can board.  Those passengers who are denied the ability to board the flight are considered “bumped”.

The good news is the Department of Transportation requires airlines to first take volunteers before involuntarily changing passengers flights.  Now, before you start asking why anyone would volunteer to delay their vacation because of some stupid greed inspired airline policy; simply put, volunteers get hooked up.  Free flights, meal vouchers, first-class upgrades and more are often dangled as a carrot to entice passengers to volunteer.

This of course has prompted some travelers to use bumping practices to their advantage.  I have been bumped a few times but never as a matter of strategy, however that may be changing in the future.  If you are someone who wants to use “bumping” to your benefit here are a few tips.

Tips for getting bumped

Although most instances of bumping occur because you just happen to stumble into the right situation, there are things you can do to increase your chances:

Figure out which flights are most frequently overbooked – There is a certain flight I know about which goes to a cruise port that is always overbooked with business travelers.  Once you find one of those flights you are golden.   Over-booked flights tend to be those frequented by business travelers, pre and post flight holiday flights, and your most popular flights (especially non-stop flights).

Arrive Early - You will want to arrive early because if you arrive after boarding begins consider yourself bumped, sans perks; this is considered forfeiting your confirmation. Usually airlines want you to arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled departure any arrivals after that can be bumped without any sort of compensation heading your way.

Make friends with the gate attendants – A friendly smile and polite word will often get you very far.  When you arrive at the gate, approach the gate attendants and politely introduce yourself. Let it be known to the attendants that you would be willing to volunteer if the flight is overbooked and stay within earshot.

Evaluate the payoff – Any time I have been “bumped” I ended up getting (generous) free meal vouchers and a free flight to anywhere in the Continental United States (no blackout dates); my delays were between 2 and 4 hours.  Perks aren’t always the same so make sure you understand what you are getting before you give up your seat on the plane.

If the package they are offering isn’t sweet enough feel free to ask for more; you never know until you ask.  The bulk of your compensation will almost always be in the form of another ticket; you should always ask about the restrictions on this ticket.  How long is the ticket or voucher good for? Are there any blackout periods where you won’t be able to use this ticket? Can this ticket be used for international flights?

While I do understand this practice isn’t for everyone, I figured I would just float this out there for those who don’t mind being a bit more flexible in their travel plans.  The main thing you have to take into account is how important it is for you to get where you are supposed to be at the time you are supposed to be there.  If you are able to take advantage of “bumping” it could be quite a boon.