<p>H and I are traveling for Thanksgiving, and when I just checked us in online (Delta flights), there was a screen saying that our flight might need volunteers to take a different flight, and asking how much would we be willing to accept in exchange for our seats on the flight we have.</p>
<p>To me, the amounts that you could click on seemed ridiculously low: $50, $75, $100, or $125, but there was also a space to add a higher amount.</p>
<p>Our plans tomorrow are not flexible so I skipped this option, but we have a return flight on Sunday that I suspect might also be potentially oversold, and our plans then are flexible. But not for $100. I am thinking it would take at least $200 to be worth the extra travel hassle.</p>
<p>Curious what others think about this. How much would Delta have to pay you to take another flight?</p>
<p>I’d take two vouches for non-restricted RT flights to Hawaii - that’s what Alaska gave a couple who agreed to take a later flight from Seattle to Silicon Valley (they had to pay for a night at a hotel, but around here it is not that expensive). Seriously, Delta thinks that $100 is enough compensation for the inconvenience during the busiest travel time of the year?!</p>
<p>I would ask for $250 but that’s me (and I’ve seen it offered on more than a few occasions). The more important question now is what alternate flight will they put you on. Chances are they are all booked up to and including Wed. night. Once you accept the $$ and agree to go on a different flight, you are at their mercy. I would get a definitive answer as to the new flight before agreeing when flying Thanksgiving or Christmas…</p>
<p>The five of us were going to Hawaii. Flight completely oversold. (This was over 10 years ago). American had previously contacted my husband to upgrade us to first class…but we would arrive the next day. Nope</p>
<p>At the check in desk they begged us to give up our seats…We wiykd fly to San Francisco and take a 3 in the afternoon flight to Hawaii. They offered us $5,000…we took the money.</p>
<p>^^Yep, I’d take that 5K, even in vouchers, even if I got there a day later.</p>
<p>I recently flew from SEA-ATL, and got the Delta offer on that flight. But the amounts they offered were $100-$400, and the fill in the blank. Didn’t take it, but I did see that you weren’t obligated if they accepted your offer, until you saw the flight they were going to rebook you on. I had a first class ticket, and wondered if they would have been obligated to seat me in the same class of service if I took the offer, or if they could put me in the middle seat in the back by the toilets, next to the screaming baby. It didn’t say, and it sure wouldn’t have been worth it for $100.</p>
<p>I generally don’t take any offers, because I usually need to get where I’m going pretty quickly. A voucher for me doesn’t do much because I can generally fly for free anyways, but if they’d offer a voucher to give to my kids I’d be more amenable to that. And cash talks, that’s for sure.</p>
<p>Really depends on your plans and how much flexibility you have. H and I took vouchers once (good for another flight) and ended up at destination SOONER than the original flight! That was really good!. (The original flight got delayed–probably due to overbooking…)</p>
<p>Sorry, I wasn’t clear. The deal that we accepted had us traveling to San Francisco and then flying (same day) to Hawaii. We arrived at about 3 in the afternoon…with $5,000 worth of vouchers. The first deal, which was rejected, was the next day but traveling first class one way.</p>
<p>We had two more vacations courtesy of American Airlines.</p>
<p>I would take a free unrestricted
Rt ticket anywhere Delta flew in the continental US. That is often the offer and often costs the airline nothing if the seat would have gone unsold anyway.</p>
<p>Just over a year ago, my son convinced his friends to take a bump for a $300 voucher each. They ended up screwing up his return flight because of the change, but gave him a room and meal voucher. Later, he wrote a complaint letter and they gave him another $300 voucher. He told them the cost of missing 1 day of classes.</p>
<p>I always ask for a unrestricted rt ticket anywhere the airline flies. Sometimes they give it and sometimes they don’t - but I won’t change my plan otherwise.</p>
<p>Way back in the day (late 70’s to early 80’s) when I was a college student, I would offer to get bumped in exchange for a free round trip ticket. Being a student I had more flexibility and my sophomore year of college, I traveled 4 times ( 3 home and spring break to Florida) courtesy of Allegheny/ US Air. I always took the train from the airport so I never inconvenienced anyone. Now like one poster noted, I don’t have the time but being a poor student, it sure paid back then…</p>
<p>S once took a voucher for a free flight plus overnight hotel stay to give up his seat. I offered to drive to the airport (an hour away) so he could come home, but he said he was having a great time at the hotel so don’t bother. :)</p>
<p>When H & I were delayed 5 hours on top of the 3 hour layover in SF, we received $250 vouchers for each of us without any request from us. I thought that was pretty good. H would NOT have agreed to be delayed for that amount, but the entire plane was delayed and we thought it was nice to get the voucher which we gave to S for his flight home for Christmas. These days, have NOT heard of any times they offered a free R/T ticket in exchange for being bumped, but they did in the past and we have accepted it.</p>
<p>I also agreed for H & me & our two kids to get bumped for GUARANTEED seats on the same flight 4 hours later. Our flight actually landed BEFORE the flight we got off of–they had problems & sat on the tarmac the entire time. We got $300 vouchers apiece!</p>
<p>Agree that I would have to be guaranteed seats to my destination before I would agree to ANY bump around a busy season like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or similar. I know S has allowed himself to be bumped sometimes & gotten the voucher and guarantee on the next flight. </p>
<p>How much I was willing to accept would depend on how long I’d have to wait for the flight I’m guaranteed on, whether it would require an overnight stay, who was waiting for me, how long I was planning to be at the destination, etc. It would probably have to be at least $250 or so before I would seriously start thinking about it.</p>
<p>We have often been offered the opportunity to delay but have never accepted. We are always too anxious to get where we’re going! The best offer anyone in our family has had was one of my Ds and her boyfriend were offered $500 Euro each, an upgrade to first class, and a night in a 5 star hotel if they delayed a day in Italy. They declined because it was the end of a six week trip and they just wanted to get home.</p>
<p>Our whole family was flying back from Mexico one spring break, and the flight from Houston to Boston was overbooked by 2. So DS and I each got a $300 voucher, overnight stay in a hotel, and an upgrade to first class the next morning. We picked DS because he hadn’t finished his homework yet, and this gave him extra time (I know, bad mommy).</p>
<p>I would need round trip tickets to anywhere to delay or round trip to anywhere in the US or Europe would be more accurate. I would settle for round trip in the US if I got an upgrade to first class on the delayed flight and the comped flight.</p>
<p>I took a voluntary bump on SW last year. Got 598 in vouchers. Basically a free roundtrip for DS at Christmas. I spent 50 bucks on a one day Adimrals lounge pass and got free food, drinks, and a comfy place to hang. On the flight I was coming home on I again volunteered to bump but they didn’t need my seat. I was bummed. if you are traveling solo with flexible plans it isnt bad. I always have a big book, iPad and iPhone with me.</p>
<p>I use Star Alliance, and generally non-US flights. I have had those voucher type offers before (usually not quite voluntary …). I would much prefer frequent flier miles.</p>
<p>Son just flew Delta last month and was bumped on one leg of the journey. He asked for $400 in vouchers, hotel for the night, dinner and breakfast, shuttle service at all destinations and they gave it to him.</p>
<p>He always books his flights with room to spare in case this happens. The year of his med school apps he ended up paying for only 1 ticket and it paid for 6 other trips for interviews courtesy American.</p>