A thanksgiving flying strategy

[darthsidious]

So, after reading an article on getting bumped off airplanes, I got thinking about the day before thanksgiving, which is traditionally the busiest time of the year for flying.

My idea was to buy an airline ticket on a popular route(Boston-New York or Boston-DC) on that day , for an afternoon flight, for the sole purpose of seeing if I could get bumped off multiple times, and get the associated cash/free airline vouchers. Now, being a poor college student, I didn't want to take the risk of actually buying the ticket. But I've been intrigued by whether this strategy could work.

So resident ATOT flying experts: Does this plan have a high probability of success? How would you 'optimize ' it to get bumped off as many times as possible?Or is it a totally crazy ideas

Thoughts welcome.....

 

[jagec]

Low probability of success. They're almost always able to get you onto a later flight.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I fly the Tuesday before and return the following Monday. Trust me, it's the most relaxing travel you'll ever do. You'd have to be crazy to fly on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after...those are probably the worst travel days of the entire year.

 

[LordMorpheus]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I fly the Tuesday before and return the following Monday. Trust me, it's the most relaxing travel you'll ever do. Only idiots fly on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after.

Haha, I'm doing both.

at least southwest is good about it, and I'll be able to get my A group boarding pass online.

That sunday is my 21st. Plane ride isn't the ideal way to spend it.

 

[darthsidious]

Right, but that means they have to compensate you for bumping you off your original flight. And they're obliged to book you on the next available flight..... which is likely to be crowded too.

Originally posted by: jagec
Low probability of success. They're almost always able to get you onto a later flight.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: darthsidious
Right, but that means they have to compensate you for bumping you off your original flight. And they're obliged to book you on the next available flight..... which is likely to be crowded too.

Originally posted by: jagec
Low probability of success. They're almost always able to get you onto a later flight.

:laugh:Haven't flown much, have you?

Every time I've been rebooked, they haven't given me squat. Been put up in a hotel a couple times, but that's it.

 

[darthsidious]

Definately not my experience. Everytime a flight has been overbooked, they've asked for volunteers to get bumped off. It's happened to me twice, and both times, I got free airline tickets. The only time they refused to give compensation was when my next flight was delayed by 12 hours because of "bad weather", as that was a factor out of their control.

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: darthsidious
Right, but that means they have to compensate you for bumping you off your original flight. And they're obliged to book you on the next available flight..... which is likely to be crowded too.

Originally posted by: jagec
Low probability of success. They're almost always able to get you onto a later flight.

:laugh:Haven't flown much, have you?

Every time I've been rebooked, they haven't given me squat. Been put up in a hotel a couple times, but that's it.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: darthsidious
Right, but that means they have to compensate you for bumping you off your original flight. And they're obliged to book you on the next available flight..... which is likely to be crowded too.

Originally posted by: jagec
Low probability of success. They're almost always able to get you onto a later flight.

:laugh:Haven't flown much, have you?

Every time I've been rebooked, they haven't given me squat. Been put up in a hotel a couple times, but that's it.

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard them beg for volunteers with rewards of free upgrades and cash. We were once at DTW waiting for our flight and there was an America West flight next to us that was overbooked. They were giving up $500 plus upgrades to First for a flight just a few hours later (this was at 7am).

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I fly the Tuesday before and return the following Monday. Trust me, it's the most relaxing travel you'll ever do. Only idiots fly on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after.

Haha, I'm doing both.

at least southwest is good about it, and I'll be able to get my A group boarding pass online.

That sunday is my 21st. Plane ride isn't the ideal way to spend it.

Okay, idiots is perhaps a tad harsh. How about you'd have to be crazy or into torture instead?

 

[K1052]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: LordMorpheus

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
I fly the Tuesday before and return the following Monday. Trust me, it's the most relaxing travel you'll ever do. Only idiots fly on the day before Thanksgiving or the Sunday after.

Haha, I'm doing both.

at least southwest is good about it, and I'll be able to get my A group boarding pass online.

That sunday is my 21st. Plane ride isn't the ideal way to spend it.

Okay, idiots is perhaps a tad harsh. How about you'd have to be crazy or into torture instead?

I'm doing the same this year because I have no choice.
The last time I did it I arrived at my destination 14 hours late (3:30 A.M.) and there were no taxies, rental agencies closed, and we didn't see the luggage for another hour and a half.

I am fully prepared to be bent over and ridden once again by the holiday travel season. I've got an ipod, three books, and a 1/5th of scotch. Bring it on o vengeful gods of air travel.

 

[BoomerD]

I've almost always taken the offer to be bumped. NEVER have I been compensated with LESS than a R/T airline ticket good for anywhere in their system (CONUS only) and have also snagged free 1st class upgrades, food vouchers, and several other little perks along with the free tickets.
Used to be able to sell the travel vouchers on the open market, but I think they've clamped down on that pretty hard in recent years.