Overbooked flights.

I know last week or so that a few flights out of COS they paid $1500 because the 60+ seat aircraft could only take 39 because of the heat.

Given that so many flights are overbooked and the chances of getting on many flights paid for by a voucher, I normally will take the sure seat over the promises from the same airline screwing customers today that they will take care of me later.

Whenever possible I drive but I’m sort of a control freak. I just got off of a two hour flight (the least painful type of commercial flight) and the best thing I can say is that I’m not dreading the flight home in two days.

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Originally Posted by cstone

Whenever possible I drive but I’m sort of a control freak.

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Same here, and it drives my wife crazy.

Since 2005 I have driven to all my U.S. vacation destinations and my wife has flown the day I arrive. I pick her up at the airport on my way to our vacation rental.
That way I see the country, listen to some books, and have my vehicle on my vacation.
My wife gets to walk on the plane with no luggage and just chill out.
The life of a retiree that likes to drive.

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Originally Posted by def90

I was working on a project in Palm Springs some years back and I would fly through either LAX or Ontario. I would fly every other week or so in the fall for a coupe months then the spring for a couple months and an occasional week in the summer. The flights between LA and Palm Springs were always over sold for the early morning flights. I would get in to LA between 8 and 9 AM and like clockwork they would be looking for people to bump to the next available flight which was usually about 45 minutes later. I pretty much always took it and I flew on a lot of vacations for free during that 2 year period.

I also used to fly a lot between Denver and Minneapolis which is a busy route for all of the airlines out of Denver. I run in to over bookings around the holidays on this route all the time. I haven't done it for the last couple years but I used to plan my travel around this as well and take the next flight out along with a voucher for future travel.

Take advantage of it if you can be flexible with your time/travel.

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My last trip - last week - was in/out of Ontario.

When your company wants to fly in a bunch of people for 2 days for a pow-wow, it's a pretty cheap destination.

Hated the hotel, Doubletree by the airport.

Only saving grace was the easy in/out at the airport. I have Pre so I got to keep my shoes on but had to unload electronics gear like all the common folk. Four of us at security when I went through and two others were coworkers.

The way things actually work:

VDB - voluntarily denied boarding. They offered up a voucher, you accepted. They can limit the voucher to travel on their airline, put expiration dates on it, etc. They try really hard to get you (or someone, anyone) to accept VDB and booking on the next flight.

IDB - involuntarily denied boarding. If no one, or not enough someones, take their offer(s) you are entitled to CASH money as a fine for them not honoring your ticket, in addition to whatever they may have given or promised you in relation to booking or upgrades on later flights and vouchers.

If you fly a particular airline enough to make use of vouchers, and your plans have enough flexibility, then it's OK to take their bump offers. If you gotta be there, or don't like their voucher game, remember that if they "randomly" select you for IDB, you get CASH in addition to any other stuff. Not cash as in money in your hand before you get on the plane, but cash as in an eventual cashable check not tied to future travel on their airline or partner carriers.

If you find yourself in an IDB situation, consult the DOT regs and complaint pages online and flyertalk.com for your options.