...Once again, the Airlines are doing more things to alienate passengers. If we have some bad weather during the Christmas Holidays, which will create more overssles, then more Invol bumping, you are gonna see some big-time riot scenes at some airports. I am a big fan of getting volutarily bumped, though it has not happened recently....also I have been on both sides of the counter, the Bumper (as a gate agent), and the Bumpee! Bryant Petitt Cumming, GA --- Bill Hough <psa188@juno.com> wrote: > =20 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > This article was sent to you by someone who found it > on SF Gate. > The original article can be found on SFGate.com > here: > http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2002/11/12/f= > inancial1015EST0062.DTL > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > Tuesday, November 12, 2002 (AP) > Airlines reduce payments to bumped fliers > JANE COSTELLO, The Wall Street Journal Online > > > (11-12) 07:15 PST (AP) -- > Fliers hoping to cash in by getting bumped from > flights this Thanksgiving > may be in for a surprise: The airlines are getting > stingier. > Until recently, overbooked flights routinely > transformed departure loung= > es > into a sort of auction house. The announcement would > set off a bidding war > that ended with the happy bumpees walking away with > travel vouchers worth, > in some cases, more than a thousand dollars, plus a > free night's lodging. > Those days may be coming to an end. AMR's > American Airlines is now > limiting the amount of compensation offered to > passengers who agree to be > bumped. Gate agents have been instructed to offer no > more than a $300 > voucher for domestic flights, $500 for > transcontinental or $800 for > flights to Alaska, Hawaii or international > destinations. > Other airlines are likely to follow suit. UAL's > United Airlines had > already changed its policy. The airline currently > offers a free domestic > coach ticket instead of a dollar-amount voucher -- > which can often be more > flexible -- to passengers on domestic flights who > volunteer to give up a > seat. The ticket remains valid for one year. > "We don't wheel and deal," says a United > spokeswoman. "We offer a free > ticket. If there aren't enough volunteers, then we > have to bump > involuntarily." > That's bad news for travelers ahead of the > holidays, one of the busiest > times of the year for air travel and one that > traditionally has seen lots > of overbooked flights. The proportion of people > denied boarding is down so > far this year amid the travel slump. But that will > change as airlines > continue to pare down their flights in order to > accurately reflect > passenger demand. > Gate agents still have some flexibility to make > special offers. But the > big payoffs fliers have gotten used to may become > the exception rather > than the rule, since this is one area where the > beleaguered airlines can > easily control costs. > Last month, for instance, passengers willing to > be bumped on a United > flight between Denver and Dallas were being offered > nothing more than a > ticket in coach loaded with restrictions, according > to Bumptracker.com, a > Web site where travelers report their bump > experiences. By contrast, 18 > months earlier, on a March 11, 2000, Dallas-Denver > flight, United was > offering a $500 voucher to passengers willing to > give up seats. > The government sets minimum compensation levels > that airlines must offer > passengers bumped against their will, but those > haven't changed since > 1978. The rules specify that if the airline can get > you to your > destination no more than two hours later than > expected (or no more than > four hours late for international flights), then the > compensation is the > amount of the fare -- up to $200. If the carrier > misses that deadline, the > payoff doubles to $400. > Last year, the Department of Transportation > ordered a review of these > compensation levels, but that review has been put > off. "The current poor > financial condition of the airlines has necessitated > a delay," a > transportation official says. > If you're bumped involuntarily, airlines still > might let you have > vouchers, if that's what you prefer. But in that > case, you should ask for > more than the government minimum. In fact, it's in > the airlines' interest > to offer vouchers or free tickets, as opposed to > cash: That way, the > airline gets to hang on to its cash. > However, vouchers can have disadvantages for > travelers. For instance, th= > ey > may expire in a year and become worthless. > The government doesn't regulate what the airlines > offer passengers who > volunteer to be bumped. Northwest Airlines, for one, > limits its > compensation to a $300 voucher for domestic flights > and $750 for > international passengers. Its vouchers, however, > carry some restrictions. > US Airways offers passengers who volunteer to be > bumped either free > domestic tickets or dollar-amount vouchers. Other > airlines are less > forthcoming about what passengers can expect to > receive: Delta Air Lines > offers travel vouchers tied to the length of delay > experienced by > passengers who volunteer, but a spokeswoman wouldn't > comment on the > amount. > United gives free tickets instead of travel > vouchers to domestic > passengers who volunteer to give up seats. > Passengers on international > flights, as well as flights to Alaska and Hawaii, > are still offered > vouchers, though they have gotten less generous. > (United, for instance, > currently gives $200 vouchers for delays of less > than three hours; > previously, the voucher kicked in after a delay of > only two hours.) > "Customers view the free ticket as more > valuable," a United spokeswoman > says. The free ticket carries a 14-day > advance-purchase restriction and is > limited to travel in the lower 48 states. > In light of that, some travelers prefer the > voucher -- and have managed = > to > persuade gate agents to hand them out anyway. Brian > Moore, a Chicago > auditor, will fly to London this month using a > United travel voucher he > got after being bumped from a flight between Chicago > and San Francisco > this summer. The airline tried to offer him a free > domestic ticket, but > Mr. Moore insisted on the voucher. "I can get miles > and upgrade, which you > can't do with a free ticket," he says. > Restrictions on free tickets vary from airline to > airline. Some come with > blackout travel dates. But one big issue is that you > often can't upgrade > from them or get frequent-flier points for them -- > both of which you can > do with a ticket bought using a voucher. The move > away from vouchers may > be particularly frustrating for business travelers, > who tend to prefer > compensation that allows for upgrades and can earn > them miles. > The day before Thanksgiving is traditionally the > busiest travel day of t= > he > year, so the odds of getting bumped rise > drastically. Travelers who don't > mind arriving a course or two into the meal can > improve their chances of a > bump by checking in for the flight as early as > possible. Once at the gate, > ask the agent if the flight is oversold, and > volunteer on the spot to give > up your ticket. Airlines bump on a first-come, > first-served basis, so > those who get their names in first are guaranteed to > be left behind if the > airline determines volunteers are needed. > > Ron Lieber contributed to this article. > > Smaller Bribes > > Here's what you can expect if you volunteer to > get bumped: > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? 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