Originally published at: Here is what to say for a fat compensation next time a greedy airline bumps you from a flight | Boing Boing
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So “squeaky wheel gets the grease” is still a thing. Who knew…
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Don’t most airlines usually ask for volunteers? And they keep upping the compensation until someone raises their hand? (I did this long ago in the 2000s: bumped myself 3 times in a row, “getting paid” a tidy sum each time.)
Full info here:LINK
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By God I wish I had known I could get paid for bumping myself.
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My wife and I have also done this. We often schedule a return flight with time on the back end so we can take advantage of this. It was quite some time ago, but once on a flight back from Europe (business trip my wife joined me on) we did this and the credits paid for our flights to Florida with our kids later that year.
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Back in the early 00’s, I frequently used my husband’s frequent flyer points (earned by his many business trips) to attend various school and club reunions. Volunteering to be bumped on the return end of those trips (once remaining overnight in Minneapolis!), allowed me to pay for our daughter and grandchildren to fly from Japan for an extended visit while our son-in-law went TDY. It was an easy, not too unpleasant way to fund a wonderful family get-together.
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I got bumped once and they gave me some bullshit “voucher” for future flight that had all sorts of restrictions on when and how it could be used, and of course it expired unused. Wish I had known.
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Last century, I had a friend who would buy three tickets for various popular destinations all departing on the day before Thanksgiving. She would spend the day in the airport, volunteering to give up each seat in exchange for vouchers for future flights (and other perks). For the cost of the three tickets (which she usually got good deals on for purchasing far in advance with inside information from her travel-agent sister), she’d take eight to ten trips the following year.
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She forgot the “I’ll have to get my manager” and “You’ll have to talk with corporate” and “Please use our automated system” and “F you, take us to court” part.
Big companies are bound by your limited ability to force then to follow their own rules, not by the rules themselves.
Source: am currently waiting for American Airlines to approve/deny 5 refunds I am owed, but for which their automated system has already mysteriously lowballed me by 3x what I should be owed, and has also “forgotten” to include the baggage fees I am owed for the flight they sold me but didn’t actually fly.
Fuck fucking American Airlines. Never use them, they suck and they steal your airfare (and ruin your Christmas).
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But… Who wants credits for more flights on a shitty airline that already mistreated you once. Fool me once, shame on your crappy airline. Fool me twice, shame on me for flying fucking American Airlines again.
(And Mesa and British Airways, who also cancelled the flights, the bastards.)
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Of course, these specific fees only apply to being bumped due to overbooking.
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Yes, it should be noted that these fees only apply in the case of involuntary bumps (“IDBs” in airline speak, for involuntarily denied boarding), which are actually pretty rare.
When airlines overbook, they almost always ask for volunteers and keep upping the offer until a sufficient number of people volunteer. That’s far preferable for all involved, as airlines would rather pay vouchers (which volunteers typically accept) to happy volunteers instead of cash (which I think IDBs can legally demand) to angry IDBs.
It’s only when things go really awry and there aren’t enough volunteers that they start doing IDBs.
Also, I don’t know what the latest policies are on all the airlines, but back when I used to pay close attention to these things, you were far less likely to get an IDB if you had an assigned seat and checked in online ahead of time, as it was the last people to check in who would end up with the “no seat assignment” boarding passes that put them first on the IDB chopping block.
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Fuck airlines! This was 27+ years ago but still I hate em!
Sister and I were early teenagers just back from Virginia with a stop over in SF. We had to de-board and then switch planes. Get to the next gate and they told us that they bumped 2 minors (us) off the flight and that there were no more smf flights. This was pre-cellphone days so we couldn’t call our parents who were already on the road to pick us up at airport (sf to smf is like 30 mins by plane and we lived 45 mins from aurport). No vouchers no apologies. So I, rightly so, pitched a fucking fit. I put on the waterworks everything to get a flight back home… their solution? Supershuttle. Supershuttle for 2+ hrs home with no way to contact worried (I hope!) mom and dad.
Fuck airlines - they sucked before 9/11 and there’s no reason for them to ever get better
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This seems legit, although as others have pointed out, probably won’t be relevant that often. Also, please don’t start getting your legal advice from TikTok.
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Like someone here already said, actual IDBs are rare. I’d rather just pay a fair price, get to my destination and be done with it. I don’t want to play silly reindeer games like this, and like “credit card miles.” I see that stuff as big ol’ marketing scams, and just like at the casino, the house rarely loses.
ETA: Tictok lawyer, right.
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There’s a Seinfeld episode where Kramer convinces George to buy a bunch of plane tickets with the intent on getting bumped and reimbursed. It does not go well for them.
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Almost as well as when they cash in on those sweet, sweet MI bottle redemption rates. 
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My dad worked for one of United’s predecessor companies, and then United itself, as an A&P mechanic for 40+ years. He retired a couple of years after Carter deregulated the US airlines in the late 70’s. He retired because he knew it was going to turn into a shit-show. He was right, and it’s just gotten worse since then.
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Every time I see this headline I read it as “fat compensation” and picture getting a big hunk of salt pork on the little plastic meal tray.
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