Fly for Free by Playing the Airline Voucher Game
“Today’s flight is oversold. Do we have any volunteers who would be willing to give up their seat on this flight in exchange for a travel voucher? You will be rebooked onto the next available flight.”
If you’ve spent much time flying, you’ve probably heard this announcement come over the loudspeaker at a boarding gate before. Airlines almost always overbook their flights with the anticipation that a certain percentage of passengers will be no-shows. Occasionally, their estimates are wrong and they end up having more passengers show up than there are seats available on the plane.
In order to free up seats, airlines will typically offer travel vouchers to those are willing to give up their seat and fly at a later time. These vouchers can range in value depending on the airline and the length of the delay and can be an excellent way to fund future travel.
However, the competition for these vouchers has become extremely competitive. So much so that in many cases the airlines have more volunteers for the vouchers than they need and don’t even have to make an announcement.
As a frequent flyer, I have racked up a few of these vouchers, and most of the time the opportunities were never announced by the gate agent on the loudspeaker. If your itinerary is flexible and you want free flight vouchers, read on for tips to make sure you’re one of the travelers who gets the coveted voucher.
Plan Ahead When Booking
When you are selecting your flights, some flights are more prone to being oversold. Heavily traveled business routes are busiest Monday mornings and Thursday evenings, vacation destination flights are busier on weekends. When you’re choosing your seats, take note of availability. If it is close to your travel date and there are still plenty of seats available, its not likely that the flight will be oversold. However, if there are only a few seats open, there is a good chance the airline will sell more than the available allotment of seats.
As a followup, check your flight again a day or two before hand. Navigate through the airline’s online reservation system as if you’re going to buy a ticket. If the flight isn’t available, it’s already oversold. If it is, check the available seats. If the flight is half empty, then you can forget about the voucher.
Know The Heavy Travel Days
Traveling around holidays can be a nightmare at the airport with long security lines, crowded gate areas, and heavy air traffic causing delays. However, these days can also offer the most valuable bounties in travel vouchers.
Heavy travel days are notorious for having an abundance of oversold flights. Knowing this in advance, the heady traveler can clean up in vouchers by volunteering to give up their seat on successive flights, doubling or even tripling their voucher value. I earned $1200 in successive vouchers on one Sunday in early March – prime time for spring breakers coming back from skiing in the mountain resorts in Colorado.
Know beforehand if you’re traveling on a heavy travel day, and ensure you have the flexibility to be rebooked to a later flight.
Show Up Early For Your Flight
In order to be competitive for the highly sought after vouchers, it helps to show up at the gate early – an hour before departure time to be precise. This is when the gate officially opens and the agents are available to add your name to the list of volunteers who are willing to give up their seats on an oversold flight.
Ask the gate agent working the flight if it is oversold. If it is, ask for your name to be added to the volunteer list. Often times, gate agents have more than enough volunteers for a given flight and have no need to ask for more over the public announcement system.
When I have the flexibility to give up my seat, I always try to show up to the gate at least an hour early so I can be the first on the volunteer list. If airlines have more volunteers than they need, they give the vouchers to those at the top of the list, so it helps to be first.
Be Friendly
Ultimately, the gate agents have final say as to who gets a travel voucher for giving up their seat. The agents can be a steely and cold group who encounter frustrated and irate customers all day, every day. By smiling, saying ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and treating them in a kind manner, you can ensure you’re on their good side when they’re determining who will be getting the voucher.
Pack Light
If you do get bumped, you want the process to be as smooth as possible. Packing everything you need into carryon bags ensures that things you need aren’t on a plane without you. Airlines also appreciate the flexibility – there are less hassles involved with rebooking a passenger who hasn’t checked their baggage.
Speak Up
Gate agents are incredibly busy people who do their best to ensure the plane is loaded safely and quickly every time. Your place on the volunteer list for an oversold flight is not their top concern. Because of this, I have seen gate agents forget the names on the volunteer lists and make an announcement looking for new volunteers. Or if multiple agents are working the same desk, a miscommunication can take place and a separate volunteer list can accidentally get started.
In these cases, it never hurts to speak up and politely inform the gate agent that you’re already on the volunteer list. Normally I’m not one to complain or interfere with their job, but when the difference is a flight voucher worth several hundred dollars, it’s worth (politely) saying something.
Now Get Those Vouchers!
Now that you know how to earn your free flight vouchers, plan your next trip accordingly. Are your dates flexible? With a little preparation ahead of time you can make sure you’re first on the volunteer list on your next flight.
41 Responses to Fly for Free by Playing the Airline Voucher Game
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I was flying a lot but never heard such announcement. May be it happens more in US then in other parts of world?
Vi recently posted..Best carry on bag
It could be the overzealousness of US airlines, but keep in mind many times they DON’T make an announcement because they already have enough people volunteering.
yep, will check it next time. thanks
Vi recently posted..What is size of your carry-on bag?
Same here. Are there any particular flight where they give out vouchers more than usual? The last cross-country flights i had taken where not particular full; sometimes i even had the whole 3 seats for myself.
If it’s happening on a consistent basis, the airline will ‘fix’ it by adding a bigger plane or more flights to that route, however, you can predict it on heavy travel days such as the Sunday after Thanksgiving in America.
Have you had any success negotiating the value of the voucher? I was the only person to volunteer on one flight and they offered only $275. I learned afterwards they needed to get a flight attendant to the next location for a flight and their rules state that they can give up to $600 in place of my seat for the delay I would have to endure.
I have had success. One time on a Wichita to Denver route I was able to get $350 instead of the stated $300 on a United voucher. After the plane had left and she was processing my paper work, I asked her if she had any room to eek out a higher voucher value. Of course, I was really polite to her before I ever asked, and I smiled a lot – two little tricks that can go a long way in this game.
Great info! I’ve tried volunteering a few times but was never picked to be bumped for a voucher. Definitely inspired by this to keep trying, though!
Marissa recently posted..Welcome to HisAndHerTravels
It never crossed my mind that these could be available but not announced! I once gave up my seat for one that was only 2 hours later. It got me a $400 voucher on United, an upgrade to first class for my next flight, AND $20 to spend on dinner (or drinks) while I waited for my flight. SO worth it. Thanks for the tips!
Britany recently posted..TBEX Wrap-up: Bloggers We Love!
we’re always tempted but usually too impatient to get to our destination to actually go for the deal. great tips, though! also had no idea that they were sometimes unannounced.
the lazy travelers recently posted..no travel required
I’ve never done this, but I’ve been tempted a time or two. I guess if I ever get the nerve to do this I’ll know how to do it. Great advice, John.
Leah Travels recently posted..Texas Tuesday: Toobin’ the Guadalupe
I don’t think airlines in New Zealand do this – we’re too far away from anything to overbook people! Good thing to keep in mind though for the future.
Katherine – Kapcha The World recently posted..Make Good Art
Hmmm…even intra-New Zealand flights? If not, you’ll have to try it next time you’re in the US or Europe.
When I used to go to Chicago for training, I would fly back Fridays on the 5PM flight – PERFECTLY aware that was one of the surest flights to get bumped from. Sometimes I went for it, sometimes I didn’t (if I had stuff to do at home or the payout wasn’t worth my while). I do like the idea of bumping off several flights on the same day: very efficient since you only “mess up” one day’s schedule!! I like how you think!
Raul (ilivetotravel in Twitter) recently posted..A Foodie Tour in the Testaccio Neighborhood in Rome
Sounds like you had an ideal scenario for getting bumped Raul.
Only did this once, and it worked out awesome. I was on the very next flight an hour later, and had $400 in my pocket!
D.J. – The World of Deej recently posted..Bay Hill Club & Lodge – Deej’s Florida Swing
Very nice! Sometimes the payouts can be very generous for relatively little time.
I never did like this one. I never tried to play voucher nut I would like to try. By the way thanks for the tips ahead I think it helps a lot the next time I am going to have some travel.
Ashleen Moreen recently posted..timber entry doors
Good to know. I had no idea that I could ask to be put on the volunteer list. I’ve gotten some really great vouchers from overbooked airlines. I’ll definitely be keeping these tips in mind.
Yep! Asking to be put on first thing is the best way to guarantee a voucher.
I am a chance recipient of a travel voucher, but these tips will come in handy if I try to help luck in the future.
Pola (@jettingaround) recently posted..Street Art – Interview with Jürgen Bürgin
Good luck! Hopefully you can make this work for you as well.
I’ve only been on two overbooked flights ever and wasn’t flexible enough to take a bump on those particular days. I never fly on Mondays or Fridays – I always go for Tues & Wed since those are the cheapest days. That probably hurts my chances of taking advantage of this. I may want to re-think my strategy because I’d love some vouchers
Scott – Quirky Travel Guy recently posted..Overcoming dishonest rangers to see bighorn sheep in Rocky Mountain National Park
I’d say in the long run, saving money on your Tuesday and Wednesday flights isn’t a bad idea. But if you do have to fly on one of the other days, it doesn’t hurt to do a little planning to maximize your voucher chances.
I always hear the announcement when coming home from a weekend in Vegas but never tried it before. I didn’t know you can be put on a volunteer list. Tempted to try this one day.
Kieu ~ GQ trippin recently posted..Shanghai: Dumpling Duel
Oooh, now I can’t wait to book another flight just to try these tips out
Edna recently posted..PBEX, or a Paris Bloggers’ Weekend
Good luck! Make sure you select a flight with a good chance of being oversold.
Awesome advice! I’ve gotten such a voucher only once. Now we all are going to be competing with each other
Francesca recently posted..Hometown travel: Chicago area adventures
love this post! i never want to volunteer myself cuz i’m always short on time given that i don’t go away for long & use up every morsel of a second on my trips. i love that it’s an actual competitive game. you can give up your seat for me any time
lola recently posted..NYC: why the Meatpacking District is so delicious!
I so agree you need to ask at the gate and become friendly with the gate agents. I’ve accepted the voucher a few times – always a good call.
stay adventurous, Craig
Craig Zabransky recently posted..The Morning March to the Tikal Temple Sunrise
These are some great tips for those who have the flexibility to delay their travel plans.
Traveling Ted recently posted..Puebla is an undiscovered, quaint, charming, hidden gem, off the beaten path destination
I am all over airline vouchers, most people need to be somewhere on time but I would rather the money.
Ayngelina recently posted..Why I’ll never be a hula girl
I agree. Usually I get these when I’m coming home from work for the weekend. Definitely worth it in my opinion, however I understand that when some folks only have 3 or 4 days of vacation, they don’t want to lose one for a flight voucher.
I used to do this all the time, but haven’t heard any announcements in the past few years. Great idea to be proactive. I have a flight scheduled this Thursday… or do I?
Juliann recently posted..Hip to be Square
You’re not hearing the announcements because others are already grabbing them
Good luck on Thursday!
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I used to hear the announcements all the time, but was always travelling on business. The last couple years I stopped hearing them. I assumed it was because of less travel. Who knew you could volunteer early? Great advice! One question though. How long do you find you normally have to wait for the next flight? Are we talking a few hours or a day or two?
Kenin – The Constant Rambler recently posted..New Orleans: A Taste of Voodoo in the Bayou
It totally depends on the route. I’ve waited for as little as two hours and for as long as overnight. Though when I’ve stayed overnight I’ve always been compensated with a hotel room and meal vouchers.
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