Resolution #3: I will volunteer to be "bumped" from an overbooked flight.
This is not an option when you're traveling on a tight schedule, but if flexibility is in your plan, why not get "bumped?"
Bumping is a slang term for taking you off a flight for which you hold legitimate reservations. Sometimes, the airlines accord such legit arrangements to more people than there are seats.
Airlines must overbook because a certain percentage of their reservations wind up marked "no show." They also must, by law, ask for volunteers before they involuntarily bump a paying customer.
This is where the savings begin. Typically, they will offer inducements like discount coupons to volunteers. There are travelers who have received free round-trip trans-atlantic tickets for simply coming back from overseas a day or so later than planned.
If you're serious about being bumped, there are ways to ensure your success.
Click "next" or "4" to the right to learn about how to save money when your feet are back on the ground.
