Bumptracker: All bump, no grind

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With the long 4th of July holiday weekend upon us, America’s airports — and planes — will be full. There will be overbookings. People will be bumped. Should you be one of them?

Enter BumpTracker — the site that collects reports on what the airlines are offering to volunteers, and on which routes. Bumptracker (much like UpgradeSuccess, mentioned here two weeks ago) relies on travelers for its info. Feed the beast: Let them know when you’ve been bumped. (Some of the info is pretty old — guys, I think you can safely remove TWA from the list and no one would mind…)

There is a cottage industry of sorts out there, with flyers intentionally booking flights at predictably busy times, with the hope that the airline will offer a bump. In fact, some people try to be bumped multiple times on the same day. It’s all within the rules.

As long as you’re flexible and are willing to fly later than the time you booked, you could make out pretty well with such a scheme — free tickets, vouchers for travel, or even cash, depending on where your flight is heading. (Warning: The free ticket may not earn miles. Tickets bought with dollar-denominated bump vouchers generally DO earn miles.)

Check out the archives on BumpTracker to see how your airline has been treating its customers. If you really want to wonk out, download your airline’s “contract of carriage” from the company’s website and search for “denied boarding.” The contracts set out the terms of both voluntary and involuntary bumps, so you know the minimum to which you’re entitled.

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