Fly Low Cost Airlines Travel Information World Wide

A Way to Free Air Travel

Are you quite flexible and willing to wait hours in an airport and go slightly out of your way on the flight home? The airline may reward you for this, big time. Why? Airlines must overbook flights. They do so to protect themselves against any no-shows or last minute cancellations. Each seat is very valuable to the airline and they will almost never turn away anyone willing to pay full fare. Thus, if more people show up then room, someone has to give. If you are one of the people willing to give up your seat for a later flight you will get nicely compensated in return through either a free flight voucher, a voucher for a certain amount off your next flight, or even an amount in cash. Vouchers usually last one year, but if you are concerned about a future date, discuss that and possibly the voucher can be extended a few months. Sometimes the voucher may be transferable (check with the airline), but plan on it being for your use only.

What you need to do.

Look for flights with the greatest chance of being full, usually those either in the AM or a PM weekday schedule, in particular Monday morning and Friday afternoon, due to the influx of business travelers. Also before a holiday, or any other prime time people travel, for example, right before Thanksgiving, Christmas, or in March/June when the graduated students hit the air to go on spring break.

Keep in mind to pack so you are able to bring your luggage on board with you, or make sure to bring at least the necessities for a day or two. If luggage is checked, it will go onto your destination and stay there until your arrival.

Also if you are on a later flight and the next one leaves in the AM, ask for a hotel voucher, also popular are phone cards, to call family or friends and vouchers to airport restaurants, make sure to inquire about these also if interested.

Plan to arrive at the airport early, say over an hour to get the best chance. Approach the ticket counter and see if they are aware if the flight is full or overbooked. Inform the agents you are willing to voluntarily be bumped on a later flight and to put your name on a list for such. They will know exactly what you are talking about as they get this quite frequently.

Wait at the gate for everyone to board and if you are lucky, you will be called to the desk and offered compensation for your seat, which is your ticket to free air travel on future vacations.

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