Anyone been bumped off a flight?

[1927]

You know the score, You're at the airport ready to board and they tell you they are overbooked and they need volunteers to change to a later flight. They shower you with offers of free meals, hotels cash and free flights and upgrades.

I know that they always overbook flights, but the only time I was asked to be bumped i was tarvelling on business and couldn't do it. Its not happened to me since, but I live in hope.

Tell your stories here!

[idioteque]

They asked me to do it when I was 15 going away with my parents and sister, who had been seated in various places around the plane. After the mention of £200 I was about to accept, then my conscience kicked in and I said that I was probably a bit young to stay behind without my family...

[oryx]

Antelope and I got bumped off a BA flight to Marseilles about four years ago.

We got the cost of the flight refunded in cash instantly and access to the first class lounge, where there was suitably first class food and drink. Antelope had a glass of red wine which he reckoned was £20 a bottle stuff :D and I stuffed my face (and pockets, and handbag).

The next flight was only about two hours later and we could make free calls to the owner of the house we were staying in. We did arrive very late, after midnight, but that ceased to matter when we realised she was a hideous intrusive old troll, a bit like the Honey Monster in a caftan.

The secret is not to volunteer - wait till they have to bump someone off and make a fuss about it. ;):D

[adsr]

I got bumped off a Cathay Pacific flight from Bombay to Hong Kong at 4 am. They put me up in a 4* hotel, gave me a confirmed business class upgrade on the next flight, lounge access at HKIA when I wanted it, and £50 for a mental night out in Bombay. Back at the airport the check in girls invited me back into their office which was nice ;) although no 'extras' :(

The only bad thing about business class was being surrounded by miserable business cunts who turned up their noses at me ordering champagne for breakfast like some giggly teenager.

[Stanley Edwards]

Got train back from Sitges to Barcelona once completely fucking munted. Totally believed they weren't going to let us on the flight back to Heathrow anyway (we were a good 40 minutes late for check-in). On arrival, we were offered a flight Two hours later to Gatwick plus £100 worth of duty free vouchers. I was living in Brighton at the time, so it was more than perfect.

It pays to be a regular with BA. It really does. Think I got upgraded on every Trans-Atalantic flight I ever took with them and got an absolute star service and upgrade from Berlin once.

Being bumped often is a bonus.

[twistedAM]

I got bumped up to First Class about 3 times.
Once, they even asked me if I'd like to upgrade, late one night on a delayed flight from Detroit .

"Um, let me think about that"

[pogofish]

This happened to a colleague a few years back & as well as all the extras, she ended-up sharing the first class lounge in Manchester, on a Sunday morning with a few pleasant young guys who were nonplussed at the crowd baying for them outside - It was Take That on their breakthrough day! :D

[spacemonkey]

I did this once, got put up in an amazing hotel in Amsterdam, I had nothing particular to get home for & thought it would be fun.

I got sloshed in the hotel bar on the airlines tab. :)

[spring-peeper]

Yes and on more than one occasion.

The one that stick in my mind most was when I was told that I had to give up one seat. I was travelling with two under-seven's at the time and we were sprinkled through the cabin. We all got off :(

[kalidarkone]

Never:(