Compensation amount for volunteering to change flight

zagmund

We got a text from Swiss looking for volunteers to be rerouted (i.e. bumped off our booked flight) from our ZRH-DUB flight recently. They were offering e125 per person, so I replied to the text. However when they rang back it turned out that the rerouting involved 2 stopovers (including Heathrow) so I said no as it was too much hassle.

They rang back a while later and said they would double the amount to e250 per person which made the transit a little more appealing, even to the extent of getting me over my hatred of Heathrow. There were 4 people travelling so we went for it and now have an unexpected e1,000 in the summer holiday fund - wooh.

I'm just wondering what sort of experience others have had with this - if we had held out longer might we have got more than the e250? I'm happy enough with the money as it stands, I'm just wondering what others have got in situations like this?

z

p.s. Heathrow was (as expected) a nightmare. Our inbound flight was delayed, and even though we got to flight connections before the gate for our outbound flight officially closed, they wouldn't let us through so we had to queue for 40 minutes to get rebooked on the next Dublin flight. We eventually made it home about 1930 instead of the original 1030 or so. On the plus side, this has reminded me that I vowed to avoid Heathrow at all costs before, and (unless someone stuffs a wad of cash in my pocket like they did this time) I will continue to avoid it.

athtrasna

In my experience they will give you the highest offered compensation so if you volunteer off at 250 and they're still short and offer 400 to get the last few, you too will get the 400

zagmund

Interesting factoid - apart from taking money out at ATMs, it's proving very hard to use the pre-paid Maestro card that Swiss gave me with the compensation money loaded on it.

I've taken most of it out as cash - primarily so I don't forget about it and let it expire in 6 months. There's less than €10 left on it which I can't take out at an ATM, so I went looking for ways to spend it. When they gave me the card they said it could be used to buy stuff online, but I'm struggling. Amazon don't like the card number (starting with 8015 000), Paddy Power recognise it as being Swiss and they don't do business in Switzerland so they won't accept it.

Has anyone got any suggestions on how to burn it up? The card doesn't have a CCV (or is it CVV) number on the back, nor does it have a start and end date, but since they told me it was valid for 6 months I assume this means it starts 02/2015 and ends 08/2015.

z

kerry4sam

zagmund wrote: »

Interesting factoid - apart from taking money out at ATMs, it's proving very hard to use the pre-paid Maestro card that Swiss gave me with the compensation money loaded on it.

I've taken most of it out as cash - primarily so I don't forget about it and let it expire in 6 months. There's less than €10 left on it which I can't take out at an ATM, so I went looking for ways to spend it. When they gave me the card they said it could be used to buy stuff online, but I'm struggling. Amazon don't like the card number (starting with 8015 000), Paddy Power recognise it as being Swiss and they don't do business in Switzerland so they won't accept it.

Has anyone got any suggestions on how to burn it up? The card doesn't have a CCV (or is it CVV) number on the back, nor does it have a start and end date, but since they told me it was valid for 6 months I assume this means it starts 02/2015 and ends 08/2015.

z

Interesting.

Tell me: Have you walking into your local shop/any store really and tried to use it like you would a One4All Card where the cashier would just swipe the card under a Maestro option and you just sign it?

Try that, but have the cash to hand in event it doesn't, but it should tbh.

Just one suggestion anywhoo,
Hope it works. You're lucky tis only 10euros though.

jaymcg91

I got $1200 from United in credit for taking a flight the next day, and $1000 in credit for taking a connection EWR-LHR-DUB 2 hours later instead of EWR-DUB. TBF by the time they did that the plane was already 80% full. They offered cash but a lesser amount, and I travel so much that it was effectively money anyway. They also paid for a hotel the day I had to stay, and gave me money for food. Such a good deal.

endofrainbow

it depends on the airline tbh. best offer I ever got was with Delta, ATL/DUB. Flight was overbooked and gate agent asked for volunteers. $500 cash, overnight in 5* hotel in downtown Atlanta (with transfers) a $500 voucher to be used in contiguous USA within 12 months of issue and guarantee to be on the next day's flight home...

iusedtoknow

Was on SFO-LHR recently in economy and they asked for volunteers as the flight was overbooked. The wife and I did, got $500 each in cash plus a hotel for the night. The thing was...we live in SF so didn't need the hotel - instead they bumped us up to business for the flight the next day. It may have greased the wheels the fact that I am gold status with BA, but i didn't need to use any points.

zagmund

Dang, and I thought I was doing well enough with my €250 a head.

z

galwayjohn89

Got $1500 for taking the next day flight from EWR-DUB + free hotel. Was happy enough. Then next time, had to pay $500 to some young guy to take the flight to Dublin through LHR so I could make my brothers wedding so swings and roundabouts really!

Remember getting 50 (note sure if it was pounds or euro) each for taking the late BMI flight to LHR as the earlier one was overbooked. Early flight went tech, we each arrived 50 pound richer and earlier than we would have.

househero

zagmund wrote: »

Dang, and I thought I was doing well enough with my €250 a head.

z

You did do well, they only offer more when they are desperate, usually when you are already in a q for the flight.

I got 2 nights in a 5 star hotel and upgraded to business, they offered me cash (€400) and 1 night, I told them what I wanted and they did it, after some messing around and asking other people. They must have been desperate.

Yamanoto

Checked in online recently for a Delta flight inbound to DUB & they were asking passengers willing to be bumped to place a bid for compensation, rising in increments up to about $400 IIRC.

If you're flexible, it really is a no-brainer.