As we’ve mentioned before the airlines are very keen on overbooking their flights. The reason they do this is simple: they hedge the risk of flying with empty seats – and even if it can be a bit of a nuisance it helps keep the cost of air travel down. The overbooking system works a little bit like your shopping. If you know you will need 5 eggs to bake a cake, you don’t buy five eggs. You buy 6 eggs, or 10 even. This way you know that if one breaks you have at least one egg to spare.

The airlines overbooking flights is no different. On a flight with 100 seats the statistical probability that at least one passenger will miss his or flight is very close to |1|. Think about it for a minute. So many things can make a person late coming to the airport. Then there are those passengers who take ill or get injured. Other causes for people not making their flight is that they don’t qualify. Visas not granted, a passport left in the safety of the home (where it really doesn’t do any good at all) are more examples of how people who actually make it to the airport on time can’t get on the flight.

Normally overbooking isn’t a problem, because the math works out. However when a lot of people travel, for example holiday seasons, airlines tend to get overzealous about the overbooking. When this happens they have a problem. Out of 100 seats on the plane 105 people have checked in.

Now this is where your chance to, if not get your trip for free, at least significantly reduce your travel costs. When a flight is overbooked and the airline has checked in more people than the aircraft can carry they will ask for volunteers to stay behind, the so called voluntary bump. They can’t force anyone to stay behind and they can’t take off with more people on board than regulations allow. The only option remaining is if passengers opt to stay behind.

You should absolutely take every possible chance to do this. Of course, you might want to sit next to the counter, because you shouldn’t go running at the first offer, unless you see others doing this. For a transatlantic flight the airline will usually start out offering $200 USD cash or $300 USD as a value check for future air travel per person they need to stay behind. Most people will not jump at the offer, because it’s such a hassle.

If nobody is willing the airline will up the price. You might be asking, why would I risk spoiling my vacation, or returning late home. First off, if you stay behind you are automatically booked on the next available flight. If that is the day after you get considerably more compensation plus a night in a 4-star hotel or better. By or better I mean that the airline will upgrade you on the next flight out. If they don’t offer this when you say you will be willing to stay behind, then you should ask. There is sort of a rating system for who gets upgraded to business when economy is overbooked. It is rare that business class is overbooked. Especially in this day and age of financial crisis. The first to get upgraded are valued customers with platinum mile cards, followed by senior staff. After that it’s up to the ground staff to decide who goes.

Top Tip is to never go for the cash, but to take out your compensation in future tickets. They reward is better and why not get a free flight!?