Because much has been written about the advisibility of trying to
book flights to LV (and other popular destinations) at the most
desirable flying times (in order to enhance one's chance of scoring
a bump/free ticket event) I thought that some posters might be
interested in the following newspaper column.
In the "Takeoffs & Landings" column of the Wall Street Journal,
written by Andrea Bennett, she advises reconsidering volunteering
for a bump in exchange for a "free Flight Coupon". She suggests
that it is so difficult to reschedule a flight, utilizing the
coupon, that one is much better off opting for a "dollars off"
flight coupon, even if the total amount of that coupon has less
monetary value than the free ticket coupon.
While investigating her own inability to put a bumped flyer free
flight coupon to good use, she was told that flyers using these
coupons are competing with other flyers who are trying to redeem
miles for flights. She was also advised that there have been more
volunteers for these coupons in the first 3 months of this year
than there were in the same period last year.
This information has led her to conclude that, the dollar value
coupons, once thought to be stingy in comparison to the free flight
coupons, may now be a better deal. The dollar off coupons can be
applied to the purchase price of a new ticket, thereby
avoiding "playing the voucher game".
I have not had personal experience with free flight coupons in
recent years, but have extensive knowledge of the difficulty in
booking free tickets, using mileage, in the United Airline's
Frequent Flyer program. I can attest to the fact that one must be
extremely flexible as to dates and flight times, as well as making
the request well in advance, if one wishes to take down a free
ticket. Even at that, sometimes one must agree to take long
inconvenient non-direct flights.
Most airfares are still so low, particularly if you are willing to
travel at less popoular hours, that it seems to be a whole lot
easier to just buy a ticket, and use a dollars-off coupon if you can.
Babe