Again, I think you are mistaken. This may be partly my fault due to the missed quote above, but I don't think you understand the way bumping works in the US. Perhaps this page will be clearer: http://airconsumer.dot.gov/publications/flyrights.htm#overbo...
The law definitely applies to domestic flights. It's actually international where it gets trickier.
Whether it's a good deal or not depends on your urgency in getting to your destination. I've probably successfully volunteered to be bumped about 6-8 times in my life, and have been satisfied with compensation offered, which usually is equivalent to a voucher for a free round-trip ticket. It has also included an overnight hotel voucher in couple of cases where it was necessary.
I've never been bumped involuntarily, likely because there is always a volunteer willing to take some offer the airline will make. The highest I've received (international with the next flight in the morning) was an $800 voucher, presumably because the alternative to the airline was $800 cash. But as always, your mileage may vary.
DOT has not mandated the form or amount of compensation that airlines offer to volunteers. DOT does, however, require airlines to advise any volunteer whether he or she might be involuntarily bumped and, if that were to occur, the amount of compensation that would be due. Carriers can negotiate with their passengers for mutually acceptable compensation.
In other words, it's very much down to how you can negotiate with the airline to derive value. :)
I tend to doubt you'd be able to negotiate very far with the gate agent. Negotiation is rare in consumer-business transactions in the US, and in the few cases where it is normal practice, consumers absolutely loathe it (generally because there's no real "negotiation" going on anyway, I guess). Americans don't like to barter, they just like things automatically as favorable as possible, and I'd be surprised if your gate agents have any authority to do anything other than follow a three-step simple elevation process like: "Will you take $50? $100? $200?" If high number is rejected, the agent is probably obliged to move on.
This is not really negotiation, but a scripted process of elevation that some know how to exploit for maximum benefit and some don't.
It is usually done as a uniform price auction, with the airline upping the offer until they have enough volunteers. All volunteers usually receive the same (best) compensation regardless of what level they first agree to give up their seat. At least in my experience, you are right that it is not possible to negotiate directly with a gate agent, but then again I'm sure those with superior negotiating skill can negotiate just about anything.
Yes, if you volunteer the compensation is entirely negotiable: you could even choose to take nothing. Whereas if you are bumped involuntarily there is a legally mandated compensation scheme. These rules apply to all flights departing from a US airport.
Except if they can somehow argue "act of god." A friend was bumped from a flight because an earlier flight that day was canceled due to weather. He called and complained about it and was told by some gov't agency that in that case his bump was due to weather. Even though my take on it was... he was bumped because the airline decided to give his seat to a more valuable customer.
And the opposite nearly happened... My dad, his wife and my half sister were flying down to meet me in Florida a few months ago. In his case, an earlier flight was canceled due to mechanical breakdown. It looked like they would all 3 be bumped and he was a little pleased over the idea of a $1200 windfall. In the end he got on the plane. I suppose there weren't enough Mileage Plus Elite members on the earlier flight that needed seats.
I suppose there weren't enough Mileage Plus Elite members on the earlier flight that needed seats.
Hah, I've done this before. I was in Orlando and missed my flight back to Chicago, so I had to stand by for the last flight of the day. The list was 100 people long, but since I had the top-tier status, I went to the top. Some family trying to go home from their vacation was stuck in an airport overnight, all because I could not get to the airport in a timely manner. I still feel bad about this.
The law definitely applies to domestic flights. It's actually international where it gets trickier.
Whether it's a good deal or not depends on your urgency in getting to your destination. I've probably successfully volunteered to be bumped about 6-8 times in my life, and have been satisfied with compensation offered, which usually is equivalent to a voucher for a free round-trip ticket. It has also included an overnight hotel voucher in couple of cases where it was necessary.
I've never been bumped involuntarily, likely because there is always a volunteer willing to take some offer the airline will make. The highest I've received (international with the next flight in the morning) was an $800 voucher, presumably because the alternative to the airline was $800 cash. But as always, your mileage may vary.