I took advantage of my first voluntary denied boarding (VDB) situation in years on United Airlines over the weekend, netting me $1,500 in travel credit and bringing back very happy memories of my travels on United as a youth.
I enjoyed a larger lunch than expected at the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge (which has Mexican food this month, you know me…) and showed up to board at 2:00 pm just in time to hear a gate agent say, “Ladies and gentlemen, we are seeking five volunteers to take a later flight to Chicago in exchange for a $1,500 voucher.”
My eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning and I approached the gate agent and said I’d be happy to give up my seat. She thanked me and told me to sit tight and wait for the flight to board. Only then would they know if they needed my seat. Why? Because the flight must have been oversold by five but you can always count on no-shows or misconnects, which is why flights are oversold in the first place.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on Live and Let's Fly.
