Do The Bump?

ANCHOR LEAD
SOURCE: US Dept. of Transportation
IN THE FIRST 9 MONTHS OF 2004, MORE THAN HALF A MILLION AIRLINE PASSENGERS WERE BUMPED... SOME VOLUNTARILY, SOME INVOLUNTARILY. TO MAKE UP FOR NO-SHOWS AND CANCELLATIONS, MANY AIRLINES NOW OVERBOOK THEIR FLIGHTS BY UP TO FORTY PERCENT!
SCOTT HANSON HAS A HEADS UP ON WHAT TO EXPECT IF YOU'RE BUMPED...AND HOW IT COULD TURN INTO A GOOD DEAL FOR YOU.

TRACK ONE Length: :12
EVEN IF YOU ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT EARLY TO CHECK IN, THERE'S ALWAYS A CHANCE YOU COULD BE TOLD...'SORRY, NO SEAT!' TRAVEL EXPERTS SAY OVERBOOKING IS A COMMON PRACTICE....AT LEAST IN SOME PARTS OF THE PLANE...

SOT
Key@: :13 Gary Silverstein, Travel Expert
"And they won't oversell first class. They will only oversell coach on a plane."

TRACK TWO Length: :17
VOLUNTEERING TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER FLIGHT CAN BE REWARDING... IF YOU'RE IN NO HURRY TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION. SOME AIRLINES OFFER FREE DOMESTIC ROUNDTRIP TICKETS... OTHERS OFFER HOTEL STAYS, SEAT UPGRADES OR DISCOUNT VOUCHERS FOR FUTURE TRAVEL.
THIS MAN GAVE UP HIS SEAT TO A WOMAN WHO WAS HAVING A FAMILY EMERGENCY.

SOT
KEY @: :32 Barry Kirby, Volunteered to Get Bumped
"I left at 8 o'clock in the morning and it was a fine flight and I have two hundred dollars to put toward another flight going there."

TRACK THREE Length: :04
IF THE FLIGHT'S OVERBOOKED, THE AIRLINE ASKS FOR VOLUNTEERS FIRST....

SOT
KEY @: :40 Gary Silverstein, Travel Expert
"If no one takes it, then it becomes a little more of a challenge...

TRACK FOUR Length: :13
SOURCE: U.S. Dept. of Transportation
TRANSLATION? YOU MAY BE BUMPED INVOLUNTARILY. IF THIS HAPPENS... FEDERAL RULES SAY YOU'RE ENTITLED TO CASH... HOW MUCH DEPENDS ON HOW LONG YOU'RE DELAYED.
FOR PEOPLE WHO DON'T MIND WAITING, GETTING BUMPED CAN BE A SWEET DEAL.

SOT
KEY @: :57 Gary Silverstein, Travel Expert
"I have heard of cases where someone got bumped off their first flight, or volunteered to be bumped, then went to the second flight and volunteered to get bumped, and ended up with two different vouchers and took the third flight. I mean, that's a great day."

STAND-UP CLOSE
IF YOU'RE ASKED TO GIVE UP YOUR SEAT...CONSIDER THIS...THE BEST TIME TO GET BUMPED IS IN THE MORNING... YOU'LL GET COMPENSATION AND STILL HAVE A GOOD CHANCE OF GETTING TO YOUR FINAL DESTINATION THE VERY SAME DAY. FOR HEADS UP, I'M SCOTT HANSON.

ANCHOR TAG OVER FULL SCREEN PRE-PRO
HIGHEST PERCENTAGE INVOLUNTARY BUMPING:
Comair
2.64/10,000 Passengers

LOWEST PERCENTAGE INVOLUNTARY BUMPING:
JetBlue
0.02/10,000 Passengers

SOURCE: U.S. Dept. of Transportation
www.dot.gov
Click 'Citizen Services' link;
Click 'Aviation' link;
Click 'Air Passenger Information' link;
Click '2004' link for latest report

THESE AIRLINES HAVE THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST RATES OF BUMPING PASSENGERS OFF FLIGHTS THIS YEAR. GO TO OUR WEBSITE (INSERT WEB ADDRESS) FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BEING INVOLUNTARILY DENIED BOARDING.
ONE MORE TIP...GATE AGENTS ARE GIVEN SOME ROOM TO NEGOTIATE, SO ASK FOR WHAT YOU WANT IN RETURN FOR WAITING!

SOURCES

U.S. Department of Transportation Website
www.dot.gov

Gary Silverstein
Owner, Mann Travel
(704) 556-8311

Silverstein has more than 30 years experience in the Travel industry.

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