Seasoned travelers will know that a good way to earn an unexpected bit of cash or travel credits is to sign yourself up to be moved to the next available one in the case of overbooking.
At check-in, airlines will occasionally ask passengers if they are willing to put themselves on a list of people willing to be bumped off the flight if necessary as well as the amount of money they'd accept for the inconvenience. United (UAL) -)'s "Volunteering Your Seat" program usually offers around $400 in travel vouchers for a domestic flight. Some passengers also reported receiving $600 for a voluntary bumping from an American Airlines (AAL) -) flight.
Related: 5 Things to Know if You Get Bumped From Your Flight
In some extreme examples, the flights are so overbooked that the airline is willing to offer pretty plump sums for travelers who increasingly know that holding out could earn one even larger offers later.
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Flight attendant to passengers: 'You can go shopping via gift card...'
In a TikTok video of a Delta Air Lines (DAL) -) flight from Boston to Rome posted by The Only in Boston (@onlyinbos) account, a flight attendant is heard asking if there is "one passenger who wants to take one for the team?" through the overheard announcement.
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"You can go shopping via gift card..." the flight attendant is heard in her efforts to convince someone to voluntarily get off the flight.
When no one volunteers, the flight attendant is hard offering, auction-style, $3,500 — although it is unclear if this is cash or travel vouchers.
"Come on guys, $3,500, can somebody take one for the team?" the worker is heard saying. "We'll get you a hotel if you guys show up for us."
According to the passenger who filmed the interaction, 13 passengers ultimately accepted between $2,000 and $4,000 as well as a hotel for the night until the next available flight.
TikTok Explodes: 'Four months of free rent'
The high cash offered by the airline ultimately surprised TikTok users — the video was viewed millions of times and received nearly 400,000 likes.
"That's crazy, $3500 would low-key be life changing," wrote one commenter. "Four months of free rent."
"I settled for $800 once from Delta," wrote another. "I'd sprint for $3k 😂."
While the inconvenience of starting a trip late and giving up on a preplanned itinerary is an important factor, many also hold out in the hopes of getting a better offer. When no one volunteers and the airline tells someone with a booked seat to get off the flight without agreement, this is called "involuntary bumping" — in such cases, Department of Transportation (DOT) laws require compensation of 200% of the one-way flight for delays of less than two hours and 400%, for longer ones.
As a result, airlines generally start offering travelers higher and higher amounts in order to avoid the larger compensation it will be required to provide if no one agrees.
"Why does this never happen to me?" reads one of the other comments on the TikTok video.
