Thread: denied boarding as non-rev, then what?

Gate agent may help you find an alternative, just depends on the individual and how busy they are. Always have multiple back ups before you ever get to the airport.

Don't ever check a bag!!

Alot of places won't let you through passport control until you have cleared. In the case you get through and don't clear, talk to the gate agent, there HAS to be a way for them to get you back through customs.

They shouldn't be taking a coupon from you until you are boarding the a/c. I had it happen to me once in EZE where LAN wanted to take my flight coupon at the tkt counter. I kindly asked the agent if I could hold onto it and exchange it for my boarding pass if/when I cleared and she asked her manager and he gave it back to me. Good thing too, as I cleared for an earlier flight.

Dominican Republic--we had 2 children in tow and were denied after being stamped/paid w/departure fee--when we left, exited thru immigration--they canceled the stamp--did it again the next day and the next day
finally went to alternative airport (via rental car) 2 hrs away and got on return flight (this was our airline)
GA has no responsibility but typically will assist after rev pax are gone (if possible)
Plan B/C/D is my responsibility and I always try to be prepared
I agree with NO BAGS--like shooting yourself in the foot, period.
Coupons--watch them carefully--I've agent take the wrong one--your responsibility to get it back if it's been held until boarding (that was OAL)

Best thing to do when you get bumped is find out if you get rolled over to the next flights. Usually flights like from BOS to EWR they have so many so chances are, you get bumped on the first or second flight but will make the 3rd or 4th. They usually just automatically roll you over. If you're in Peru and there are only two flights a day and they seem overbooked, you may start to look for a plan B. That may mean routing through Brazil or Buenos Aires believe it or not. But you need access to a computer for this and internationally, this may create a problem. We here in the states got it made with wireless all around us. True about the luggage checked in. I like to check my luggage in when I know for certain I feel I'll get on. I don't like to fight with a hundred other travellers to put luggage overhead so I always check in my luggage just so I don't have to use it under a seat and mess with my leg space. If I get bumped, I just go to the check in counter and get my luggage. Not a big deal. It happened to me in Philippines when I tried to board a flight to Guam and didn't make it. All this after going through stringent security and having paid exit fees. The exit fee was good up to the next night, so no loss there, and we got out via NRT OAL. Just roll with the punches. Like the Aussie mentioned. STAY COOL. Go have a cool one and come up with a plan B. When you feel happy, good things happen. If you hang around bugging gate agents and freakin out, it won't help your situation. Preparing keeps the anxiety level to a check. If you wing it, be ready to deal with the worse case scenario.

As the others have said, most carriers just roll you over to the next flight.
However as you know, sometimes things can get a little chaotic at the airport and gate agents can be snowed under, so it’s good, especially if you’re on a foreign trip, to have your backup plans ready to roll. That’s why I always stress including an alternate airport/route among your list of backups, because when things start going sideways, they go sideways fast, and having that alternate option in your back pocket can be the difference in a cot in the corner and your own bed.
A few years ago I was trying to get to Chicago. I’m at LAX, my flight had a light load, and I was sure I’ll be in F. Then came the announcement that all the remaining AA flights to Chicago were canceled because of high winds at ORD.
You can image the reaction to that announcement in the terminal-chaos, the agents were swamped.
My standing alternate airport/route for Chicago is to fly WN flight into Midway - Chicago‘s other airport., but I knew WN’s LAX/MDW flights were about to be inundated.
So I fell back to alternate airport/route plan B, bought a ticket to Vegas and then non-revved LAS to MDW on WN. I even won a little money on the machines at McCarran.
The main thing is I made it to Chicago in time for the graduation, as promised.
As the others have said, have back-ups/print-outs, don’t check bags, wear comfortable shoes and familiarize yourself with your departure terminal’s layout, just in case you have to sprint for that alternate plan B.

Originally Posted by 29palms

And you can go overboard too buying up backup tickets. They take a long time to get the money back on them too.

True that! At current rate our tickets take around 2 months to refund

I always keep in mind plan B's and try and ticket myself as flex as possible. The amount of people I meet though who have no idea of the system or don't know what to do when something goes awry scares me. Like a companion at LAX who literally begged the staff to let her on the plane (wtf?).

I've been quite lucky I must say:
- WN plane air bridge reattached and two pax got off, freeing me up a seat as i'd happened to stay in the gate area (exit row too!)
- Made it out of STL intact when all of AA's MD80s got taken out for wire inspections
- Made the last flight outta LAX to get back to work
- Got on many a flight out of HKG when I had been told "no chance"

I enjoy the thrill