A secret to getting free and cheap flights (without dealing with frequent flyer miles).

One secret I have found to getting free and reduced cost flights is taking voluntary bumps. Often the airlines will give you hundreds of dollars to leave sometimes less than an hour later.

 Let's go back a step and talk about what a bump is and why bumps occur. Many airlines oversell seats;this is because usually a certain percentage of passengers who are scheduled to take a flight do not end up taking that flight due to a variety of reasons. So a number of airlines uses statistical models on computers to predict how many people won't show up and how many seats to oversell by. These statistical models don't work all the time.

 When the models fail and the airlines finds themselves with more passengers than seats the airlines are first required to ask for volunteers to give up their seats. Often with these offers to give up seats come travel vouchers usually worth several hundred dollars that are usually good for one year. When the next flight won't leave until the next day often hotel vouchers are offered too. The airlines want to avoid a involuntarily bump as there are strict rules and regulations regarding involuntary bumps and how much compensation those being involuntarily bumped are entitled too-often this compensation can in certain cases exceed the cost of the ticket.

 It is often a gambling game on what point to grab the voucher and what point to wait to see if a better offer will be made and to get more information about alternative flights. I've found the first offer as of recently is at the self-check in. I've found these offers come with a low-mediocre offer and basically no information about what your options will be to get to your destination if you take the bump. When the gate agent announces that they are looking for someone to take the bump the gate agent generally gives more information about what the flight will be that you will be moved to. If they don't than beware you might be facing a long wait to get to your destination. If the offer sounds good this can be a good time to take the bump.

 Here is an example of where taking a voluntary bump worked out great more me. I was supposed to fly from Cleveland to BWI. BWI really was not my airport of choice. Instead of flying to BWI I was able to fly to National Airport which is my airport of choice as it is the only airport that connects directly to the DC metro and the flight was only one hour later. Basically I saved the hassle of BWI and at the same time got hundreds of dollars off my flight to Ireland. How cool is that!
 There are some ways to try to get on a flight where you are likely to be bumped. Look for a flight that is already very full. Also look for airlines (such as United and Skywest) that have a high bump rate.
 Rachelle Kaufman is the author of the Kaufman Green Guide series.