by Hope
When Princess and I arrived at the airport on Saturday to begin our trek to Texas, we were immediately told that our flight was delayed. And we already had a pretty tight layover in Dallas on our way to Austin. But if you travel much, you know that’s kind of par for the course so we just figured we would deal with it when ?we had too.
Then as we were waiting for boarding, they started announcing that our flight was overbooked and asking for volunteers to give up their seats…they needed three. They were offering $125 future travel voucher. We continued to wait for boarding.
As time went on, they kept asking for volunteers and finally they needed two volunteers and were offering $650 travel vouchers…can you guess what Princess and I did?
Yup! After I checked with her, explained it would entail us hanging out here at the Atlanta Airport a bit longer…I walked right up and gave away our seats. We got $1,300 for our two seats. I paid $22 for these tickets (used points.)
Now I realize that American Airlines tickets are pretty pricey compared to Southwest, which we typically fly. But for $1,300, it was definitely worth a few more hours of sitting there. And I worked the whole time, so it was a win, win!
Instead of getting to Austin at 4pm CST, we got here at 8pm CST…and have $1,300 towards future travel for absolutely free. I can’t see any downside!
Here’s looking to future travel! I love having something like this to look forward too! Have you ever had a similar travel story? Where you walked away with vouchers or upgrades that excited you?
Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.
But life has a way of rewriting your plans.
A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.
Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.
Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.
She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.
Amazing! How long are they valid for??? That was definitely worth it,.
Wow, that’s fabulous! I know you’ll make good use of those vouchers in the future and it will definitely help your budget.
Does this mean you’re able to free up a bit of cash from your July budget to pay down the credit card?
Can you sell them?
My only thought is I hope that the airline honors them. So often with those promotions, there are so many black-out dates that pretty much render them useless. For instance, when my husband had his own business, he racked up a lot of free hotel time with Hampton Inns. Each and every time he tried to use those freebies, they told him they were “booked.”
Great job! Nice way to take advantage of an opportunity!
I live near a small regional airport. My brother and his wife often fly here for Christmas. They have gotten $500-$800 vouchers per person for the last two years because during the holiday season, the flights often end up overbooked or occasionally delayed. They just include enough wiggle room in their plans so that if they need to take a delay like that, they can. It is a win for them because they are always going to be flying here and often for other travels.