How can you fly from point A to point B without ever opening your wallet? You have to know your way around an airline. The easiest way to fly free is to get yourself bumped.
Airlines typically overbook their flights by 10% to 30%, knowing that a certain number of paying passengers will not show up for one reason or another. Sometimes, though, their calculations are off, and they are faced with 200 seats and 205 passengers, five of whom are likely to become very annoyed unless something is done in a hurry.
That is where you come in. You made a reservation on that flight, because you knew it was much overbooked. In addition, you are standing at the end of the check-in line, observing airline officials as they realize their predicament. Therefore, you step out of line, find an airline representative, and offer to be bumped from the flight. You are doing the airline a favor and in return, it will do you the favor of allowing you to fly to your destination free on the next plane out.
What's more, the airline will put cash in your pocket for your trouble. (The amount varies, depending on the airline and the circumstances). Many airlines offer frequent flyer programs that allow passengers to accumulate points every time they take a trip with that airline, and then redeem them in the form of free tickets to selected destinations. You have to fly many miles to win any free trips, but for the business traveler, this is an easy way to arrange free travel.
However, you must be careful when dealing with coupon brokers. Airlines are not fond of what coupon brokers are doing and are on the lookout for tickets purchased from them. For the past several years, airlines have been confiscating tickets issued by coupon brokers and leaving the ticket buyers stranded at boarding gates all over the world.
It is legal for coupon brokers to operate in most countries, but it is illegal in some. It is, however, against the airlines' rules in all countries, which prohibit the sale of Frequent Flyer coupons. If you are willing to take the risks, you will be rewarded with a very cheap airline ticket. You will usually find coupon brokers advertising in the travel-classified advertising of major Sunday newspapers around the world.
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