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(c) Elliott Publishing.

Bump Proofing
Cheap Charlie · January 29, 2001

During this holiday season, there will be hundreds, maybe thousands, of passengers bumped from flights on the way to see loved ones or relax on a vacation. This end-of-the-year holiday period is one of the worst times for airlines in terms of overbooking.

You need to protect yourself from those dreaded words, "Sorry this flight is overbooked and we don't have a seat on board for you."

While hearing, "We would be happy to provide you with $400 in airline script for use on a future flight or we will give you a free flight any in the country," may be music to some fliers' ears, when you absolutely must be somewhere, it doesn't provide much comfort.

In the old days when advanced boarding passes were common, I suggested that passengers always get an advanced boarding pass to insure that they have a seat attached to their body. Today, only a handful of airlines are bringing back the concept of advanced boarding passes. Next year, there may be more, but that won't help this season.

In lieu of an advanced boarding pass, make sure you have a seat number assigned to your reservation. That is another way to insure that there is a physical seat attached to your physical being. Those numbers like 5A or 22C take on an additional comfort factor when airlines begin announcing overbooked flights.

If you are making your reservation and you find out that they can't make a seat reservation for you at the time of reservation, you know the flight is tight. Get ready to be at the airport early.

Now, I know you may feel that I have done this all in reverse, but the absolutely best way to insure that you have the seat for which you made reservations is to arrive the airport and get checked in. That way you're first in line to keep your seat.

So, to repeat:

1. Check in early
2. Get a seat assignment when you make your reservation.
3. Get an advanced boarding pass if possible.

It is not rocket science, but these simple precautions when flights are overcrowded and the lines are long may help save a great vacation and your precious time.

Charlie Leocha is the Boston-based author of Travel Rights: Know the Rules of the Road and the Air Before You Go. Cheap Charlie appears every Monday on this site. E-mail him at leocha@aol.com or access his Web site.