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A few weeks ago in New Orleans, I boarded a flight bound for Austin, my hometown. A few minutes before our scheduled departure time, a gate agent came back on board to tell us that our flight was overcapacity and asked for a volunteer willing to stay the night in exchange for a free hotel night and a $1,600 travel voucher.

My hand was in the air before she finished her statement, and I quickly gathered my bags to follow her off the plane. After much back and forth on the phone, agents at the gate rebooked me on a direct flight for the following day and gave me $2,500 in travel credit instead of the original $1,600. I’m not sure why they increased the offer, but I’m certainly not complaining.

I often travel alone, almost never check a bag, and usually plan ahead for travel delays, so I often have a lot of flexibility in when and how I get from point A to point B. I value future travel credits, and have no against changing my plans at the last minute when my schedule allows.

This isn’t the first time I’ve received travel credit in exchange for catching a later flight – and it happens more often than you might think. Last summer, a woman got $3,550 in overbooked flight vouchers from American Airlines to stay three more nights in Italy on the airline’s dime. And in 2018, one traveler famously received a $10,000 United voucher in compensation for being bumped out of its basic economy position.

How to get travel credit or compensation for giving up your seat

High travel season often coincides with flight problems from bad weather or mechanical issues. As the holidays approach, you may find yourself in a similar situation to mine. If your schedule can accommodate a spontaneous change of plans, here’s what you should know about volunteering for travel credit.

Understand bumping and denied boarding

Operating a commercial flight is expensive, so most airlines slightly oversell each flight to compensate for no-shows and last-minute cancellations. The complex logistics usually work out and most travelers board the flights they book without a problem.

But every now and then airlines end up with more passengers than available seats on a plane. In my case, for example, most of the passengers on my plane had been rebooked from an earlier flight that was canceled due to storms in the area.

When a flight has too many passengers, someone has to go, and the Department of Transportation (DoT) has strict rules on how airlines must compensate affected customers. Consumer protection for aviation the guidelines state that airlines must first ask for volunteers before forcing anyone to give up their seats.

Travelers can negotiate compensation

Airlines can offer any amount of money or travel credit in exchange for the inconvenience, and travelers who volunteer their seats can negotiate with the airline for what they want. Whether you get what you want depends on how much the airline needs your seat — after all, the offer is open to all travelers until the airline’s needs are met.

DoT recommends that you keep the following issues in mind:

• What is the next available direct flight with a confirmed seat? If the next available option already has a full standby list, you may be delayed again without further compensation.
• Can the airline offer additional amenities such as free food, housing and transit from the airport to the hotel?
• If you receive a travel voucher instead of cash compensation, when does the credit expire? Does the credit have any blackout dates or restrictions for holiday or high season travel? And can you use the credit for international travel or first class tickets, or are you limited to economy class fares?

Keep track of any expenses for future compensation

You may still incur some expenses along the way, even if the airline has offered to cover your hotel and meals. In my situation, the airline gave me the wrong document for my hotel voucher, which meant I had to pay for my own room in advance with one of my favorites credit card with travel insurance and ask for money back after I get home.

If you have checked bags, you may not see them for a while if you volunteer because your luggage was probably loaded on your original flight. You will usually have to make do with what you already have with you, although you may be able to purchase small toiletries and essentials such as toothpaste and socks and claim reimbursement from the airline later.

Many of them best travel rewards credit card Also offer travel delay benefits for unforeseen expenses when you are delayed on a flight you bought with the card. However, these benefits may not apply if you voluntarily give up your seat, so check with the credit card company (or be willing to pay for your expenses out of pocket) before going on a shopping spree.

Decide if the reward is worth the trouble

You should also consider your own situation before succumbing to the temptation of a four-figure travel voucher. If you need to be somewhere on time, there is no guarantee that another flight will get you to your destination by your personal deadline.

It is also not a good idea to give up your seat if you are traveling with someone else, especially if they are minors, elderly or have special needs. Even if the airline compensates you both for the loss of your seats, it may be difficult to get on another flight where you can sit together or enjoy the same benefits that you would have had on your original flight.

You may be able to volunteer directly in the airline’s app

Asking for volunteers at the gate—or on the plane, as in my case—can be a time-consuming process, so some airlines have begun streamlining the process by contacting travelers directly. If you’ve ever checked in for a flight via the airline’s app, you may have been invited to choose another flight at no extra cost, or offered the chance to volunteer your seat at several different fares.

If you are involuntarily denied boarding, here’s what to know

In rare cases, you may be forced to give up your seat even if you do not volunteer. This is called involuntary denied boarding, and airlines have the legal right to do it when seats are oversold. However, the airline must tell you why it is involuntarily denying you boarding and must provide a written statement explaining your rights and describing how it determines who will be kicked off the flight. In the example of the 2018 woman who received $10,000 from United, for example, she was bumped because she had the lowest class fare among all travelers on the plane.

You are not always entitled to compensation – but it doesn’t hurt to ask

If you have been involuntarily denied boarding, you are not automatically entitled to a travel credit or refund just because you have been removed from a flight. Airlines do not have to compensate passengers who are denied boarding due to safety, security or health risks, or to passengers who engage in obscene, disruptive or illegal behaviour.

DoT also does not require airlines to compensate travelers if they are denied boarding due to aircraft changes, weight and balance issues, or price class downgrades on flights departing from non-US locations, charter flights, or small aircraft with 30 or fewer passengers.

That being said, you can always contact the airline for compensation, even if they are not mandated to reimburse you. The best way to do this is to contact the airline’s customer service after your journey is complete. You can usually find the appropriate form under the “Contact Us” section of the airline’s website. You will get the fastest response if you include your date(s) of travel, flight number, full contact details and airline frequent flyer number. I have personally gotten the best results by being extremely polite, concisely stating the facts and asking for exactly what I want.

I am satisfied with the compensation I received, which is enough to allow me to see friends and family for free in the coming months. If you have the misfortune of being on an oversold flight this season, see the situation as an opportunity to plan future adventures on your airline’s dime.