A Delta Air Lines passenger made a windfall of $5,000 (around £3,700) in a single day by volunteering to give up his seat on two overbooked flights. The man, who shared his story on Reddit, said the unexpected cash helped him pay off a chunk of his student loans.
How he did it
He was due to fly with Delta when staff announced they needed volunteers to take a later flight. He ran to the gate and was one of two passengers selected, receiving $2,000 (£1,480) each. The pair were rebooked onto an evening flight and waited together at the airport, even sitting next to each other once they boarded.
During the delay, they joked about volunteering again if asked. They didn't have to wait long. "As soon as we sat down, I heard the microphone about volunteers," he explained. "I said I am doing it. I ran and got $3,000 (£2,229). One other guy came also but I was first."
Reaction and tips
He admitted he was thrilled with the unexpected cash and added: "I am so happy as I have student loans and just wanted to share it with someone." The post attracted thousands of comments, with many saying they would have done the same.
One user warned: "As someone who did this recently, please know the vouchers expire! And fairly quickly. We forgot about them, looked six months later and all expired." Another said: "My last three trips have been paid by this way. I always sit by the gate and only put on one ear bud for I can listen to that sweet announcement of asking for a volunteer!"
First class upgrade story
The story follows a separate incident where a man gave up a complimentary first-class upgrade to a stranger. He had asked for an aisle seat to stretch his legs on a flight from Costa Rica to Florida, but found a "rather large woman" in his seat. He said on Reddit: "I looked at her and realised that she and I were probably the same age. I don't normally like middle seats, but she needed the aisle seat more than I and so I said 'sure'." Half an hour into the flight, a flight attendant offered him an upgrade, but he declined, giving it to the woman instead.
