Call Kurtis: The Travel Vouchers We Got for Being Bumped Won't Work

DAVIS (CBS13) — Joan and David Anton say they volunteered to get bumped from their U.S. Airways flight home from Burlington, Vermont and got two $425 vouchers. They figured they could use the vouchers to return to see her aging parents.

When they tried to book the trip, she says U.S. Airways told them the vouchers had already been used.

"You got to be kidding me, I still have the voucher, I never used it," said Joan Anton.

"This whole thing has turned to be total incompetent disaster," said David Allen.

Joan says she was told she had to contact American Airlines for help considering it and U.S. Airways merged but she says American never responded.

"There's always the merger pain," said travel agent Trudy Flores. "Miscommunication is common when airlines merge."

Under federal law, if you're bumped involuntarily, you have a right to cash. If they can't get you to your destination within two hours, you can get 400-percent of your one way fare up to $1300.

If you agree to be bumped like Joan and David did, you get whatever the airline offers. '"Don't forget most of the time it expires in a year," Trudy said.

Once we contacted American Airlines, the airline confirmed the vouchers are in fact active and blamed the confusion on the fact the vouchers issued were paper.

Joan right away used them to book that trip back to see her parents, but the next time the couple is asked to be bumped?

"I may not jump up so quickly, I agree," said Joan and David.

If you are involuntarily bumped, you have a right to cash or a check. They may try to give you a voucher, but demand cash. If they're asking for volunteers, instead of getting a voucher, negotiate and see if you can get cash.

None of this applies to weather problems. Some airlines will put you up in a hotel for the night, but you don't get compensated for weather issues.

There are also some exceptions to the "right to cash" rule. Here's a link to Department of Transportation's Consumer Guide to Air Travel so you can learn more about your rights.