Have you ever opted to take the money, or voucher for future travel, offered when an airline has overbooked a flight? Whether you’re a novice to the practice, or a devotee, you’ll be interested to know that the normal ritual of gate agents shouting it out over the loudspeaker, may go the way of the dinosaurs. “Delta Makes Fliers Bid to Get Bumped” caught my attention when I perused the January 14th edition of the Wall Street Journal.

“The age-old ritual of the passenger bump is getting a high-tech makeover at Delta Airlines Inc.” According to the article, airlines are enjoying fuller flights these days. So wanting to hang on to more of its hard-earned dollars, and preparing to meet the possibility that regulators will demand more money be paid to involuntarily bumped passengers on overbooked flights, Delta has derived a new system.

On its face the system, in place since last month, seems a great solution to the drama that usually unfolds minutes before takeoff. Trying to get takers who’ll forfeit their seats, raises the adrenalin for everyone within earshot of the action. I know I’m never willing to opt out of my scheduled flight. Having gone through all the rigmarole to get on a plane, starting from scratch has no appeal for me. So I’m always grateful to those who have no qualms doing so. God bless them, and their capacity for waiting.

Did you know that “8% to 10% of passengers with reservations for a particular flight typically don’t show up”? It’s a fact, according to the director of MIT’s Global Airline Industry Program, Peter Belobaba. That’s why airlines have taken to over booking for decades, so that planes don’t leave the ground empty. Now I understand what I always considered to be stupidity and greed on the part of the travel industry. I think cruise lines do the same thing, but I’m not positive.

Delta’s clever concoction to the once chaotic over booking dilemma?

…a silent auction that asks passengers to name their price electronically before they arrive at the departure gate if it looks as though there may not be enough seats on a flight.

Passengers who check in with Delta online before leaving for the airport or at kiosks before going through security can type in the dollar amount they would accept from the airline to be bumped from their flight. Delta can then accept the lowest bids, eliminating a lot of the uncertainty early.

Having worked a combined 10 years at Iran Air and TWA, and my husband having begun his career at Pan American World Airways, we both agree that Delta’s alternative to the previous over booking practice to which all other airlines continue to subscribe, is intriguing. I would even venture to say that the employee who dreamed up the idea should be promoted…to CEO! Give that woman a corner office! I’m sure it was a female; we think “outside the box.” You know, all that experience multi-tasking as daughters, wives, moms, caretakers and so on, and so on. I’m sure the Delta execs and board members would agree that the genius deserves their undying gratitude.

Atlanta-based Delta says the new bidding system allowing passengers to be voluntarily bumped is a “win-win” for consumers as well as the airline because it boosts efficiency and removes a lot of the chaos at the gate…

“Saving three or four minutes at the gate has a big operational impact,” said Paul Skrbec, a Delta spokesman. He acknowledged that the price Delta has to pay fliers to agree to be bumped probably would be cheaper under the silent auction.

Put another way, consumer is pitted against consumer, giving Delta “a negotiating edge with the consumer because it can pick the lowest bids and passengers won’t know how low others are willing to go.” The airline also wins since the Transportation Department is considering upping the amount customers must be paid if they’re bumped from an overbooked flight, from the current $800 to $1,300. Delta could realize quite a savings based upon past statistics. In “the first nine months of 2010” passengers agreeing to be bumped from overbooked flights on U.S. carriers were 541,694, and those who were involuntarily bumped were 53,287.

It looks as though over booking negotiations will rise in 2011 since people are taking to the skies in record numbers once again. Meanwhile, “the airlines plan to keep their domestic capacity roughly flat.” I think this means they’re not rushing to add more flights to their scheduled runs.

I’m certain the other airlines are playing the “wait and see” game. Just thought I’d give you a “heads up,” so you’ll know the rules of the game before you play.

as for me, i still won’t play that game…hugmamma.