It was a bustling morning at New York’s John F. Kennedy this morning. As I was flying out from JFK to Denver, I decided to head to my gate to see if my flight was oversold. Delta indicated it was online during the check-in process, and asked if I was willing to bid for a later flight if I had flexible travel plans.

Fast forward to boarding when the gate agent announces they are oversold and are offering a $800 American Express Gift Card to take a later flight. I quickly go to the gate and add my name to the list. The gate agent says to have a seat and they call if they need me. Sure enough final boarding commences and I get called up as they are actually oversold by 5 and will be using my seat. Score!

I was quickly rebooked on a connecting flight through Detroit leaving 45 minutes later, and sent an email with the voucher. Overall, I’d call it a successful morning at JFK.

For those wondering, not all Delta cities offer American Express gift cards for flights. Currently only some of their hubs including both New York (JFK) and LGA; Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Boston offer them. Other cities will still offer Delta travel vouchers.

Have you volunteered to give up your seat on a recent Delta flight? Feel free to share your experience below!