kempis

Who has recieved the biggest denies boarding compensation for a flight that was oversold?

YVR Cockroach

1995: AA MIA-GRU

$1,000 AA travel vouchers (ticket cost <$1,000) with room, breakfast, lunch & dinner + upgrade on next day's flight

UserMark

1996: AA LHR - JFK/ORD
$5400 vouchers total for 5 continuous flighs in a 1 1/2 day period. Plus food and a Radisson for the night (earned 500 more miles).

Sheryl

Pretty impressive, UserMark

The single largest amount I've heard of is $1200. Just posted today at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/004239.html

Butcher Bird

UserMark. Dang. You win the prize. If I could apply for second place based on amount in consideration of time. To wit:

I received a $500 voucher (and a $5 brkfst voucher) for a 50 minute delay.

TravelManKen

1) 2000 - UA flight from DEN-DFW: $750, hotel night & Eight 500-Mile upgrade certs (second segment of flight from SMF, total fare R/T was $950).
2) 1998 - WN flight from PHX-SMF: $890 (for 2 people) to take a flight one hour later.
3) 2000- UA flight from SMF-JFK via LAX & IAD because of "Labor Challenges", received $450 each (2 people) and two north american confirmed upgrades. Flight arrived in JFK 5 hours late, it was an award flight purchased with miles.



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Ken in Sacramento

paradocs

Please tell us all your tricks to raise the stakes in compensation! How do you negotiate? I, once, with my two children got from DL (bumped in Denver) hotel, dinner, breakfast, a ride in a limo to drugstore and Denver Mint and Elitche's Amusement Park (I think all the transportation was courtesy of the hotel DL put us up in) and vouchers for free RT ticket anywhere domestic. Then the next day they flew us home First Class. I have never done better since. Would love your hints!

Viajero Joven

Butcher Bird, I think I beat you:

Bumped from an 8:55pm CO commuter CLE-DTW to a 9:00pm NW nonstop jet. Left 5 min. later, arrived 5 min. earlier (faster A/C), gold card upgraded, and got $250 for my trouble.

Kitty Hawk

I think I can do even better. Bumped from a 7am CLE-EWR departure to an 8am flight. Upgraded to first (this was before I was elite) and a $200 voucher. The 8am flight left 75 minutes EARLIER than the 7am flight.

[This message has been edited by Kitty Hawk (edited 12-27-2000).]

AAPlatinum

Most memorable bumps --

$1,250 -- Mid 90's -- Bumped from a BNA-LGA flight for $500 and routed via ORD. ORD-LGA flight was overbooked and got a $750 voucher for that one.

$500 -- 1998 -- LHR-JFK 12:00 noon flight was overbooked got $500 and an upgrade to Biz on the 1:00 pm flight into EWR

$0 -- 1997 -- LHR-JFK 12:00 noon flight was overbooked and offering $800. I volunteered, they didn't need me, but I got the elusive double upgrade.

TravelManKen

I've found the best way to get the highest compensation available is to be firm but don't get angry or turn into a jerk. If you can control your anger and simply say - "Do you think that is fair compensation for my troubles?" It can go pretty far. If you're not satisfied at the gate and have a few minutes try the Airline's club lounge or the executive service center. It makes a big difference if you are an elite member of that airline's FF program. If you're not an elite member of their program make referece to the program that you are an elite member. You have about a 50/50 chance of getting a positive reaction to saying "I'm trying to move my business to your airline, however situations like these make it very difficult."

Also, don't always go for just the $$$ Voucher, if you will be using that airline often - ask for confirmed upgrade certs.

If none of the above works - oh well, have fun in seat 27E on that 737 11 hours later

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Ken in Sacramento

rmccamy

Memorable bumps:

1996, 1997, and 1998: AA ORD-MCI on the Friday of the Big 12 basketball tournament. Bumped from three flights in 1996 and 1997 for $1100 and $900 respectively. In 1998, I was bumped once for $500 (they were already in a max oversell for the whole day, so I traveled on Saturday). My original tickets were around $150 each.

March 2000: UA DEN-SFO. Arrived at airport early to go standby on an earlier flight. Standbys cleared, we board the earlier flight. Once everyone is seated, they realize they are overweight and need 5 volunteers. Got $200, got back on originally-scheduled flight, departed 30 minutes later. Not a huge payday, but essentially free money with no downside.

Butcher Bird

I think Kitty Hawk snags second place with the $200 and 75 minute earlier arrival. Good deal there.

AAPlat pretty much nudges me out with the $500 for an hour (now, now, my delay was only fifty minutes!), but he got an upgrade, too. Lucky dog.

Back in '93 or '94 I was bumped from a SWA flight and received a $200 voucher. My other flight got in 10 minutes ahead. Sadly, Kitty's still beats my gig!

JerryFF

Most memorable bump -

On UA when they were giving out free tickets rather than $$ vouchers -

I, my wife, and 3 kids were traveling from SFO to SAN - we all got bumped off a 6 pm flight and rebooked on a 7:30 flight - 5 free unrestricted domestic coach tickets. Then we all got bumped off the 7:30 flight for the 9:15 pm flight - another 5 tickets.

When we got to our hotel late, they had overbooked the hotel and upgraded us to a suite for 5 nights. And we were on an Entertainment 50% off rate!

Total - 10 RT domestic tickets and a suite upgrade.

dljohn

TravelManKen said:

Also, don't always go for just the $$$ Voucher, if you will be using that airline often - ask for confirmed upgrade certs.


Does anyone know if Delta will give out such confirmed upgrade certificates and, if so, are they good on ALL fares?

All I have gotten were free R/T tickets (pre-1999) and DL Dollar Vouchers (post-1999).