dukesantos

I usually take short business trips and just carry my bags on-board. Based on seat availability, I will check with the GA to see if they need volunteers. The first question they ask is if I have checked baggage.

I will be checking baggage on my next trip.

Do they ever offer VDB's to people that check baggage? Does the checked baggage effect the priority of who gets the VDB?

channa

This is more of an issue on International flights.

On domestic flights, the bags fly without you, and you pick them up when you get there.

It may limit your options to other airports, but I've never had a problem VDBing with bags.

jewels421

VBDing with checked bags is not an issue domestically, I've done it before no problem. But I've definitely gotten the sense from some GAs that it may affect your priority - they may be more likely to take a volunteer that has no checked bags.

dmbfan222

I remember reading somewhere that you can call in to proactively offer to VDB off a flight. Does anyone have more information about that? Thanks!

goalie

The only proactivity I know of is when United would call a pax with a VDB offer based on the pax flight being known to be oversold in advance (say 2-3 days) but not the other way around

jewels421

I don't think you can proactively offer to VDB. I've tried calling in before on an award ticket, when my flight was clearly oversold and there was space on the next flight, just not in my award fare class. Didn't work. I ended up VDBing at the airport for a $700 voucher when I would have switched for free on the phone earlier.

But, if United contacts you, through email or phone, then there's an opportunity to VDB before you go to the airport. Usually in the case of equipment swap or some other major event. I've had this happen once -- they emailed the morning of my flight, I called in, got a VDB offer for a later flight and took it.

dmbfan222

Thank you, appreciate the quick response!

Lori_Q

Interestingly, on a recent bump, the GA said she preferred that my bag be checked because I wouldn't be competing for overhead space on the rebooked flight.
On January 8 I was offered $400 for ORD-DEN on the 5:36 p.m. flight. The delay was only 2.5 hours. There were pilots who were heading to Denver for flight training, which caused the oversold situation.
I'm at ORD again tonight. The 4:30 p.m. flight was canceled, and I got the VDB $150 request during check-in. Could another bump be in my future? If so, does it seem reasonable to ask for $600 for an overnight delay? The ORD Hilton is probably booked full, so I'm anticipating a bad hotel.

nigos

Many flights were oversold in Bean Town today and to make it worse another snow storm is in the works. The Boston to Denver Flight was oversold by 13 people - no standbys were accommodated and the VDB received $800 certs. I don't think there were any IDB because there were more than enough volunteers. Same story on the Boston to SFO flight - $800 certs - Other oversold flights to ORD also asked for volunteers. It's kind of strange because operations were woking quite well until around 4 pm but now delays are developing because of late inbound equipment.

Orion

I arrived into TPA from IAD around 4 p.m. this afternoon, about an hour late. My aircraft became a flight to ORD which was oversold. I saw about six people get vouchered: $250+meal and hotels. It was overnight. I heard one man say he preferred to stay in his own home.

jjmoore

Weight restriction on UA1203 SFO-DEN forced 6 to be taken off on 27 Feb. $300 offered + overnight since all flights direct and with connections were full. Obviously didn't take it as this was not enough for the inconvenience.

168

2/26, UA 1204, 1:48am, SJU-EWR

$400 travel cert plus hotel/meal vouchers and had to fly AA 10 hours later. Apparently all flights leaving SJU are overbooked and weekends are even worse.

jjmoore

Make sure to call MP and get ORC for your flight.

PTahCha

PDX-SFO, offer was $150, and they were 6 over. Offer did not increase because the gate agent was focusing on how to off-line the volunteers to DL and AS instead of asking for more volunteers. There was a line of 10 people that didn't move for 15 minutes, and her co-worker (who was wearing a CO lanyard) was standing around at the boarding podium, doing nothing to help the situation.

When the line finally moved with another agent helping the clueless agent. I volunteered, and asked them to put me on the next PDX-SFO, which had one seat left in F, and I would still make my connection. The other agent processed the change and freed up an additional seat. The flight went out with 2 over.

After the flight pushed back, I went over to the desk to claim the new BP and voucher. The clueless agent then tried to rescind the offer, stating that since I will be arriving at the same time, there would be no voucher. I protested, and had to get a SD to intervene and approve the voucher.

vintage1990

I was on the first flight of the day from BOS-SFO continuing on to JAC. I volunteered and then they said they wouldn't get me there until tomorrow. The offer at this point was $500. I said I would do it if they upgraded me to FC; I was booked Economy. GA said they could do Economy Plus. I agreed. Flight was delayed an hour because of a mechanical delay (fuel leak) and at this point I was at risk of missing my connecting flight to JAC in SFO. I boarded the plane and they never called my name. Barely made my connection.

I presume that because of the relatively low number of flights going to JAC, they didn't want to risk booking me on something the next day. Plus, I had checked my skis and boots so they would've had to locate them and hold them back.

This is the first time I have tried taking advantage of VDB on UA; normally I fly SWA.