Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2015]
Feb 23, 2015, 10:47 pm
#106
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Houston
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 12,693
I wouldn't take the chance.
If UA causes a misconnect, UA rebooks you to your next stopover.
If UA causes a misconnect, UA rebooks you to your next stopover.
Feb 23, 2015, 11:19 pm
#107
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ Diamond/*G, IHG Diamond Amb, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,239
Subj. For tomorrow's 6AM flight. I'd be happy to take it for a later flight but I have SFO-NRT flight coming on ANA and within 3h 45min connection time I am not that sure that I want to take my chances.
BTW, if I'd took that chance and then ended up missing the ANA flight (LAX-SFO, SFO-NRT and NRT-SIN are on the same same ticket) where should I be heading to? Ticket is issued by ANA, but only one leg - SFO-NRT is operated by them, the rest if UA.
Will UA put me on another ANA flight next day? Should I be going to UA with this matter (missing flight) or I should go to ANA because the ticket is issued by them? Will ANA put me on another flight and provide hotel if I missed the flight due to UA?
BTW, if I'd took that chance and then ended up missing the ANA flight (LAX-SFO, SFO-NRT and NRT-SIN are on the same same ticket) where should I be heading to? Ticket is issued by ANA, but only one leg - SFO-NRT is operated by them, the rest if UA.
Will UA put me on another ANA flight next day? Should I be going to UA with this matter (missing flight) or I should go to ANA because the ticket is issued by them? Will ANA put me on another flight and provide hotel if I missed the flight due to UA?
Feb 23, 2015, 11:36 pm
#108
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: BOS .. but soon SFO
Programs: UA PLAT, TK GLD, Hilton Diamond, IC PLAT, SPG GLD, Marriott GLD
Posts: 1,528
I wouldn't trust the OLCI overbooked prompt
I've had it come up many times and was hardly ever needed. They make the prompt when there might be a need, but they won't do anything until check in closes. Then they look at how many no shows they have, who needs to be in that flight (crew, rev pax, etc) and so on
The few times I've done it, I had to wait until group 1 and 2 boarded, then lost my overhead space.
In short, don't hold your breath
I've had it come up many times and was hardly ever needed. They make the prompt when there might be a need, but they won't do anything until check in closes. Then they look at how many no shows they have, who needs to be in that flight (crew, rev pax, etc) and so on
The few times I've done it, I had to wait until group 1 and 2 boarded, then lost my overhead space.
In short, don't hold your breath
Feb 23, 2015, 11:42 pm
#109
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Atherton, CA
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Owner, Green Bay Packers
Posts: 21,690
I wouldn't run the risk of complicating your flights significantly for such small change.....
Feb 23, 2015, 11:45 pm
#110
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: SNA
Programs: UA 1K, 1MM
Posts: 367
From my experiences, those online offers hardly stick. Often, I check in online and are offered $XXX for volunteering my seat. When I arrive at the gate, they would say that my services are not needed. Last year, I think I volunteered around a dozen times from online or at the kiosk and never did I receive the certificates. I often left the United Club early so I can be the first one at the gate. Once at CLD, I was offered $250 but they refused due to my international itinerary. When I did volunteer, I always asked for my final destination and if I checked any baggage.
Feb 24, 2015, 1:07 am
#111
Join Date: Dec 2006
Programs: united
Posts: 50
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2015]
VDB 2/18/2015 UA116 HKG-GUM 2 PAX, 10:55pm-5:45am, E+, a 5-hour direct flight
Compensated $600 each, rebooked on 15-hour total transit
rebooked Cathay 524, 1:00am-6:05am, back of the plane but together
5-hour layover at Narita
Connected to UA827, 11:10am-3:21pm, E+ exit row together
Initial offer was $100 at check in. Declined.
Offered us $200 at the United lounge. Declined.
At the boarding gate offer was $400, than $600. Accepted $600 each.
After it was all done I wish I'd asked for more because it really was a bother. Forgot that it would be COLD at Narita (Hey, we were headed to a beach vacation so no coats!). Plus HKG lounge closed at 11:30 and Narita lounge wasn't open when we arrived.
We were approached so many times by UA staff with different stories. First it was there was a wedding party that wanted to travel together, last was there were tour groups they needed to keep together. I have never before been directly asked to consider VDB so maybe they really did need us off that flight!
Compensated $600 each, rebooked on 15-hour total transit
rebooked Cathay 524, 1:00am-6:05am, back of the plane but together
5-hour layover at Narita
Connected to UA827, 11:10am-3:21pm, E+ exit row together
Initial offer was $100 at check in. Declined.
Offered us $200 at the United lounge. Declined.
At the boarding gate offer was $400, than $600. Accepted $600 each.
After it was all done I wish I'd asked for more because it really was a bother. Forgot that it would be COLD at Narita (Hey, we were headed to a beach vacation so no coats!). Plus HKG lounge closed at 11:30 and Narita lounge wasn't open when we arrived.
We were approached so many times by UA staff with different stories. First it was there was a wedding party that wanted to travel together, last was there were tour groups they needed to keep together. I have never before been directly asked to consider VDB so maybe they really did need us off that flight!
Feb 24, 2015, 1:11 am
#112
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 812
This has been my experience as well. They'll pick the domestic passengers with no checked bags to be bumped--it's the least amount of work for UA to handle.
Feb 24, 2015, 1:15 am
#113
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: Jose Cuervo Gold, Bud Light Platinum, Schwab 401K, VW Bug 2MM
Posts: 1,100
Well what happened? I know for a fact this was overbooked b/c my gf was offered at the gate for this flight.
Feb 24, 2015, 1:58 am
#114
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Virginia City Highlands
Programs: Nothing anymore after 20 years
Posts: 6,900
Feb 24, 2015, 6:59 am
#115
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: KEWR
Programs: UA 1K, HH Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, Hyatt Plat, National Exec, GE/Nexus
Posts: 501
$150 is hardly worth the effort for a potential complication involving int'l travel, imo.
Most of the time I punch in Yes when the opportunity comes during OLCI for volunteers. In my experience if you really want to be a volunteer, you need to talk to the GA as soon as he/she arrives to get dibs.
ymmv on original routing credit ... but for such high mileage why take the chance and give yourself a headache trying to talk someone into giving you one ...
Most of the time I punch in Yes when the opportunity comes during OLCI for volunteers. In my experience if you really want to be a volunteer, you need to talk to the GA as soon as he/she arrives to get dibs.
ymmv on original routing credit ... but for such high mileage why take the chance and give yourself a headache trying to talk someone into giving you one ...
Feb 24, 2015, 7:11 am
#116
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: DEN
Programs: UA MM Plat; AA MM Gold; HHonors Diamond
Posts: 15,866
Feb 24, 2015, 7:34 am
#117
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
LAX-NRT on UA connecting to the original NRT-SIN would be the logical choice.
This seems like an easy VDB, provided LAX-NRT was available and acceptable to you.
This seems like an easy VDB, provided LAX-NRT was available and acceptable to you.
Feb 24, 2015, 7:36 am
#118
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Slightly to the left of center
Posts: 3,475
^^
$150 is the default their software pops up with. It is (sometimes) more at the gate, if they need people at all. I've seen overhead monitors (at the gate) "we are looking for volunteers..." whilst GA a few feet away clearing the standby list. GA will have a better handle of the real likelihood of being short seats than monitors or kiosks sometimes mis-connects haven't been offloaded and such so it appears overbooked. Just one example.
$150 is the default their software pops up with. It is (sometimes) more at the gate, if they need people at all. I've seen overhead monitors (at the gate) "we are looking for volunteers..." whilst GA a few feet away clearing the standby list. GA will have a better handle of the real likelihood of being short seats than monitors or kiosks sometimes mis-connects haven't been offloaded and such so it appears overbooked. Just one example.
Last edited by DBCme; Feb 24, 2015 at 7:42 am
Feb 24, 2015, 8:04 am
#119
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 7,541
So I was Bumped (VDB) off NRT-LAX on 2/22 and rerouted NRT-ORD-LAX.
Feb 24, 2015, 8:37 am
#120
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: UA 1k, AA EXPLT, NZ GE, VA PLT Hyatt Diam, Marr Plat, HH Diam
Posts: 3,445
Assume they make those offers at varying levels (some pax are offered $100, some $150, some $200, etc). If the space is needed, they choose the pax that accepted the lowest amounts.