plinth857

I think UA is best at the terrible offers. I've been offered $150 quite often with UA. Never below $300 with AA or DL. Although, despite the offers from AA, I've never been needed for them. I've been needed several times for UA and DL.

jjmoore

Nice score... thanks for posting. $800 is pretty standard for int'l VDB... $300 is a joke, and hopefully nobody took that. Not many people have flexibility to arrive a day late to the EU, but I'm glad it worked out for you. I have only taken VDB's returning from the EU, as I am always grateful to spend another day in Brussels or Paris.

It really depends on the routing, how many people they need, availability for rerouting, inconvenience, etc. In tough situations, $150 never makes the cut, and typically nobody likes to stay overnight for a lousy compensation. Keep in mind though that there is always a sucker or two out there that doesn't have a clue about how these things work, and falls for the sucker bait.

plinth857

Haha, that sucker was me on my very first one! $200 and an overnight in Houston and the return trip was on a single class RJ. Hopefully, I can be cut some slack; it was only my second flight since starting up my monthly trips, and that was my first ever VDB. My last UA VDB was much better; $300 and First Class w/ meal service on a same day flight 4 hours later.

BBSHOPSINGER

I've been offered $150 often, and signed up anyway. I've never actually received less than $300. Last summer I accepted at $150, but got $600. Remember that the amount you get is based on the final offer, not the initial offer. They don't give different amounts to different volunteers.

jjmoore

I left this out... never decline the check-in offer... even if it says $150. You're not committed, and I always say no if the GA tells me the offer is $150... regardless of the routing option / first class offer presented. They usually go up on the $ amount.

StartinSanDiego

When we were checking in for our SAN-EWR leg, there was a text or UA App notification that "one or more flights on this route is overbooked." It didn't say which flight, and it didn't mention compensation. Could we or should we have done anything at that point?

That's an interesting comment from BBSHOPSINGER and jjmoore about the compensation being the same for all volunteers, regardless of when you put your name in. Is the best strategy to sign up for the VDB when it's first announced, and then wait to see if it becomes something worth taking?

iluv2fly

Absolutely.

And a rule not to forget - don't hurry to get your compensation and leave before anyone else does. The offer may go up and you would forfeit the new (and greater) amount if you leave,

BBSHOPSINGER

Yes - you can always back out if you don't like the final offer.

QuesoDeCan

I'm planning to fly from iad (or bwi or Philadelphia) in may to bcn on united.

any way to find out the average of vdb payouts for the return portion? I'd love to score some vouchers on ual for int'l travel!

I've had very good luck with southwest, and over my travel routes scored close to $900 over the last 5 years......

tia ^^

jjmoore

Yes... always get on the list at the first opportunity... on the app (someone please confirm that the app now supports this... I have never seen it), at the check-in kiosk... whereever you see it. The GA will call you up if they need you and make the official offer. If it is too low for your liking, you can always decline (but always mention that you may be interested for a higher amount).

Once all VDB's are taken... if they had to go to a higher price than you accepted the offer for, you are entitled to the highest amount offered, and they will honor that at the gate. For this reason, don't leave the gate until the score is settled and finalized.

I would say there is no way to data-mine that. I would be comfortable saying that if they need VDB's for an int'l flight, one of two scenarios will play out:

1) They often solicit via email a day in advance when a major oversale is in play (probably when 10+ are needed at T>24hr)... based on posts from years past, these offers are substantially less than what you would see at the gate, but the proactive approach on UA's part here usually gets these "volunteers" in at the same time due to more extensive re-route options available. UA sends emails in these cases, and asks the pax to call in to discuss the options and the offer... I have heard these offers are in the $200-400 range.

2) They will solicit volunteers at the kiosks at check-in and/or at the gate. I have seen a few oversale announcements on UA TATL/TPAC flightsat the gate, and the lowest I have seen paid out is $800... seen over $1000 as well. I have heard from a colleague that UA was offering $2000 at the gate for oversale in J for 2 pax to sit in Y on PEK-ORD a couple years ago.

munster182

GUC-ORD on 3/5 was OS by 10 due to weight restriction. Offer ended at $750 before they got takers.

aphoward13

UA169 ORD-LAX this morning is showing oversold and looking for 6 volunteers at the gate for $400. Would have been all over this any other time, but I'm on a separate PNR LAX-NRT so no flexibility.

segiddins

UA 77 for 3/13 is over by 11. During OLCI, was asked if I want to put myself on the list, said yes. The flights after are also over, but by less. If I'm willing to take the flight 40 minutes later, will they get me on it even if it's also showing over?

cfischer

oh, they can fudge that. Done that before. Rebook ORD-NRT is not an issue assuming LAX-NRT is also a 016 ticket

TA

I don't know if they can do that, or are willing to do that. I was under the impression that agents could not clear their flights by creating more problems for downstream ones at the same station (or by throwing another station under the bus, if you understand my meaning). If they want to take care of the flight's oversold situation, they are just deferring the problem to occur again on that later oversold flight by putting you on it.

Specifically, if the later flight you want is already full and there is no seat to give you, then I believe you will have to be put on a different flight and standby for that one, which would probably be low odds. They generally will not boot someone out of their confirmed seat for a volunteer! Now, if there are seats still unassigned, then I maybe there is a possibility, but again consider the paragraph above.


edit: another problem with this is that by the time they process volunteers, the other flight is likely to have closed (you stated 40 min later), and I do not believe they would have the ability to push you over to that flight because it will be under gate control. Unless it happens to have cancellations / space and the gate agent can make a quick call over to that flight to help you get on it.