OP says that volunteers were not requested.
I don't believe that for one minute. NO GA is going to IDB without asking for volunteers first. I would beg for volunteers before causing a passenger to become irate. Most pax tend to tune out the overhead announcements.
Also, the fact the OP had seats shows that it was most likely a weight issue. When I was at UX, I would deny off the DM list before unseating another pax. (Except for 1Ks and full fares, but these people are very rare to see on the DM list.)
Originally Posted by flyaway101
I wonder how overweight issue would be a possibility even before boarding?
When dispatch issues the paperwork, it comes up with a bunch of weights. Depending on number of bags currently checked in, passengers, children, etc., agents get a restriction on pax about 45 min before the flight.
WX also affects weight issues. A nice rainy day on the east coast guarantees plenty of over-weights...
Originally Posted by flyaway101
As my original email said, the flight was oversold, the gate agent said so.
Most agents are not going to distinguish between overweight and oversold. 80% of the time when I use airline terms correctly, the agents give me funny faces. "Oversold" covers a broad range of situations where DB may take place.