Originally Posted by
MikeBOS
I am hoping someone with experience getting involuntarily bumped on an award ticket might be able to help.
My son was flying BOS-DEN, DEN-ASE yesterday on a Standard award ticket (50k). He was involuntarily bumped from the DEN-ASE flight because of a weight restriction, and the next flight available to ASE was the following morning (his flight was early afternoon originally). UA would not pay for meals or hotel, though they offered to get him on a bus at his (my) expense ($100). They also offered a free round trip ticket, which he tried to decline in favor of compensation for the missed flight and hotel/food, but they refused. He took the round trip ticket, but we are unlikely to be able to use it because, as I understand it, it has the same restrictions as a Saver award. He is 18 and I just wanted him to get there, so he paid the $100 and got to ASE about 7 hours late.
Given that he was bumped involuntarily it seems like UA should either have paid for his hotel and food overnight, or his bus fare. Is there any legal basis for claiming this from them, and is he entitled to get a refund of any sort (miles or cash) for the portion of the transportation (DEN-ASE) that UA didn't provide?
I know involuntary bump compensation is supposed to apply on the basis of the fare paid, but I'm not sure what that means when the fare was miles not dollars...
Any passenger who is IDB'd has to be compensated under most circumstances. What the agent who bumped him did, however, was likely a breach of United's SOP that generally forbids bumping an award PAX given that they have to pay out to someone who hasn't actually given them money for the ticket.
That said, given that this is a DEN-ASE flight, your son may have fallen into a crappy category that gets them off the hook for the IDB. What kind of aircraft was your son scheduled to fly? Was it a Dash-8 or a CR7. If it was a Dash-8, you are pretty much SOL, because airlines are not required to give IDB compensation for aircraft with fewer than 56 seats when it involves a weight and balance issue. If it was a CR7, your son can demand compensation.
Originally Posted by
leech27
Can't speak to the compensation for food/lodging/IDB, but I do have to ask what you mean by "the same restrictions as a saver award" regarding the free ticket. The DBC vouchers that UA provides as compensation only have 2 real restrictions that I know of - US domestic flights only (except HI & AK) and no miles earned. They book into 'normal' fare buckets (I've seen T and V), so you do not need saver award availability to use them.
DBCFREE vouchers need to book into W, V or Q.