My experience monday morning flying DEN-PHX at 8:15AM proved somewhat interesting. They are oversold by just 3 seats (if my math is correct) and they ask for volunteers and announce they will confirm on the 7:30PM flight that night. I have flexibility so jump on the $400 and also ask how the rest of the day looks. Pretty much all flights or sold out, so it may be a long day sitting in DEN. As I am talking with the GA (very nice and working the oversold very well BTW) she says they are not sure they will need me. They have 3 poeple connecting in PHX to EWR and can get them on the direct, but they are wavering. Not sure why they would not jump on the direct flight and get to their destination about 2-3 hours earlier, but I digress.

Eventually I am called to take the VDB and the agents are now loking at their situation. The only other group who volunteered is a different group of 3, but they only need 2 more seats, so now are looking at one empty seat on the flight. That group gets their VDB and I ask about the empty seat. Of course they would not give it to me since I already took the vouchers, but I had to ask. I walked away after that, but I think they may have taked a standby passenger to fill the seat.

I got on the 10:54, so was only out a couple of hours. The 3 people to EWR took the original routing, 3 others got compensation and a standby passenger may have made it on an oversold flight.