Originally Posted by
mitchmu
2. Is the huge IDB rate due to conscious policy to over-book planes far more aggressively than any other carrier? If so, this metric points squarely to bad policy decisions aimed at maximizing near term profit no matter what the consequences elsewhere?
I think this one is two-fold. Yes, they overbook aggressively, but they also don't handle DBs well.
DL also overbooks aggressively, but DL has nowhere near the IDB numbers that UA has:
VDB rate:
DL: 10.50
UA: 10.66
IDB rate:
DL: 0.38
UA: 2.11
That makes me think it's possible to get enough VDBs if the conditions are right.