Originally Posted by
dilbertsdaddy
First time I have ever heard of the kiosk or online bid actually being used. I always thought it was for their own metrics rather than to actually use it.
They should pay what the market will bear not try to trick people to bid lower. I have seen 30 minute flights go up to $800 because no one would volunteer.
I don't respond to the kiosk question. Once or twice a year I take one at the gate.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.
If you do not know what the protection is, you can't give a good bid. If you bid $500 and then find out it requires an overnight, should you not be able to get more if that is the going rate? Makes no sense to cap you at what you bid.
There is no cap. Sometimes, you get what you bid.
On a mileage run earlier this year, I showed up for the first return (oversold) flight at T-1 (when the GA arrived) and asked about the overbook. Because the flight was the last of the day (so VDB would probably require a hotel stay) and I could re-route to a non-stop, I got processed immediately for the amount I'd bid at the kiosk.
All of my other VDBs have been at whatever amount the GA ended up giving everybody, completely independent of any bid I made.