Originally Posted by
kavok
The problem with this is that the bid value is not the lone determinant on whether a customer will accept a VDB. The new flights they will be assigned to and potential overnight accommodation come into play as well.
For example, a customer may initially be willing to accept a VDB for $400, until they find out the next available flight isn't until the following afternoon. i.e. They would take a $400 credit if they arrive at their destination 4 hours late, but want more if the delay is 24 hours plus. Or some other passenger may be adverse to a flight route that has a short connection or connects in a disliked airport.
The point is, dollar amount is not the sole factor in whether a pax will accept a VDB.... which is why the gate agent still needs to be part of the process.
You can easily add contingencies to the app. I bid $X if I can get on flight Y. A pax could submit several bids, up to a "no contingencies" bid. So I might bid $200 if I can get on a flight that leaves 2 hours later, $1000 for a flight that leaves the next morning, up to a completely non contingent offer of either $5000 cash or a R/T F ticket to Asia.
There should be no IDBs, only VDBs. Everyone has a price at which he or she would get off the plane. A few probably wouldn't get off for anything less than $1000000. That's fine, let them bid $1000000. The airline will pick someone else who bids lower.