Originally Posted by
readywhenyouare
Why is weight and balance exempted from IDB rules? The airline knows way ahead of time the sort of equipment they are using and the number of passengers they are dealing with. They should very much be punished for their poor planning.
The clear purpose of the DOT IDB regs is to put pressure on airlines to keep intentional overbooking to a reasonable level. Unlike the EU rules, the DOT rules are NOT designed to set customer service standards for airlines.
A W&B issue can come up at time of departure. It depends on weather and other factors. Thus, airlines may not have intentionally overbooked at all in advance, yet game time conditions changed.
Similarly for unplanned equipment changes. If they have to switch in a smaller jet, then those who draw the short straw are not IDBs.