Originally Posted by
sexykitten7
The neighboring flight 8:30 am EWR-FLL UA699 was overbooked by 2 and they offered 700 out of the gate and seats on the next dept 2 hours later! Maybe 700 is the new 150 lol. Only problem is that flt (UA1558) was completely full too. Neither flt took any sbys so the bumpees, if any, had quite a layover.
Normally they don't offer seats on the next flight unless they're sure they're available. Volunteers typically won't end up on the standby list (unless that's part of the discussion when volunteering). Note that it's possible -- but uncommon -- to be put onto another oversold flight, at which point you can volunteer again if you like. You'd still be considered a confirmed passenger in that scenario, however.