Had an interesting one this week. Short story, $400 gift card, true F with MQM bonus for both flights but an 8 hour layover at MSP.
At my home airport I almost always ask if they need volunteers and take it when available so many GA (who double as TA too) there know me. In fact when I am on the list and they do not need me, they will apologize for not bumping me. My flight this week looked to be overbooked the day before but I was not given an on-line check-in VDB offer so I decided to go to the airport and hope to be get put on the list by a TA. Sure enough one of the employees who knew me was there and put me on the list at $400 and was told there were two people (non-medallion) on the list at $500 so I would be picked first. Get to the gate the next day and there is another employee who knows me and a trainee working the gate. I go up and mention I should be on the list and she says that they are over by 2, she knows who I am, I am on the list and she expects to use me. She asks about back up flights and I say I know what my options are and she says fine and leaves me alone rather than hunting for other routings. Later I hear her talking with the couple who bid $500 and they were not willing to split up so the GA had to get another volunteer, made me wonder what would have happened if they were the only volunteers, they needed 1 and would not split up. When we get to the end and they need only me, the GA explains to the trainee who I am and that they always choose me and she will see why. I say I am deciding between two routes but pick the 8 hour layover in MSP where the temp is -20F. The first issue was that due to the long layover it was not coming up as a route and they were not sure why until I mentioned that the layover was over 4 hours when the trainee said I should work for DL. (Maybe part time when I retire.) I was upgraded on both original flights so the GA tries to put me in F but both the system and her phone person would not allow it since I had purchased Main Cabin which was full although there were seats in F. This is the first time getting F when being VDB'd and OK'd by the GA was an issue, it may portend a change by DL. The GA pulled in an more experienced agent who was able to put me in F using DL TERM since SNAP would not allow access to that function. While doing this I apologized and said I would take the other routing but she said they would do anything for me. When they got to the compensation part I had written down my email for them before they asked for it which surprised the trainee that I knew the process that well. Net result was I got what I wanted and am thankful for the friendly folks working for DL, at least at my home airport.