Originally Posted by
jayer
My point being even if good weather and normal operations flights are routinely oversold with confirmed passengers.
Not really, sadly. Would but that we could go back in time ere The Incident.
Originally Posted by
jayer
Oversells know they are oversells and at risk of being left if no one who has an actual seat assignment in their possession will take the bump.
That is simply not true.
Originally Posted by
jayer
At face value OP was on the Confirmed Revenue Oversell "List". Does not mean OP was "next" to be seated even if a super elite, or that there were seats left to be had.
This is not how this works. The absence or presence of a seat assignment is not relevant to whether or not you get to board the airplane — or at least, it’s not really supposed to be. As I said, UA’s IDB policy contradicts itself by stating both that passengers with status will not be bumped and passengers without seat assignments will be bumped. But none of this matters when they didn’t even solicit volunteers, which they are required to do both by UA policy and by law.
Incidentally, a person without a seat assignment is a perfectly valid volunteer and is eligible for the same VDB compensation as someone who gave up their seat. These lists and seating priorities you’re writing about are invented.