Overbooked Flight - Max $$$
Apr 30, 2012, 9:13 am
#1
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Overbooked Flight - Max $$$
I was recently on a flight leaving out of Phoenix. The flight was way overbooked. The airline repeatedly asked for people to volunteer to get bumped and kept offering more and more money. There was a business man standing next to me who told me he would double what the airline (American) offered. I would have taken his offer (but not the airlines' lower offer) but there appeared to be no way we could make the deal work unless he knew he was first in line to get my seat. So, my question is.... if this happened again, could I have gone to the AA rep and made it work for the business man?
Apr 30, 2012, 10:11 am
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Welcome to Flyertalk, gotbump. Please follow this thread in the AA Forum.
Thanks..
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Thanks..
Obscure2k
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Apr 30, 2012, 10:20 am
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Apr 30, 2012, 10:37 am
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Apr 30, 2012, 10:44 am
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Apr 30, 2012, 10:48 am
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Apr 30, 2012, 10:54 am
#7
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Let's presume that AA is offering $400 for a VDB and the private pax is offering $800. He gives you cash and you give him your BP. He boards, flies and all is well for him. But, he has flown as you (you can't change the name on the ticket) and you are now sitting in PHX to buy a walk-up OW ticket to wherever you are going.
Additionally, if AA still needs to IDB somebody and they select you, that's now the other guy flying as you. He gets the boot, AA discovers what happened and you are both sitting at PHX buying OW walk-ups.
As with most scams, it's been thought of before.
Additionally, if AA still needs to IDB somebody and they select you, that's now the other guy flying as you. He gets the boot, AA discovers what happened and you are both sitting at PHX buying OW walk-ups.
As with most scams, it's been thought of before.
Apr 30, 2012, 11:05 am
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I think what the OP's businessman was going for was if they needed a volunteer, and if the businessman was the number one OS - the OP would take the VDB offer from AA thus providing a seat for the businessman. AA would reticket the OP on a later flight and the OP would collect the $$ from the businessman in exchange for his volunteering so the businessman didn't get IDBed.
Honestly, in that situation - who cares about a side deal? Sure, AA would probably frown on it. But at the end of the day, everyone wins:
-the OP gets a bunch of compensation for getting of the flight from both AA and the businessman (if it wasn't sufficient, the OP wouldn't take it).
-the businessman got what he wanted - a seat on the plane
-AA got to VDB the OP rather than IDB the businessman (generally more expensive).
Honestly, in that situation - who cares about a side deal? Sure, AA would probably frown on it. But at the end of the day, everyone wins:
-the OP gets a bunch of compensation for getting of the flight from both AA and the businessman (if it wasn't sufficient, the OP wouldn't take it).
-the businessman got what he wanted - a seat on the plane
-AA got to VDB the OP rather than IDB the businessman (generally more expensive).
Apr 30, 2012, 11:06 am
#9
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Often1: Would the AA agent book me on another (later) flight and give my seat (and new boarding pass) to the business man?
Apr 30, 2012, 11:11 am
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Apr 30, 2012, 11:11 am
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sst603 got it right. But HOW CAN I BE SURE THE AA REP WOULD GIVE MY SEAT TO $$$BUSINESSMAN, and not the first in line standby pax.
Apr 30, 2012, 11:12 am
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In such situations, those passengers are put on the priority list as "OS" - oversales - passengers confirmed without a seat assignment. The list is prioritized similar upgrades - status, thru-priority and then time added to list. If the flight was oversold by 5, and the businessman was the first OS on the list, then he would get the seat that the OP surrendered. AA would not allow wheeling and dealing to allow the OP to VDB and designate who on the OS list gets the seat. There is a priority for a reason. But as I said, if the businessman wanted to give him $$$ to get him to VDB in the first place, I have no problem with that.
Apr 30, 2012, 11:13 am
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See my post above. I am not sure whether OS's are listed on the gate monitors as standby or not (admittedly never a situation I would have encountered). The businessman certainly could have asked for such information.
Apr 30, 2012, 11:36 am
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sts603: You hit the nail on the head..... saying "AA would not allow wheeling and dealing to allow the OP to VDB and designate who on the OS list gets the seat. There is a priority for a reason". Delta currently has a system which allows OPs to bid (think EBAY). Delta takes the lowest bid and then allows the first standby passenger to get on the plane. Why not have a system where the standby passengers could bid to be first in line?
Apr 30, 2012, 12:11 pm
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sts603: You hit the nail on the head..... saying "AA would not allow wheeling and dealing to allow the OP to VDB and designate who on the OS list gets the seat. There is a priority for a reason". Delta currently has a system which allows OPs to bid (think EBAY). Delta takes the lowest bid and then allows the first standby passenger to get on the plane. Why not have a system where the standby passengers could bid to be first in line?
(1) People without seat assignments on oversold flights - IDBs are rare. Therefore creating a bidding system to allow people to jump the line has little usefulness. And if it would usurp the right of elites to be prioritized, then that is bad for business as it discounts their loyalty.
(2) Actual standby. Well actual standby doesn't exist for elites any more. Elites have three options (1) try for free at the gate, (2) pay for a $75 Confirmed Flight Change within 12 hours or (3) pay to change the ticket outright. Non-elites have options (2) and (3). Not sure what more is needed. If you REALLY want to get on a flight - you pay to change a ticket, however, many hundreds that would be.
But lastly - the real reason is - can you imagine the chaos and uncertainty such a system would create?