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Govt to hit airlines harder for bumping passengers
Govt to hit airlines harder for bumping passengers
With airlines bumping more passengers, DOT to propose greater reimbursement for travelers DALLAS (AP) -- Giving up your airline seat may become a little less painful. Federal officials are expected to announce this week a plan to raise the maximum amount that airlines must pay passengers who get bumped off an oversold flight, currently at $400 or $800 depending on how long a trip is delayed. Bumpings rose in three of the past four years and jumped 10 percent to 762,422 in 2009, the highest total since 2002. They soared 17 percent in this year's first quarter. The potential inconvenience is greater now too. Airlines have cut back on flights and planes are more crowded, so bumped passengers could wait hours or even days to find alternate arrangements. Passenger-rights groups have pushed the Transportation Department to raise the payout limits to $800 and $1,200 per traveler if the airline bumps you involuntarily. The agency has signaled that it plans some type of inflation adjustment in the limits, which were last raised in 2008. Officials declined to provide details. |
Could this involuntary bump story be true?
My sister just called and said her husband was involuntarily bumped off the 12:30pm flight from MIA to Gutamala. The next flight is 7:30pm tonight. She claims he was given a $249 check from AA (which he immediately cashed at the airport) and a $10 voucher for food. Would AA do this? I always thought travel vouchers were given for bumped flights, not checks.
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If he was IDB (involuntary) then AA has to give cash. Although $249 sounds kind of low....I am not an expert on the IDB rules but I do know they have to give cash (or a check in this case) for an IDB.
Vouchers are given when you voluntarily take the bump. |
Originally Posted by Joyce15
(Post 14410007)
She claims he was given a $249 check from AA (which he immediately cashed at the airport) and a $10 voucher for food. Would AA do this?
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$249 may be his original fare amount...? But in theory he should receive 200% of the fare since the delay seems to be more than 4 hours.
From the DOT (http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov/publi...tm#overbooking): Involuntary bumping DOT requires each airline to give all passengers who are bumped involuntarily a written statement describing their rights and explaining how the carrier decides who gets on an oversold flight and who doesn't. Those travelers who don't get to fly are frequently entitled to denied boarding compensation in the form of a check or cash. The amount depends on the price of their ticket and the length of the delay: * If you are bumped involuntarily and the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to get you to your final destination (including later connections) within one hour of your original scheduled arrival time, there is no compensation. * If the airline arranges substitute transportation that is scheduled to arrive at your destination between one and two hours after your original arrival time (between one and four hours on international flights), the airline must pay you an amount equal to your one-way fare to your final destination that day, with a $400 maximum. * If the substitute transportation is scheduled to get you to your destination more than two hours later (four hours internationally), or if the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, the compensation doubles (200% of your one-way fare, $800 maximum). *You always get to keep your original ticket and use it on another flight. If you choose to make your own arrangements, you can request an "involuntary refund" for the ticket for the flight you were bumped from. The denied boarding compensation is essentially a payment for your inconvenience. |
Originally Posted by JY1024
(Post 14410079)
$249 may be his original fare amount...? But in theory he should receive 200% of the fare since the delay seems to be more than 4 hours.
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Originally Posted by videomaker
(Post 14410127)
Right, but this is a seven-hour delay so that puts it into the 200% category. I doubt the one-way fare was $124.50, which would have been $249 if doubled--maybe it was, but that sounds like a very cheap ticket.
$249 seems like a reasonable one-way base fare; so perhaps OP's husband is actually owed more money? Or maybe it gets pro-rated if the one-way fare has multiple stops (i.e. xxx-MIA-GUA)? |
Originally Posted by videomaker
(Post 14410127)
Right, but this is a seven-hour delay so that puts it into the 200% category. I doubt the one-way fare was $124.50, which would have been $249 if doubled--maybe it was, but that sounds like a very cheap ticket.
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Originally Posted by ashill
(Post 14410184)
Choosing random dates a couple months out, the fare MIA-GUA is $104 one way as part of a round trip -- or at least AA's price and schedule display says it is until I click on the date, at which point the fare is $142. Either way, $124.50 sounds like a plausible one way fare.
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Maybe he actually received $498 but only telling your sister he received $249?
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I have gotten a check from AA before at the check in desk. I handed it right back to the agent and they cashed it on the spot. This was in Japan where they dont use checks.
Different reasons though. |
$250 would be normal to Orlando, low to anywhere internation ;)
No reason to believe $250 is not true, but involuntary vs voluntary could probably be argued all day. |
Originally Posted by ja_user
(Post 14411949)
$250 would be normal to Orlando, low to anywhere internation ;)
No reason to believe $250 is not true, but involuntary vs voluntary could probably be argued all day. |
My sister insists it was $249. She also said he was offered $600 later on for a voluntary bump over night, which he declined. A 7 hour wait in an airport--$249 seems low. The flight originated at LGA...why wouldn't he have confirmed seats assigned in NY? He is not a sophisticated traveler. Never been abroad and was with his church group (he was the only one who was bumped).
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Originally Posted by Joyce15
(Post 14413088)
The flight originated at LGA...why wouldn't he have confirmed seats assigned in NY? He is not a sophisticated traveler. Never been abroad and was with his church group (he was the only one who was bumped).
As far as the second part... someone had to be chosen... and it's likely they went with some combination of fare paid, ff status, and check-in time. |
I was sat at the gate for this flight (waiting for the next flight from the gate). The agent over the PA announced that they needed 12 volunteers and that they were offering $800 plus a seat on the later flight. I remember it clearly because of the amount on offer seemed extremely generous. They only called for volunteers twice and did not increase the amount on offer, which I construed as meaning they had enough volunteers. Either IDB or VDB, the amount doesn't seem to add up....
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Pleasantly surprised.
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Originally Posted by Joyce15
(Post 14413088)
My sister insists it was $249. She also said he was offered $600 later on for a voluntary bump over night, which he declined. A 7 hour wait in an airport--$249 seems low. The flight originated at LGA...why wouldn't he have confirmed seats assigned in NY? He is not a sophisticated traveler. Never been abroad and was with his church group (he was the only one who was bumped).
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The IDB process at AA is actually much more complicated at AA than the VDB process.
In case of an IDB situation, field service (airport staff) must call Day of Departure at headquarters. DOD will calculate both a voucher amount and a check amount, which, as previously stated, is determined by the excess time it takes to get to the customer's destination, fare price, etc. The voucher amount is always of a higher value. The agent (or other field service employee) then provides the customer with the option of a voucher or a check. It is up to the customer to choose. Matt |
Folks,
I have question related to the topic: where does have GA cash from? Do GA's carry some cash "just for the case", or how else a passenger can get that cash for involuntary DB? :confused: I could understand money check... Or, mentioning cash the OP meant a check? :confused: |
Originally Posted by Joyce15
(Post 14410007)
She claims he was given a $249 check from AA (which he immediately cashed at the airport) and a $10 voucher for food. Would AA do this? I always thought travel vouchers were given for bumped flights, not checks.
Originally Posted by Tries
(Post 14415506)
where does have GA cash from?
Indee, AA is required to pay cash for involuntary denied boarding if the passenger declines the normally much larger voucher amount. So AA must keep some cash around somewhere. |
I've seen some pretty good IDB deals. I remember a guy who was IDB'd off a 5-ish BOS-RDU flight and took the 8-ish BOS-RDU flight. He was offered a $576 check or an $800 voucher.
Matt |
Originally Posted by MGW2000
(Post 14415819)
I've seen some pretty good IDB deals. I remember a guy who was IDB'd off a 5-ish BOS-RDU flight and took the 8-ish BOS-RDU flight. He was offered a $576 check or an $800 voucher.
Matt |
Originally Posted by Joyce15
(Post 14410007)
Could this involuntary bump story be true?
My sister just called and said her husband was involuntarily bumped off the 12:30pm flight from MIA to Gutamala. The next flight is 7:30pm tonight. She claims he was given a $249 check from AA (which he immediately cashed at the airport) and a $10 voucher for food. Would AA do this? I always thought travel vouchers were given for bumped flights, not checks. /Moderator |
Originally Posted by gemac
(Post 13708562)
You are replying to a post that is three years old. Inventories have changed.
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Originally Posted by wanaflyforless
(Post 14416100)
IDB - unlike VDB - is directly proportional to fare paid.
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Involuntarily Denied Boarding question
So my fiancee was denied boarding today on an oversold flight from BNA-ORD. In the end, she gets back to San Diego around the same time as the original itinerary (but through LAX instead of ORD), so should she still be compensated? She asked and they told her no and she's not complaining that much. It's more a matter of curiosity than anything else.
Thanks for the help! |
No compensation is due if you arrive within one hour of your scheduled flight according to the DOT IDB rules. You are supposed to be given a copy of the DOT rules when you are IDB'd. No compensation is due if you miss the check-in/departure gate deadlines. Also, the rules don't apply if you are IDB'd from a 30-60 seat regional affiliate flight due to weight/balance issues.
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I was given $500 usd voucher on an American Eagle flight LAX-SAN that was oversold by 6 and at the end had weight balance problems, ending in the gate agent going into the plane and offering $500 USD to 2 passengers. At first she offered me $250, but ended up giving me same $500 thatnshe gave to the last two. Also, confirmed me on the next one (i am exec plat) that was oversold again! The others got a boarding pass for a flight 3 hours latter.
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Originally Posted by DunkSB
(Post 16153476)
So my fiancee was denied boarding today on an oversold flight from BNA-ORD. In the end, she gets back to San Diego around the same time as the original itinerary (but through LAX instead of ORD), so should she still be compensated?
The rule aside, I'm curious: given the situation as you describe it in that she got back "around the same time as the original itinerary," what did you think she would even potentially be compensated for? |
Originally Posted by carlitos
(Post 16153767)
At first she offered me $250, but ended up giving me same $500 thatnshe gave to the last two.
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Originally Posted by BrewerSEA
(Post 16155576)
When it comes to VDB, all passengers get the same price as the last passenger to accept.
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Originally Posted by BrewerSEA
(Post 16155576)
When it comes to VDB, all passengers get the same price as the last passenger to accept.
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Originally Posted by Robt760
(Post 16081543)
I'd be curious to know what IDB and VDB amounts are for somebody traveling on an award ticket (or an approximation).
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In mid-February, four of us were flying JFK - CUN on AA metal with BA miles awards... they canceled the flight TWICE. We ended up leaving the next day but had to connect in Miami. Wasn't given any compensation, nor did I think to ask... though I knew the flight cancelation was BS..they said it was weather but I dont think it was, and was a Wed night flight.. anyone have an idea how I should proceed???
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