Last edit by: Prospero
AA Bump Rates: Volunteer Compensation / Voluntary Denied Boarding
Passengers involuntarily denied boarding on AA are denied usually after calls for volunteers to accept vouchers (and occasionally variable other benefits), usually beginning at $200 or $300 but possibly going significantly higher, depending on passenger response. See more below, including AA Conditions of Carriage.
See IDB / Involuntarily Denied Boarding on AA & Compensation (master thread) for INVOLUNTARILY denied boarding.
Link to US Dept. of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division's "Fly-Rights - A Consumer Guide to Air Travel" section on Overbooking
"IDB" (involuntarily denied boarding) compensation is governed in the USA by "14 CFR 250.5 - Amount of denied boarding compensation for passengers denied boarding involuntarily".
Link to CFR §250.5; as well:
14 CFR § 250.2b Carriers to request volunteers for denied boarding.
(a) In the event of an oversold flight, every carrier shall request volunteers for denied boarding before using any other boarding priority. A “volunteer” is a person who responds to the carrier's request for volunteers and who willingly accepts the carriers' offer of compensation, in any amount, in exchange for relinquishing the confirmed reserved space. Any other passenger denied boarding is considered for purposes of this part to have been denied boarding involuntarily, even if that passenger accepts the denied boarding compensation.
(b) Every carrier shall advise each passenger solicited to volunteer for denied boarding, no later than the time the carrier solicits that passenger to volunteer, whether he or she is in danger of being involuntarily denied boarding and, if so, the compensation the carrier is obligated to pay if the passenger is involuntarily denied boarding. If an insufficient number of volunteers come forward, the carrier may deny boarding to other passengers in accordance with its boarding priority rules.
14 CFR § 250.9 Written explanation of denied boarding compensation and boarding priorities, and verbal notification of denied boarding compensation.
(a) Every carrier shall furnish passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily from flights on which they hold confirmed reserved space immediately after the denied boarding occurs, a written statement explaining the terms, conditions, and limitations of denied boarding compensation, and describing the carriers' boarding priority rules and criteria. The carrier shall also furnish the statement to any person upon request at all airport ticket selling positions which are in the charge of a person employed exclusively by the carrier, or by it jointly with another person or persons, and at all boarding locations being used by the carrier.
Link to AA Conditions of Carriage, "Oversales"
In the European Union, EC261/2004 governs denied boarding compensation.
Link to EC261 / EC 261/2004 complaints and AA (master thread)
On American Airlines, you are sometimes ineligible for IDB as allowed by the USDOT:
If a flight is oversold (more passengers hold confirmed reservations than there are seats available), no one may be denied boarding against his or her will until airline personnel first ask for volunteers who will give up their reservation willingly, in exchange for compensation of the airline’s choosing. If there are not enough volunteers, other passengers may be denied boarding involuntarily in accordance with the following boarding priority of American. In such events, American will usually deny boarding based upon check-in time, but we may also consider factors such as severe hardships, fare paid, and status within the AAdvantage® program.
If you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to a payment of
‘‘denied boarding compensation’’ from the airline unless:
- You have not fully complied with the airline’s ticketing, check-in and reconfirmation requirements, or you are not acceptable for transportation under the airline’s usual rules and practices; or
- You are denied boarding because the flight is canceled; or
You are denied boarding because a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons; or
- On a flight operated with an aircraft having 60 or fewer seats, you are denied boarding due to safety-related weight/balance restrictions that limit payload; or
- You are offered accommodations in a section of the aircraft other than specified in your ticket, at no extra charge (a passenger seated in a section for which a lower fare is charged must be given an appropriate refund); or
- The airline is able to place you on another flight or flights that are planned to reach your next stopover or final destination within one hour of the planned arrival time of your original flight.[/code]
The previous thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
Passengers involuntarily denied boarding on AA are denied usually after calls for volunteers to accept vouchers (and occasionally variable other benefits), usually beginning at $200 or $300 but possibly going significantly higher, depending on passenger response. See more below, including AA Conditions of Carriage.
See IDB / Involuntarily Denied Boarding on AA & Compensation (master thread) for INVOLUNTARILY denied boarding.
Link to US Dept. of Transportation Aviation Consumer Protection Division's "Fly-Rights - A Consumer Guide to Air Travel" section on Overbooking
"IDB" (involuntarily denied boarding) compensation is governed in the USA by "14 CFR 250.5 - Amount of denied boarding compensation for passengers denied boarding involuntarily".
Link to CFR §250.5; as well:
14 CFR § 250.2b Carriers to request volunteers for denied boarding.
(a) In the event of an oversold flight, every carrier shall request volunteers for denied boarding before using any other boarding priority. A “volunteer” is a person who responds to the carrier's request for volunteers and who willingly accepts the carriers' offer of compensation, in any amount, in exchange for relinquishing the confirmed reserved space. Any other passenger denied boarding is considered for purposes of this part to have been denied boarding involuntarily, even if that passenger accepts the denied boarding compensation.
(b) Every carrier shall advise each passenger solicited to volunteer for denied boarding, no later than the time the carrier solicits that passenger to volunteer, whether he or she is in danger of being involuntarily denied boarding and, if so, the compensation the carrier is obligated to pay if the passenger is involuntarily denied boarding. If an insufficient number of volunteers come forward, the carrier may deny boarding to other passengers in accordance with its boarding priority rules.
14 CFR § 250.9 Written explanation of denied boarding compensation and boarding priorities, and verbal notification of denied boarding compensation.
(a) Every carrier shall furnish passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily from flights on which they hold confirmed reserved space immediately after the denied boarding occurs, a written statement explaining the terms, conditions, and limitations of denied boarding compensation, and describing the carriers' boarding priority rules and criteria. The carrier shall also furnish the statement to any person upon request at all airport ticket selling positions which are in the charge of a person employed exclusively by the carrier, or by it jointly with another person or persons, and at all boarding locations being used by the carrier.
Link to AA Conditions of Carriage, "Oversales"
In the European Union, EC261/2004 governs denied boarding compensation.
Link to EC261 / EC 261/2004 complaints and AA (master thread)
On American Airlines, you are sometimes ineligible for IDB as allowed by the USDOT:
If a flight is oversold (more passengers hold confirmed reservations than there are seats available), no one may be denied boarding against his or her will until airline personnel first ask for volunteers who will give up their reservation willingly, in exchange for compensation of the airline’s choosing. If there are not enough volunteers, other passengers may be denied boarding involuntarily in accordance with the following boarding priority of American. In such events, American will usually deny boarding based upon check-in time, but we may also consider factors such as severe hardships, fare paid, and status within the AAdvantage® program.
If you are denied boarding involuntarily, you are entitled to a payment of
‘‘denied boarding compensation’’ from the airline unless:
- You have not fully complied with the airline’s ticketing, check-in and reconfirmation requirements, or you are not acceptable for transportation under the airline’s usual rules and practices; or
- You are denied boarding because the flight is canceled; or
You are denied boarding because a smaller capacity aircraft was substituted for safety or operational reasons; or
- On a flight operated with an aircraft having 60 or fewer seats, you are denied boarding due to safety-related weight/balance restrictions that limit payload; or
- You are offered accommodations in a section of the aircraft other than specified in your ticket, at no extra charge (a passenger seated in a section for which a lower fare is charged must be given an appropriate refund); or
- The airline is able to place you on another flight or flights that are planned to reach your next stopover or final destination within one hour of the planned arrival time of your original flight.[/code]
The previous thread is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html
AA Bump Rates; compensation for VDB / Voluntary Denied Boarding (master thread)
#496
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: MAD
Programs: LATAMPass Gold, AA Gold, DL Silver Medallion
Posts: 456
Resurrecting this thread. Flying out of DCA today (April 16th) for MSP in the late night flight. Seat selection shows 0 available seats in all classes when I was doing check-in, and no direct flights appear bookable for this route either today (Sunday, I checked in the ams) or Monday, either in AA's website or in Google Flights. I'm guessing a lot of folks are trying to go to MSP after the snow disruption of the storm, and this might actually be an overbooked flight. I'll keep everyone updated...
#497
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT
Posts: 2,781
Resurrecting this thread. Flying out of DCA today (April 16th) for MSP in the late night flight. Seat selection shows 0 available seats in all classes when I was doing check-in, and no direct flights appear bookable for this route either today (Sunday, I checked in the ams) or Monday, either in AA's website or in Google Flights. I'm guessing a lot of folks are trying to go to MSP after the snow disruption of the storm, and this might actually be an overbooked flight. I'll keep everyone updated...
#498
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL - DM, Charter KM; Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 1,355
RSW-DFW a few weeks ago. Flight was weight restricted and needed ten volunteers. Immediately offered $1,000. I jumped on it and received $1,000, a bump to F on the flight 6 hours later, and a $12 food voucher (didn’t ask for the food voucher).
#499
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AA PLT, SPG Gold
Posts: 2,405
Wow - isn't that route operated by 737s? I wonder why it would be weight restricted.
#500
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
Could have been weather-related routing concerns combined with the optimal fuel loading... just a guess. I have seen weight restrictions on IAH-DEN for exactly that reason on B737-800/900 aircraft.
#501
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Anyone know the likelihood of an oversell on a Friday DFW-LHR flight? My experience has been that these flights are oversold semi-frequently in the past, so I was wondering if anyone had any info.
#502
Join Date: Jun 2012
Programs: Aadvantage
Posts: 74
#503
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 477
CLT-CLE oversold by one today. $300 and a seat on a flight 2 hours later were offered. I took the offer, but in the end, someone missed their connection so my seat wasn't needed. Drat!
#505
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: UA US CO AA DL FL
Posts: 50,262
AA has vastly increased both the size of its VDB offers and the speed with which the number goes up, but it has also clearly improved its RM/IM software so that there are more overbookings and fewer oversales. Fairly routine at hubs to hear an announcement such as "we may need __ seats...." and then an announcement thanking the volunteers but saying that everyone should board as booked. Presumably a better guage on misconnects.
#506
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 477
AA has vastly increased both the size of its VDB offers and the speed with which the number goes up, but it has also clearly improved its RM/IM software so that there are more overbookings and fewer oversales. Fairly routine at hubs to hear an announcement such as "we may need __ seats...." and then an announcement thanking the volunteers but saying that everyone should board as booked. Presumably a better guage on misconnects.
I have a flight tomorrow from TPA to DFW (AA2430) that hasn't been available for sale on the website for a couple days now... I wonder if they will need volunteers. Here's to hoping!
#507
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: DCA - PDX - LAX
Programs: AA Gold, UA Silver, Marriott Titanium, AS 75k
Posts: 767
AA 3830 on June 7, 2018 DFW to DAY, over by 2.
I was put on this flight because of a MX at my origin, resulting in a 3 hr delay and I assume I was one of the reasons for the overbooking situtation. They offered $500 to take a flight leaving almost 6 hours later. One person took it immediately, another right at the end.
I was put on this flight because of a MX at my origin, resulting in a 3 hr delay and I assume I was one of the reasons for the overbooking situtation. They offered $500 to take a flight leaving almost 6 hours later. One person took it immediately, another right at the end.
#508
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 477
AA3835 on June 8, 2018 - CLE to ORD, oversold by 1
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?
#509
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
AA3835 on June 8, 2018 - CLE to ORD, oversold by 1
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?
#510
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: DCA
Programs: DL DM, AA EXP, various hotel
Posts: 2,227
AA3835 on June 8, 2018 - CLE to ORD, oversold by 1
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?
Received $300 and a confirmed seat on a flight 2 hours later. This is my first VDB on American (after many on UA and Delta). It's a shame they haven't figured out how to allow vouchers to be used on aa.com. When you call and book with a voucher, is there a booking fee since you are talking to a live human?