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)
#646
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Programs: DL, HH, Bonvoy
Posts: 204
In VDB situations, you should always stay at the gate until boarding is completed to find out whether they will need to give up your seat or not. A majority of the times, they will seek volunteers and then ultimately not need any once boarding is completed (missed connections, no-shows, etc.). Do not leave the gate area if you volunteer to give up your seat.
#647
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 477
4/28 - AA1607 DFW-->CLE oversold by 1. Upon checking in the night before, I was solicited to volunteer (this was the first time that had happened to me via the app), and had volunteered for $300. When I got to the gate and followed up with the agent, she asked if I was still willing to volunteer. Since they wouldn't be able to get me out until the morning, I asked if they would go higher since it required an overnight. The agent was unsure (she said the volunteering via the app was new and wasn't sure if she could change it) and had to call someone. They upped the offer to $600 (+ hotel and taxi) and I accepted. However, it turned out there was 1 misconnect, and they didn't need me. Fortunately, she processed an upgrade for me, so all's well that ends well.
#648
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: BA Gold, AA PLT PRO, AGR, Strawberry (Nordic Choice), Marriott Bonvoy
Posts: 4,248
Did anyone get a bump out of CMH yesterday? All flights on routes I searched seemed to be zeroed out (to LGA, DFW, ORD, CLT) but maybe other routes were not oversold. No volunteers solicited for the flight I was on though.
#649
Join Date: Nov 2018
Posts: 23
4/16 PHL > MCO overbooked flight and volunteered for $800 to delay four hours to the next flight. Never dealt with this and I was the first volunteer, and the gate agent said "OK, we're all set". Left for the Centurion lounge. Got a phone call asking where I was, was told that when they said I was "all set" that they meant they didn't need any volunteers after all, and that they couldn't pay the $800 voucher if it wasn't needed. Ran to the gate and didn't make the flight, but was told that I got lucky because they did end up being totally booked by the time they closed the doors.
Still not sure what wires got crossed there, but it worked out at least.
Still not sure what wires got crossed there, but it worked out at least.
#650
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
AA 251 from MIA to JFK today was seeking 11 volunteers @ $775 each. They ended up finding 6 vols and had 5 very upset, angry, and violently yelling IDB passengers. All the MIA NYC flights are J0 Y0 today, so very unlikely anyone will be able to get out until tomorrow at the earliest.
#651
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
AA 251 from MIA to JFK today was seeking 11 volunteers @ $775 each. They ended up finding 6 vols and had 5 very upset, angry, and violently yelling IDB passengers. All the MIA NYC flights are J0 Y0 today, so very unlikely anyone will be able to get out until tomorrow at the earliest.
I would be curious to know if they were clear about their obligations to the IDB pax.
#653
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
AA 251 from MIA to JFK today was seeking 11 volunteers @ $775 each. They ended up finding 6 vols and had 5 very upset, angry, and violently yelling IDB passengers. All the MIA NYC flights are J0 Y0 today, so very unlikely anyone will be able to get out until tomorrow at the earliest.
#654
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 214
MIA LGA flight 332 over by 9 people and offering $600 each. I think I’m going to give up for the day but hopefully you get the point
#655
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
AA 251 from MIA to JFK today was seeking 11 volunteers @ $775 each. They ended up finding 6 vols and had 5 very upset, angry, and violently yelling IDB passengers. All the MIA NYC flights are J0 Y0 today, so very unlikely anyone will be able to get out until tomorrow at the earliest.
#656
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Easter Weekend was a bump fiesta at LGA. Every flight to ORD was oversold and bump offers went from $400 - $1000. Unfortunately, I was one of the hundreds who was trying to get on an earlier flight, but couldn't. Even worse, my flight was the only flight that wasn't oversold.
#657
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: DCA/IAD/WAS
Programs: MAR AMB, WOH Explorist, AA EXP, UA 2P
Posts: 2,138
AA 251 from MIA to JFK today was seeking 11 volunteers @ $775 each. They ended up finding 6 vols and had 5 very upset, angry, and violently yelling IDB passengers. All the MIA NYC flights are J0 Y0 today, so very unlikely anyone will be able to get out until tomorrow at the earliest.
#658
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,816
I flew through MIA and Tuesday and while the flights were full, they were never soliciting for volunteers. Both flights cleared some standbys.
#659
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 477
AA1463 - DFW-->ORD oversold by 4 yesterday. Bid again through the app (maximum bid was $325). $375 offered at the gate to take a flight 2.5 hours later. Out of 4, only one was needed (I was VOL2). Being a 787, I thought I would have bin space, but unfortunately I had to go to the rear of the plane to stow my bag.
#660
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: AAdvantage PP
Posts: 13,913
For MIA it centers around spring break and other beach holidays. Typically flights are nearly sold out but usually not asking for volunteers and rarely seem to need them in the end. From some of what I've seen people often get to the airport too late from the beach to make their flight home.