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AA Bump Rates; compensation for VDB / Voluntary Denied Boarding (master thread)

Old Mar 31, 2016, 5:15 pm
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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 airlines 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 airlines ticketing, check-in and reconfirmation requirements, or you are not acceptable for transportation under the airlines 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
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AA Bump Rates; compensation for VDB / Voluntary Denied Boarding (master thread)

Old Nov 26, 2018, 12:34 pm
  #571  
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 130
Originally Posted by mvoight
You volunteered before knowing what the compensation was going to be. So, you would generally get what was being offered and was accepted for the other seat.
To clarify, the "other passenger" was not flying from TPA to PHX, and was on a completely different flight. It was a quick conversation I had with the passenger seated next to me about what happened with her sister. I was the only passenger who was VDB and given compensation.

Also, are you saying that volunteering before knowing what the compensation is should not be done?
tbone14 is offline  
Old Nov 26, 2018, 1:57 pm
  #572  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: South Florida
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Marriott Platinium
Posts: 1,330
They usually offer $300 or around that number and it can go up until they get someone. You didn't wait for any extra compensation, you got the best for your situation but if you were at the gate and they were looking for a volunteer, and nobody offered their seats, it could be more than $700, but someone could beat you. Besides, you can not compare that someone got $1000 for a similar situation, each flight is different and sometimes is cheaper for them to bump someone who paid $60 dollar for their seats that someone who paid $300 for the same seat.
fedechat is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2018, 7:11 am
  #573  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: CLE
Programs: UA, AA Plat Pro, DL, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 476
CLT-->MCI oversold by 5 on Friday, Dec 7. Initial offer was for $400, but eventually got up to $600 - all passengers re-accommodated on next flight out the same day.
jjmoore likes this.
plinth857 is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2018, 8:16 am
  #574  
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: DCA/IAD
Programs: AA EXP; 1W Emerald; HHonors Diamond; Marriott Gold; UA dirt
Posts: 7,779
This weekend may have been a decent day for oversales given the reaccommodation needs on certain routes. Luckily, the Carolina storm hit his week when demand is rather slack as we lead up to the Christmas travel season.
IADCAflyer is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2018, 3:01 pm
  #575  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
Originally Posted by IADCAflyer
This weekend may have been a decent day for oversales given the reaccommodation needs on certain routes. Luckily, the Carolina storm hit his week when demand is rather slack as we lead up to the Christmas travel season.
This week is typically one of the most relaxed travel weeks of the year (and one of the cheapest weeks for business travel as a result). Though there were many cancelled flights, I don't foresee the CLT woes carring past today or maybe tomorrow at worst regarding re-accommodating pax. Had this happened next week, it would be a whole different story of oversold flights and people being pinned back several days in their travels.

Flying out of MCO today, and business as usual.
jjmoore is offline  
Old Dec 10, 2018, 3:49 pm
  #576  
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: COU
Programs: AA EXP, Bonvoy Ambassador, Hertz PC
Posts: 499
Neglected to report this one when it happened, but 2018-10-14 ORD-COU (connecting from LGA) and unknown (to me) IRROPS caused them to switch from a CRJ-700 (9J+56Y) to an ERJ-145 (48Y). I had previously been confirmed in a J seat around T-48 with a complimentary EXP upgrade. When I went up to the desk for a seat assignment, they immediately gave me a $300 voucher (along with the seat assignment!) because the new plane didn't have J. I don't know whether that was proper or they made a mistake and didn't notice I got the J seat for free in the first place.

Either way, then they asked for volunteers to take a later flight for $530. Their intention was the next COU flight, which was the next morning; instead I asked whether they had J seats on the STL flight 40 minutes later. They said they did, and I volunteered to take that flight in J and the voucher. Sadly I had to give up the previous $300 voucher, but as a bonus the flight earned as true full-fare J, and the $530 paid for nearly all of a flight to Peru next year. Since I was going right back to NYC in a few days (one of the few places there's an AA direct from STL) I just hung out with some friends in Soulard and flew back out of there STL-LGA-ORD-COU.

Next time I'll see if they'll just drop me in SAN or something...
HLCinCOU is offline  
Old Dec 21, 2018, 9:56 pm
  #577  
 
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Austin, Texas, USA
Programs: AA Platinum Pro, Hilton Silver, Marriott Titanium Elite, AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 130
Picked up a $560 voucher today CLT-AUS. Gave up my seat on the 4:10 non-stop for the voucher and the 6:49 departure. Had the opportunity from PHL to CLT for $650, but that would have connected twice and gotten in much later. With the full planes and some delays I decided not to chance it. Knew my odds were good in CLT, with additional availability on 2 N/S CLT-AUS. All in all, a great day for VDB...terrible day dealing with those who only come to the city once a decade and fly once a century.
MikeShores is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 10:29 am
  #578  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
Had a trip from CDG-DFW on 12/23, which was scheduled for a 788. “Won the lottery” and hit the 1 in 20 chance of getting the one frame that had PE installed, this losing 8 seats from the mini cabin. AA called Saturday morning, politely asking if we would be akin to moving to a hour later flight and connecting through ORD.

I checked the weather right quick, and said sure of they could get me 6A/7A on the flight, and $1000/ticket.

Done.

Left an hour later, arrived an hour earlier, and netted $2k for making the change. Although now that I think about it, maybe could have got better money with as easy as they gave up the $1k.

Plus the obvious lounge improvement was a bonus as well. The downside is I had booked with a longer layover and was going to meet family at the airport, but oh well. It happens.
thunderlounge is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 11:20 am
  #579  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 29
$1000 from SNA-ORD

Was booked on a basic economy fare from SNA-ORD which was delayed enough for me to miss my connection to PHL, offered $700 (may have been $750?) For 5 passengers, bumped to $1000 when not enough took the offer. My wife and I took it and rebooked on a red-eye from LAX to PHL direct with a taxi voucher. Unfortunately the rebooked seats are separated and due to basic economy can't be reseated until we arrive at LAX. Pretty decent though and more than made up for our expensive Xmas tickets.
pnosker is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 12:14 pm
  #580  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
Anyone get a volunteer offer in the app within T24 of your flight before? I just noticed it on mine (iOS) when I looked at the gate info for our DFW-MSP tomorrow at 12:06.

I've never seen it before. Here's what it looked like...







econometrics is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 5:33 pm
  #581  
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 474
Originally Posted by econometrics
Anyone get a volunteer offer in the app within T24 of your flight before? I just noticed it on mine (iOS) when I looked at the gate info for our DFW-MSP tomorrow at 12:06.

I've never seen it before. Here's what it looked like...

How are you an EXP with only 71k RDMs?
ShortDog is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 5:56 pm
  #582  
 
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
Originally Posted by ShortDog
How are you an EXP with only 71k RDMs?
Those are award miles, not qualifying miles. This person is one of the smart ones that probably uses them before they devalue on a YoY basis.
jjmoore is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 9:04 pm
  #583  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
Originally Posted by ShortDog
How are you an EXP with only 71k RDMs?
...I have 3 kids and a wonderful wife who all enjoy flying J internationally for vacation each year.

Originally Posted by jjmoore
Those are award miles, not qualifying miles. This person is one of the smart ones that probably uses them before they devalue on a YoY basis.
That's the truth. 100K burned this week just to fly 2 hours to see grandma in MSP for the New Year. Ugh.
econometrics is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 9:10 pm
  #584  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: SNA
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K (until it expires then never again), *wood Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 9,239
Originally Posted by econometrics
Anyone get a volunteer offer in the app within T24 of your flight before? I just noticed it on mine (iOS) when I looked at the gate info for our DFW-MSP tomorrow at 12:06.

I've never seen it before. Here's what it looked like...

Did the app say what the comp would be or are you just adding yourself to the list and you find out at the gate what the offer is?

Originally Posted by jjmoore
Those are award miles, not qualifying miles. This person is one of the smart ones that probably uses them before they devalue on a YoY basis.
Very true as airline miles, regardless of program AA/UA/DL etc, are not now and have never been a "currency" that increases in value over time. I try to keep my balance high enough such that I can book 2-3 Intl-F awards (its good to have options ) in at least 2 programs and so when I'm about 350-400K in any one airline thats my signal that its time to burn some because you never know when the next "enhancement" to the award chart will come.
ryan182 is offline  
Old Dec 27, 2018, 9:20 pm
  #585  
 
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,143
Originally Posted by ryan182
Did the app say what the comp would be or are you just adding yourself to the list and you find out at the gate what the offer is?
I did not hit "Volunteer", but it seemed to me that you were simply added to a list of volunteers, and that any bumps or compensations would be determined at the gate itself by the gate agent of your flight. And at that time, you can choose to accept it or leave it.
econometrics is offline  

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