Jimmie76

I heard of a family of five flying from BOS who did rather well out of BA one summer. They were informed in the lounge that BA were looking for five volunteers to spend the night in BOS and fly out the next day. They accepted the rather large (undisclosed to me but much more than €250 each) amount plus a hotel for the night and meals. Next day BA238 was full and the next flight with space was the 10pm BA214 and they were rebooked on that. Whilst at the airport the next day to drop bags for the flight they were informed that BA were again looking for volunteers. My source told me they happily accepted, took the money, hotel etc. and had another days holiday in Boston paid for by BA.

scottishpoet

Some of the information on this thread is perhaps a little misleading regarding the US carriers.

Yes they can offer more than BA typically do. What often happens with the US carriers is they start at $250, then if they do not get enough volunteers they start increasing their offers. Of course people know the offers will increase so nobody volunteers at the lowest amount.

as the number go up people start to think about it and decide they better get in before someone else does.

BA on the other hand often do get enough volunteers on the initial offer amount, so no incentive to progressively increase.

corporate-wage-slave

Airlines that don't allow overbooking, in Europe airlines like Ryanair and Monarch, do so by not allowing connections: one seat, one passenger, one sale. But if you allow connections then you need some flexibility to allow passengers to take unused seats - other people are late, so you can perhaps allocate their seats knowing the original passenger can't have that seat. If one third of the aircraft is connecting passengers - quite typical - then taking away overbooking flexibility in the context of LHR, ATC restrictions, weather etc, then the whole viability of connecting flights. I don't know of any airline with connecting flight sales that operates without theoretical overbooking.

I have to say all the evidence is that people prefer low fares globally, FT may affect to be different, but even there I have my doubts. Going back to a world where flying is just for the privileged rich would strike me as a step backwards.

cynicalmoose

I believe JetBlue is a counter-example - they sell both online and interline connections, and say they don't overbook (although even then they sometimes have to deny boarding due to equipment changes, weight limits, and all the other usual exigencies of air transport).

corporate-wage-slave

There is a certain amount of cynicism possible on that one, you are 9 times more likely to be bumped on JetBlue than on Delta. The reasons given are as you suggest, but I'm not sure it makes much difference to the passenger concerned.

Often1

+1

Putting aside regulatory requirements for IDB, the decision to offer more than the required amount under EC 261/2004 or DOT 14/250.5 is a purely business decision of the carrier.

The business decision for BA is whether on a flight where IDB is EUR 250, what BA does if it cannot find a volunteer at that amount. The AA practice would be to increase the amount to some significant amount (but pay that amount in travel vouchers, not cash equivalent) and to only IDB if no volunteer can be found at a higher amount, while BA may be willing to IDB if not volunteers at the required amount.

For what it is worth, B6, which says that it does not intentionally overbook, has the worst IDB rate of major US carriers. Why that occurs is irrelevant. It simply shows that even planned full capacity does not create an IDB-free environment.

Sixth Freedom

I agree, in the same sense that taxation is theft by a different name. Society tolerates it though because there are (some and limited) benefits.

LiviLion

TBH I'll bet you could tempt some people with just the offer of a free hotel, food and drink and transport to/from the airport/hotel. Getting a few quid is a bit of a bonus as at the VDB stage you can in theory offer up varying levels of compo until you find someone who bites. It's all just a bit of a game at times.

Globaliser

I remember when a friend was stuck at JNB at New Year's for two (or maybe it was three) nights because an engine went bang during the take-off roll. She made no effort to ask to be re-routed back to London, and enjoyed the extra few days holiday by the pool in the South African summer sunshine. And when she eventually got back, she point blank refused to claim her 261/2004 compensation on the basis that she had been well looked after, she had enjoyed her extra holiday at someone else's expense, and she was not going to be grubbing after every last penny that she could chisel.

corporate-wage-slave

I took exactly that view when I was "stranded" in a 4 star beach resort in glorious weather on Bermuda, after BA's 777 aircraft went technical. BA even rang me to ask where my EC261 claim had been submitted. Just wish it had taken them longer to fix the old girl.

Physci

You must be about the only person that BA has ever chased for an EU261 claim!

Pascoe

Both laudable and honourable. If there were more people in the world like that then it would be a better place. Instead we get ambulance chasing as a growth industry.

Often1

In situations where carriers know in advance that oversale is close to a certainty, calling passengers who are likely to volunteer makes sense. Those passengers might well be quite happy to stay put and have their hotel & meals covered and not have to go through the nuisance of checking out, heading to the airport and then being rebooked.

For the most part, overbookings do not result in oversales. No shows via misconnect, bad traffic, illness, and generous bartenders will often and are predicted to deal with the issue.

TravellingSalesman

This sort of gesture is of course easier when €600 are pennies to you.

V10

It's also easier when you're by the pool somewhere nice and sunny, as opposed to being stuck at some airport in the arse end of nowhere with no accommodation, no transport home and nobody that wants to help you.