What actually happens when a flight is completely oversold?

I think it depends on the station.

But it is not hurt to ask - remember, you are not obligated for VDB even you express your interest (A lot of time, volunteers get back to the flight because of the low-ball compensation).

Would like to share an experience I know for the the situation.

Back to Dec 2010 (a few days before X'mas), I took CX100 from Sydney to Hong Kong. Upon check-in, the ground staff gave me a J boarding pass saying I have been upgraded to Business Class due to "economy is a bit too busy"... while I was happy with what CX has done for me, there was a conversation over the counter next to me which I found interesting (can't remember the precise words):

There were two Y passengers passed their passport to the check-in staff.

Check-in staff: "So you didn't do online-checkin?"
Passenger: "No we didn't."
Check-in staff: "Well, I am sorry but we have oversold in this flight. At this point of time we do not have a seat that we could offer you. Do you mind to take the next flight which is departing at around 10pm?"
Passenger: "Oh no, how could you do this for us? We have to fly to HK in this flight...." blablabla.
Check-in staff: "Well in that case, we would have to transfer you to a Virgin flight that departs at 2:25pm."

... ...

The two Y passengers ended up taking away two VS Y boarding pass and rushed to the gate.

I guess that might be the way how CX handles non-FF Y passengers when a flight is completely oversold?

actually a 1 class upgrade for a long haul is very very good.
to me at least

Again - Ground Manager.

However - I am surprised that CX can get away from the Australian - it is indeed IDB.

Ummmm, depends on individual I guess. Some Australian passengers are not easy to get away from.

However based on the recent news about CX, it seems that the tougher you are to CX, the better services they will give you. J upgrade is just a start...

I for one will be "tougher" when something like this happens to me from now on, seeing how CX bends over backwards for rude people, and yet when I try to talk to them with curtesy and respect during situations, I am either ignored or treated like I was dirt. If CX is trying to tell people that you need to be rude and obnoxious to them and then they will give you the world, that's fine by me.

I am very disappointed when reading those news about how CX accommodating rude passengers. I guess that's exactly how the word 賤 is spelt.

Sorry - I was meant the Australian Federal Government.

Be careful, I read the other day the LHR staff tore up the boarding passes of two "rude" passengers and denied them for boarding after the plane went tech. Those passengers have to buy another ticket to fly back to HKG from LHR. CX claimed it's a miscommunication

http://www1.hk.apple.nextmedia.com/t...rt_id=16222250

I am not Mod. But I think we should restrain our discussion limiting to overselling and DBs.

I don't want to see this becomes another thread for expressing anger against CX and get closed by Mods

But by the way,

Don't believe what everything Mr. Lai is telling you. This may be an isolated incident.

FWIW - WN kicked more people for more ridiculous reasons.

Heh heh. Maybe CX is getting tired of bad press about how they are "soft", and now they are ordered to be "hard." Miscommunications? A guy would just leave his checked-in luggages, spend extra money to fly home, because he had a miscommunication? Surly CX, your PR personnel can come up with a reply better than this...

I actually got a free upgrade from Y to J in 2008 on an LAX-HKG CX flight due to Y being oversold. My mother and I sat down in our assigned Y seats, and about 5 minutes later two other pax came along and said they had also been assigned our seats. A couple of FAs talked for a while, then told us to come with them. They led us upstairs to our nice J seats. First time we've ever flown higher than Y, and it's on a 14 hour flight.

How rare is that? 1 in 100? Rarer?

It seems that Op-up is really normal for CX. What we are talking about is in fact DB - you don't get on the same flight.

Question!

Has any of you MPC elites (i.e. silver and above) ever IDB by CX/KA?

My assumption is CX will only IDB non-FF passengers? (I see rocks are going to thrown to me... )

I cannot imagine any situation where an MPC elite who has checked in on time would be IDB due to overbooking.

On any flight, even the PVG or JFK ones loaded with elite pax, there are still more than enough no-status pax to offload if necessary.