I see. I'm a little surprised, frankly, because I fly this route a lot, and there are, obviously, frequent delays. Most of the passengers connect at EWR and I have always heard the local YQB staff tell passengers about to miss their connections that they will need to make the change at EWR. Similarly, I would be astonished if anyone working for the airport authority of YQB would even have access to Marriott hotel vouchers at EWR.

But let's assume the IDB/VDB did take place at YQB, and I'll assume it was YQB, because CO is the only one who flies YQB-EWR. Anyone who would fly from YUL would almost certainly say Montreal.

In this case, while I am not defending what may have happened (and let's take the women at their word for the moment and assume they were not confused, despite their age) is that the contractors at YQB simply didn't have access to all the CO guidelines, nor sufficient training.

Remember, the people who work the counters at YQB process passengers for 11 carriers, and I am quite sure they don't receive nearly the kind of in-depth training from each one that this kind of IrrOps would require.

I'm not saying that's a good thing, but it's an inevitable consequence of this kind of system.

If the reroutes were really done at YQB I believe the women in question could probably receive compensation from WE CARE, since basic CO procedures weren't followed..of course, these women have long since vanished, unless one of them is a long-term lurker here in FT

It amazes me, but doesn't surprise me, that many of you forget the elementary school game of Telephone.

I hope they decide to either "tar & feather" or "draw & quarter" the alleged perpetrator of this fraudulent act.

If they were bumped from a Jungle Jet compensation might not be required.

http://airconsumer.dot.gov/publicati...tm#overbooking

The compensation others were discussing is a matter of CO policy, not DOT regulations...

While this is true, the perception that was left with the customer(s) still remains. The fact that they felt mistreated and were willing to say such to a complete stranger is a consequence of how CO handled the situation, whatever it may have been.

There are rules and there is what companies do.

Most carriers use the usual DB compensation rules for their non-DB required flights just because they don't want additional regulation on the matter.

Also, it's some carriers provide VDB-level compensation to IDBs who are not entitled to compensation (due to arrival within 1 hour to final destination) as a customer service gesture.

Sounds a lot like my coworker's situation where he was offered $200 for a IDB. After pushing, he was offered $117 cash or a $300 voucher. I haven't seen him in a few weeks to get an update on the situation.

The problem is that they were IDB'd and therefore should have been given cash. Most people remember getting cash no matter how old they are. Perhaps they were given vouchers and they don't remember that, but, if so, CO violated the law.

If the YQB staff did not know how to issue ETCs and Vouchers, they would HAVE to call the Help Desk for this, since the ladies already received meal + hotel vouchers, there is no excuse for no IDB compensation to be issued...

I am waiting for the OP to PM me so we can get the ball rolling on an investigation or CoInsider can be contacted via telephone to deal with this one.

The combined carrier will have to be very careful. If they're the largest carrier, they'll probably be under more scrutiny than before, so if they play shady games, the fines and oversight could be a lot more impacting.

I have seen CO do this twice in the year I have been flying them since they joined *A. Once at IAH on a flight to MGA and the other on a flight from MGA to IAH. The IAH time was an elderly lady whom only spoke Spanish. GA was denying her boarding telling her, in english, that she would have to wait until the evening flight (this was the morning departure for MGA, with only 2 a dat). The agent gave her a boarding pass and sent her on her way. Standing next to the podium and heard everything that transpired. Followed the lady and asked her what had happened and what she was given, Nada! Went back to the agent and asked why the lady had not been compensated due to an IBD. There was alot of back and forth-who are you? none of your business-what do you know about IBD?-none of your business-where are you seated?-none of your business. In the end I asked for a supervisor to rectify the situation. Got sweet old lady $400.00, meal vouchers and parked her in the PC in E terminal. We are still friends to this day, she even invited me for dinner in her modest house in Mayasa. 2nd time something very alike, only part of a missionary group in MGA.

All of this left a very poor taste in my mouth and dim view of CO which I still have to this day. Everyone on this board talks poorly of UA's compensation but I have never heard of these low, underhanded preying on unsuspecting people on UA. I have found UA plays by the rules in these situations.

We are allowed to IDB if no one takes the VDB.

We also will not pay out for more seats than we need. If we only need one seat and you are a party of two, one will receive the VDB. If you don't like this then do not volunteer.

I have no idea if the OP knows the whole correct story but there is no excuse if these ladies did not receive what they are entitled to receive.

The rules on VDB and/or IDB are very straight forward for both the airlines and the consumer.

Correct. Before we all go berserk blaming people, there needs to be quite a bit more tangible information.

Well. Obviously I do not know if they told me the truth, or if they had gotten certificates they were completely unaware of. But I believed them.

On the other hand, I am not sure why an representative would not grant them what they are entitled to.

• I can imagine a rep being poorly informed (and non CO employee). Or taking a "short-cut" because the required vouchers/certificates where not on hand. That might explain why they were asked to sign they had volunteered, when they had not?
• Would a rep have any incentives to pay out less than the entitled amount? Does it look bad on the rep's record if he/she pays out lots of compensation, or has a high number of IDBs (instead of VDBs)?

By the way they were very sweet.
- They said about Smisek that that he was a very young and handsome man . That was even after I told them he was from CO.
- They were initially very upset about airlines overbooking flights at all, but less so after I explained why airlines do it, and how it indirectly can lower the airfares we have to pay.
- The woman next to me also complained that her monthly expenses for health care (I think medicare premium) had gone up from (initially) $37 to $100+ this year. But accepted that price hikes of this magnitude are not unusual when one compares prices that are separated in time by 17 years!!!