craz

My folks are booked on a CO flight out to LAX for Sun 4/9, when checking availability I saw that not only was their flight Xed out but almost every one except the real late ones.

So I called the Plat desk to see what the Load looked like (if it was oversold by alot). I was told that its sold-out to Capacity and its Not Oversold, yet you cant buy a tkt for that flight, was told the same with the others they are sold-out not oversold and that CO wont sell another tkt on them unless someone cancels their flight.( maybe a Plat can force their way on)

So it seems that CO is going the way of JetBlue sell the flight out but dont over book. And thusly they wont have to worry about DBVs. yep Tkts are gonna be alot more expensive over the next yr+ w/o those DBVs

Billiken

Interesting news, craz.
I think the "NO OVERSELL" policy might just be on certain routes/flights.

Five days ago (2-APR) I saw the following oversells:

CO2486 CLE-STL, oversold by 3, paid $300 to 3 pax (at gate next door)
CO1778 IAH-ABQ, oversold by 2, paid $300 to 2 pax (at gate next door)
CO0051 EWR-IAH, oversold by 2, didn't need vols.
CO0299 IAH-OAK, oversold by 1, didn't need vols.

An agent at EWR told me, as I tried to get to IAH (then OAK) after a mis-connect, that ALL EWR-IAH flights that day were oversold by at least two. I was put on the standby list for CO 51 (noted above) and ended up getting on the flight.

On 24-MAR I was on CO2486 CLE-STL. It was oversold by 6.
They ended up needing 4 vols and paid $500 per pax.

Also:
I've had phone agents tell me that a plane is not oversold (when A0 Y0).
Then, at the airport, gate or PClub agents have told me (in person) that the flight is oversold by X pax.

afrugal1

Cha Ching!

craz

I would expect that maybe anything on an RJ will be handled differently, as well as Intl flights and their connections, along with the last flight of tne day to any where.

CO might not mind overselling the Intl as thats where their $$$ are.

btuttler23

VDB on CO1069 LAS-EWR 4/6 - 2 people needed
Collected $350 and flew to EWR in FC through Portland

entropy

CO certainly oversells. The phone agents, when they look will usually just see A0Y0 and tell you its sold out.
If they look at the more detailed screen, it will give details of how many people are on the flight in each fare code, as well as the booking totals: booked, capacity, authorization. if booked > capacity, then its oversold. They almost never sell beyond authorization.

wanaflyforless

The other day I got a $750 bump on NW (DTW-NRT) after being told twice by the GA "this flight is not oversold" actually meaning "I do not want to pay volunteers yet." I imagine this could have happened on CO too. And my last two bumps no oversold announcement was ever made.

craz

At least with the CSR I spoke with she did look up the load and said it has X seats in Coach and we sold X seats so, its sold to the max but not over that.

when I went to see if I could purchase a tkt for the same flight even at CO.com it wouldnt sell me a seat for that flight or any other except the last 2 which are now themselves sold-out.

gldwebs

I got screwed the other day with bump comp. Got bumped off the last flight MDW-EWR. They needed 1 but were real busy so I volunteered and stood in the corner. I asked what I would get but she said she will get back to me. After she closed the door she said I would get a nice $150...$150!!!! for a forced overnight? At that point I was pissed but had no choice. Then she threw in a meal voucher. When I went to use that it turned out it was actually an on board drink voucher from 1999. They were already gone for the night and I got hosed...

irotem

Man, this IS a piss off! I don't know what I would have done in your position...

I suggest that u write a letter, stating that u feel as if u've been tricked. After all, YOU are doing the favor to the airline and not the other way around... They should atleast treat u with some respect and honesty and let u know what u'll get BEFORE bumping u off a flight...

Renard

Boy $150 for an overnight....CO can be cheap at times. I think $300 would be more appropriate for an overnight.

craz

Sorry but I feel its the OPs Fault.

Did you ever walk into a restaurant that you were Never in and order a meal, wine etc w/o having seen a menu or asked how much? Did you ever just walk into a Hotel and ask do you have any rooms left, good Ill take 1 w/o having asked how much it will be? Or even call CO and give the CSR your CO# and ask that they book you on a flight to XYZ w/o asking how much or it its Coach or F/BF?

If you did any of the above then when you were presented with your Bill, youd be stuck with what ever they wanted to charge or booked you into as you Never inquired. Oh but you're a Plat with CO or the Hotel and you thought they would give you the best deal and upgrade you etc. You should have asked.

How would you feel if you told the front desk clerk Ill take any room and then proceeded to the last room they had to find that you and your SO had to share a Single Twin Bed, you should have asked!

Same by the OP they probably ASSUMED that they would score $300 min, but since they never had an agreement with the GA and nothing was discussed, they have no one to blame but themselves!! Even if they had to overnight it. Could be had the OP asked and said no , maybe soemone else would have done it in a sec for the $150. There are no mins when it comes to this, nor really any max either. Its whatever you agree on. Since there wasnt any agreement, the GA (CO) wins. I forget which Carrier it wa a few yrs ago that told me it was $100, I told 'em when you want to be serious let me know as I will vol then. They actually got 2 people at that amount but needed 3 more in the end we all got $400. The 2 that agreed to teh $100 I told 'em to wait cause if the price goes up they will get the higher amount as well.

I always ask to be put on the list and before they do so I ask then & there what they will offer me. Ive been able to switch a Hotel stay in IAH to EWR as my final was PHL and I didnt want to wait and catch the 1st flight in the morn, in case there was weather problems and I HAD to be back to PHL by Noon. No problem so they gave me a Hotel in EWR and put me onto the last flight to EWR. Had they said sorry we cant or wont give you a room in EWR, I would have flown and skipped the Bump. Had I not done that and instead asked that they let me go to EWR and stay there, if they said no it would have been my fault for not having come to an agreement before hand.

Sorry but the OP has no one to blame but themselves. Having said that, it was in very poor taste what that GA did when they knew that Usually its $300 especially with an overnight. But Im sure they scored soem Brownie Pts for giving so little.

dan1431

It was bump city on Friday between EWR-ATL from other pax and the gate agent it seemed that everything since the first flight of the day was oversold and pax were bumped.

The pax I was sitting next to in PClub told me that he had already recieved 700 dollars in bump vouchers and was prepared to recieve another voucher if it came down to it. As it turns out, he was upgraded to FC and thus decided to fly rather than risk coach on a later flight. However, they were asking for 3 pax to take a later flight.

Dan

jetsetter

I got bumped on a CLE BOS flight with about a 3 hour and 50 min layover, and got a $200 travel certificate. Does CO use certain standard amounts for VDB compensation? Is it based on the length of delay? At UA for instance they have a specific guideline that is usually followed for domestic flights:
$200=I believe 2 to 4 hour delay;
$400=a 4 to 6 hour delay; and
$600=More than a 6 hour delay e.g. an overnight.
Or on UA you can opt for a free ticket.

J.Edward

See this thread for more info.