How does this "bump/overbooking" process work?
#16
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
Programs: DL PM, HH Diamond, Fairmont Prem, SPG Gold, Priority Club Plat/IC Amb, AmEx Plat
Posts: 10,839
My flight from ATL-DTW yesterday morning was oversold. You will get a message when you check in letting you know the flight is oversold and giving you the option to volunteer for a bump. No need to stand in line, nor even bother the GA. You can handle this at the kiosk now.
#17
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Seattle, WA
Programs: DL Plat
Posts: 234
Re blocked seats
In past threads I've read that DL blocks advance selection of bulkhead seats, even from elites.
- Does the three-hour release time apply to bulkhead seats ?
- Can elites select these day of departure but earlier than 3 hrs ?
- Within that 3 hr window, will the kiosk or OLCI grant these bulkhead seats or must you speak to a DL agent ?
Thanks. :-:
- Does the three-hour release time apply to bulkhead seats ?
- Can elites select these day of departure but earlier than 3 hrs ?
- Within that 3 hr window, will the kiosk or OLCI grant these bulkhead seats or must you speak to a DL agent ?
Thanks. :-:
#18
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: 2 hours from GEG
Programs: Delta PM, Alaska
Posts: 169
#19
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta 1M, SM Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 91
Birthday Love?
I'm on DL232 SEA-AMS tomorrow.
During the check-in process they asked for volunteers (which I can't do - catching the US vs. Holland soccer match on Wednesday in AMS).
Seatcounter only shows availability in D,J, and S.
Any chance of a BE upgrade for this Plat on a T fare?
It is my birthday after all!!!
During the check-in process they asked for volunteers (which I can't do - catching the US vs. Holland soccer match on Wednesday in AMS).
Seatcounter only shows availability in D,J, and S.
Any chance of a BE upgrade for this Plat on a T fare?
It is my birthday after all!!!
#20
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Atlanta
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Silver, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 3,656
I've never seen an option where you can actually volunteer through the kiosk. It will pop up the message that the flight is oversold and to see a gate agent. The message will pop up when the aircraft is at 100% cap instead of 101% as it was orginally rolled out.
#21
Join Date: May 2005
Programs: DL Million Miler
Posts: 1,963
>>>>>Don't know if this has changed but late last year, this message was many time false. You volunteer at the kiosk then at the gate find out that the flight wasn't oversold and VDBs weren't needed.
What can happen is that the flight IS oversold at the time you are at the kiosk (everybody booked on the flight might even be checked in, and either in the airport or in the air connecting), but if incoming flights are delayed or if a passenger stands by for an earlier flight, or if someone checked in changes their mind - - the numbers suddenly change (today my MEM-MSN was oversold, but LGA-MEM and PHL-MEM feeder flights were an hour late, and a number of incoming pax misconnected).
Also, a creative gate agent can magically disperse people - - yesterday I watched as a gate agent working both a 2:05pm to CLT and the 2:40pm flight to DTW (leaving from the SAME gate), helped a couple who WERE going to connect to ROA through DTW on an oversold flight instead take the nonstop 2:05pm flight to CLT (prompted to shift in part, because they had no seat assignments on the DTW flight, and thought they may get involuntarily bumped!). The GA called down and made sure that their bag got yanked from the DTW cart and put onto the CLT flight, and they went on the earlier nonstop (to a different destination) from the same gate!
That cleared two oversells on the DTW flight, - - and then the gate agent tried to clear a third, by getting a passenger to fly nonstop to JFK instead of connecting through DTW (on the oversold flight) to HPN, but since there was no compensation for the switch she chose to keep her DTW connection to HPN instead of taking the nonstop to JFK.
What can happen is that the flight IS oversold at the time you are at the kiosk (everybody booked on the flight might even be checked in, and either in the airport or in the air connecting), but if incoming flights are delayed or if a passenger stands by for an earlier flight, or if someone checked in changes their mind - - the numbers suddenly change (today my MEM-MSN was oversold, but LGA-MEM and PHL-MEM feeder flights were an hour late, and a number of incoming pax misconnected).
Also, a creative gate agent can magically disperse people - - yesterday I watched as a gate agent working both a 2:05pm to CLT and the 2:40pm flight to DTW (leaving from the SAME gate), helped a couple who WERE going to connect to ROA through DTW on an oversold flight instead take the nonstop 2:05pm flight to CLT (prompted to shift in part, because they had no seat assignments on the DTW flight, and thought they may get involuntarily bumped!). The GA called down and made sure that their bag got yanked from the DTW cart and put onto the CLT flight, and they went on the earlier nonstop (to a different destination) from the same gate!
That cleared two oversells on the DTW flight, - - and then the gate agent tried to clear a third, by getting a passenger to fly nonstop to JFK instead of connecting through DTW (on the oversold flight) to HPN, but since there was no compensation for the switch she chose to keep her DTW connection to HPN instead of taking the nonstop to JFK.
#22
Join Date: Nov 2009
Posts: 827
I've had this happen in DTW. I was asked if I waned to volunteer, and what level of compensation i was looking for. Granted, this was when NWA was still on PARS (last August) though.
#23
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Atlanta
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Silver, Starwood Platinum
Posts: 3,656
Yes I believe the NWA kiosk allowed this option back in the day. I've never seen DL kiosks have this functionality.
#24
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Delta 1M, SM Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 91
TATL upgrade
As a follow up to my previous post, I'm sitting in the SEA Skyclub with a BE boarding pass in hand. Went to drop my bag for my SEA-AMS flight and got a new boarding pass. I had moved from row 10 to row 4.
Happy birthday to me!
Happy birthday to me!