Potential VDB coming this Friday. Need Advice to proceed
Sep 13, 2011, 3:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: BTR
Programs: DL GM, UA Silver, Marriott Plat, National Exec
Posts: 1,810
Potential VDB coming this Friday. Need Advice to proceed
Flying GTR-ATL on 9/16. LSU/MSU game is the night before, all three flights are zeroed out. I am on the middle flight of the three and have no set time to arrive in ATL Friday, although I would like to be there Friday if possible.
1. If I do have the opportunity to VDB, and the only way to get me to ATL that evening is via another airport (JAN, TUP, MEI) will DL cover the transportation there?
2. Could I call the medallion line on 9/15 and offer to take a different routing from departing form JAN?
3. If I end up there for the night, am I maxed out at $600, hotel, airport transportation, and meals?
All my previous VDB options have been in much more accessible locations and routings. Any help would be appreciated.
1. If I do have the opportunity to VDB, and the only way to get me to ATL that evening is via another airport (JAN, TUP, MEI) will DL cover the transportation there?
2. Could I call the medallion line on 9/15 and offer to take a different routing from departing form JAN?
3. If I end up there for the night, am I maxed out at $600, hotel, airport transportation, and meals?
All my previous VDB options have been in much more accessible locations and routings. Any help would be appreciated.
Sep 13, 2011, 4:05 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: LAX, SFO
Programs: Delta GM, Lifetime Marriott Platinum, Avis Preferred
Posts: 1,634
While it is always good to have backup plans in case you don't make it on a flight, a potential issue like the OP raises should be at or near the bottom of the list of potential problems. For the first six months of the year, the IDB rate for DL was .29 per 10,000 pax. The total number of IDBs was 1,419. Of the 16 largest carriers, Dl was number 3 in terms of the fewest number of IDBs. While there are posts here about people getting "bumped", the overall numbers are incredibly small. Looking above, the percentage translates to a little more than a 1/4 of a pax out of 10,000 pax being bumped. I realize that stuff does happen, but worrying about being bumped is not a concern of mine.
The source link for my stats is below:
http://m.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs...art&m_section=
The source link for my stats is below:
http://m.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs...art&m_section=
Sep 13, 2011, 4:08 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: BTR
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Posts: 1,810
While it is always good to have backup plans in case you don't make it on a flight, a potential issue like the OP raises should be at or near the bottom of the list of potential problems.
Sep 13, 2011, 4:33 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Huntsville, AL
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While it is always good to have backup plans in case you don't make it on a flight, a potential issue like the OP raises should be at or near the bottom of the list of potential problems. For the first six months of the year, the IDB rate for DL was .29 per 10,000 pax. The total number of IDBs was 1,419. Of the 16 largest carriers, Dl was number 3 in terms of the fewest number of IDBs. While there are posts here about people getting "bumped", the overall numbers are incredibly small. Looking above, the percentage translates to a little more than a 1/4 of a pax out of 10,000 pax being bumped. I realize that stuff does happen, but worrying about being bumped is not a concern of mine.
David
Sep 13, 2011, 5:00 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2005
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I don't disagree with you, but in reality shouldn't someone be more worried about the IDB rate? If I must fly and don't volunteer to be a VDB, ultimately I would be more concerned about the IDB rate. It is that rate which is the final basis for letting me know the odds of someone else not volunteering and me being bumped when I really need to get somewhere. In the OPs situation, ultimately the odds of someone else not volunteering , and the OP not getting on that flight are miniscule, .29/10,000, as the article elaborated. In fact, while VDBs do cost the airline money, they are of no consequence to me and generally make VDBed people happy with the compensation offered. I just want to know ultimately what my odds are that there will not be enough VDBed folks, and overall it seems to be really small.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:41 pm
#8
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: Delta Plat Kool-Aid Drinker, Hyatt Diamond, SPG GM, Marriott GM, Hilton GM, and Priority Club GM
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I don't disagree with you, but in reality shouldn't someone be more worried about the IDB rate? If I must fly and don't volunteer to be a VDB, ultimately I would be more concerned about the IDB rate. It is that rate which is the final basis for letting me know the odds of someone else not volunteering and me being bumped when I really need to get somewhere. In the OPs situation, ultimately the odds of someone else not volunteering , and the OP not getting on that flight are miniscule, .29/10,000, as the article elaborated. In fact, while VDBs do cost the airline money, they are of no consequence to me and generally make VDBed people happy with the compensation offered. I just want to know ultimately what my odds are that there will not be enough VDBed folks, and overall it seems to be really small.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:46 pm
#9
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I don't think he is concerned about IBD....I think he wants to get a VBD...
GTR is practically in the middle of nowhere, TUP is 90 min away and JAN is 135 min away. Out of BTR it has been common for them to provide transportation to MSY in a VDB situation, GTR on the other hand doesn't have the luxury of accessible options. I'm sure someone on here has been in a situation similar and wanted their data point(s) for planning on Friday since I'm being dropped off without a vehicle.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:46 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2001
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If you use it as a connection, e.g. GTR-ATL-MCO, you can buy a seat on any of the 3 flights.
It's dynamic. Could change by the time you check. Point being, it is not a dramatic oversale, so don't get your hopes up.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:48 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Minneapolis
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Flying GTR-ATL on 9/16. LSU/MSU game is the night before, all three flights are zeroed out. I am on the middle flight of the three and have no set time to arrive in ATL Friday, although I would like to be there Friday if possible.
1. If I do have the opportunity to VDB, and the only way to get me to ATL that evening is via another airport (JAN, TUP, MEI) will DL cover the transportation there? Probably not, but you can ask.
2. Could I call the medallion line on 9/15 and offer to take a different routing from departing form JAN? I've tried this...agent said not a chance. Your only hope is them calling you, which I heard they down a few times and offfer someone $200 Delta $$ to switch to another flight
3. If I end up there for the night, am I maxed out at $600, hotel, airport transportation, and meals? Hard to say, I received $600, a hotel cert, and about $20 in meals a few weeks ago. Here is a bonus tip...if you wanting for you new flight and there is a connection keep checking the next non-stop flight and see if a seat opens up. It did for me last time and seat opened up, so I SDC on to that....got bumped again for $400......so I got a 1K going from 5pm non-stop to a 7am non-stop the next morning....
All my previous VDB options have been in much more accessible locations and routings. Any help would be appreciated.
1. If I do have the opportunity to VDB, and the only way to get me to ATL that evening is via another airport (JAN, TUP, MEI) will DL cover the transportation there? Probably not, but you can ask.
2. Could I call the medallion line on 9/15 and offer to take a different routing from departing form JAN? I've tried this...agent said not a chance. Your only hope is them calling you, which I heard they down a few times and offfer someone $200 Delta $$ to switch to another flight
3. If I end up there for the night, am I maxed out at $600, hotel, airport transportation, and meals? Hard to say, I received $600, a hotel cert, and about $20 in meals a few weeks ago. Here is a bonus tip...if you wanting for you new flight and there is a connection keep checking the next non-stop flight and see if a seat opens up. It did for me last time and seat opened up, so I SDC on to that....got bumped again for $400......so I got a 1K going from 5pm non-stop to a 7am non-stop the next morning....
All my previous VDB options have been in much more accessible locations and routings. Any help would be appreciated.
Sep 13, 2011, 6:52 pm
#12
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Minneapolis
Programs: Delta Plat Kool-Aid Drinker, Hyatt Diamond, SPG GM, Marriott GM, Hilton GM, and Priority Club GM
Posts: 1,184
Correct. However, I don't want to VDB if its going to inconvenience me too much. I've always taken VDB's in BTR (with MSY nearby), and hub airports with options for reroute.
GTR is practically in the middle of nowhere, TUP is 90 min away and JAN is 135 min away. Out of BTR it has been common for them to provide transportation to MSY in a VDB situation, GTR on the other hand doesn't have the luxury of accessible options. I'm sure someone on here has been in a situation similar and wanted their data point(s) for planning on Friday since I'm being dropped off without a vehicle.
GTR is practically in the middle of nowhere, TUP is 90 min away and JAN is 135 min away. Out of BTR it has been common for them to provide transportation to MSY in a VDB situation, GTR on the other hand doesn't have the luxury of accessible options. I'm sure someone on here has been in a situation similar and wanted their data point(s) for planning on Friday since I'm being dropped off without a vehicle.
If it was me, I would look into how much it will cost me to rent a oneway rental to those other airports and factor that into my decision. Also look at flights that will work to get you where you want to go. I probably won't do it for $400, but if the offer was $600 for a two-hour drive and spend $100 cash on a rental I would do it. Don't for get ask to be put in 1st as well
Sep 13, 2011, 7:11 pm
#15
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Keep in mind that the yield analyst working this market at Delta likely knows that the football game is the night before, which being mostly leisure-driven traffic that won't cancel means they might tend to not overbook the CRJs by much, if at all. From my past experiences with CRJ overbookings, it tends to be by no more than 1, and often it's right at capacity.
With the new DOT rules in place about IDB, I'd expect airlines to clamp down even further on overbooking.
With the new DOT rules in place about IDB, I'd expect airlines to clamp down even further on overbooking.
