TheRoadie

Obviously, some person who values their time at less than ($175+coupon value given)/# of hours delay .

Retired folks and the young come to mind, along with the possibly low-wage-expectation unemployed. Such folk exist. They're not invisible.

Or they could take the VDB from a city they have a girlfriend in, and another overnight is a welcome delay. Or it's Hawaii and they can get another day of holiday for no cost.

mbwmbw

Those types of people should not be permitted to enjoy the VDB process as they are driving down the VDB for all the non-kettle.

TheRoadie

I *love* the free market system and the way it annoys certain people who think they are in the 1% and are far from it.

sethb

I love further proof that sarcasm doesn't play on the net.

McGowan06

I've got several vouchers but the fact that you can no longer combine is frustrating.

pinniped

So I had my first kiosk/VDB experience on DL last night. Flying PHX-MSP-MCI in the afternoon, I check in and get the oversell message and the screen with some laughably low amounts - $25 through $100, I believe. Plus the option for a custom "bid".

At first, I thought maybe this system is really smart: the laughably low amounts were because PHX-MSP was oversold, but the system realized I was flying to MCI and my rebooked flight would be PHX-SLC-MCI, arriving home 14 minutes after the MSP flight. So, $100 for a 14 minute later arrival. Maybe I'd go for that...

However, I wanted to speak to an agent to confirm...not being a DL regular I wanted to make sure before I volunteered that they really did, in fact, have seats on PHX-SLC-MCI. So I walk over to an agent - thankfully PHX wasn't busy at this time - and the agent said "PHX-MSP is fine...it's MSP-MCI that's oversold." So I asked if the kiosk was trying to bump me to the SLC routing for $100 and she said "No, MSP will bump you if they need to."

The problem there is that it was the last flight of the night. There's no way I'd take that bump for anything under $500...and I'm guessing that even a Minneapolis native who had made their way out to the airport for a 9:45PM flight would want a couple hundred at a minimum. So why is this kiosk showing me crap like $25-100??

As it turns out, MSP-MCI didn't need any volunteers so I wasn't able to observe the "market" in action.

Setting aside for a moment what we all think the market for VDBs should be, I guess my two complaints about the kiosk are:

(1) It doesn't show you your specific confirmed alternate flights when it asks you to bid. On something like MSP-DTW, maybe I'll take $100-200 to wait an hour. But how can I bid if I don't know when my new flight will be?
(2) If it's the *second* (or third) flight in a routing that is oversold, there should be some way for the kiosk to note that. Maybe there's no different outcome for my situation - I can see why they wouldn't have rerouted me to SLC and given even a small VDB voucher hours before they know whether they'll need me. But...if there's a routing with an earlier arrival time, maybe I'll willing to take it for free...

Crossin Jordan

I would never VDB from a kiask or olci. The low-ball suggested bid amounts are ridiculous, but it doesn't appear to be all that effective among the general flying public. Got the oversold message last Friday RDU-MSP-SEA while checking in online. Ignored it. Went thru security and showed up at the gate to hear the GA announce the need for 1 more volunteer to take a different flight. Walked over to inquire, and within minutes I had a $400 travel voucher and 3 meal vouchers, all to arrive at SEA an hour earlier than originally scheduled!

us2

That's an astonishingly large amount for such a short flight that can be driven in a couple of hours (traffic permitting).

greg0ire

Just got the bid screen for my ATL-LAX flight tomorrow. I manually entered $300 though I wonder if I should have put $50 so I would be at the top of the list. I feel others will outbid me and they will be spoken to first, as suggested on the screen. I could always just hold out for more.
Either way, there are plenty of open seats on 370 and tickets are still available for purchase.

newyorkmetz12

I find all of this fascinating and would love to observe this game. However (not that I would want it the other way by any means) as a DM, who usually gets upgraded on at least one segment, I never am given an option to bid since once you have a segment in F it takes you our to of the overbooked coach cabin. Many times I arrive at the gate and ask to volunteer only to be told that they already have a list and I choose not to be on it. I think I have probably lost 6 potential VDBs do to this. Anyone else ask Delta to chance this to allow passengers sitting in F to volunteer at the kiosk?

grahampros

This is one idea DL needs to drop. It causes more problems them it's worth. Good idea on paper, one that works well in practice, not so much.

GRALISTAIR

The same number -I know this is totally incredible but true I swear it for Wednesday DL 64 ATL-MAN - transatlantic. Surely nobody will accept less than 500 + hotel + meals?

grahampros

You prove my point it is an idea they just need to drop.

2lazy2walk

I guess that explains why I've never seen this screen, I was starting to wonder before you posted that upgraded pax don't see it.

After years with Delta, I've just switched to UA because my travel has shifted to mostly international, and I'm still a bit culture shocked getting a screen at UA check-in offering to sell me an upgrade. Only to peek back in on this forum and find people are getting check-in screens to bump.

Harlem

The issue I have with this system is that I often take flights at 7am or redeye flights. My travel schedule is very flexible. If they needed me to bump I'd do it for about 15 cents per mile of my flight's distance (if my flight is 2,000 miles I want $300 to bump). I don't want food vouchers nor hotel vouchers.

But, if I go to the airport I don't want to wait around there. If my flight is at 7am and I'm up at 5:00am to get to the airport I don't want to sit in an airport for 6 hours for $300.

If they were to rebook me the night before and I can wait at home for 6 hours (and get a normal night's sleep) then I'll take the $300.

If they know the flight is oversold by say 6 people, then they should buyout two or so people before we ever get to the airport. They'd pay less per buyout if people could wait for the next flight in the comfort of their home/bed (or just stay at the office a little longer).