PersonalFlotationDevice

Just booked an award ticket for my friend who is joining me in ACK over the 4th.

I have DL Diamond / MM; she has no status.

It looks like I got her the last available ticket as the return leg ACK-JFK is now showing Y0...

No seats are available for her; it says that I can try choosing a seat again at check-in.

What are the chances that she will get IDB'd, assuming she attempts to check in online and arrives early? If she is, what are the odds on getting her onto the later ACK-LGA that is also Y0?

I guess bottom line I'm worried that her award ticket and lack of status will make her a prime candidate for bumping, which will wreak havoc with her later plans--anything I can do to prevent this?

MSPeconomist

Seat maps can change. Watch her flight and be prepared to grab any seat that becomes available. Also check EF, where IIRC you can set email seat alerts for free without subscribing to EF.

Be sure that she does OLCI early, ideally at 24 minus epsilon before the flight's scheduled departure time. Prepare her with alternatives and knowledge of what to do and her rights if she is IDBed, including compensation paid with real money rather than a voucher.

On the day of travel, keep in contact and monitor her flights. Call the DM line for her if there seems to be a problem. I'm assuming that you can access her PNR because the award ticket was booked from your account, but check this by experimenting long before the travel day.

xliioper

The fact that she got the last seat they were willing to sell is pretty much immaterial. There are probably a number of other folks who don't have seat assignments as well. Checking in early and getting to gate early will put her ahead of those who wait too long.

FlyingUnderTheRadar

Check in early and be at the airport on time. Also remember that seats are often held back for assignment at the gate. So early check is important.

PersonalFlotationDevice

Thanks MSPEconomist--hadn't considered EF but I have a subscription so will set an alert.

Are IDB cash compensation rules different when one is on an award ticket?

Yep, can access her itin and have already set seats for the other segments.

MSPeconomist

IDB rules should be the same for award tickets, but if it's a small aircraft the regulations might not apply. They also don't apply to weight and balance issues or aircraft substitutions, just simple oversells. Still, it's good for your guest to know the rules and what to do, even if just for her general education as opposed to what happens on this particular flight. I think of the basics as some sort of general life skills that any adult should possess.

PersonalFlotationDevice

MSPEconomist, I'll do some digging to see what rules govern the E145 (icky plane to be sure).

I've never been particularly concerned about IDB rules, as I've had enough status I've judged the odds of it happening to me are remote...but now is the time that it will pay to learn.

Vuelos

Is she disabled?

You know disabled people can call in to have seats un-blocked for them.

dEagleS

"disabled"....right.

PersonalFlotationDevice

She's not disabled, so not going to try that.

pjpoker

I wouldn't do anything, and I wouldn't worry about it. Per the DOT, less than 1 in 10,000 passengers is IDB'ed in the USA. It is very, very unlikely. Additionally, award tickets are automatically given the max compensation in an IDB situation, which would be $1300 cash assuming the new arrival is more than 3 hours later. Me personally, I would hope to be IDB'ed, as $1300 cash sounds pretty nice to me. I understand people value their time differently
Anyway, enjoy your trip, and don't worry about it.

jsmeeker

Not a DL guy.. but a few questions.

Don't the IDB rules apply to the type of carrier? Like a Part 121 carrier? I thought that any airline operating a ERJ-145 would still be a 121 carrier, just like mainline Delta is.

You say no seats are available to HER? is it because she has no status and doesn't have access to select seats available to elites? Or are you looking at a seat map using your status? have you checked to see what EF shows on a seat map? As suggested, creating a seat alert is good here. it's free. But checking a seat map might show something you can't see using Delta's website. Maybe seats that are "blocked" as opposed to "assigned".

I have a lot of experience on ERj-145 (though with American Eagle). it wasn't uncommon for there to be no seats available for assignment when the ticket was bought even 2 weeks in advance. Planes like this, they tend to always block certain seats. I think it has a lot to do with weight and balance. I Just kept checking and used EF seat alerts and jumped on a seat when something opened up. You'll want to do the same here.

How many other flights are there to ACK? Remember, before the IDB, they look for volunteers. And they will keep bumping up the offer until they get someone, or they hit their supposed "best offer". Then they IDB. Just be sure to get that early checkin. If it comes down to it, that really helps. I think they would bump some non-status guy that checked in at T-90minutes over a non-status person that checked in at T-24 hours, even if it's on an award ticket.

akonradi

Normal IDB compensation is due in the event of an oversale, but not when people must be bumped to satisfy weight/balance restrictions for aircraft with 30-60 seats. Of course there can be a grey area when both events occur on the same flight and involuntary DBs must occur.

This is sound advice. When selecting passengers for IDBs, Delta sorts by fare class, followed then time of check-in (there are higher sorting parameters above this); having no elite status and a seat request card would place the OP's friend near the top of the IDB list, so checking in at T-24 may well make the difference between boarding and being bumped. The exact sorting parameters are defined in rule 245c of the CoC.

PersonalFlotationDevice

Thanks for the ideas on general IDB statistics. I'd be more reassured but for those who've been haven't been ACK on the 4th weekend, it is an exceptional travel time--all carriers near or at Y0 on Sunday already.

Agree with all that we will be checking her in online at T+24, which I hope will help.

PersonalFlotationDevice

And yes, there appear to be blocked seats not yet available. If an EC seat opens I'll pay for it poste-haste.