Denied Boarding?
 

I wondered if an expert on denied boarding can tell me if what happened to me is considered denied boarding. I am writing a complaint and wanted know if I should also claim denied boarding.

I was flying out of DCA to PHX this week in FC (A fare) on a 5PM flight. When it became apparent that I would be done early, I called and asked if an earlier flight was available. There were none but I was put on standby for a 2PM flight. I got to the airport at 12:15 and called to see if anything had opened up. I was confirmed on a 12:45 flight through DTW (I have the email confirmation). I got to the gate at 12:30 and the GA said she couldn’t find a reservation for me and the only seat available was a middle one in the last row. I asked for a supervisor. The Redcoat said there was a computer malfunction and reservations was selling seats that didn’t exist past the cutoff time. She said this had happened on other flights. She confirmed FC on the 2PM flight but said the connecting flight had no FC available but she said I would be at the top of the standby list. When I got to the gate in ATL they were in the middle of boarding and I was not on any of the lists on the screen. When the GA finally got to me she found my reservation but said it had never been activated. When she activated it I went to the top of the standby list but at that point the only seats left were middle seats in the very back. I choose to fly FC on my original connection. I was told all this is documented in my record.

Sounds like IT incompetence compounded by more IT incompetence, but it does not appear that you were denied boarding. You elected not to board and take the available middle seats offered to you.

Did your discussions with the agents get into the details of the "fact" that your A fare was not a FC fare, but just a coach fare with an auto upgrade?

That would likely have factored into any assertion that you were denied boarding, since a coach seat (which they would assert is what you purchased) was available for you.

Please understand that you have my sympathy. I'd be frosted too if I were you. Just telling you how I would anticipate this would play out, based upon my experience and what gets posted here.

At least as a DM, you had the Sky Clubs where you could relax with a nice beverage during your delays.

No we didn't discuss that it was an UP fare. I was not that upset since I thought I had a good chance of getting to PHX early (about the same time as the flight I was denied on). On the other hand with the problems with DOT on denied boarding, I wonder if DOT would make the distinction between having a reservation in FC vs. the fare designation it was bought under.

This is not IDB. OP voluntarily declined seats on both flights. Doesn't matter about class of service.

Even if OP were in paid F, he could still be seated in Y and it would not be IDB. He would simply in the latter case be entitled, exactly as set forth in the COC, to a refund of the F vs. Y fare.

IDB only occurs when you are denied boarding. Period.

Thanks. That is what I wanted to know.

Not only this, but, isn't it true, that for the purpose of IDB compensation, this is only when a flight is oversold? You can be denied boarding for a thousand other reasons and not get comp.

edited to add . . . .

In other words, if the OP would have been told this same exact thing:

. . . but perhaps the door was closing and there was no time to book him on the flight, that would be denied boarding, but not the specific term IDB which involves compensation for overbookings, right?