I have had TPAC TATL VDB much higher than $400 due to less options for rebooking and less chance of volunteers (vacation, business meeting and family commitments).

It is all down to your negotiations skill and knowing the facts about the load for the flight and alternative bookings (with DL and then ST partners). I have been taken to SE Asia from DTW flying AF the other way in Affaires as part of my "settlement"

It was an A fare, so I first got a lecture from the redcoat on how it's actually a coach fare with "an upgrade when available" (really condescending, and, incidentally, wrong). I called the medallion line, which confirmed that there were elite upgrades from the gate in the cabin. As soon as I told the agent that I had confirmed there were gate upgrades already done, and started to note down names, they fixed it.

Last Monday I flew RNO-SLC-MSP, leaving around noon. The first leg was overbooked as were all the RNO-SLC flights that day; the next available flight was early the next morning. The GA offered me that $400, a good overnight hotel, and $30 in meal vouchers, but said that she could not give me upgrades. I accepted that. Just as boarding started she confirmed that she would definitely need to VDB me. I waited through boarding to get the hotel and meal paperwork from her. At the very last last minute, after everyone had boarded, she said she had miscounted and there was one seat left. Needless to say, my front row aisle Economy Comfort seat had long ago been reassigned. I sat in a window seat in the center of the plane (at least not middle seat all the way back).

I have debated whether to write to Delta to complain about the seat change but it seems sort of petty for such a short flight.

I know it's always a mistake to wait around but I needed to get the hotel and meal info. The GA was working alone with only some kind of trainee with her.

I disagree. I was flying with my UIG (Used Italian Girlfriend) JFK-TLV a few years ago and we had Economy seats. She, incidentally, is not a SkyMiles member and I was only an FO at the time.

The flight was heavily overbooked and they were calling for volunteers to fly the following night. First they offered $300 in Delta dollars and then $400. I offered to pass on the Delta dollars if they would book my girlfriend and myself in Biz Elite for that flight. I was told that they could not do that yet but to hold on as they would probably raise the offer to include it.

Eventually, they were offering $600 but I still held out and, finally, they got to $600 and Biz Elite and I jumped at it (as did several other people).

There's nothing to complain about. There was only one seat left and you got it. Surely you don't expect the flight to be delayed while they rearrange the entire cabin. It's the risk of VDB. Particularly on domestic flights, there are often last second misconnects and noshows, so what looked like an oversale isn't.

The way to be sure is not to hang around for your paperwork, but to insist on it on the spot and then leave the gate area. If the GA won't do that, you know they don't really need your seat yet.

Last Fall I was in BOS waiting for BOS-ATL-AUS and they needed volunteers for BOS-ATL. $600 and a room at the BOS Hilton were the offer and she said she would put me in F on the new flights. So I was pulled off the original flight (on which I had been upgraded) but it turned out there were no available F seats to assign on the new BOS-ATL, even though it showed F1. It's possible that something would have freed up by the morning but I wasn't going to chance it, so I said no to the deal. However, they had already assigned my original F seat. Fortunately the GA did the right thing and got another volunteer, bounced the upgrader in my seat back to Y, and put me back on my original flights, now booked in full F. So no VDB $ but got some extra MQMs as a result of the fuss.

This is mainly to illustrate the point made above: a VDB is not a done deal until you have new BPs and vouchers in your hands, so make sure they don't block your option to get what you had before until it is final.

Yes, when I said $400 is the limit programmed into that system I meant the system that asks you for a VDB bid ahead of time. Once you are actually in negotiations there is a lot of flexibility.

Wow, really??? You turned down $600 just because you couldn't get an F seat on a short-to-medium length domestic flight BOS/ATL??? You and I certainly have different values!

+1

When the GA ask for your BP for VDB paperwork; check paperwork and then surrender the BP.

When GA ask for BP as a "POTENTIAL VDB" then hold on to your BP so you do not lose your original seat selection.
Once you handed over your BP on a potential VDB and it is not needed you will lose your seat and be seated in middle seat rear.

I would have asked for new flights at different times or even with an additional connection in ordder to be confirmed into FC. There may not be a need to be on the first flight the next morning.