So, this was a first for me today at SLC. Got the little screen at OLCI asking me to bid, which I did at the highest amount ($500). Checked at gate and they still needed my seat. I began the usual negotiation which I have done many times in the past and was told that $500 was as high as they were going and that $500 was the highest amount that they were giving out for any flight that day. I took the $500.

Now, I understand that a Deal's a Deal - but only if the negotiation is in good faith.

About an hour later I see another gate handing out $800 VDB's for domestic flights like candy for a shorter delay than I had. (Both were domestic).

I approached a Red Coat and told her that I needed to speak with her after she was done with the flight she was working and that I would wait in a nearby seat. She told me that she could hep me right away so I explained to her the situation. Her response was that she has no way of knowing who said what and that the gate agents can negotiate however they want. I said that I not upset that the amount was maxed at $500 but I am unhappy that I was lied to. Had he said, "$500 is as high as I am willing to go in this instance," then that would have been fine. The agent responded that it sounded like I was just trying to get more money out of them. When I repeated that she wasn't listening to me, she retorted that she was listening and then went on to talk for three minutes without letting me get a word in edgewise - the irony of which is truly astounding. She finished her tirade by saying that I would say anything just to get what everyone else was getting.

Now I must admit that I violated one of my cardinal rules about getting angry, but after having been lied to and then accused of being a liar myself I was pissed and demanded to speak to her supervisor.

This man was very nice and actually listened to what I said. I explained to him that while yes, I did inquire about the possibility of changing the amount what really upset me was that I felt the negotiation had been in bad faith. What really made me mad was the Red Coat essentially calling me a liar. I told him that I didn't want any additional compensation and that I had demanded to speak to him more because of the Red Coat than the gate agent who may have simply misspoken.

To make a long story longer the moral of the story is that the supervisor explained to me that the policy is now that if you click on the bid at OLCI they will not let you go higher than that under any circumstances. However, if you do not and you volunteer at the gate you can negotiate the price. Doesn't really make sense - but than what does with Delta these days. So I guess its better to ignore the oversale thing and ust go to the gate like the old days.

Last bit of this overlong rant (I promise) I think Delta has a flaw in its staff training. They assume that everyone is like Delta Airlines, doing whatever they can to squeeze the other person dry dry in every situation. Honesty is more important to me than $. Have had a real string terrible customer service experiences with DL on the phone, terrible IT, and at the airports over the course of the past few months. I must say I've had it. Time to make a change in my flying.

If you've made it to the end of this long tome I thank you for reading my venting.

For what it is worth, I never enter an amount at the check-in. (especially given the low maximum) I would rather wait til the gate and see what they offer. I have seen a number of $600+ offers YTD...certainly more than I recall in previous years. I was given $1k to literally get off of a flight in SEA to arrive 5 hours later in Vegas.

All in all--It was a negotiation done correctly IMO. You made your offer, that offer was accepted by Delta. And the amount of time you are delayed for your next flight is just one of several factors that I am sure DL is accounting for when determining how much they are willing to offer.

If you make an offer for a car, drive off the lot--then found out your neighbor got it for cheaper an hour later--good luck with that.

If the salesman had told me something that turned out not to be true you better believe I'd be going to another car dealer next time!

I don't think the first agent "lied" to you. Unless it was the same agent working both flights, I'm sure the first agent was completely unaware of the oversell situation at another flight.

If you define a lie as a false statement or falsehood - then yes indeed he did lie. He said that no one on any flight today would be receiving more. That was untrue. Whether the lie was due to ignorance or intent to deceive doesn't make it any different.

I'm firmly willing to believe that this was a lie based on ignorance and not intentional. This is the straw that has broken the camel's back for me as I have had to escalate too many times to the supervisor level just to get Delta to follow its own rules. Jut last month I had to read off the website to a supervisor regarding companions in Comfort +. As people I don't blame the agents for their lack of training. The lack proper training for their employees is just another example to me of the poor attitude in Delta's management.

I have to disagree. If the agent didn't know what other agents were going to do, then they weren't lying. If you have done this before, or are generally aware about VDB, then it's silly to think that there is a limit on the amount. They might have to get people off the the plane and would certainly want to make it voluntary.

If you choose to not fly Delta again because of this - goodbye/

I guess I fail to see how Delta did not follow its own rules on this one.

Poor example on my part--given that you were talking about two different flights...not the same flight/car.

Bottom line--you offered $500, which one would assume you were happy with (otherwise, you would not offer), and were annoyed that another flight was being offered more. You took that annoyance to the GA, and than to a Red Coat. They are not obligated to really tell you why your voucher was only $500 (which again, you were totally content with). You made a deal out of something that should have been no deal at all.

If he didn't know what others were going to do then why did he say that he did? I have done VDB before but its not silly to think that Delta might have changed its policy. I know they never do that with out notice.........

I'm not saying I'll never fly Delta again. Its just another Data point in my ongoing musings whether or not it is worth my effort to maintain loyalty. I've been justifying it with the better customer service experience but of late the customer service has been terrible. If everyone's going to treat you like crap when you fly then why not take the cheapest option?

Oh and the fact that the WiFi isn't working in the SLC skyclub might have something to do with my current state of high dudgeon.

OP your complaining and ranting to various redcoats sounds entitled and whiny and gives FF's a bad name. You know how the game is played. You negotiated and you accepted. We have all been screwed in the VDB game...and we have all won in the VDB game. Such is life.

As someone else said, if you negotiated a price on an item, felt happy and accepted it, then went home and found your neighbor got a better deal...would you go back and expect them to give you more?

Please note: I would have never escalated past the Red Coat had she not been so rude. I did not interrupt her - indeed I even offered to wait until she was free. I was unhappy with being told something that turned out not to be true. Prior to dealing with that mean lady I was merely inquisitive as to the process.

It sounds to me like you are condoning tactics that are not entirely on the up and up. I think a bit more honesty might help us as a society. And honesty can start by keeping your mouth shut when you don't know something instead of making something up to get what you want.

Subscribing and making my popcorn...

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It wouldn't hurt to try


I don't think I lost - $500 is just fine. Believe me if it wasn't I wouldn't be letting this go. It's actually a lesson learned in the game - don't enter an amount in the bid if you want to try to negotiate.

Two Questions: Is it not acceptable to ask a Red Coat a question regarding a situation and policy? If you find the red coat to be rude and unhelpful is it not acceptable to ask for his/her supervisor?

I must say I am somewhat bemused these responses. Perhaps I should go back a reread my OP - I think I may not have explained myself properly.

To clarify: Once I got to the red coat supervisor and he listened to me and responded to my questions without mouthing some formulaic BS at me and actually spoke to me like a human I thanked him for his time and was on my way. Again, maybe the original agent used a poor choice of words - not the end of the world. You shouldn't need to get to the second level of supervisor just to get a straight answer.


EDIT: Just reread OP - explained just fine. The above respondents are clearly in the DL apologist group.

LOUD NOISES!

I am far from an apologist, but you fly enough to know the game, yet you tried to get something extra from the game. Could the gate agent have cared more about your inconsequential issue---sure! Nothing that I would have gotten too worked up about (or asked a supervisor for), especially since I am just ahead $500.

So an agent said, "we'll never go over $500 today." And then there were a couple of "must flys" and another agent offered more.

That happens. It happens every day. On DL and other carriers too.

Can't wait to see what happens after the supervisor wrote this one up and OP tries to VDB another time.

This is the part I have never heard before:

<Bolding mine>

My most recent VDB, in September, I bid $300 at the kiosk / online (I can't remember which). When I got to the gate, the GA said she probably would need volunteers. I asked what the current deal was. She said $500. I asked her nicely as to why I had recently heard offers at some gates of up to $800. She said . . . .

$500 is the top offer. If you don't want it, somebody else will take it. Then, she looked up me reservation and said . . . .

You only bid $300! What are you complaining about!!! You're getting $200 more!

So, even though mine was in September, I still say BUNK to the above theory that you can't negotiate for more at the gate. if they need'ja - - THEY NEED'JA!!! I know there are several GAs who post here. Maybe they can chime in!