Flying Sunday JFK-msp-mdw. The JFK-msp flight is oversold and there's not a single ticket available for that flight. I'd be happy to get bumped off this flight but since this is an out of the way connection, any reroute via dtw or atl would get me in around the same time as my originally scheduled flights.

Given this, would I be eligible for compensation if I took a bump off the flight or would it be irrelevant since I wouldn't actually be delayed.

Thanks.

It's up to you and the GA to negotiate any VDB compensation. The more takers the lower (typically) the offer. And thats assuming that they end up needing you. DL oversells flights because they know about how many people miss that flight historically.

What kop84 says, is partially true - - - but . . . .

I can't find the exact rules, but, I believe, if your new flights get you to your destination less than an hour late, you're not "technically" entitled to and VDB comp, but, I find that most GAs don't really enforce this, and will pay you along with everybody else, as they are pressed for time to get the plane out, and are just GLAD to have enough volunteers.

Somewhere, there's a sliding scale as to what amounts they actually are required to pay you, based on how many hours late you get to your destination.

Good luck to 'ya, and do let us know what happens! I see 3 flights on Sunday from JFK/MSP, and the all have at least 1 seat showing for sale in F. That, of course, could change between now and Sunday.

What I vaguely remember is GAs taking the initiative and moving people to nonstops without asking and without compensation. I'm not sure what happens to MQM and MQS earnings in such situations.

The flight may be overbooked, but it can't be oversold until more passengers show up at the gate by T-15 than there are seats. The likelihood of that happening is fairly slim as passengers will misconnect, cancel, get sick and so on.

DOT rules require that DL seek volunteers before involuntarily bumping anyone and getting people to volunteer means giving them something. By its terms, that is a matter of negotiation. Nobody is entitled to anything. If you don't like what is on offer, don't take it.

Many people are fine with a non-stop as their VDB. Others want a huge gift card. DL is pretty measured in its approach. In the end it's a reverse auction.

and there is always the "get the flight out on time" factor

Right right. Well aware that the oversell is not guaranteed but as of now there are no seats for sale (flt 4036).

I just want to avoid volunteering for $x00 only to then have the ga say "sorry, since you're going to land half an hour later were not giving you a penny". There's a nonstop to ohare but my reason to be in Chicago is right by midway.

There are no hard and fast rules about what volunteers are entitled to. Compensation levels are only mandated for involuntary denied boarding. As far as VDBs go, it is whatever you and the agent negotiate. Some agents claim Delta has some policy where if you get in earlier than your originally scheduled arrival time, they cannot compensate you. Plenty of other agents will offer you compensation.

You should always understand and agree to:
1) what flights you will be rebooked on, and
2) what your compensation will be, including but not limited to TCVs, meals, overnight accommodations, and ground transportation if necessary
before agreeing to give up your seat.

If the GA says no to compensation because of the arrival time, then simply say "Thanks, I'm not interested then." If they don't get enough volunteers and are faced with the prospect of IDBing someone, they may call you back.

As was mentioned upthread, technically GAs can reroute you involuntarily without compensation as long as your new flights arrive within a specific window from your original arrival. I believe it's one hour. I've very rarely seen this used, and GAs typically solicit volunteers even when there are passengers on the plane who could be involuntarily rebooked in such a manner.

Maybe I WAS thinking of IDB in regard to the sliding scale of VDB payments, depending on length of delayed arrival - - BUT - I know I've seen the 1 hour thing used before. I got cheated () out of a VDB when a GA needed 3 vols, and she told me that there was a party of 3 she had been paging to put on a nonstop, where she wouldn't hafto pay them ANYTHING! Sure enough - they DID show up and take the nonstop!

And more power to Delta if they can find the pax willing to go nonstop JFK->DEN vs JFK->MSP->DEN. I can easily move to a n/s JFK->ORD but having a B fare ticket with 150% MQM i'd much rather go through MSP.

Will share the results.

A different airport though so I would argue to the GA that any time required to transfer back to the original airport would count too (say you had a rental car to pick up or were parked at MDW - getting to ORD isn't the full solution). Not sure how long a cab ride from ORD to MDW or getting there via public transit would take.

Unless something has changed recently, this is a non-issue. Just say that as part of your VDB compensation, you want "Original Routing Credit" (ORC). Ask the GA to make a note in your record that will be want ORC as part of your VDB package. You will have to write to DL afterwards once the miles and MQMs post but just write in the letter to DL and use the same verbiage - "I am requesting original routing credit for my flight", and include the ticket # and PNR and make an additional note that you required ORC as part of your VDB compensation.

My 2 situations are IROPS, as opposed to VDBs, and, I know it's been posted a million times, but, I called in for ORC, and was told that the DM line can't do anything for flight credit after the fact, which seems odd to me. I was given a 404 area code phone number to call, and I just haven't had the time. Where is the best place to write to for ORC?

I went to the Comment/Complaint section of DL, selected "Skymiles" from the drop down menu and then "Request Mileage for Past Trips", requested ORC and provided the ticket info. Was given ORC with no problem.

In another case I was given ORC without that being what I wanted. I was flying SFO-LAX-PHX and took a bump on SFO-LAX. I noticed there was an SFO-ATL flight that was leaving and asked if I could be re-routed SFO-ATL-PHX (the initial offer was I would have to overnight in LAX and get to PHX the next day, which was fine, but saw there was a way to make going via ATL work and still get to PHX that night). The mileage posted for SFO-LAX-PHX initially (1,000 MQMs). It took a couple emails but I did eventually get the ~3700 MQMs for SFO-ATL-PHX.

I was supposed to fly MSY/MSP/BOS a few months ago and IRROPs meant I was going to misconnect.

DM line rebooked me MSY/LGA/BOS; MSY/LGA upgrade cleared immediately and LGA/BOS a few hours later (but before the gate). I did not mention anything about ORC to the agent that helped me with rebooking.

Once the flights posed to my SkyMiles Activity, I called the DM line and requested ORC due to IRROPs. The agent called the SkyMiles Desk and within 5 minutes I had the ORC posted to my account. Have you asked for this desk specifically? Especially in the case of IRROPs, based on my assumptions plus anecdotal evidence, it seems that they can honor it if they wish to. Same with VDB. Just requires getting the correct person with the correct keystrokes, as with many things at DL.

My recollection is, that, this page is where you fill-in-the-blank with the ticket number, and, the automated system checks it, and finds that you already got <supposedly> the correct credit, and bounces it back. Maybe this is something new since the last time I tried it.

That seems odd. Usually, whatever scans at the BP scanner, is what posts! Glad they fixed it for ya'!

Well, no. I never knew to ask for any particular desk. I just called the DM line, and they told me I'd hafto call the "404" phone number for DL Customer Care - I think. Maybe it was a lazy phone agent, but, I've rarely had a lazy DM agent.