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Should I be Infuriated Right Now? Opinions please.

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Should I be Infuriated Right Now? Opinions please.

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Old Jun 4, 2020, 7:54 am
  #31  
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How is the system displaying the 60% capacity? Have they zeroed out space above 60%? I doubt the GA was being malicious -- it's more likely this was a case of either the space disappearing or the system showing what normally would be space but in these strange times is not available given the 60% capacity restrictions.

As many others have said, VDB is always a risk that's why they are paying you. You are being compensated for taking on that risk -- no one forced you to take the risk.
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Old Jun 4, 2020, 1:04 pm
  #32  
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I seem to remember hearing announcements at the gate when asking for VDB with wording to the effect "...we are offering $XXX and you will be confirmed on flt #ABCD in x hours from now"--I may be wrong, but if this is the case, they should play "musical VDBs" with pax on flt #ABCD .

Last edited by nrr; Jun 4, 2020 at 6:54 pm
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Old Jun 4, 2020, 9:43 pm
  #33  
 
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I had to fly last week. After check-in, I was #1 for 6 seats on an E175. The app showed 6 F seats "available". I was never upgraded. There were 6 empty F seats, but they were not available because they only sell 50% of them.
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Old Jun 4, 2020, 9:58 pm
  #34  
 
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Originally Posted by CO-PLAT
I had to fly last week. After check-in, I was #1 for 6 seats on an E175. The app showed 6 F seats "available". I was never upgraded. There were 6 empty F seats, but they were not available because they only sell 50% of them.
I wish the cap wasn’t a hard percentage, but rather determined by the operating aircraft. For example the E-175 has 12 F seats with 4 rows in a 1-2 configuration, but the 50% cap restricts it to 6 pax. With the 1-2 layout on the E-175, DL could fit 8 pax in F while giving everyone an empty seat next to them.
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Old Jun 5, 2020, 6:55 am
  #35  
 
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Originally Posted by garykung
I am happy that OP got $800 instead of $400.

But in answering OP's original question, OP should not feel infuriated. In fact, to make this even further, OP is not entitled to be infuriated and even complain.

OP was VDBed, not IDBed. We all know the V stands for Voluntary, which means that OP's participation is not required.

The VDB game is always dynamic. Sometimes you score a great deal. Sometimes you are screwed. If OP was so concerned about making to the destination, OP should not volunteer at all.

The VDB compesation is a compromise and release. That's why once accepted, OP should not even rant about any mishaps occurred, as that can be avoided.
Delta offered $400 and a seat on the next flight, and OP accepted. VDB is a negotiation, and Delta reneged on their end of the bargain. VDB doesn't mean standby for some later flight unless that's what you negotiate for. Now, delays might happen on the later flight, and that's all part of the risk you take.

Fortunately, Delta made it right for OP by doubling the compensation. It sounds like the rest of the volunteers ended up being stuck overnight. I wonder what Delta gave them.
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Old Jun 5, 2020, 9:27 am
  #36  
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Originally Posted by mattp1987
Delta offered $400 and a seat on the next flight, and OP accepted. VDB is a negotiation, and Delta reneged on their end of the bargain. VDB doesn't mean standby for some later flight unless that's what you negotiate for. Now, delays might happen on the later flight, and that's all part of the risk you take.

Fortunately, Delta made it right for OP by doubling the compensation. It sounds like the rest of the volunteers ended up being stuck overnight. I wonder what Delta gave them.
Well stated, Delta definitely made it right to me with giving me $800 instead of $400, however, I really hope the other 9 or 10 people who had to spend the night got more than me because I was able to get the last seat on that ATL-SEA that got me to SLC that night while they had to wait until the next morning probably.
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Old Jun 5, 2020, 1:19 pm
  #37  
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I haven't been following exactly what DL is doing lately, but if they are still allowing people to no-show with no penalty, and still booking at only 50-60% load, and still flying 15% of their normal schedule, it's pretty easy to see why they are getting themselves into a bit of trouble with oversells and lack of available inventory as demands on travel increase. At the end of the day, RM software is not set up to handle these kind of situations well.

I am not booking anything at all, and if I did book something, you can be darn sure I would keep it as simple as possible and have every intent on flying it.
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Old Jun 5, 2020, 1:51 pm
  #38  
 
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Originally Posted by Duke787
How is the system displaying the 60% capacity? Have they zeroed out space above 60%? I doubt the GA was being malicious -- it's more likely this was a case of either the space disappearing or the system showing what normally would be space but in these strange times is not available given the 60% capacity restrictions.

As many others have said, VDB is always a risk that's why they are paying you. You are being compensated for taking on that risk -- no one forced you to take the risk.
Obviously I don't know what the agent can see (almost surely more than me), but as a data point I am booked in First on a flight to SLC next week. The "upgrade list" in the app shows 9 of 16 seats available, and when I look at Seat Selection, it appears as if I can select any of those seats. It's a 738, so 16 seats to choose from, and it will let me move from 3B to 1A, 1B, 2B, 2D, 3A, 3C, 4A, 4B, or 4C.

ExpertFlyer shows that flight as J2 C2 D2 I1 Z1
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Old Jun 5, 2020, 7:37 pm
  #39  
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Originally Posted by MCO Flyer
I wish the cap wasn’t a hard percentage, but rather determined by the operating aircraft. For example the E-175 has 12 F seats with 4 rows in a 1-2 configuration, but the 50% cap restricts it to 6 pax. With the 1-2 layout on the E-175, DL could fit 8 pax in F while giving everyone an empty seat next to them.
I thought the whole point of only doing free elite upgrades at the gate was to take account of the fact that if two (paid or upgraded) FC passengers were traveling together, they would be seated together so that one more upgrade for someone else could be confirmed.
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Old Jun 14, 2020, 11:30 pm
  #40  
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Originally Posted by MSPeconomist
I thought the whole point of only doing free elite upgrades at the gate was to take account of the fact that if two (paid or upgraded) FC passengers were traveling together, they would be seated together so that one more upgrade for someone else could be confirmed.
That would make sense but is apparently not what they're doing.

Similarly, a family of 3 in Y could take one (half) row, but they're still limiting to 60% (not even 2/3 on a 3-3 configuration). I don't know why. Flights are leaving with entire rows empty.
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Old Jun 14, 2020, 11:33 pm
  #41  
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OP was offered $400 for a 2-hour delay. It ended up being $800 for a 7-hour delay; there are time I'd find that acceptable, and times I wouldn't. E.g. my next flight is scheduled to arrive at 12:30. 2:30 for $400 would be fine; 6:30 for $800 I'd have to think about, and 10:30 for $800 I wouldn't take.
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