chunky649

Thanks for sharing your experience Mot. I will show up at the airport early and badger everybody (check-in agents, lounge dragons, gate agents)....

Sharing my experience:

2-3 times in the recent past (earlier this decade), I was informed of a need for volunteer at the gate (this was before the bidding system at the Kiosk), I always volunteer, and all times, I was not needed.

More recently, I was informed of a need for volunteer when I check in online, I put in my bid ($100), then went to the gate agent. Unfortunately, she told me that they found enough volunteers (2 or 3) at the check-in counter. If only I lined up for a human-agent check-in instead of the kiosk....

MSPDeltaDude

What happens in this case....

Had VDB $400 cert that exp 4/30/13

Booked T class ticket on 4/28/13 for $440, cert plus $40.

What happens if I cancel online?

A) I'm out everything

B) I get a new cert for $240 with exp date 1 year from the cancel.

C).........

Thanks!

happydad100

B) 99% sure you will have a $240 e-credit ($440 - $200 change fee) show up in your list of credits (althought it might be $150 fee since you are really close to the change date). 80% sure that the expiration date of the e-credit will be 4/28/14 (one year date of ticket .. not date of original DBC voucher)

kitkat77

You may also wind up with an ecredit of $40, which is what you spent after using the now-expired voucher.

If you do this, please report back on what happened!

BumpMeVoucherMeATL

Accepted an offer to give up seats on the outbound ATL to LGA Delta 6254 on MON JUL 08 2013. Scored $400 voucher and confirmed first class upgrade on the next morning's direct flight to Atlanta.

Delta's new direct service to Burlington VT is a bit bumpy. Half the time we board the plane using the JetBlue sky bridge or the pilot's call for a Delta stair-truck.

nightom22

I've heard the same about PVD-ATL service, almost always overbooked. Can't complain about vouchers though.

FlightNurse

Interesting, my partner and I are on the ATL-BTV non-stop in Sept, looking forward to this trip, but not looking forward to deplaning via stairs....

orr333

Did you get a hotel voucher too since it was an overnight bump? Congrats on the VDB! I am on a cold spell....can't seem to find any this summer whereas last summer I scored 5!

BearX220

After a couple of completely insane customer service screwups at BTV, one resulting in a forced overnight up there because the staff refused to rebook outbound pax until way too late, I have sworn not to fly DL in there anymore. Comair may come, Comair may go, but the employees remain the same...

FlightNurse

Interesting, thanks for the head up, however, we are only fly in to BTV. What experiences have you had renting a car there?

BearX220

It's easy. BTV is a compact airport, car rental desks are a few steps from baggage claim, and the cars are stashed in the garage right across the access road. If you are coming in after 1100p or so, though, it's worth a call to insure they stay open for you.

FlightNurse

I checked and national is suppose to be open until 11pm, flight gets in at 957pm. But if they are closed, no biggie, will just come back the following day and get the car.

BumpMeVoucherMeATL

Deplaning was awesome -- and by awesome I mean terrible. The airplane was parked on the tarmac at least 150yards away from the main terminal and a local police officer watched over the entire thing just incase someone decided to try some funny business and make a break for it down the tarmac and runway of the world's slowest class C airport. We had to walk down the stairs and in single file walk back to the terminal. This was after waiting 30 minutes for a ground crew to TUG the airplane around with all engines off (as well as air conditioning). US Airways also had a flight arrive around the same time, and Delta had no baggage handlers on duty. It took over an hour for us to get our bags at around 1045pm at night (flight was delayed in ATL).

BTV is a great airport because it's so cozy and intimate. When everything works as planned, it's a great airport. When flights start getting canceled or delayed, things get out of hand very quickly as the Delta / Jet Blue gates get congested very quickly.

No hotel voucher but I didn't press them for it. We have family in the area so we just stayed with them for another night. Vouchers are hard to come-by these days. I use to get them all the time back in the days of Northwest Airlines, but I as so happy to score a Delta Voucher.

BearX220

You are right about BTV not suffering irrops very well. The landside check-in staff is usually also the airside gate / departure management staff, so when things start to go sideways and they're stuck out there at check-in, there is no staff to talk to in the gate area. Also, in my experience, they don't bother to update the arrival / departure readout screens throughout the terminal, so you'll find out your departure is late or cancelled from your smartphone app while the screen still insists it's operating "on time."

I have had a whole travel day screwed up by DL/BTV when a 600am departure was delayed because a couple of ground staff called in sick, the remaining staff could not get away from the check-in desk and down to the gate to board us until close to 600am although the flight crew was there, and we couldn't push until 620am or so -- by which time we'd missed our slot at our destination and had to cool our heels for another 30-60 minutes. It's total amateur hour at BTV and as I said I don't risk flying DL in there anymore.

Also, there is not much to eat or drink post-security. There are two security "zones" - the low-numbered gates for DL flights, which are at ground level and have no jetways and, for that matter, no restaurant or bar, and the higher-numbered gates for UA and US, which have jetways and one very weird restaurant / cafe that serves pretty much nothing but big, disgusting "crepes" for a shocking $10-$13. Eat before you travel.

Orion

On Sunday, yesterday, I was voluntarily bumped from DL 1134 out of PBI to ATL. An hour earlier I had reprinted my boarding passes at the kiosk outside of security and there was no offer of volunteering. At the gate an announcement was made and I became volunteer # 1. I believe I was the only bumpee. I received a $400 Delta Dollar travel voucher, a $7 meal voucher and travel to my destination, IAD, in first class in both segments with arrival at Dulles less than three hours later then originally scheduled.
My new PBI departure was soliciting volunteers. I don't know if anyone was needed. They could not get people out until the next day if they were needed.
If you use the meal voucher at Starbucks in concourse "C", do not purchase a plain bagel. It is a bagel in name only. It was useless in every way. It wouldn't even work as a flotation device.
I have two more trips scheduled to PBI. One more on Delta and another on United (via EWR). I hope to get bumped again.
People leave town every day of the week. Most of them want to go back home on Sunday.