NoStressHere

The point here is that the policy has changed a few times this year,so looking at something from April will only cause more problems.

rcs85551

DBC "changes" this year:

- Test program of new payout schedule at select stations
- Implementation of the tested program systemwide (now based on delay time)

I do not want to start an argument here, and this will be my last post on this thread, but I wonder what the problem was, No Stress... the April information is correct and currently still in place.

NoStressHere

Ok - sorry for the slam. Just my personal opinion, that anything from April has probably been changed. Based on everything that has happened since Sept 11, I have little faith in anything even a week old. Sometimes even hours makes a difference these days.

Sorry.

wcj1

I am still wondering if anyone had any comments on the difference in bump compensation that jdanton and I received in ATL this past Sunday.

See:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum21/HTML/004422.html

BillJ

jdanton

Was that flight mainline (I assume so?)

I was booked in V, but I don't think that had anything to do with my compensation, as the redcoat said what it was before checking out my ticket.

As far as hotels, I requested the Hilton (wanted the room upgrade I'm a Gold), but the redcoat said all she could do was the Crowne Plaza, Hilton was sold out.

What time did your incident occur, and (if I may ask what is your status--just curious to know if that had anything to do with it).

I know ATL-RDU was oversold by 5. My only regret is not requesting a confirmed upgrade for the next morning, I was only waitlisted, but maybe could've pushed for it (I didn't clear).

jd

wcj1

It was mainline. I was booked in Q.

They were trying to get all of us (at least 12 people bumped) in one hotel, so that might have been part of the problem, but they were looking at cheap hotels (I heard the Sleep Inn mentioned.)

I got bumped at 4pm. (Wasn't that about the same time as RDU? I was at A16 and I thought I heard the Raleigh announcement come over the PA.) I don't have status, although another person getting bumped had Silver.

BillJ

jdanton

Bill,

My flight to RDU was at approximately 8 pm, I left MSY at about 4. Maybe Russ will have some insight...

MiamiBeach

I encountered a very disappointing bump opportunity on Friday afternoon. I was flying from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale, on a paid A fare (discount first) and the flight was oversold. I arrived to the gate more than an hour prior to departure, and the GDS showed that they were looking for volunteers. I approached the gate agent, stated that I was interested, and asked what the details were.

She said that they were offering $200 Delta Dollars for a flight departing 2 hours after mine, but into PBI (West Palm Beach) instead of FLL (Ft. Lauderdale), and that they would provide ground transportation to Ft. Lauderdale from there. I asked how come it was only $200, since the Delta policy states that anything that puts you at your destination over 3.5 hours from scheduled arrival gets $400 Delta Dollars (I personally don't think there's any way, except maybe catching a cab, that Delta could get passengers from PBI to FLL in less than 1.5 hours, and they don't pay for a cab). She responds that PBI is only 42 miles from FLL so it should only take about an hour. I think to myself, "yeah right", but I take the offer anyway, and I tell here that I actually wouldn’t mind taking a flight to FLL the following morning (Saturday) for the same compensation. She seemed a bit confused and still said she was going to rebook me on the flight to PBI in case I change my mind. At this time I was the only volunteer since no announcements had been made yet.

A few minutes later she pages me to the gate and makes me an unbelievable offer. She says she can put me on a flight leaving 5 minutes after mine to PBI in coach (I was flying on a paid A fare, and that since it arrives within an hour of my flight, she wouldn’t give me any compensation, but she would give me an upgrade. I was so shocked by her ridiculous offer (a flight to another airport plus a downgrade with no bump voucher for helping in an oversold situation!) that I didn’t ask her what kind of "upgrade" she was going to give me, but I don’t think I would have considered any kind of upgrade certificate in that situation anyway.

They made several announcements asking for more and more volunteers until very close to departure, and I never saw the gate agents return any boarding cards to volunteers (and I was watching).

About 5-10 minutes prior to departure the gate agent comes up to me in the gate area and tells me that she’s going to be fine and hands me back my boarding card. I approached the gate counter and asked whether she was going to use any volunteers and she just repeats "she’s going to be fine". I look over and see that she still has boarding cards from volunteers, and just remind her that I was the first volunteer, to what she replies "just because you were the first volunteer, it doesn’t mean I have to use you". She also added that she had a couple which she must seat together, which she was going to bump.

I have taken many bumps before and this particular experience confused me in many ways:

• When I think the flight may be oversold, I try to get to the gate early to be the first volunteer. If they don’t have to take the volunteers in order, am I wasting my time by arriving early?
• Is compensation to an alternate city calculated simply by the arrival times of both flights?
• Was the gate agent just trying her luck with her $0 offer or is that part of Delta’s policy?

I don’t know whether any or how many volunteers were actually used from this flight, and I am really curious to know if anyone has the ability to look that up, it was DL410 01/29 ATL-FLL.



[This message has been edited by MiamiBeach (edited 02-04-2003).]

andymo99

First, for a discussion of how they choose whom to bump, see this very recent thread. It explains that there is much GA discretion involved. Nevertheless, my policy is to be early, be polite, and point out why I am a good candidate. Then, I remain in the gate area, but not in the GA's face. It's effective. The first volunteer won't always be chosen if they do end up with bumps, but you are not "wasting time" by arriving early. Earlier is still better, overall.

Secondly, let me try and address a few of your points:

You seem disappointed by the offer, however, the bottom line is that DL can really offer whatever they want. If they get people to accept an offer which is too low for you, more power to them... they have realized a savings. For example, let's think about the change in airports. While DL offers the ground transport back to FLL, this is really an attractive offer for those who don't care where they fly to. I fly into FLL/PBI/MIA several times per year, and since it's not my home base, I am usually taking a rental car upon arrival. When I hear bump opportunities that involve a change of airport, I will often take them and simply switch my rental car arrangement by phone. Therefore, it is a much more attractive offer to me than to someone who has a car parked at a particular airport, or a spouse arranging pick-up, etc.


Yes, the offer to put you on a flight in coach seems pretty odd. I'd be curious what the "upgrade" arrangements were.

MiamiBeach

I did read the other post, and probably should have just replied to it. They were several things in my post that I thought warranted a new post though. I thought I had most things going for me in this particular bump opportunity:

• I am Medallion, I doubt the others were, although i certainly don't know for sure
• I had no checked luggage, while I don't know the others did, I would be willing to bet they did since they looked like vacationers, not commuters.
• I did stay on a chair nearest the gate area, but never bothered the gate agent between both times she called me.
• I was extremely flexible, even offering to go the next day for the same compensation.

The main reason I posted this is because of the $0 offer for a downgrade to PBI which I did not understand.

Quote:

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">
Yes, the offer to put you on a flight in coach seems pretty odd. I'd be curious what the "upgrade" arrangements were.

Yes, after I went back to sit down I actually thought in regret for not asking what the "upgrade" was, although I know there's no way I would have taken it anyway, even if it was a systemwide (I don't travel int'l)

Anyone know why the edit post button is gone?

AllanJ

I volunteer a lot but...

If they first offer me something and I accept it, then they change their mind and offer, say, zero dollars let alone an alternate flight to another airport, I simply would say I no longer want to volunteer and want my original boarding pass back.

If they want to offer a $200. voucher for an 8 hour delay, fine if somebody takes them up on that.

As far as involuntary bumps go (I have never been yet) I think they have to schedule you to arrive at your original airport, not the alternate airport, within one hour. If you miss the connection and therefore don't get to your original airport within that hour, and the connection time was illegal(ly short) I would say write a letter for compensation.

Travel tips:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/travel.htm


[This message has been edited by AllanJ (edited 02-03-2003).]

[This message has been edited by AllanJ (edited 02-03-2003).]

felis

Dealing with bump conditions is not easy. They are trying to make money and also not to have passengers worrying about being put on an another flight.
You want to make money too from being a volunteer.

But the fact is that you are a customer, I am a customer, and they have the rules and the decision.
I understand that being the first volunteer does not give a right, but gives more power to your proposal.

If I am told about 200 dollars for 8 hours, I too would not accept.
Everybody is volunteer under some given conditions. If somebody accept not to leave in this plane and is OK not receiving any compensation for that, it is good for Delta and I have noting to complain about.

We, as a customer, do not want to make money of bumping, we want to be in time at the arrival airport; If we can help by exchanging our time against money, that is a second choice only, but can be acceptable in some conditions...

Don

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MiamiBeach:
I asked how come it was only $200, since the Delta policy states that anything that puts you at your destination over 3.5 hours from scheduled arrival gets $400 Delta Dollars

I deliberately avoid "negotiating" bump compensation for this very reason. If I were a GA, I wouldn't want to hear it.

The GAs have - and fully deserve - a lot of latitude in making IDB decisions. This is not a field where "the customer is always right." And elite status doesn't guarantee anything. So if you press for extras, you do so at your own peril.

There are two categories of volunteers: Those who don't particularly care about getting the bump, and those who do.

Anyone in the first group oughta feel free to ask for anything & everything (BEFORE giving up your boarding pass, of course). Either you get what you want, or you're told to board as scheduled -- and either way, everybody is content.

But if you're hungry for the compensation or if you're going to get ****ed that other volunteers were chosen instead of you, then you are responsible for making your offer attractive to the GA. It's startling how many FT members don't follow that principle.

This may require being seriously polite, avoiding the appearance of greed, freeing yourself of status-fueled expectations, and making quick, firm & reliable decisions -- in other words, you treat the GA as the customer, not the other way around.

rcs85551

To the best of my knowledge, the DBC template in DeltaMatic strictly limits compensation payouts to DL$200/DL$400 (domestic) and DL$200/DL$400/DL$600 (international) which does not give the gate agents the flexibility they used to have in the past. Also to the best of my knowledge, it matches the compensation amount to your protection flights, giving back an error message if your compensation does not match the policies established by Delta.

ski

Does anyone know what how much to expect for an overnight last flight of the day bump compensation from Atlanta to Orlando. Tried to search but server not working. Thanks.