Sitting at ATL right now waiting on a flight to EWR. Across the hall is DL 2177 to SEA which is oversold. They're offering $600 and a flight this afternoon and they're having trouble getting takers. Sigh, it's never on the flight I want it to be on.

Just got $500 for SEA-MSP for about 2 1/2hr wait.

Took a voluntary bump 1/17 from ATL-PBI. Delayed for about 5 hrs but got $600 voucher. Also since my wife was silver medallion somehow we got on the upgrade list for spots 1 and 2.

I have a couple of questions I hope y'all don't mind answering:

1. How do they determine who is bumped if no one takes the offer? Is it based on date of ticket purchase?

2. Will Delta do the same for 2 passengers if they only need one spot? I travel a lot with my 15yo son and wouldn't mind a voucher on the way home, but if I give up my seat then he'll have to do it also. Would they only compensate me or would they give him something also?

As someone who has only flown 2-4 times a year for 37 years I love coming here to keep up on the tips and newest info.

I just took a bump from ATL on DL2267 to SAN. $1200, only downside the next available flight is at 8:50pm. Oh well looks like $50 for Club access for the next 9 hours will be the way to go.

A few years ago I watched a United agent decide who to IDB. She took a list of passengers and skipped everyone with status and then everyone with a FF #. Of the ones who didn't have one, she looked at ticket price and picked the one with the lowest fare.

My schedules within the USA have generally been such that I can not contemplate taking any offer.
AT the beginning of this month I was waiting for a 90 minute MCI-MSP flight.

A flight to New York was canceled - to accommodate pax some flights were overbooked much more than normal.

Waiting near the podium I overheard that my flight was oversold by 13. Ten minutes before boarding they offered $400 DL vouchers for volunteers who would travel later - there appeared to be no takers.

As boarding was about to commence they upped the offer to $1300 - a queue rapidly formed.

Airlines have a policy on priority for (not) being IDB'd. I saw one airline's (secret) policy once; in order of boarding, it went something like:
1. Board of Directors
2. Elite members of frequent fliers program (based on status)
3. Other members of frequent fliers program
4. First class
5. Others based on fare class

(I specifically remember that non-elite members of their frequent flier program had better priority than paid First Class passengers.)

Bid $500 on a 2 hr flight out of ATL leaving around 7 PM. #3 and last on list and they only needed 1. First 2 turned down their $500 bid they didn't want to split up. They thought about it but it a wasn't direct flight in AM. I went up they offered $600 and Hotel but had to take the 2 flights to get home, arrived about noon. So instead of 2 hr direct flight it took 4 hrs. Probably could have tried for more but had the next day off any way.

If it was a U.S. carrier it's not secret - it can't be secret. DOT oversold bumping rules require:

1. The airline to ask for volunteers for compensation of the airline's choice before anybody can be IDB'd.

2. The carrier publish the IDB priority, and follow that priority plan.

3. Give a document explaining rights to IDB'd passengers.

DL's priority plan is found in the contract of carriage.

Offered at LAX yesterday. Boarding was taking forever, very chaotic. Called me up to the desk, offered F now since one opened up (hopefully no one would notice jumped the list!) or I could volunteer. Chose the later and waited until 10min after departure (flight ended up posting a 10min delay), seemed to be closed so I walked away. I came back <5min later to ask about my compensation and the Red Coat asked why I didn't board... apparently they called everyone to board?! They must have done it extremely late or I didn't hear it due to the poor dual-desk gate design there.

She said she was unable to pay me off since everyone got on, offered drink vouchers. :confused: Told her that those were useless to me. :P Was protected for the second or third flight afterwards, asked if she could confirm me on the next one, as it was fluctuating between J0 C0 and J2 C2. She did it and was entering some notes as to why (pax missed flt), but erased them before saving. :D

Also, when after that flight had posted a delay (and she had offered the F seat) I was able to IROP-rebook online other options in F, but didn't pick anything because I didn't want to mess up them VDB'ing me.

Question is... Would you have taken F now or the chance to VDB? I thought at that moment it was 90% certain they were going to VDB me and I was already hours delayed due to a previous night IROP, so I figured what's another couple hours at LAX?

When I volunteer, I try to get the voucher immediately and leave. If they won't/can't provide it immediately, I wait right at the desk until they can.

I would have pressed it, but they looked stressed about getting the flight out so I tend to let them work instead of bugging them about my situation. But maybe from now on my deciding factor should be whether they can VDB me immediately or not. Dangerous to sit around and potentially end up with the worst seat on the plane (they'd already taken my pre-assigned seat away).

Delta 2049 ATL-SFO 8:10AM departure was oversold by 5 pax on MON 26 JAN 2015 - started out offering $700 but ended up at $800 for VDBCs. Everyone was rebooked on flights leaving for SFO or SJC via LAX or SLC or direct much later in the afternoon after 5pm.

So happy to score my first voucher for 2015!

No meal vouchers though, those cheap b**stards!

You didn't ask to be routed onto JFK-SFO? :D