channa

DCA? IAD? Maybe those had earlier availability?

I love it when GA's propose high number for a crappy reroute, then you can improve the reroute when the dollar amount has already been committed.

iflyalexair

Last Friday, my husband and I were supposed to fly JFK-YQB. We bid 800$ each at check in. At boarding, the gate agent said they would need 2 VBD volunteers. I asked, "so, what's the offer?" She said, "well, you bid $800, but we'll give you $1000 each since you're diamond." DONE.

And with the windchill this weekend there at -50, we just went ahead and cancelled the entire trip, with $2k in our pockets, and full value of our tickets to use in the future.

jrl767

maybe alternate airport wasn't a viable option, given that the entire DC metro area is still struggling to get back on track from Monday's wx debacle (snow/sleet/freezing rain/ice)

I posted in the SDC thread ... was able to get my Sun night SEA-ATL-BWI changed to arrive DCA (so I wouldn't have to mess around with public transit as much), then scored a $400 VDB off the ATL flight to connect via MSP

very well played!

I was on an A fare, about #4 or #5 in line to volunteer off ATL, and when the GA said $400 and FC over MSP I said I'd take it now, no questions asked ... she told the other agent "I'm just going to do this one, he's up front, he's Platinum, he knows how this works"

GRALISTAIR

wow, wow, just wow . Well played indeed. Of course there are many on FT who will call you "Gamers"

blitzcon

Last Saturday, I was flying home IAH-DTW-MSN. The Detroit flight was oversold by 2 and I got a bid offer using online check-in.

I went early to the gate and asked the agent before any announcements, because I overheard her tell some off-duty staff it was oversold. She set me up on IAH-MSP-MSN, getting home 3 hours later, for a $500 voucher, and said to wait to board to see IF they needed me. She said she would try to get me in First Class as well.

As boarding started, she asked for one more volunteer for $400. Someone else volunteered.

As boarding finished up, she paged two people for their seat assignments, added an off-duty pilot flying the jump seat, and closed the flight. She printed out all my paperwork and new boarding passes, showing F on IAH-MSP and Y on MSP-MSN. I was upgraded at the gate on the second flight.

The Minneapolis plane was delayed an hour inbound so I almost missed my connection but it worked out. My checked bag went through DTW!

mridley2

I'm surprised she offered only $400 to the additional volunteer. I believe that is illegal by the VDB compensation rules. My understanding is that all VDB pax are should receive the same compensation amount which means that additional volunteer should have been offered the $500 you were given.

woodford02A

Doubtful if that individual agreed to $400 at kiosk or OLCI

plinth857

On my itinerary tomorrow, CLE-->DTW-->DFW, the second segment has no seats available. Upon online check-in or check-in at the originating airport (CLE) do bid offers come up for the second segment, or would a bid offer only come up if re-checking at a kiosk in Detroit? My layover is only 50 minutes, so there's no time for dilly-dally.

woodford02A

How do you know there are no seats available? No seats on the seat map do not mean no seats available...

plinth857

Good point... I don't know for sure. But if there were no seats available, would a volunteer bid only come up at a re-check in Detroit?

sethb

There's no law or regulation that says everybody gets the same, merely a policy that is sometimes applied.

sethb

Bid offers come up whenever Delta thinks they need to, often several segments prior to the potentially-oversold flight. However, they come and go over time (they might come up at T-20, then not at T-10, and appear again at T-3).

sethb

You can also see if seats are available for sale. There's a maximum they'll overbook any flight to, so if no seats are available for sale it's almost certainly overbooked.

The seat map is likely to overstate the available seats on a route with E fares.

KDCAflyer

Of course my dad, who never flies DL, gets this sweet deal (traveling on award ticket):

ATL-AEX, $550 + miles refunded + Sky Club pass

All to take a flight 3.5 hours later.

plinth857

Upon re-checking in at T-8, bids were asked for for both segments. Since my Friday evening plans were cancelled, I have the whole day to reschedule... keeping my fingers crossed on this one.