Jasper2009

Maybe an odd question, but I have a few upcoming flights in F, the flights seem to be very heavily booked / likely overbooked and my schedule is pretty flexible.
When a flight seems to be oversold and I´m flying Y/C I usually let the check-in agent know I wouldn´t mind a VDB if they need my seat (and the agents have generally been pretty appreciative), anyhow I´m not too sure whether I should give it a shot when flying F.

Does anyone know whether LH allows F pax to volunteer? (As LH doesn´t overbook F, this would also require them to upgrade someone from C to F)
Has anyone ever volunteered to be bumped when flying F and been successful?

FTMucGer

Very very unlikely. Why should they? They do not overbook F, so this means, that they would need to pay you a high VDB compensation (higher than for C passengers), and would need to upgrade a C. Even a IDB in Y will be much cheaper than this solution.

Jasper2009

I wasn´t aware of C (and F) pax getting a higher VDB compensation than Y pax (which is around $800-900 or 600€ for TATL flights IIRC).
I only knew that there was higher compensation when being involuntarily downgraded. (C->Y 1500€ / F->C 4000€ IIRC)

P.S. IIRC some FTers booked in O were contacted by LH and offered pretty generous compensation if they were willing to take another flight (which does make perfect sense if LH can sell a F ticket for >$10k), so I may still get lucky.

NickB

Why should they pay a higher VDB than for C pax? As long as they have informed the pax of what his/her rights would be if he were IDB'd, they can offer whatever they like in terms of VDB. They could even offer just a bag of peanuts, if they wanted. Now, I doubt that many volunteers would be terribly impressed by such an offer and they would obviously offer more, but that is a commercial decision for them what to offer in terms of VDB and there is not an overwhelming case for having a higher VDB for an F pax than for a C pax.
As to why VDB an F pax rather than IDB (or downgrade) a C pax? Because, by definition, the F pax is a volunteer who does not mind being offloaded (otherwise they would not have volunteered). The C pax is not and many pax will be profoundly incensed at being IDB'd. The marginal cost of op-upgrading a C pax to F is, imo, more than paid off in terms of goodwill and avoiding the risk of losing an irate customer.

Unterwegs

I am doing around 10 to 15 F flights in LH in a year. Never ever in all those years i have seen LH looking for volunteers for F.

mamb0

Well they vdb F pax if J and Y is overbooked and they have upgradable material in C or friends and family to transport.

I know of 2 people who got vdbed out of first.

I got even involuntarily downgraded as a hon (j to y though).

Since then I primarily fly LX.

My revenue trips with LH since the incident are next to zero.

dre_techie

I'm honestly shocked to read this. What in the world would warrant this as opposed to rerouting, or why not VDB another pax? Last flight out in a war zone?

seat 1a

I do not think you are giving the full story/background.

mamb0

Oh it is quite easy and I gave it in the ash cloud thread.

Was booked in C from NCE to MUC.

The flight was cancelled.

I was rebooked on the last flight out. Again in C.

It said so on my BP, seat 2a.

When I got on the plane someone was sitting in my seat. FA told me this is right as this plane has no C anymore.

5mins before boarding the killed C to transport dead heads and did not tell anyone, wasnt given no new BP at the gate.

I decided to VDB, then the ash cloud hit the next day and I drove home.

Because of the way Hon Circle Service handled the aftermath I reduced my revenue flights with LH. The flights I have are either old tickets or rewards.

NickB

I think that it makes sense but there is surely a difference between seeking volunteers in F and accepting a spontaneous off-load offer from a volunteer pax traveling in F.

sentom

sorry but thats plain

everybody knows that no "normal" rules apply in such situations, and whats the problem with accepting a Y seat for a 90 min flight (if that), even last minute!? for a deadhead or a rev pax, whats the difference? everybody needed/wanted to get home. i think its extremely selfish in such a situation to insist on your C seat and you got what you deserve by driving home afterwards, i hope LH didn't reimburse you for that. which they probably didn't, which is why you avoid them...

mamb0

1) it was before the ash cloud hit. So there was no "situation"
2) I was not informed of the downgrading
3) I did not insist on a c seat, I chose to deboarded the plane. Without fuss.
4) There might be reasons for flying c. Think size. think not willing to sit on someones lap.
5) I was given a cab ride, a hotel night, which I prepaid and rebooked on the afternoon flight (my choice because the other flights were full and I did not want them to offload someone for me). The station manager offered me a vdb voucher, but as his team was already in over hours we postponed that to the next day. The next day Muc was shutdown in the afternoon and ticketing was preoccupied with "other things". Station manager asked me if I could deal with hon circle service directly, I told him that I would drive to Muc and that I have a seat free, if there is someone who desperatly needs to go. I took in total 3 stranded Lh pax with me.
6) I stopped flying LH because despite what I have in writing hon circle service is not willing to pay for the hotel or the promised vdb nor appreciates the fact that I drove 3 pax of theirs home.

Dont be a hater.

sentom

i hardly hate anything!

i don't see the need of flying C shorthaul, but obviously the issues you pointed out are very valid. i had the pleasure of NEEDING to do OSL-RIX-TLL-VNO-SVO during the ash cloud and ended up doing it all by van/bus/ferry/train because there simply was no flights. maybe they knew what was coming and decided to get their staff out, i would certainly understand such a decision.

still i personally find it a bit childish to just stop flying them over one incident that could probably be worked out. i would just get the station manager involved and i'm sure he could sort things out.

^ for taking the three other pax though!

seat 1a

Well , as we can see in the 380 NRT thread you now have to get the LH experience through others.

mamb0

I stopped paying for tickets. Using miles and what I already bought. Sentom is right, this is a bit childish. To my defense, I was not so mad about the fact that they try to get out of paying, I was and am just annoyed by the crap CRM lingo they coated it in. I still do not know what to do re the claim. I got my ticket reimbursed, with that I nearly covered my costs.

But the point I wanted to make in this thread was: VDBs of F pax happen, and even HONs get IDG without being told until being on board and seeing someone sitting in their seat.