I've never had an IDB that was less than the VDB. In most cases it is SIGNIFICANTLY higher, usually the maximum amount of $1300 for a domestic flight.

I'm actually thrilled the DOT increased IDB compensation. When IDB'ing somebody, they're usually pretty angry. They almost always calm down when I tell them just how much they'll be getting.

I had to IDB a family of 4 flying to Disney last month. Couldn't get them there until the following evening. They got the full $1300 check for each person, so $5200.

Not only is the IDB more, it is real money - a check. VDBs are vouchers and those are typically much cheaper for the airline in reality. Favoring IDBs makes no sense whatsoever - it is always better (CS-wise and financially) to get volunteers. This is nuts.

On the delays front I was 4 of 4 significant delays last week (August) and 2 of those were because the aircraft was scheduled in a way that guaranteed a delay (one a 6 minute planned turn and the other a 30 minute planned turn involving International arrival with domestic departure at ORD). If operations are scheduling airframes like that they have no chance. And while I could have been very unlucky, 2 out of 4 being planned for delays from at least the previous evening suggests this is just bad ops planning.

They don't schedule like this. If you're using the "where is this plane coming from" feature, it will show the plane you're getting, even if it was swapped out.

It sounds like your inbounds were due in significantly late, so they swapped your planes with something else to minimize the delay.


Are you allowed to say what your VDB maximum was in these situations?

I've seen CO IDB when they refused to up the voucher above something nominal before (e.g., $300), though that was quite a while ago.

These days I often don't wait around to see what's going down because I get turned off by the lowball starting point (e.g., $200 for a significant delay) and just get on the plane. So if they IDBed, I wouldn't even know about it.

Oh, this is sad. CBS News (TV) just reported that June 2012 was the industry's best on-time performance in some like 10 years, and the best baggage performance on record.

This makes UA's performance look even more pathetic.

The maximum is $300. It's been a lot tougher this summer to get takers for that. Especially since flights are so full, the next option is usually out of Boston or the following day.

Understandable. That, and tickets are also more expensive. $300 used to cover an advance purchase trip to/from most major markets in the U.S. with some planning. Not anymore.

That is, of course, what I had thought. No one would schedule like that. However, in each case this was the schedule as shown by the sequence of "where is this plane coming from" on the order of 18+ hours in advance. This was not a late plane swap! I could not believe this so I watched expecting that the actual plane would appear from elsewhere - it did not in either case. This was the planned sequence in each case far enough in advance as to have been essentially the original plan. I agree that it makes no sense which is why it caught my attention as so whacky. I fully understand late swaps, etc. but that wasn't what was going on here.

Monthly PRASM also sucked in July...
 

United was "flat" but look deeper and their MAINLINE was -.5 to - 1.5%. Delta was +4.5% and AA was +4.7% :o

This continues a post 3/3 trend, the PRASM reflects attacting people who will pay higher ticket prices, and UA is miserably failing to do that. Given that they inevitably should have had some capture of revenue from fliers on both sides who will stay on UA (due to larger network) when before they did not, its even worse.

In my recent VDB experience, PMCO agent wouldn't offer more than $200 for an overnight. Passed.

Do you also have directives to not book OAL?

United was $400 a year ago, flat. 2 years ago for an overnight domestic it was $600. 2 years ago I could've gotten 2 transcons for $600, today I'd get a little more than 1 for that, and the value is less than half of what they offered a little while ago.

We can book OAL no problem.

That's unfortunately not what the so-called "Premier Access" set of agents at EWR check-in told me. Not surprised they aren't aware of the rules though, nor having the mindset of helping valued customers.

Thank goodness I went through my two previous IRROPS issues w/great PMUA agents at the LGA UC.

I decided to go into the wayback machine.... all the way back to the summer of 2009.

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot113_09.html

http://www.bts.gov/press_releases/20...dot097_09.html

Huh.

So whatever it is, CO was capable of operating just fine pre-merger. As was UA.

(Note that DL subs are very present in the delayed flights during that summer... during DL's merger.)

what's OAL? couldn't find it in the glossary.

Other Airline. http://www.atpco.net/atpco/products/glossary_o.shtml

Was this before the Tarmac Delay rules went into effect? I remember CO just saying screw it, we won't delay flights, we'll cancel them outright to avoid the possibility of fines.