Jan 3, 2017, 2:43 pm
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Previous thread -
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2016]
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2015]
Related thread - Is this IDB? Am I entitled to IDB compensation? [Consolidated]
VDB -- Voluntary Denied Boarding -- is when the flight is overbooked and the airline is looking for volunteers to change their travel plans. It is voluntary and you do not need to participate. The compensation is 100% negotiable. It could be $100's in future travel vouchers, it might be food vouchers, a different routing (perhaps more direct or for MR's more indirect
), perhaps lodging if overnight and sometimes a bump in cabin. It all depends on how desperate the airline is and how flexible you are.
The standard UA policy is after you have agreed to a voucher amount and additional VDBs are still needed, if those passengers get a higher amount, you will also get the higher amount.
The are no DoT requirement for VDB compensation, it is whatever you and the airline agree to. The DoT does require the airline to try VDB before moving to IDB.
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2016]
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2015]
Related thread - Is this IDB? Am I entitled to IDB compensation? [Consolidated]
VDB -- Voluntary Denied Boarding -- is when the flight is overbooked and the airline is looking for volunteers to change their travel plans. It is voluntary and you do not need to participate. The compensation is 100% negotiable. It could be $100's in future travel vouchers, it might be food vouchers, a different routing (perhaps more direct or for MR's more indirect
), perhaps lodging if overnight and sometimes a bump in cabin. It all depends on how desperate the airline is and how flexible you are.The standard UA policy is after you have agreed to a voucher amount and additional VDBs are still needed, if those passengers get a higher amount, you will also get the higher amount.
The are no DoT requirement for VDB compensation, it is whatever you and the airline agree to. The DoT does require the airline to try VDB before moving to IDB.
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2017]
Mar 12, 2017, 11:19 am
#61
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Specifically, if the later flight you want is already full and there is no seat to give you, then I believe you will have to be put on a different flight and standby for that one, which would probably be low odds. They generally will not boot someone out of their confirmed seat for a volunteer! Now, if there are seats still unassigned, then I maybe there is a possibility, but again consider the paragraph above.
Standby might not be such a terrible option if you either have status or can convince the agent to put you onto the PR-1 list, which would put you at the front of the line. However, I'd never target a flight that was leaving only 40 minutes later unless the agents were absolutely on top of things, including calling over to the other gate; it's unusual for them to finish the VDB paperwork until a couple of minutes after flight departure at the earliest, and check-in closes at T-30.
Mar 12, 2017, 11:33 am
#62
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: if it's Thursday, this must be Belgium
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That's a good point, they typically only take care of the actual rebooking task after the flight has departed (or send you to the CS desk, where you will wait), so the chances of getting that 40min later departure are low.
I think they will go for someone who has less constraints, or is willing to go on the flight they suggest (or the flight they can guarantee).
I think they will go for someone who has less constraints, or is willing to go on the flight they suggest (or the flight they can guarantee).
Mar 12, 2017, 11:42 am
#63
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: San Fransisco, CA
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Thanks for the info! Looks like I'll have to stay on my current flight then, since I have an exam to take at 4. I figured they'd maybe be willing to punt the issue down the line because it gives them more flights to have misconnects and clear the oversell.
Mar 12, 2017, 12:06 pm
#64
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Agree GAs will not force an oversell in this case except for a high elite (GS and maybe 1K). However once rebooked on a later fly, you can probably get "free" standby for the preferred flight.
Mar 12, 2017, 2:08 pm
#65
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I can attest as a GS that GA's will only book me as a VDB onto a flight that has Y>0. Even with status, they are constrained to process VDB's onto flights that show availability. GS have nice perks during irrops (weather / mechanical / other delay reasons) where we can be rebooked into a zeroed out flight, but that is the only time I ever have done that. In all of my VDB experiences, I have never been forced onto a flight that was zeroed out.
Mar 12, 2017, 2:18 pm
#66
Moderator: Midwest, Las Vegas & Dining Buzz
Join Date: Jun 2001
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I can attest as a GS that GA's will only book me as a VDB onto a flight that has Y>0. Even with status, they are constrained to process VDB's onto flights that show availability. GS have nice perks during irrops (weather / mechanical / other delay reasons) where we can be rebooked into a zeroed out flight, but that is the only time I ever have done that. In all of my VDB experiences, I have never been forced onto a flight that was zeroed out.
Mar 12, 2017, 8:12 pm
#67
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On a separate note tonight, something I have suspected for a while has now been confirmed.
I am on UA4758 tomorrow (3/12) DEN-GRR, and they are seeking volunteers. When I checked in for my PNR, I was not solicited. When I checked in Mrs. Moore on a separate PNR, she was solicited. Since making it to GS, I have not been solicited once when checking in... not one time in the last 15 months. I always have to ask at the gate. Interesting.
I am on UA4758 tomorrow (3/12) DEN-GRR, and they are seeking volunteers. When I checked in for my PNR, I was not solicited. When I checked in Mrs. Moore on a separate PNR, she was solicited. Since making it to GS, I have not been solicited once when checking in... not one time in the last 15 months. I always have to ask at the gate. Interesting.
Mar 16, 2017, 8:23 pm
#68
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DEN-YYZ was over by 4-5 and everyone showed. I volunteered first and started looking for alternatives to the first flight tomorrow, which wouldn't get me in till 3 pm. They were nearly IDBing 3-4 people, but eventually got enough vols for the $1100 they paid. I am in paid F, so I was able to find a flight up to YEG and then an AC redeye, which was zeroed in Y but had 4 F/J seats, and get in at about 6 am.
Mar 17, 2017, 3:31 am
#69
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DEN-YYZ was over by 4-5 and everyone showed. I volunteered first and started looking for alternatives to the first flight tomorrow, which wouldn't get me in till 3 pm. They were nearly IDBing 3-4 people, but eventually got enough vols for the $1100 they paid. I am in paid F, so I was able to find a flight up to YEG and then an AC redeye, which was zeroed in Y but had 4 F/J seats, and get in at about 6 am.
Mar 17, 2017, 7:09 am
#70
Join Date: Jan 2016
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DEN-YYZ was over by 4-5 and everyone showed. I volunteered first and started looking for alternatives to the first flight tomorrow, which wouldn't get me in till 3 pm. They were nearly IDBing 3-4 people, but eventually got enough vols for the $1100 they paid. I am in paid F, so I was able to find a flight up to YEG and then an AC redeye, which was zeroed in Y but had 4 F/J seats, and get in at about 6 am.
Mar 20, 2017, 2:33 pm
#71
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Lots of VDB this morning at DEN... UA4748 DEN-TUL was over by 4 and needed them all. $800 was the offer. That flight was delayed by an hour, which gave the would-have-missed connections time to catch up and be there. Backup flights were thru ORD and arrived several hours later, so they had a hard time finding takers til the offer was way up there.
UA5102 DEN-JMS was only over by 1, and they needed a volunteer in the end. Offer went up to $800. No takers. ended up with IDB with no protection until tomorrow morning. MOT was offered as a backup, but nobody was interested.
There were several others in the B80 - B90 gates, but these are the ones I saw to the end as I waited for my own not-oversold flight (unfortunate).
UA5102 DEN-JMS was only over by 1, and they needed a volunteer in the end. Offer went up to $800. No takers. ended up with IDB with no protection until tomorrow morning. MOT was offered as a backup, but nobody was interested.
There were several others in the B80 - B90 gates, but these are the ones I saw to the end as I waited for my own not-oversold flight (unfortunate).
Mar 24, 2017, 7:13 am
#72
Join Date: Aug 2010
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This morning:
PDX>SFO 5:35a flight. They needed 6 and were offering $400, then $500. They were still asking for pax willing to bounce after everyone boarded. They got a a couple of girls to disembark with a $600 offer and eventually got down to one needed when the gate agent came aboard and offered $800 then $900. I was seated in 1B and asked when the next flight would get me in. Still plenty of time for my connection to FRA so I took it.
PDX>SFO 5:35a flight. They needed 6 and were offering $400, then $500. They were still asking for pax willing to bounce after everyone boarded. They got a a couple of girls to disembark with a $600 offer and eventually got down to one needed when the gate agent came aboard and offered $800 then $900. I was seated in 1B and asked when the next flight would get me in. Still plenty of time for my connection to FRA so I took it.
Mar 24, 2017, 8:26 am
#73
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That is, by exemplary definition, holding out til the bitter end. Nice score.
Mar 24, 2017, 10:48 am
#74
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: FAT
Posts: 146
This morning:
PDX>SFO 5:35a flight. They needed 6 and were offering $400, then $500. They were still asking for pax willing to bounce after everyone boarded. They got a a couple of girls to disembark with a $600 offer and eventually got down to one needed when the gate agent came aboard and offered $800 then $900. I was seated in 1B and asked when the next flight would get me in. Still plenty of time for my connection to FRA so I took it.
PDX>SFO 5:35a flight. They needed 6 and were offering $400, then $500. They were still asking for pax willing to bounce after everyone boarded. They got a a couple of girls to disembark with a $600 offer and eventually got down to one needed when the gate agent came aboard and offered $800 then $900. I was seated in 1B and asked when the next flight would get me in. Still plenty of time for my connection to FRA so I took it.
Mar 24, 2017, 11:17 am
#75
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No idea about other airlines, but UA typically won't process the vouchers until after the flight has departed. So, in this case, they all should have gotten the $900 without even asking.