Jan 3, 2018, 12:29 am
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Previous thread -
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump on UA [2017]
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]
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.
The changing story of IDB on UA since the merge and post-Dao
source: BTS Data
source: BTS Data
Code:
IDB/VDB data for UA (w/o UX) 1st Qtr Year VDB IDB 2018 8,214 27 2017 15,917 900 2016 14,380 929 2015 17,373 1,817 2014 21,469 4,395 2013 14,095 2,592 IDB/VDB data for UA (w/ UX) 1st Qtr Year VDB IDB 2018 16,973 51
Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump Experiences on UA [2018]
Aug 10, 2018, 9:20 pm
#376
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
I'm especially interested in your case to see if you get Y posting.. though with $0 base fare on the original ticket, I'm wondering if the new UA system will automatically populate X/XN for any base fare of $0.... who knows is this could happen in your situation.
I have also seen in the past that my base fare gets screwed up in irrops / rebooking situations, and I have received way more PQD's than originally paid on reservations that get messed up.......
Let us know what happens.
I have also seen in the past that my base fare gets screwed up in irrops / rebooking situations, and I have received way more PQD's than originally paid on reservations that get messed up.......
Let us know what happens.
Aug 13, 2018, 3:31 pm
#377
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: UA, Hilton
Posts: 1
UIO-IAH
They were unable to run the flight the night before because of technical problems. Because there is only one United flight from Quito to Houston per day they were around 20 people on standby. Started at $500 with a call from a United representative 8 hours before the flight was schedule to depart. At the gate it was elevated to $1000. Eventually went to $2000. Then $2500. The last person who accepted (from the plane) received $3000 and so everyone who was bumped received $3000, hotel/food, and 24 more hours in Quito!
Aug 13, 2018, 4:02 pm
#378
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,415
They were unable to run the flight the night before because of technical problems. Because there is only one United flight from Quito to Houston per day they were around 20 people on standby. Started at $500 with a call from a United representative 8 hours before the flight was schedule to depart. At the gate it was elevated to $1000. Eventually went to $2000. Then $2500. The last person who accepted (from the plane) received $3000 and so everyone who was bumped received $3000, hotel/food, and 24 more hours in Quito!
FYI: UA will not give vouchers to people to accommodate standby passengers. Someone in management must have approved an unusually large number of oversold seats, likely as a way to let the service disruption sort itself out somewhat.
Aug 14, 2018, 6:11 am
#379
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 519
STL-ORD, 5-AUG 4:50PM flight.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Aug 14, 2018, 9:31 am
#380
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
STL-ORD, 5-AUG 4:50PM flight.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Aug 14, 2018, 10:01 am
#382
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
STL-ORD, 5-AUG 4:50PM flight.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Aug 14, 2018, 11:24 am
#383
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 519
No, weather on the East Coast. There were a handful of cancelled flights at ORD yesterday.
Aug 14, 2018, 3:02 pm
#384
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
STL-ORD, 5-AUG 4:50PM flight.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Checkin asked if we wanted to be on the vollie list, we said yes at $300. When we got to the gate, they were asking for 1 volunteer, $500. I approached and before I said anything it went to $600. I said, we'd take the $600, but, you need to VDB both my wife and I. I told them if they wanted to give us each $300 to make it work, that would be OK. What I didn't realize is they already had one vollie at $500 who was psyched because she was going to get a direct flight to her destination, getting in sooner. As it turns out, they told her thanks, but no thanks, put her on the plane and then VDB'd my wife and I, $600 each, Marriott St. Louis for the night, $40 in food vouchers, and we'd get into Boston at 12:46PM (about 11 hours later than original schedule).
All hell broke loose when we got to Chicago we ended up spending most of Monday in ORD, made it the first time we questioned if it was worth it.
Aug 14, 2018, 3:05 pm
#385
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 21,415
It seems that they needed two volunteers total.
Aug 14, 2018, 3:32 pm
#386
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: New England
Programs: UA Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 519
They needed 2 total. They had 1 at $500 and were asking for 1 more when we arrived at the gate. I approached and said we'd volunteer, but had to take both of us.
Aug 15, 2018, 12:26 pm
#387
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: LBB
Programs: UA 1K 1MM ★G | Marriott LTT | Hilton ♦ | Hertz PC | Global Entry TSA Pre ✓
Posts: 2,820
I've seen this happen before in the past... sometimes the proactive ones get unlucky in these instances.... all part of the game though.
Aug 15, 2018, 3:45 pm
#388
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
I agree, but it wasn't clear in the OP that they actually needed two.
Aug 21, 2018, 3:09 pm
#389
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: COdbaUA Platinum 2MM
Posts: 5,532
2 x $800 VDB voucher and Canadian $14 meal voucher for a 2:54 delay
Tried to SDC to an earlier flight yesterday. Except for first 6 am flight, all 4 UA YVR-SFO flights were unavailable. Which was quite unusual, must be cruise season. Did not attempt to SDC. Showed up 2 hours before flight time. Volunteered at kiosk.
At T-60, asked a gate agent, there were five of them instead of normal two, if there were still looking for volunteers. Immediately a more experienced looking agent replied yes, and asked if we had any check-in luggage which we did not have. She said that was the best. She then showed me available WestJet flight on her screen, departing 2:54 later. I asked for last UA flight, she said she would but that flight was over sold also. I then asked her how much was compensation. She replied $800, from the way she said it, I interpreted $800 for each one of us, not $800 for two of us. She asked me to go to the other end of counter so a less experienced looking agent would process our VDB.
I was standing next to less experienced agent while she processed us, I saw five volunteers, we were #1 and #2 volunteers. She followed steps and selected our scheduled delay arrival time. $400 popped up. I informed 2nd agent that 1st agent told us $800/PAX. #2 agent confirmed with #1 agent, then some more typing. I asked for meal vouchers because it was close to dinner time. #2 agent again asked #1 agent.
About ten minutes later, we each received an $800 VDB voucher and $14 Canadian meal voucher. Best VDB for me so far.
During all that time and until our original flight had boarded, did not hear any announcement for additional volunteers.
At T-60, asked a gate agent, there were five of them instead of normal two, if there were still looking for volunteers. Immediately a more experienced looking agent replied yes, and asked if we had any check-in luggage which we did not have. She said that was the best. She then showed me available WestJet flight on her screen, departing 2:54 later. I asked for last UA flight, she said she would but that flight was over sold also. I then asked her how much was compensation. She replied $800, from the way she said it, I interpreted $800 for each one of us, not $800 for two of us. She asked me to go to the other end of counter so a less experienced looking agent would process our VDB.
I was standing next to less experienced agent while she processed us, I saw five volunteers, we were #1 and #2 volunteers. She followed steps and selected our scheduled delay arrival time. $400 popped up. I informed 2nd agent that 1st agent told us $800/PAX. #2 agent confirmed with #1 agent, then some more typing. I asked for meal vouchers because it was close to dinner time. #2 agent again asked #1 agent.
About ten minutes later, we each received an $800 VDB voucher and $14 Canadian meal voucher. Best VDB for me so far.
During all that time and until our original flight had boarded, did not hear any announcement for additional volunteers.
Last edited by 1KChinito; Aug 21, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Aug 21, 2018, 7:41 pm
#390
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Floating around
Programs: UA 1K (1MM), DL Gold (1MM), Marriott LTT
Posts: 10,346
-RM