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]
Mar 10, 2018, 7:04 pm
#106
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: YOW
Programs: UA, AA
Posts: 35
MIA - EWR today at 3:13 pm, needed 3 seats $450 offered, hotel plus next flight. In my situation, this was tomorrow on AC MIA-YYZ-YOW. There was no availability at 5:00 pm to EWR. Would not increase offer, I declined the $450, agent would not increase offer. 3 volunteers found.
Mar 11, 2018, 11:13 am
#107
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Miami, Florida
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Spire, Hilton Gold
Posts: 4,009
$450 to stay an extra day in MIA in March is a great offer. Guessing they had no shortage of volunteers.
Mar 11, 2018, 4:41 pm
#108
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: DEN
Programs: UA 1MM, MP 1K, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 462
Thank you for prejudging me. Weird that when you realized it, you didn't pull your own post.
Mar 22, 2018, 7:12 pm
#110
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 208
Even the passengers seek to be losing all perspective. Is this passenger really complaining about getting a 10k for being bumped ? Seiously??
https://www.sfgate.com/chris-mcginnis/article/United-offers-traveler-10-000-to-get-off-plane-12774724.php
https://www.sfgate.com/chris-mcginnis/article/United-offers-traveler-10-000-to-get-off-plane-12774724.php
Mar 22, 2018, 7:59 pm
#111
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: GVA (Greater Vancouver Area)
Programs: DREAD Gold; UA 1.035MM; Bonvoy Au-197; PCC Elite+; CCC Elite+; MSC C-12; CWC Au-197; WoH Dis
Posts: 52,140
Mar 22, 2018, 8:28 pm
#112
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 311
United hits 10K in denied boarding compensation for one flier
https://www.sfgate.com/chris-mcginni...e-12774724.php
The first question is if she was really IDB as she claims, or did she VDB for a high offer and then expect to get the IDB compensation?
If she was IDB, why is she complaining when UA is legally mandated to inform her of her right to decline the 10K voucher for the cash/check payment that would be due to her? If she was IDB and she declined the cash/check payment due, what is she actually complaining about here?
An earlier tweet by the woman involved claims she "nabbed the last open seat on the last flight" - is it really plausible that by "nabbing" the last seat on a flight she was the lowest fare paying passenger on the flight? That doesn't make sense to me but maybe more information will come out.
The first question is if she was really IDB as she claims, or did she VDB for a high offer and then expect to get the IDB compensation?
If she was IDB, why is she complaining when UA is legally mandated to inform her of her right to decline the 10K voucher for the cash/check payment that would be due to her? If she was IDB and she declined the cash/check payment due, what is she actually complaining about here?
An earlier tweet by the woman involved claims she "nabbed the last open seat on the last flight" - is it really plausible that by "nabbing" the last seat on a flight she was the lowest fare paying passenger on the flight? That doesn't make sense to me but maybe more information will come out.
Mar 22, 2018, 8:33 pm
#113
Join Date: May 2012
Location: ORF, RIC
Programs: UA LT 1K, 3 MM; Marriott Titanium; IHG Platinum
Posts: 6,958
Mar 22, 2018, 9:02 pm
#114
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,195
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you tihnk it means."
I suspect she is confusing terminology because United COULD have IDBed her as the lowest fare passenger and she didn't WANT to get off the plane but she bit when they offfered $10K. United likely decided (after no one bit on any lower offers) to start with offering the max to the person they'd have had to IDB anyway if no one took the VDB offer.
Congrats to her on a payday for a flight she almost didn't get a booking for anyway.
I suspect she is confusing terminology because United COULD have IDBed her as the lowest fare passenger and she didn't WANT to get off the plane but she bit when they offfered $10K. United likely decided (after no one bit on any lower offers) to start with offering the max to the person they'd have had to IDB anyway if no one took the VDB offer.
Congrats to her on a payday for a flight she almost didn't get a booking for anyway.
Mar 22, 2018, 9:06 pm
#115
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 311
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you tihnk it means."
I suspect she is confusing terminology because United COULD have IDBed her as the lowest fare passenger and she didn't WANT to get off the plane but she bit when they offfered $10K. United likely decided (after no one bit on any lower offers) to start with offering the max to the person they'd have had to IDB anyway if no one took the VDB offer.
Congrats to her on a payday for a flight she almost didn't get a booking for anyway.
I suspect she is confusing terminology because United COULD have IDBed her as the lowest fare passenger and she didn't WANT to get off the plane but she bit when they offfered $10K. United likely decided (after no one bit on any lower offers) to start with offering the max to the person they'd have had to IDB anyway if no one took the VDB offer.
Congrats to her on a payday for a flight she almost didn't get a booking for anyway.
Mar 23, 2018, 9:05 am
#116
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 47
10K travel voucher for a broken seat IDB
That escalated quickly if the account is correct. Sorry I'm too new to post a link. It's on today in the sky on USAToday.com
Mar 23, 2018, 9:27 am
#117
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 311
But yes, it did escalate quickly - and regardless of VDB/IDB United policy now (as all of the big three to my understanding) is that once an offer goes up, it goes up for everyone - not just those who volunteer under the new offer. Ex: someone volunteers at a 1k level, then United needs more volunteers so they offer 2k. Everyone who volunteered would be eligible for 2k.
Last edited by Pat89339; Mar 24, 2018 at 5:52 am Reason: TOS 18 violation
Mar 23, 2018, 9:33 am
#118
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: Mileage Plus 1K; Marriott Platinum; Hilton Gold
Posts: 6,355
$10k VDB is cheap for a the uncharacteristically positive publicity that it generated. United needed a good news story badly.
Mar 23, 2018, 9:37 am
#119
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 2,531
So, you can't please everyone.
Mar 23, 2018, 9:43 am
#120
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2018
Programs: UA Premier Silver
Posts: 311
A friend text me this story this morning and said "See, the system is still broken! United should have paid her in CASH instead of a worthless voucher, and should have kept raising the amount until someone volunteered. That would have been fair. Also they shouldn't have coerced her into signing something claiming that she was 'volunteering'".
So, you can't please everyone.
So, you can't please everyone.
There are a lot of “ifs” and peculiarities here - she tweeted the day before that she “nabbed the last seat” - how would the last seat on the plane be the lowest fare on the flight? That does not make sense at all - unless she is making something up here.
If I were her, I’d forget this ever happened and take my few trips or one nice business/first trip to Europe, Asia, etc. and move on - before this comes back to bite her in the rear.