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Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump Experiences on UA [2018]

Old Jan 3, 2018, 12:29 am
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Last edit by: WineCountryUA
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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.

Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
The changing story of IDB on UA since the merge and post-Dao
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
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Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump Experiences on UA [2018]

Old Jul 5, 2018, 9:55 pm
  #316  
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Depends on the gate agent and the degree of overbooking, could be either. 6o minutes is a bit on the unusually earlier side but if heavily overbooked, some will be more proactive.
For a domestic flight, it should be 60 minutes prior to departure (not prior to boarding), pretty much as a rule, because thats when the gate agents tend to arrive. Theres nobody to ask before that. I imagine your gate agent was exaggerating a little bit.

And, yes, theres really no point asking about VDBs in the lounge. The best you can really hope to get is whether or not the flight is oversold. The rest of the information in the computer is often out-of-sync with what the gate agents are doing.
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Old Jul 6, 2018, 9:18 am
  #317  
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To add... gate agents almost always show up 60 minutes prior to departure... and around 75-90min for wide body. I always make sure I'm at the podium when they show up if I'm legitimately interested in volunteering.
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Old Jul 6, 2018, 9:31 am
  #318  
 
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+1 here on 60 minutes prior to departure when gate agents show up. I politely wait a bit back while they get logged in etc then when they are finished they ask "how can I help you?" or similar. I ask if they are in an overbooked situation, either yes or no I ask them to please note I am willing to volunteer and am #1 to ask. Then I tell them I am going to the Club, be back in 30 minutes or so which they have always told me "good idea, we won't know for sure until close to departure time anyways".

Sometimes needed, lately mostly not but I have been told this is the way to make it work.

Club agents are not involved in the volunteer lottery.
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Old Jul 10, 2018, 3:27 pm
  #319  
 
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I was on standby for today's EWR/PIT flight UA 3425. 30 minutes before departure the gate agent said the flight was oversold oversold by 1 and they are offering a $500 certificate, the next flight left 3 hours later. No one took the offer. Five minutes later, the agent increased the offer to $1000 and two people rushed the gate. The person standing in the Group 1 or 2 line (didn't recall which line), had to move past a few people in front, which delayed his ability to get to the gate agent and thus, missed out on the certificate.

Fifteen minutes before departure, boarding had not commenced. The agent said there was maintenance issue, and that both lavatories (E170) were not working, and recommended that everyone use the restroom near the gate (113). Five minutes before departure, the pilot announced that United wanted them to fly the plane without any working lavatories. He said that it would be 2 hours without a lavatory (although the flight was only an hour, there was congestion and they may be on the ground an hour before taking off). A couple of passengers came up to change to the later flight.

The person who offered his seat (oversold) was called up the podium and told his seat was no longer needed. He was upset that he missed out on the $1,000 certificate. He also decided to take the later flight, thus the top 2 people on the Standby list cleared.
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Old Jul 10, 2018, 9:22 pm
  #320  
 
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Originally Posted by PBAudit
The person who offered his seat (oversold) was called up the podium and told his seat was no longer needed. He was upset that he missed out on the $1,000 certificate. He also decided to take the later flight, thus the top 2 people on the Standby list cleared.
Chance of clearing on standby is quite high, especially if you have status.
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Old Jul 13, 2018, 10:01 pm
  #321  
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UA1858 SFO-DEN was oversold by 12 at 3 hours til departure. Flight went out exactly even. I was first up to take a $400 voucher to leave 2 hours later with a confirmed seat in F... oh well. Many of those that didn't board were local check-ins ... it's insane how many people buy tickets, check in, and don't show up (or show up late and get stuck in security)...... Tough to get VDB's on the 777 flights anyway...
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Old Jul 15, 2018, 7:48 pm
  #322  
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UA256 tomorrow (Monday) DEN-SFO had equipment change. B788 downgauge to B763 2cl (with new Polaris). I received a call from a United rep this afternoon asking to switch to another flight in confirmed F (I was originally in M with instant upgrade cleared). I switched onto DEN-SJC at 8:30am. My reward was $500... which is personally my first VDB since March 2017. Finally!

At the end of the ordeal, first was over by 5 and economy by 3 according to the phone agent. I'm glad I put my name on the VDB list when I checked in online earlier today.... which likely put me first in line to be called with the offer.
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 8:22 am
  #323  
 
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Originally Posted by jjmoore
UA256 tomorrow (Monday) DEN-SFO had equipment change. B788 downgauge to B763 2cl (with new Polaris). I received a call from a United rep this afternoon asking to switch to another flight in confirmed F (I was originally in M with instant upgrade cleared). I switched onto DEN-SJC at 8:30am. My reward was $500... which is personally my first VDB since March 2017. Finally!

At the end of the ordeal, first was over by 5 and economy by 3 according to the phone agent. I'm glad I put my name on the VDB list when I checked in online earlier today.... which likely put me first in line to be called with the offer.
I'm glad they gave you the voucher. When that happened to me three months ago (plane downgauge as well), the phone agent laughed at me when I asked for a $500 voucher to change flights. I passed, and got $1500 the next day at the gate. I assume you recommended the DEN-SJC flight? UA could always argue they're doing you the favor by rerouting you there and skip out on the voucher.
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 9:09 am
  #324  
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I would have declined if they tried that move.... they tried that with me in the past and I politely decline to change for free. I did recommend SJC and they accommodated without question.

This morning at DEN, seating in F became available again on my original DEN-SFO flight... called a phone agent and they put me back on the flight without issue. That was around 5:30am. At the gate, they announced that they needed 5 volunteers at $800 each. I took it, and they deposited me right back on the SJC flight.... getting ready to board up as it is somewhat delayed. $1300 double dip... great day!!
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 11:29 am
  #325  
 
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The one time I can actually take a VDB for a six hour wait on EWR-MSP this morning (but still direct) they end up not needing anybody

Too bad as the offer was pretty good:
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 11:34 am
  #326  
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Originally Posted by phltraveler
The one time I can actually take a VDB for a six hour wait on EWR-MSP this morning (but still direct) they end up not needing anybody
$2000 / $2100 / $2200??

$200 / $300 / $400, I get. $2000 / $2500 / $3000, I'd get, or $1500 / $1800 / $2100, maybe. But I can't really fathom what would make someone say, "Well, for $2000, forget it, but for $2100, I'm in!"
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 11:38 am
  #327  
 
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Originally Posted by jsloan
$2000 / $2100 / $2200??

$200 / $300 / $400, I get. $2000 / $2500 / $3000, I'd get, or $1500 / $1800 / $2100, maybe. But I can't really fathom what would make someone say, "Well, for $2000, forget it, but for $2100, I'm in!"
It said low bids were considered first so I played "price is right style" and said I'd settle for a mere $1,999
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 2:01 pm
  #328  
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Originally Posted by BThumme
I'm glad they gave you the voucher. When that happened to me three months ago (plane downgauge as well), the phone agent laughed at me when I asked for a $500 voucher to change flights. I passed, and got $1500 the next day at the gate. I assume you recommended the DEN-SJC flight? UA could always argue they're doing you the favor by rerouting you there and skip out on the voucher.
Interestingly, I chatted with the phone agent that dealt with the oversale for a few minutes and that person told me that UA is trying to be more proactive in these situations because they have been burned on many occasions lately (not bad because they technically are not IDB's, but terrible PR). This downgauge was apparently the result of weather issues in EWR. Anyway, I am happy to take a $500 voucher one day prior to departure... any... day. They got all the takers they needed (obviously since I was able to tranfer back onto the flight 12 hours later!!).... I will likely not wait ever if called to take an offer like that.

Probably my first and last time volunteering literally off the same plane 2 times.
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Old Jul 16, 2018, 4:20 pm
  #329  
 
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I agree. I'd rather take a $500 voucher for a bump at T-24 over the phone than to participate in the free-for-all stampede to the podium where they might have more volunteers than needed.

Of course, if you're used to the podium stampede, a la the boarding process in some parts of the world, it might not be so bad.
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Old Jul 17, 2018, 7:44 am
  #330  
 
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Originally Posted by diburning
I agree. I'd rather take a $500 voucher for a bump at T-24 over the phone than to participate in the free-for-all stampede to the podium where they might have more volunteers than needed.

Of course, if you're used to the podium stampede, a la the boarding process in some parts of the world, it might not be so bad.
There's never a need to be part of a stampede though if you present yourself when the GA shows up and make your intentions known.

I just usually say "hey, i saw the flight was pretty full, I wanted to ask if it was looking like you're oversold currently." They either say, "no, we're good/even, or "ummm....we might be" and they take down my info and say to check back later.
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