tarheelnj

Nice...do 2 of those a year to get your 1K spend, then get the rest if your PQM's on other *A carriers. Or make sure to spend it on a high fare category toward GS spend.

drvannostren

See, what would I do with a $7500 voucher? I presume they have the same stipulations attached that my small fry ones did, use within a year (though I ended up getting mine extended by a year for free, didn't even really have to ask as I recall, then I bought flights, cancelled them for totally different reasons, and got extended almost another entire year...to the point I just wanna fly em so I can delete the damn pics off my computer lol) and on ONLY UA operated itineraries from the UA site. I like how easy they are to use, tech-wise, but like I'd really have to force a trip to ever use any kind of big value. I'm not gonna burn like $5000+ on a domestic F itinerary, I can't use it to fly to BKK, cuz that last flight will always be NH/whoever, can't fly to HEL/MOW cuz those will be connections. So like you really have to force a trip to a UA destination, which might be fine, but it also means you gotta use it on UA flights that might not appeal. If you wanted to go to SIN, you'd have to buy a ticket on the 787 with the non-polaris biz, as opposed to flying via NRT (or is it HKG?) on the 77W.

100% I would still take one, they'd never get near 5000 with me around, I'd jump. Maybe I've missed out on lots of these, as I don't usually hang around the gate early, but whenever they ask for volunteers at check-in, I say yes, and only recently did I ALMOST get to take a bump on a BOG-IAH flight...they ended up not needing me, which sucked.

Hipplewm

s0ssos

I'd like to pay you $7k to reschedule my funeral for me

sannmann

jp12687

cfischer

yes, they can be used on JV flights, but only indirectly. Check the corresponding thread.

threeoh

In 2011 or so I was trying to get standby on an IAH-SFO flight that, when I arrived at the gate, had just been downgraded from a 767 to a 757 (IIRC, definitely wide->narrowbody). The flight number had changed to a 2xxx also, so everyone needed a new boarding pass. The three GAs were like fast-paced wizards, they had everyone line up and processed them one by one at a frantic pace. Everyone was offered $300 ETC to change to a later flight -- or in many cases, if SFO wasn't final destination, to a flight connecting through a different city, or even a direct fight on UA or OAL. Those who wanted to stay on the flight were given a new boarding pass and told they still might be VDB/IDBed if enough people didn't change for $300. A bunch of people in F were super-pissed but ultimately there were fewer F seats than tickets so they either had to take a downgrade or a later flight, no amount of yelling at the GA would create more F seats. Most of the Y pax seemed pretty happy to take their boarding pass or $300 on a later flight.

Boarding was happening simultaneously (they had augmented GA team, including a supervisor) and by the time the dust settled, the flight was 45m late and had 3 empty Y seats. They cleared 3 standbys, though unfortunately I was not one of them. I think clearing the standbys was probably easier/faster than trying to rank / page / rebook / revoke compensation from a bunch of folks they had just rebooked on other flights and had mostly wandered off.

(Meanwhile, somewhere on Flyertalk there is probably a thread entitled "I was VDBed so NRSA could fly!")

dvs7310

I tried several search strings and couldn't find the referenced thread. Can you please post it or PM me? I think I may know what you are getting at.

I've tried quite a few times using them flights that require a connecting UA codeshare on NH (connection in NRT to places where UA used to fly, BKK, MNL, etc.) and it's so far been impossible. It pains me that this isn't directly allowed as it makes eCerts much harder for me to use. I makes the OP's situation a lot less desirable to a passenger like myself. Sure for $7k I'd alter my itinerary to use UA direct to/from an alternate city, lol... but not going to take a VDB for a few hundred dollar eCert for sure.

cyberjet

Careful: person taking your offer might move it earlier (!)

thesun

Last time I was in situation like that at BWI, 737-800 down to a -700 if I recall, they cancelled the flight, and made a new flight on the -700 and manually rebooked everyone. I would assume no one got compensation. Needless to say, took a huge delay. I ended up arranging to get transported to Dulles and arrived at my final destination before my original itinerary would have. Would have loved a ridiculous $7000 voucher though! Best I've gotten is a measly $700 for VDB on EWR-BWI.

WineCountryUA

See wiki of UA Electronic Travel Certificate & Codeshares/partner flights

Jimmie Jet

mr8

A $7K etc could go a long way!
It's been a while since I've seen a 'do you want to volunteer option' pop up when checking in on the kiosks.
Do you still need to stick around the gate or are they doing stuff in the app now?
btw, how does status come into play with these VDB? Do they try to bump off the non-elites or do elites get preference if multiple people volunteer?

swiss_global