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Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump Experiences on UA [2019]

Voluntary Denied Boarding - VDB/Bump Experiences on UA [2019]

Old Nov 15, 2019, 11:16 am
  #346  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
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Originally Posted by Flying Machine
I can’t answer your question regarding the acronyms without guessing. However, I’m so much curious on how you were able to view the notes in your PNR. That’s something new to me. Thanks and enjoy your travels
I used the debug mode in my web browser to view the content of XHR requests.
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Old Nov 16, 2019, 2:06 am
  #347  
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Originally Posted by LIH
A true oversold J cabin is a rarity and will cost UA thousands to "fix" at the gate (presuming it was the over the ocean leg) so this was for sure a low-ball approach. I have had this happen once in the last ~10 years on a LAX > LIH leg of an ORD > LAX > LIH trip. Even as a GS at the time an agent proactively called to tried to get me to swap to ORD > HNL > LIH. My wife hates the island hoppers so I declined but they offered me $3,000 ETC ($1,500 each) to swap because they were over by 2 on a 752. I asked how that even happened and the GS representative basically said they had irrops with some mega-VIP and that this was now dropped in their lap.
This is not entirely a rarity, as I have seen it on a few occasions in my own travels and reports in from family members. I have seen SFO-SIN oversold at the gate by 1 in J, and UA lucked out with a missed connection to even the score. Have heard rumors that UA is willing to oversell J by 1 on some routes... doing it for SFO flights doesn't surprise me given how many missed connections I see there. It's a big win for revenue mgmt to get away with it consistently and not lose a J seat to an upgrade instead of a full fare ticket. This being said, I'm not saying it's common, but it's not super rare either.
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Old Nov 16, 2019, 8:56 am
  #348  
 
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Originally Posted by seanp7
I'd be guessing too, but 'decrement'? As in: Passenger declined reducing UA101 by 1 (decrementing). Just a guess.

dcmt is usually short for document.
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Old Nov 18, 2019, 11:04 am
  #349  
st3
 
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UA1115 downguaged from 739 to 738, taking 4 F seats with it. UA app offered me a $100 ETC which I did not take. After UA called me, got rebooked onto the direct TPA-SFO flight and a $400 ETC.
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Old Nov 18, 2019, 11:18 am
  #350  
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Originally Posted by st3
UA1115 downguaged from 739 to 738, taking 4 F seats with it. UA app offered me a $100 ETC which I did not take. After UA called me, got rebooked onto the direct TPA-SFO flight and a $400 ETC.
This is one of those tough situations where you have to ask whether it's better to just take the $400 and run, or to stick with the flight for a much higher offer at the gate. Even if they found 4 people in F to switch flights, Y is still oversold by 15+, and vouchers will likely be pretty hefty to bounce at the gate.

Nonetheless, $400 for a proactive reroute onto a direct flight is a good deal any day. Nice catch.

BTW: Keep an eye on your new flight... betting that one will end up over by a few as well from those rerouting off the downgauge that are headed to the west coast.
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Old Nov 20, 2019, 4:28 am
  #351  
 
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11/19/19 - EWR-ORD 7:30 am flight# 977. Sitting there minding my own business when GA comes over PA asking for two volunteers for $1000 voucher each. I jumped up and yelled, "I'll take it!!!". Both me any my colleague got put on a flight one hour later for $1000 each. Sweet! Funny thing is as I yelled, "I'll take it" some guy was trying to make his way out of BG1 line to accept offer. He looked at me and kind of sneered. Lesson...if you want the offer, don't wait to get to the agent, blurt it out!!
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Old Nov 20, 2019, 6:23 am
  #352  
 
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Originally Posted by Russell745
11/19/19 - EWR-ORD 7:30 am flight# 977. Sitting there minding my own business when GA comes over PA asking for two volunteers for $1000 voucher each. I jumped up and yelled, "I'll take it!!!". Both me any my colleague got put on a flight one hour later for $1000 each. Sweet! Funny thing is as I yelled, "I'll take it" some guy was trying to make his way out of BG1 line to accept offer. He looked at me and kind of sneered. Lesson...if you want the offer, don't wait to get to the agent, blurt it out!!
Real lesson is to make your intentions known to the gate agent asap, well before boarding, preventing situations like that.
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 3:13 pm
  #353  
 
Join Date: May 2019
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Hey y'all,

I've got a flight in 2 days, 11/29 UA 1562 ORF-IAD. EF is currently showing zero availability across the board in all fare classes, and a buddy of mine who works for UA told me that my flight is currently oversold by one. In your opinion, will this flight be oversold/overbooked enough to warrant VDB, and if so, what's the best way in this scenario to make sure it goes to me?

Other info: booked in fare class XN, would probably be willing to accept significant delays/odd reroutings given that I have nothing urgent until Sunday

Thanks in advance!
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 3:34 pm
  #354  
 
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Originally Posted by EntropyTheory
a buddy of mine who works for UA told me that my flight is currently oversold by one.
They sold one more ticket than there are seats, or they sold one more ticket than they think they can? Very different. One more ticket than seats is no big deal, happens all the time and doesn't mean much, they can even keep fare buckets for sale.

One more ticket than they want to, which you can think of as Y = -1, can happen with irrops, accommodating GS, deadheading crew, changing RM models, downgauging, etc. and means higher VDB likelihood.

In your opinion, will this flight be oversold/overbooked enough to warrant VDB,
nobody knows until the flight has finished boarding. If it was over by 30 or something because of downgauge perhaps I'd say slam dunk, but if it's only over by 1 they will wait till T-15 and/or the last person in line has boarded before giving compensation.

This is a holiday weekend, but Friday is not the busiest travel day. If it was Wednesday/Sunday especially with the weather going on across the midwest I'd say higher than normal chance, but not sure about Friday.

and if so, what's the best way in this scenario to make sure it goes to me?
1. Don't check luggage
2. Be there when the gate agents arrive at the podium ~1 hour before flight, approach them before they get busy and say that you're willing to be bumped of they need it.
3. Stay near the podium where they can see you.
4. Have alternatives to suggest ("I see flight XXX has seats and is leaving in 3 hours...") and be flexible.

In general, make it easy for them to go with you. You said hello, you said you were willing, you're traveling alone with no luggage, you're right there and easy to call from the podium, you already have some alternatives in mind and they don't have to waste time looking up 6 alternatives that you will reject....
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 3:50 pm
  #355  
 
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Originally Posted by threeoh
They sold one more ticket than there are seats, or they sold one more ticket than they think they can?
I'm actually not sure. My UA buddy says Y is over by 5 and there are 4 open seats in J. Looking at past flight history for mainline flights between ORF and IAD shows that there may have been a downgauge - normally it's operated with an A320 or a 738, my flight is operated with an A319. The flight is no longer available to be booked on ua.com as far as I can tell and, like I mentioned as well, EF is showing zero availability in all fare classes.

Don't have any checked luggage, thank goodness. And I'm extremely flexible -- if they offered ORF-IAH-PIT or something equally stupid I'd probably take it.

Fingers crossed..
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 4:00 pm
  #356  
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The best answer is VDB opportunity is possible but far from probable.
Holiday periods are the better opportunity for VDBs but bad weather and other issues can create misconnect that leave flights with empty seats.

Best strategy is if offered the opportunity at check-in to make a VDB bide, make it. When you get to the gate, tell the agent you are willing. Just remember the post-thanksgiving weekend, the number of free seats is minimal, so set limits with the GA on how long you are willing to defer.
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 4:17 pm
  #357  
 
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VDB opportunity is possible but far from probable
Yeah, that sounds about right, especially at a small outstation like ORF. More than likely someone doesn't show up and VDB is unnecessary. My expectations are low, but still, fingers crossed..

Last edited by EntropyTheory; Nov 27, 2019 at 4:22 pm
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Old Nov 27, 2019, 5:03 pm
  #358  
 
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Originally Posted by EntropyTheory
I'm actually not sure. My UA buddy says Y is over by 5 and there are 4 open seats in J.
Ok, so either they sold one more ticket than seats and meant to do that or they didn't mean to do that; doesn't really matter to you whether Y=0 or Y=-1 from United's perspective; from your perspective if there is one no-show then no VDB, if there are 0 no-shows then someone gets a VDB (hopefully you!). Neither you nor United can say for sure whether there will be 0 or 1+ no-shows.

Looking at past flight history for mainline flights between ORF and IAD shows that there may have been a downgauge - normally it's operated with an A320 or a 738, my flight is operated with an A319.
Unless you have screenshot/recollection from when you bought the ticket, hard to say. It may have always been planned to be an A319. The holiday weekend schedule is so wacky, with extra domestic flights, fewer int'l flights, and most travel being leisure vs business, nothing is "normal".

The flight is no longer available to be booked on ua.com as far as I can tell and, like I mentioned as well, EF is showing zero availability in all fare classes.
That just means they don't want to sell any more tickets. That means a VDB is more likely than if they were still selling tickets, but doesn't mean it is "likely".

In all of these "over by 1" or "over by 2" situations it's just luck. If it's over by 30 then yes you can have a solid expectation.

Fingers crossed.
Good luck!
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Old Nov 28, 2019, 9:01 am
  #359  
 
Join Date: May 2019
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A very minor update at T-24: I was able to see the actual employee nonrev travel portal through my buddy and it is indeed at Y -5, however it seems like they freed up two more J seats as there are 6 held J seats. So VDB looks unlikely now. I did put some low-ball bids when I checked in but still.
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Old Nov 28, 2019, 4:15 pm
  #360  
 
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Thanksgiving Day, 28 Nov 2019, IAD/HSV over by 1 on a CRJ200.

GA offered me $700 for a reroute through IAD/ATL/HSV, IAD/ATL on UA and ATL/HSV on DL.

Was traveling with a companion and didn’t want to split due to the holiday, so they paid us each $700, rebooked us both through ATL and the flight went out with one seat OPEN!! There was no one else willing to give up a seat and our VDB was processed well before boarding started... I assume the GA took those extraordinary steps in an effort to not have an IDB on Thanksgiving Day.

The GA said “Happy Holidays from United” and sent us on our way. Original tickets were Basic Economy and we were on separate records; one Silver and one non-status traveler.

All that said, the IAD GA did NOT push the tickets to DL properly and we had some issues once arriving in ATL. Luckily, the DL Global Ticketing Desk sorted everything out and we made it to our destination in time for turkey.

Last edited by LedgeT; Nov 28, 2019 at 4:29 pm
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