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Airline Question (1 Viewer)

Cjw_55106

Cjw_55106

Footballguy
It seems more and more often airlines overbook their flights and look for volunteers to give up their seats and in return get a voucher to be used at a later time. 

With that in mind, I have a return flight I don't want to take on Saturday. In fact, I need to go to a different city entirely. My question is, can I call and volunteer early if the flight is full? I know they will change my flight for a fee (probably $150) but I can get the flight for less than $100 on another airline. So what I am saying is, I won't be taking the flight I'm scheduled for and would like to get a credit voucher if possible. Obviously they don't know that I don't plan to take the flight. Anyone have experience with giving up a seat a day or two ahead of time? 

 
The General said:
I don' t think the airlines do it this way. Think they wait just before the flight to give out those offers.
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Yeah. They don't even allow checkin until 24 hours before the flight leaves. I doubt they'd offer up money before they even know if the flight is full or not.

 
Cjw_55106 said:
It seems more and more often airlines overbook their flights and look for volunteers to give up their seats and in return get a voucher to be used at a later time. 

With that in mind, I have a return flight I don't want to take on Saturday. In fact, I need to go to a different city entirely. My question is, can I call and volunteer early if the flight is full? I know they will change my flight for a fee (probably $150) but I can get the flight for less than $100 on another airline. So what I am saying is, I won't be taking the flight I'm scheduled for and would like to get a credit voucher if possible. Obviously they don't know that I don't plan to take the flight. Anyone have experience with giving up a seat a day or two ahead of time? 
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Nobody can be this naive right?  Not so much, If the flight is overbooked it is because the know xx number of people won't take the flight.  

 
United sold my seat on an international flight Monday because I checked in 58 minutes before take off, not an hour. #### them. 

 
You cannot call ahead and do this. However if you are willing to go through security and go to the gate, it's fairly consistent which ones will be oversold and offering vouchers.  Some of the vouchers are like $300 which might be worth it. 

 
Wooderson said:
That sucks but they have to have some cut off time. 
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Sure, I guess. But I had given them no indication I wasn't coming and they had taken my money, which meant it was my seat whether I took it or not. From my view it would be better for them (lower fuel and service cost) if I dont make the flight and they keep my money.  I see overselling of flights as double-dipping. 

 
Had an AirTran flight once where I checked in early and when I went to board they told me there was a problem and that seat was given to someone else.  Coworker checked in right after me and had no issues

Apparently that "happen sometimes" and since flight was already delayed a few hours it was the last flight and I was going to have to wait for morning.  I was already a tad drunk from the delay and just wanted to get the the F home.  They were going to put me in a hotel and give me like 4x fare in compensation but while we were discussing they found a volunteer to take a flight next day

 
Abraham said:
Sure, I guess. But I had given them no indication I wasn't coming and they had taken my money, which meant it was my seat whether I took it or not. From my view it would be better for them (lower fuel and service cost) if I dont make the flight and they keep my money.  I see overselling of flights as double-dipping. 
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Airlines would like nothing more than to change to event ticketing (if you no-show for your flight, you're hosed, just like no-showing for a concert).  But instead you have the option to use your ticket for another flight (sometimes for a fee, sometimes not).  In that world it only makes sense that the airlines will overbook.  It's not double-dipping, it's a good business decision in a world where passengers have some flexibility to change their flights.

 
Abraham said:
United sold my seat on an international flight Monday because I checked in 58 minutes before take off, not an hour. #### them. 
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WTF, traveling used to be cool, now it is just a nightmare.  Did you have to pay anything? 

 
Ok, since I am obviously naive, I'll ask this. Do the offers only get made at the gate? I will check in online 24 hours ahead of time. Is there anywhere else these types of offers can be made? My new flight will leave long before anyone gets to the gate for the flight I won't be on. 

 
Cjw_55106 said:
Ok, since I am obviously naive, I'll ask this. Do the offers only get made at the gate? I will check in online 24 hours ahead of time. Is there anywhere else these types of offers can be made? My new flight will leave long before anyone gets to the gate for the flight I won't be on. 
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I checked in at a kiosk once and it told me it was over sold and they wanted volunteers,  but I don't think it was a guarantee they chose you 

 
The General said:
I don' t think the airlines do it this way. Think they wait just before the flight to give out those offers.
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Correct. They oversell many flights these days. The assumption is a certain number of people will no-show or miss the connection.

Edit: Beaten by a dozen other posters.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Cjw_55106 said:
Ok, since I am obviously naive, I'll ask this. Do the offers only get made at the gate? I will check in online 24 hours ahead of time. Is there anywhere else these types of offers can be made? My new flight will leave long before anyone gets to the gate for the flight I won't be on. 
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Yes - typically after the plane is checked in full.  Also, if price miss the flight they may not use you anyway.  

 
Abraham said:
United sold my seat on an international flight Monday because I checked in 58 minutes before take off, not an hour. #### them. 
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in their defense you waited until 58 minutes before an international flight to check in. did you ignore the email reminder that came the day prior to your trip?

 
I'll share an interesting experience with overbooking...

My family was flying with 2 other families to Puerto Rico to catch a cruise ship for vacation.

Flight overbooked, volunteers wanted ... they were offering two future round trip fares to anywhere, and "good alternative flight options".

So me and another father in the group inquire ... turns out they would put us on a flight that was leaving 2 hours later ... on a better airline ... NON STOP.

We took the deal, waved goodbye to our families, went and had some breakfast, ... and landed in Puerto Rico an hour before our families did (they had a layover). They found us at a bar, just finishing a platter of hot wings and a few cold drafts.

The deal paid for our flights for the following years vacation as well as a Vegas trip for "the boys".

 
Zasada said:
Airlines would like nothing more than to change to event ticketing (if you no-show for your flight, you're hosed, just like no-showing for a concert).  But instead you have the option to use your ticket for another flight (sometimes for a fee, sometimes not).  In that world it only makes sense that the airlines will overbook.  It's not double-dipping, it's a good business decision in a world where passengers have some flexibility to change their flights.
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Disagree. I'm super duper platimum on American and it's still $200 to change my flights. 

 
On Delta if they expect to bump some people you can volunteer at the kiosk, but you have to type in your offer. I've bid high a few times and never got picked. Some loser probably took a flight 5 hours later for $100.

 
Cjw_55106 said:
Sounds like I'm out of luck. My new flight is 4 hours before my original one. 

Thanks all. 
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There is a time and place that this "strategy" wouldn't have been a dumb suggestion. Yours just isn't it.  

Surprised so many people are mentioning $100   I've been offered exactly $300 about 4 times since June so I figured it was the going rate. 

 
Here's another "interesting story", but no where near nice as Bossman's

My Dad and I arrive at McCarran for our flight home from Vegas (opening day of the NFL season).  It's announced the flight is overbooked and they are looking for volunteers to give up their seats.  Volunteers will be given $300 vouchers and will be placed on a flight leaving in two hours.  No one volunteers.  There is some kind of delay in our out going flight.  We ask the lady at the desk how long we have before it will be in and boarding will begin.  She tells us "at least forty-five minutes.  Probably an hour".  We walk down the concourse to watch some of the football game and have a beer.  We arrive back at the gate 40 minutes later.  The waiting area is empty and they are just closing the door.  We run straight to the lady and ask her what's up.  She tells us, "Sorry, it came in early.  Once the door is closed we can't open it, so you will be unable to board."  We can see the people through the window behind her walking toward the plane.  So we ask her if we can have our $500 vouchers then.  She says, "The vouchers were for volunteers.  You didn't volunteer, so we can't give you one."   :rant:

 
cheese said:
There is a time and place that this "strategy" wouldn't have been a dumb suggestion. Yours just isn't it.  

Surprised so many people are mentioning $100   I've been offered exactly $300 about 4 times since June so I figured it was the going rate. 
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I've always heard the offers starting at $300.  Not enough takers...they go to $400.  Not enough takers...they go to $500.

I've gotten two $500 vouchers this way for company booked flights where it didn't matter when I got home.

 
Abraham said:
United sold my seat on an international flight Monday because I checked in 58 minutes before take off, not an hour. #### them. 
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Aren't you supposed to arrive at the airport like 3 days in advance for international flights?

 
The weekend of the first pats Super Bowl I was in Vegas with the wife.  I'm a big fan and had bet them every which way (I had big money on. Rams punt before a TD at +175.... Best bet of my life)  so needless to say I cleaned up.  I got to the airport the next morning to fly home allong with a ton of other people.   They must have oversold the flight by 20 people at the min.   They started asking for volunteers at $300 each and would get you a flight later in the day.   Then it went up to $400.  It hit $500 a few minutes later.   At that point I went up and said if you get me $500 and First Class seats in Two Days I'm in.   They went for it and my 3 day getaway turned into 5.

of course I lost my a$$ the next two days but we did get a last min JR suite at the Paris for real short money and had a great time.

 
Abraham said:
Disagree. I'm super duper platimum on American and it's still $200 to change my flights. 
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Buy a higher fare class and it's free (only the fare difference) to change your flights.  Some airlines (Southwest) don't charge fees to change flights (only the fare difference).  

 
Every airline does it a little differently.

Delta solicits volunteers at checkin for high-risk flights.  The kiosk will do a reverse-auction asking you what you would be willing to not fly on that flight for.  Then, at departure, if they need volunteers, they work from the bottom-up on the reverse auction.  If they don't, everybody boards.  Probably the most efficient system.

Other airlines will wait until closer to departure.  

Once on a flight I was on, volunteers were solicited onboard the airplane because of a last-minute passenger showing-up.  

So, the answer to the original question is, it varies.  But rarely (almost never) are volunteers solicited the day before.

 
I've been burned too many times on the $ credit they offer. "This voucher can only be used on flights with fare class J on Wednesday flights connecting through Dubuque"  

as Abraham eloquently stated, #### them.

 
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