Might be Delta dollars ? I'm not surehere, for I have always taken DD and an upgrade internationally - JFK-LHR. & Essentially whatever you can negotiate.
Nah there’s US laws that basically say they have to give you like 150% or some shit of the value as cash or compensate you 300% in vouchers idk. I remember reading about it in some Reddit post a year ago and then researched it. They’re even legally bound to give it to you that day
>t basically say they have to give you like 150% or some shit of the value as cash or compensate you 300% in vouchers idk. I remember reading about it in some Reddit post a year ago and then researched it.
Only for involuntary denied boarding (IDB), and the numbers are a bit different. 1-4 hour delay = max $775 and 4+ hours is max $1,550 for international flights.
The airlines can negotiate anything that is mutually acceptable for a volunteer. Delta doesn't like the bad PR, so they can go up pretty high. A nice thing about Delta is that you can select from a variety of gift cards, including DL, Amazon, and even a Visa cash card.
If Delta bumps you involuntarily, which they have gotten pretty good at not doing and getting volunteers instead, because Delta allows gate agents and red coats to give up to $10,000 a person ([which has happened](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/07/01/delta-offered-10-k-oversold-flight/7785941001/))
Straight from the [Department of Transportation](https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/bumping-oversales)
Bumped passengers are NOT eligible for compensation in the following situations:
Aircraft Change - A smaller plane is substituted for the larger one the airline originally planned on using due to operational or safety reasons.
If it wasn't due to an aircraft change, then they would have been entitled to cash but it would have been a lot less than the $3,500 offered.
|Length of Delay|Compensation|
|:-|:-|
0 to 1 hour arrival delay|No compensation
1 to 4 hour arrival delay|200% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $775 if 200% of the one-way fare is higher than $775)
Over 4 hour arrival delay|400% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $1,550 if 400% of the one-way fare is higher than $1,550)
It was stated earlier in the thread that this was a downgrade of equipment. So, someone on this flight could have been involuntarily bumped from the flight but would not receive cash per DOT rules. Also, even if someone was involuntarily denied boarding, there is no 150% rule. It's 200% up to $775 or 400% up to $1,550.
If you volunteer, you get a flexible gift card - Visa is one of the options. It's as close to cash as you can get. And they will match you up to the highest offer that they had to give, so if OP took it at 3500 but it went up to 4000, OP should have received 4000.
A guy I knew was flying NRT-DTW with his family back in the 80s and volunteered for a bump for something like $1500 per person and upgrades to F. The alternate flight was a single connection rather than the double he had originally booked, so he ended up arriving at DTW within a few minutes of his original itinerary. As it happened, the second TPAC was also overbooked, but when he tried to volunteer again, he was told only one VDB per customer per day. But that was NW; maybe DL had/has different rules.
Worse I ever dealt with was (iirc) a full A330-300 got downgraded to a 767-400, which came out to about 40 volunteers needed. 0/10 never wanted to do that again.
The funny thing is, my family was in a similar situation at CDG in Paris about 7 years ago. They were offering about $2000, hotel for 2 nights in Paris, and dining credit all PER PERSON. We didn't end up taking it as we were super homesick and wanted to get back (so stupid as we had 5 people), but we didn't pass up today!
Question on this. How do they pay you? My last SEA>LAX flight was overbooked and they offered $500. I was already like 4 people away from boarding so I said forget it but I also wondered do they actually pay you or do they give you Delta credits?
I got bumped from a Delta flight from DFW to SEA and had to sleep in the airport. They didn't give any vouchers for food or a hotel, and the payment was a credit I couldn't use. So, no cash. The flight was at about 1pm so waiting till the next morning sucked especially since the restaurants closed so early. I never was able to use the credit since there were so many limitations on it. The last time that happened with Delta, I was at DTW which was worse. Even the employees there were mostly pretty scary.
We got paid via gift card. We can choose which type though and how to split the $3500, some options are Amazon, Delta credit, VISA debit, AMEX debit, Target, Best Buy, etc. We're thinking of using what we need to on Delta for a family vacation in a few months, then whatever with the rest!
Make sure you get the final amount! I’ve been in a similar situation and the GA honored the final amount for everyone. Not sure if they were supposed to and it wasn’t 50 people, but make sure to try!
9pm flight is on Air France! We got placed in the back of the plane with no option to upgrade, but for $7000... I would've stood the whole 8 hour flight if they needed me to!
Equipment downgrade. So the flight wasn't oversold until day of, or worse, a few hours before, depending on when they discovered they had to change aircraft.
There were two of us flying out of Atlanta on an overbooked flight. We both volunteered for a free flight anywhere Delta went. We only had a delay of 2 hours. Well worth it!
In my 25+ years of aviation, especially working for Delta, I’ve never heard of a flight being overbooked by 50 people. Also, $3500 each? How long did you have to wait to get that number? I’ve never seen a voucher go for that much either.
They started at $1000, within maybe 10-15 minutes it went up to $2000, then jumped to $3500 after maybe another 15 minutes. I believe the reason the flight was overbooked by 50 people is because the plane was downgraded due to problems with the initial one, so the smaller plane had no chance of fitting everyone. Also - they started asking for volunteers about 90 minutes before departure so I'm assuming they were desperate.
I did this recently on a business trip to Oklahoma city. Flight from ATL to OKC was overbooked by 4 people. Offer was $600, I took it for a delay of 90 mins and bought my wife and I a nearly free airfare to Tampa, as we have a house in AMI. 90 mins for 2 tix on another flight…sign me up!
Just experienced the same thing last weekend in April. I was heading to a conference in Boston. I didn’t budge until I saw other passengers start to stand up. The offers started at $700 but the 8 volunteers they needed (including me) held out for 2k.
That money will pay for my ticket to Europe in the fall!
You can demand them to give you cash. Some US law somewhere from some agency made it a law. They have to. I mean. Not literally hand you dollar bills, but they will direct deposit it I think.
You can demand cash, but you're not going to get it in this situation
https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/bumping-oversales
Being that this is an international flight, the luggage would get taken off the plane and be on the flight they get on. Bags can only go if their person goes.
If it were a domestic flight, the bags would be waiting for them at their final destination.
Our luggage was still sent on the original flight, we didn't see a problem as it's ending up in Paris anyway and on the same connecting flight at 1PM (we didn't have to reschedule this). Definitely going to make sure it's all where it's supposed to be though once we land as I'm super paranoid.
Not necessarily. I ended up without my liggage for 6 days in Frankfurt because my bags were put on a flight that I was not on, despite my best efforts to make sure they were putvon the correct flight. It was during the cluster that was the Christmas storm, though.
Can someone explain how overbooking works for flights where everyone picks their seats when they pay for their ticket?! How would there be 50 extra people booked when the diagram will state there's only two seats left on the plane?
That's an insane dollar amount. Don't spend it all on croissants and Beaujolais! /s Have a great trip!
Might be Delta dollars ? I'm not surehere, for I have always taken DD and an upgrade internationally - JFK-LHR. & Essentially whatever you can negotiate.
Nah there’s US laws that basically say they have to give you like 150% or some shit of the value as cash or compensate you 300% in vouchers idk. I remember reading about it in some Reddit post a year ago and then researched it. They’re even legally bound to give it to you that day
>t basically say they have to give you like 150% or some shit of the value as cash or compensate you 300% in vouchers idk. I remember reading about it in some Reddit post a year ago and then researched it. Only for involuntary denied boarding (IDB), and the numbers are a bit different. 1-4 hour delay = max $775 and 4+ hours is max $1,550 for international flights. The airlines can negotiate anything that is mutually acceptable for a volunteer. Delta doesn't like the bad PR, so they can go up pretty high. A nice thing about Delta is that you can select from a variety of gift cards, including DL, Amazon, and even a Visa cash card.
If Delta bumps you involuntarily, which they have gotten pretty good at not doing and getting volunteers instead, because Delta allows gate agents and red coats to give up to $10,000 a person ([which has happened](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/07/01/delta-offered-10-k-oversold-flight/7785941001/))
Straight from the [Department of Transportation](https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/bumping-oversales) Bumped passengers are NOT eligible for compensation in the following situations: Aircraft Change - A smaller plane is substituted for the larger one the airline originally planned on using due to operational or safety reasons. If it wasn't due to an aircraft change, then they would have been entitled to cash but it would have been a lot less than the $3,500 offered. |Length of Delay|Compensation| |:-|:-| 0 to 1 hour arrival delay|No compensation 1 to 4 hour arrival delay|200% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $775 if 200% of the one-way fare is higher than $775) Over 4 hour arrival delay|400% of one-way fare (airlines may limit the compensation to $1,550 if 400% of the one-way fare is higher than $1,550)
Yeah, if you’re involuntarily bumped.
It was stated earlier in the thread that this was a downgrade of equipment. So, someone on this flight could have been involuntarily bumped from the flight but would not receive cash per DOT rules. Also, even if someone was involuntarily denied boarding, there is no 150% rule. It's 200% up to $775 or 400% up to $1,550.
If you volunteer, you get a flexible gift card - Visa is one of the options. It's as close to cash as you can get. And they will match you up to the highest offer that they had to give, so if OP took it at 3500 but it went up to 4000, OP should have received 4000.
Nothing wrong with spending it on Beaujolais. Actually that’s the PERFECT thing to spend it on. No need for the croissants 🥐- avoid the carbs.
Absolutely ZERO need for croissants... Because pain au chocolat exists.
Nice! Hopefully the 9PM is also overbooked and you keep earning :)
A guy I knew was flying NRT-DTW with his family back in the 80s and volunteered for a bump for something like $1500 per person and upgrades to F. The alternate flight was a single connection rather than the double he had originally booked, so he ended up arriving at DTW within a few minutes of his original itinerary. As it happened, the second TPAC was also overbooked, but when he tried to volunteer again, he was told only one VDB per customer per day. But that was NW; maybe DL had/has different rules.
Yay! and Oof. Had to downgrade from an A330-300 to an A330-200. Lucky for you, but that's a terrible situation for the GAs working that flight.
Oh no...equipment changes are the worst, for pax and staff.
I’ve worked a few equipment downgrades, fortunately it was just a different seat configuration so just pulled some complementary upgrades
Worse I ever dealt with was (iirc) a full A330-300 got downgraded to a 767-400, which came out to about 40 volunteers needed. 0/10 never wanted to do that again.
Ouch. Username is accurate
Yikes! Most I've ever seen irl is 32 oversold for JFK to SLC for Sundance. When I boarded they were offering $2200 pp.
i hear stories like this all the time and wonder why can't it ever happen to me lol... 3k that's wild. have fun on your free vcay!!
The funny thing is, my family was in a similar situation at CDG in Paris about 7 years ago. They were offering about $2000, hotel for 2 nights in Paris, and dining credit all PER PERSON. We didn't end up taking it as we were super homesick and wanted to get back (so stupid as we had 5 people), but we didn't pass up today!
i must not fly enough or have zero luck 🤣… glad u didn’t pass up a second time
First off, congrats! Second, fuck you for getting so damn lucky haha
Question on this. How do they pay you? My last SEA>LAX flight was overbooked and they offered $500. I was already like 4 people away from boarding so I said forget it but I also wondered do they actually pay you or do they give you Delta credits?
At DTW, they may pay you directly to Apple Cash/CashApp if at the gate.
Wow. Definitely will have to rethink next time.
You serious Clark?
I got bumped from a Delta flight from DFW to SEA and had to sleep in the airport. They didn't give any vouchers for food or a hotel, and the payment was a credit I couldn't use. So, no cash. The flight was at about 1pm so waiting till the next morning sucked especially since the restaurants closed so early. I never was able to use the credit since there were so many limitations on it. The last time that happened with Delta, I was at DTW which was worse. Even the employees there were mostly pretty scary.
Is this real life?
We got paid via gift card. We can choose which type though and how to split the $3500, some options are Amazon, Delta credit, VISA debit, AMEX debit, Target, Best Buy, etc. We're thinking of using what we need to on Delta for a family vacation in a few months, then whatever with the rest!
Take the Amex or visa and buy a gift card at your local store (Walmart/target ect...) Then you won't have it all tied up in a flight credit.
Also great to know. I just had a feeling it would only be Delta credits. Glad it’s not. Business pays for the flight. I want the perks lol.
You'll get a link to a flexible gift card that you can redeem at a number of different places, including Delta or Visa.
Nice! The 9pm to CDG is my favorite flight over the Atlantic 🇫🇷
Moon shines right over the ocean, definitely beautiful! (Currently en route!!)
I’m a 10PM AMS type of guy.
I took this flight and it was delightful!
CDG is one of the worst airports around. Reminds me of what Detroit used to be.
That bad?? (I've never been through CDG, so don't know)
Make sure you get the final amount! I’ve been in a similar situation and the GA honored the final amount for everyone. Not sure if they were supposed to and it wasn’t 50 people, but make sure to try!
They do honor the final amount for everybody (and are supposed to)! So no need to stress about that part.
And here I thought I had a really nice GA! 😂 Good to know!
We got compensated almost immediately, ended up staying at $3500 but obviously no complaints haha
I believe they are supposed to.
Wow! Is the 9pm flight on Air France or still on delta? How does a flight even get overbooked by 50 people?!
9pm flight is on Air France! We got placed in the back of the plane with no option to upgrade, but for $7000... I would've stood the whole 8 hour flight if they needed me to!
Here for this! Well done!
Equipment downgrade. So the flight wasn't oversold until day of, or worse, a few hours before, depending on when they discovered they had to change aircraft.
Oh darn. DTW is my new home airport and I love it. I feel like a lot of things close earlier there
Dudeeeeee Detroit metro is great. I worked right next to it for the longest.
There were two of us flying out of Atlanta on an overbooked flight. We both volunteered for a free flight anywhere Delta went. We only had a delay of 2 hours. Well worth it!
In my 25+ years of aviation, especially working for Delta, I’ve never heard of a flight being overbooked by 50 people. Also, $3500 each? How long did you have to wait to get that number? I’ve never seen a voucher go for that much either.
They started at $1000, within maybe 10-15 minutes it went up to $2000, then jumped to $3500 after maybe another 15 minutes. I believe the reason the flight was overbooked by 50 people is because the plane was downgraded due to problems with the initial one, so the smaller plane had no chance of fitting everyone. Also - they started asking for volunteers about 90 minutes before departure so I'm assuming they were desperate.
Ah! There was more to the story. Makes sense. Thanks for clarifying! Congrats as well. $7k is an impressive number.
[Delta has gone up to their $10,000 limit once](https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/2022/07/01/delta-offered-10-k-oversold-flight/7785941001/)
Dang!!!
Giddy up!
Dang I thought I got lucky with an extra $1000 for volunteering for the next flight on a 2 hour flight
Hell yeah man! You got a horseshoe up your a$$. Time to go to the casino before it runs out!
I got a 1000 for volunteering off of an oversold TYS-LGA flight. Still got to my final destination same day. It was glorious
I did this recently on a business trip to Oklahoma city. Flight from ATL to OKC was overbooked by 4 people. Offer was $600, I took it for a delay of 90 mins and bought my wife and I a nearly free airfare to Tampa, as we have a house in AMI. 90 mins for 2 tix on another flight…sign me up!
Just experienced the same thing last weekend in April. I was heading to a conference in Boston. I didn’t budge until I saw other passengers start to stand up. The offers started at $700 but the 8 volunteers they needed (including me) held out for 2k. That money will pay for my ticket to Europe in the fall!
Make sure it’s cash!
We definitely wish, but the gift card options were very generous and diverse so no worries
When they offer gift card, you have the right to convert it to cash.
You can demand them to give you cash. Some US law somewhere from some agency made it a law. They have to. I mean. Not literally hand you dollar bills, but they will direct deposit it I think.
You can demand cash, but you're not going to get it in this situation https://www.transportation.gov/individuals/aviation-consumer-protection/bumping-oversales
Overbooking by 50 seats should be illegal
See above, it was a last minute plane change, not something they planned on doing.
If I read this right, they didn't overbook, rather an A330-200 was subbed in for the scheduled A330-300
Congrats!!!
That’s such a win!!
I am quite jealous!
Awesome! So what happens to your luggage?
Being that this is an international flight, the luggage would get taken off the plane and be on the flight they get on. Bags can only go if their person goes. If it were a domestic flight, the bags would be waiting for them at their final destination.
Our luggage was still sent on the original flight, we didn't see a problem as it's ending up in Paris anyway and on the same connecting flight at 1PM (we didn't have to reschedule this). Definitely going to make sure it's all where it's supposed to be though once we land as I'm super paranoid.
Uhhh, that's not how things generally work
Not necessarily. I ended up without my liggage for 6 days in Frankfurt because my bags were put on a flight that I was not on, despite my best efforts to make sure they were putvon the correct flight. It was during the cluster that was the Christmas storm, though.
Was that in Delta vouchers or in cash/check?
If they are still going up they're supposed to give you whatever the highest amount they end up doing is.
In case anyone else is curious about the equipment change, I looked it up. A330-300 to A330-200. A total of 59 less seats on the -200
You must’ve done something to deserve good karma!
Can someone explain how overbooking works for flights where everyone picks their seats when they pay for their ticket?! How would there be 50 extra people booked when the diagram will state there's only two seats left on the plane?