Bumped off oversold flight as a WP

[JW]

An interesting hypothetical, with MEL/SYD frequencies it's not hard to envisage someone being bumped off their original flight and moved to a flight 15 mins later that arrives earlier than the flight they were bumped from!

I think the airlines would lobby the government hard such that if there was any EU style regulations they could main a degree of operational flexibility on ultra-high frequency routes, so denied boarding wouldn't be eligible for automatic compensation if you were rebooked on a flight that was scheduled to arrive within 31/61/91 (pick a number) mins of original schedule.

unless said flight makes detour AFTER takeoff ('to pickup crew') and does not tell passengers until later...and you still miss your connecting flight as new flight gets there later than original delayed flight :-(

 

[Quickstatus]

offering a USD1000 voucher per passenger

Some years ago we were LGA- DEN on Boxing Day. They were asking for volunteers. Then the $$$ bribes started. We discussed it as we were 5pax and they were looking for 6pax. We decided to pull the trigger at $500 each. When it got to $500 I went to the counter but not quick enough. 2 pax took it before me leaving me 4 spots for 5 pax. Could not do it obviously. Eventually went to $1k before it was snapped up.

 

[encryptededdy]

2 pax took it before me leaving me 4 spots for 5 pax. Could not do it obviously. Eventually went to $1k before it was snapped up.

Sounds like it would've been cheaper for them to offer your 5 pax $500 ea. instead of 4 pax $1000 ea.

 

[RooFlyer]

Sounds like a good idea for an app add-on. "We need volunteers to offload, so please open your app and enter the number of people you can accept for, to be offloaded at the displayed price"

Of course, the airlines wouldn't structure it that way. It would be "We need volunteers to offload, so please open your app and bid the price you want to be paid to be offloaded for"

 

[RichardMEL]

Sounds like a good idea for an app add-on. "We need volunteers to offload, so please open your app and enter the number of people you can accept for, to be offloaded at the displayed price"

Of course, the airlines wouldn't structure it that way. It would be "We need volunteers to offload, so please open your app and bid the price you want to be paid to be offloaded fofor"

QF's version: you can accept for random other pax to be offloaded...

Another enjancement from the WEKs!

 

[Quickstatus]

Sounds like it would've been cheaper for them to offer your 5 pax $500 ea

Likely, but in their favour, I didn't let them know I wanted 5. As soon as the request went from 6 to 4, I withdrew but didn't think of asking for 5.

 

[dylarr]

Sounds like a good idea for an app add-on. "We need volunteers to offload, so please open your app and enter the number of people you can accept for, to be offloaded at the displayed price"

Before COVID, QF used to send "Flight Switch" text messages to pax on heavily loaded flights offering gift vouchers to move flights.

https://www.qantas.com/au/en/travel-info/flight-switch.html

I think the main intent was the revenue opportunity. The tech allowed them to safely "oversell" a flight without actually overselling it by freeing up last minute inventory on desirable flights that could then be sold at a premium. It seemed like a good idea - but I haven't heard of anyone getting such an offer for years now. Perhaps it didn't deliver the results they were hoping for.

 

[ChrisMars]

I vaguely remember a thread a couple of years ago, where on a flight, the Qantas (or virgin?) staff offered something like 500 (five hundred) Frequent Flyer points, to be bumped to the next flight.

 

[Cloud9]

I vaguely remember a thread a couple of years ago, where on a flight, the Qantas (or virgin?) staff offered something like 500 (five hundred) Frequent Flyer points, to be bumped to the next flight.

500? Not 500k?
I wouldn't even move my feet out of the way to let then hoover under my chair for 500 points, let alone be bumped.

 

[ChrisMars]

500? Not 500k?
I wouldn't even move my feet out of the way to let then hoover under my chair for 500 points, let alone be bumped.

It was a tiny ridiculous number, and the discussion was about how stupid this was.

 

[Cloud9]

It was a tiny ridiculous number, and the discussion was about how stupid this was.

That's not stupid. That's <redacted>