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L.A. Times defends United Airlines and overbooking, gets solidly trounced in the comment section. (Original Post) Towlie Apr 2017 OP
And of course, the flight was not overbooked. PoindexterOglethorpe Apr 2017 #1
So long as they run a fair open market auction exboyfil Apr 2017 #3
That's kind of what Delta has started doing. The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2017 #4
That is a good article exboyfil Apr 2017 #5
My impression was that they were just explaining it, not defending it. The Velveteen Ocelot Apr 2017 #2

PoindexterOglethorpe

(25,746 posts)
1. And of course, the flight was not overbooked.
Fri Apr 14, 2017, 10:58 AM
Apr 2017

Which is an important detail in the entire saga.

That said, overbooking is not going to go away. It's slightly possible that the airlines will get a teensy bit less aggressive about how much they overbook, but trust me, they won't stop the practice.

exboyfil

(17,857 posts)
3. So long as they run a fair open market auction
Fri Apr 14, 2017, 12:17 PM
Apr 2017

To buy back the seats, I don't see a problem. The problem is they don't.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,280 posts)
4. That's kind of what Delta has started doing.
Fri Apr 14, 2017, 12:22 PM
Apr 2017
When passengers on overbooked flights check in online or at the check-in kiosk, they’re asked what the dollar value of the travel voucher they would accept as compensation for volunteering their seats. They give you a hint, too — “Delta accepts lower bids first.” By the time you reach the gate, the gate attendants already have a list of passengers to call up to confirm they’ll fly standby. If your bid is low enough, you’ll be on that list.


http://www.pbs.org/newshour/making-sense/how-delta-masters-the-game-of-overbooking-flights/

exboyfil

(17,857 posts)
5. That is a good article
Fri Apr 14, 2017, 12:34 PM
Apr 2017

It also shows that Delta has 3 per capita mandatory bumps to UALs 11. The number of total bumps is about the same.

That article demonstrates to me that UAL is engaged in predatory practices on those customers they feel are the less economically beneficial to them.

I would urge anyone in a mandatory bump situation to video their interaction with a gate agent. It might not hurt to ensure that the conversation is very loud so that other passengers hear the conversation. Ask the gate agent specifically why you were selected. Challenge the answer if necessary. Also ask for the compensation in cash. They have to pay cash in a mandatory bump (this article does not make that clear).

It would be nice if that reporter who interviewed the CEO of UAL had asked about the 3.3 times number of mandatory bumps when compared to Delta. Also the reporter should explored how the bumps are actually done. It is far from being a random process.

The maximum compensation for a bump should definitely go up. Actually far enough to ensure a fair auction.

The Velveteen Ocelot

(115,280 posts)
2. My impression was that they were just explaining it, not defending it.
Fri Apr 14, 2017, 11:32 AM
Apr 2017

All the airlines have been doing it for many years; maybe the United incident will result in ways to do it better. I don't think it will go away, for the reasons explained in the article. But the United situation wasn't the result of overbooking at all, but of the airline's decision to bump boarded passengers in order to get some employees on the plane for another flight. The whole thing got conflated in the media with the overbooking issue.

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