Delta lifts cap for voluntary bumping to $9,950

[pnwmom]

Source: USA Today

Delta Air Lines began Friday offering its agents greater flexibility for dealing with overbooked flights, including eye-popping compensation up to $9,950 to travelers who agree to give up their seats.

While it sounds generous, tickets themselves such as a last-minute fare from Atlanta to Johannesburg can reach those heights. But the memo that Delta sent its workers reinforced the company’s priority for reaching an agreement with passengers voluntarily over missing a flight, rather than involuntarily denying boarding.

United Airlines has suffered a firestorm of criticism this week, all coming after Chicago aviation department security officers dragged a passenger off a flight Sunday in order to make room for a crew member. The passenger had declined an offer of $800 to take a flight to Louisville the next day.

Congress, the Transportation Department, the city of Chicago and United are each investigating the incident, in which passenger David Dao suffered a concussion and lost two teeth. United CEO Oscar Munoz has apologized and the airline expects to complete its review by the end of the month.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/04/14/delta-air-lines-bumping-compensation-9950-overbooking/100480050/

[irisblue]

1. PR shiv of UA. Nicely done. NT

[dhill926]

2. hmmmm....

I fly Delta a LOT.....

[GulfCoast66]

7. Me too. I like flying Delta. Not perfect but good.

Not as fun as it used to be. But when I was young people in my class could hardly afford to fly.

[SunSeeker]

3. The offer needs to be in CASH, not vouchers which are hard to use.

A common practice among airlines in the U.S. is to offer a voucher for displaced travelers, but once passengers accept it, they enter a new agreement with the airline and waive their rights to further compensation. In the U.S., passengers who are delayed by more than an hour can receive 200% of the value of a one-way flight, capped at $650, while those delayed by more than two hours can receive 400% of the value, with a maximum at $1,300. 

“People need to know their alternatives,” Zillmer said. “They need to know what they’re giving up so they don’t surrender their reservation for benefits. They’re going from $1,300 to $100 . It’s a long way from $1,300.” This practice allows airlines to continue their existing practices of overbooking flights, bumping passengers, and compensating them with vouchers that are redeemed only 15% of the time, he added.

https://www.fastcompany.com/3027718/the-airlines-with-the-worst-track-records-for-bumping-passengers

[pnwmom]

5. People have always been free to DEMAND cash in exchange for voluntary or involuntary bumps,

but most probably don't realize that.

[cstanleytech]

8. I would sure as hell demand the cash rather than that stupid voucher especially since I have never

flown before and so I wouldnt know when or if I ever would again.

[SunSeeker]

9. The airlines are required to tell the passengers their rights when they bump them.

They are also supposed to state how they arrived at choosing that particular passenger to bump. It seems pretty clear United never did that.

[R B Garr]

4. That's it right there! First thing hubby said, along with almost everyone else,

is to just offer more money. Quickly. Very soon, they will get a taker and problem solved. Just offer more money.

[cstanleytech]

6. This might encourage some business and first class passengers to take up the offer

especially if they are offering more $$.

[jimmil]

10. My bet...

Munoz will be gone by the end of the month. Seems United can't find a CEO that gives a shit about passengers that pay the bills. I won't fly on them and I get listed for free to anywhere. Believe it or not he was named, "Communicator of the Year," recently despite United being last of the big airlines in business first service and third from last in coach service. He has taken Continental Airlines which was fist and first (or very close to it yearly) and driven it into the dirt. A classic CEO in the same vein as Trump.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

11. I got $4000 out of them a few years ago

The woman I was traveling with for work took it too, woe is us killing a day in Amsterdam.

[mdbl]

12. I can't believe airlines get away with charging what they do

when they pay such shit wages now.