Delta Air Lines overbooked a flight, so as is common they offered passengers gift cards to give up their seat and take a later flight. One passenger who had already boarded the flight in Atlanta accepted their offer of $700 but when he got off the aircraft the airline would not pay.
- The passenger had cleared the flight as a standby
- Which Delta shouldn’t have done in the first place, considering they found themselves overbooked
- So despite being offered $700 to get off the plane, the airline – after an appeal to a manager – offered only a meal voucher.
The airline made a mistake in clearing the passenger, but increased offers to give up a seat stem from David Dao being kicked off of a United Express flight and bloodied by airport police. The principle that was broadly agreed to at the time was that once a passenger was seated, they shouldn’t be taken off the aircraft to accommodate someone else. In other words, that it was their seat for the duration of the flight.
After being kicked off the plane, the passenger says that they complained to Delta and was offered 5,000 SkyMiles. They rejected Delta’s offer, and finally spoke to someone over the phone who offered $200 or 20,000 miles “for the miscommunication.”
Delta is the only one of the largest U.S. airlines that still offers extremely generous compensation to avoid kicking someone off of a flight when they overbook. They’re willing to pay out far more than the legally required 400% of a passenger’s one-way fare not to exceed $1,550 for involuntarily ‘bumping’ someone.
Here’s an agent literally begging passengers to take $1,300 (not travel vouchers!) to give up their seat and take a later flight, because more people showed up than they had seats. And that’s for a domestic flight, where $1,300 may be more than four times the one way fare.
Shortly after the David Dao incident Delta authorized gate agents to go up to $9,950.
However Delta isn’t above making an offer and then reneging. On Christmas Eve day Delta was offering as much as $8,000 per passenger before refusing to pay out the money because they later cancelled the flight.
I have not seen such an egregious overbooking situation in any recent memory…but I can certainly see the mostly easy choice I would have (short of a family emergency) to “take the next available flight” for an $8k +/-.
I suppose you’d almost have to make the GA come on board with the voucher in hand to ensure that you’re not leaving the aircraft just to end up with a “miscommunication” voucher.
Never give up a seat for any reason. They would have had to drag me off the flight. Unless they took the Skypesos instead of the cash. Then they deserve to be beaten and drug off.
“After being kicked off the complain,” … really Gary?
More Delta vapor ware
I rarely volunteer because I have a tight schedule. The rare times that I did, they didn’t need the volunteers. However, if I do next time, maybe I will video the promise? Effective?
Delta screws its customers? We are not surprised.
premium airline
Delta is a premium airline that offers premium products and earns premium revenue by offering out premiums to passengers overbooked on their premium flights and then reneges by swapping out the premium compensation with meal vouchers for premium food at their premium hubs (which is how they are able to keep their premium revenue).
This is a clear example of why Delta is the best run, most profitable, fuel efficient airline in the universe. That’s not opinion, that is what the hard data say.
About three weeks ago I was leaving LAS and United needed 3 volunteers. They got up to $1,200. I was tempted, but it would have meant giving up my 1pm flight and taking a 11:40pm redeye
Standbys can absolutely be asked to give up their seats even after they are seated. It’s not a sure thing until takeoff.
I was leaving GSP on January 3 on a first leg to ATL. Early am flight on 737 overbooked. They got up to $500 and many of us went to the agent at the gate since there are many flights every hour and a half or so. Gate agent was asking folks to sign the voucher first. Issue was all remaining flights were sold out and the next flight wasn’t until late afternoon the next day. He didn’t want to mention that.
Delta learn to do a better job for your customers. You are committing fraud thru your bait & switch schemes.
That’s the Spirit, delta.
About 5 years ago, my son and I were returning from New York through Charlotte on American. They asked for volunteers to give up their seat. My son chose to do it and got enough light credit for him and his girlfriend to fly to Miami. He may have gotten enough to fly someplace else too. I can’t remember
Perhaps Ed was the mystery stingy Delta gate agent and will appear the next episode of “Undercover Boss”…
Would not have taken that without the voucher beforehand
Is this something the DOT could intervene on? It doesn’t get more dishonest than this
Paul is dead right: Delta has proven to be so unethical and anti-consumer that to take any offer suggests that you should insist on receiving the voucher on the spot or deal off. That presumes, of course, that you’re dumb enough to fly Delta.
You didn’t say whether the passenger was a paying or revenue passenger, or a non-revenue (NRSA) stand-by passenger. If the passenger was the latter, a friend and family traveller, then Delta was correct in offering an apology and meal voucher – such travel is strictly on a space available basis, and such passengers are subject to last minute removal from the plane if a last minute revenue (paying) passenger shows up, or the flight is oversold. If he was a paying stand-by passenger already seated, then he should have been compensated for offering his seat back when solicited for compensation. I think the action must be judged by whether he was a paying passenger, or a non-revenue stand-by.
The fake Dunns are hilarious!
A large voucher with a company I fly on regularly (not Delta or United or American) would be ok but cash is better.
@O’Brian – the DOT changed rules after Dao. Once you have boarded, you can’t be “denied” a seat unless you volunteer to give it up
As noted, they shouldn’t have been cleaed onto the flight if full. However once they boarded, they were now a ticketed and confirmed passenger entitle to compensation.
Doesn’t matter if Delta had the right to remove the standby from the plane…. they made the mistake of negotiating $700 for the person to give up the seat. The person accepted and performed. Enforceable contract. Tell Delta you’ll see them in small claims.
During the Christmas eve, I was flying to Bangladesh thru London Heathrow and I had a 6 hour break before I fly again. Since I had no idea about Volunteering, I asked and was explained to everything. He was asking everyone but there was not a single person wanted to give up his/her seat. Since no one was ready to give up, I was treated like a royalty. The gentleman offered me $1200 and a guaranteed 1st class upgrade. I was so happy. Guess what? when everyone left to the airplane. The same gentleman with a big smile asked me to board with a check plus upgraded to First class IN THE SAME PLANE! I couldn’t believe my eyes. So I was going to the 1st Class by the seperate door, same person came to me and thanked profoundly for the gesture. I thanked him also.
Once I sat down, got myself sattled. I looked at the Voucher, it was actually a Check and the amount was $1575. Talk about luck.
So from that time onwards, if I have to fly to anywhere I make sure it is around the big holidays or during the long weekend.I have kept volunteering and I got money, voucher, Hotel stay and upgrade. I am the first one to volunteer and so far I got 77% time lucky.
Long live volunteering.
..
There are gaps in your report. Was the passenger a revenue passenger or a non-revenue passenger? If he was a non-revenue passenger, then a meal voucher is all that is due to him. If a revenue passenger, then the manager made a mistake. Once a revenue standby passenger steps onto the aircraft then they become a confirmed passenger. At least that was the policy in April 2020.
I NO LONGER FLY AMERICAN, DELTA AND UNITED BECAUSE THEY HAVE NO REGARD FOR PASSENGERS
“I’ll take your deal, and leave the plane, when the voucher is in my hand. How fast can you type? :-)”
Way, way too easy to watch the jetbridge retract and then hear a, “oh, my, the computer won’t let me do this for you!” as your flight taxies away.
Delta has more then once made my Christmas a little better by waiting for the cash offers to go above $800. I’m rarely in a rush on my return home trips and don’t mind the delays for the cash. If we could only get them to offer lounge access for the wait along with the cash!
How do I get my fraudulent experience with Avianca published? The experience costed me money I don’t have and ruined my vacation.
The statement àbout breach of a contract is spot on. Offer+acceptance= contract.
It is not bait and switch. Read the article. The flight was oversold and they needed a volunteer to give up the search for another passenger
Who had a confirmed seat on the flight? The standby passenger did not have a confirmed seat on the flight and was erroneously cleared (given a seat by the gate agent) when he/she thought everyone was on board. Many, many times confirmed passengers come late and if time permits, standbys can be removed for a confirmed passenger. The standby did nothing wrong by volunteering – but he/she would not be entitled to compensation according to Delta’s contract of carriage. Any compensation for an error in clearing the standby would be generous, because people do make mistakes and the standby should not have been given a seat before all confirmed passengers were on board.
I’ve been on numerous Delta flights where they cleared standby pax, then said their oversold. I don’t understand their thinking on that.
I just flew on United and had a forst class ticjet . I was bumped from first class to coach . They were very apologetic and gave me and my wife $500.00 travel voucher . United offered , even before I asked !!. United seems to have turned their customer service around ! Next time fly a different airline . You have choices . If that happens , mayne Delta will get it and change there policies to be more in tune with there customers
It will be better in 2025 he’ll only be given 15 sky clubs.
@Mark, consider this. The ticket bought far enough in the future costs $300 but at the last minute on standby it costs $600. So the gate agent tries to maximize revenue by clearing the standby passenger and getting someone to take a $500 voucher for a later flight that isn’t full. $600 comes in and potentially $500 goes out but the gate agent knows that only 50% of the typical voucher is used. The end result is $600 comes in and on an average $250 goes out for a net of $350 and two happy passengers. Maybe someone else knows the numbers better than my speculation.
Why do airlines feel they have to overbook?! A p#%^& poor way of doing business, in my opinion.
I used to take every bump/voucher available. Then the airlines started asking at check-in kiosks if you’d be willing to accept a bump, and at what price. It’s been more than 5 years since I’ve ever heard an offer at the gate.
I have, however, flown Delta on my last 3 one-way multi-leg flights, and they’ve been so late taking off that I’ve missed connections on all 3 of those Delta flights. Delta is performing HORRIBLY.
I am still eager to get bumped if it pays. And I’m flying on Christmas Eve this year. Please please please make me an offer!!!
(Which airlines still do this?)
Delta tried this bait and switch with me but I recorded the offer and the reneging. Once they made the offer and I accepted we had a verbal contract. I filed a Police report with airport Police who were reluctant to intervene. Eventually got every penny they promised but I will NEVER fly Delta again.
I got $1,000 for stepping off a flight. The thing is is that you make sure you get that printed out for you beforehand it’s not something you get after. They give you an entire packet they send you an email literally that very moment, there isn’t like there isn’t some sort of paper trail because there is and then my connecting flight was delayed (not for weather) and I got another 500 bucks for my 1 hour of time.
If you got stiff that’s because you didn’t make sure you were actually getting a deal.
Mental note…get the voucher up front.
My son and I recently sold our seats for $800 per person. The only issue I had was the agent mistyped my email address which was quickly rectified. I have since used the voucher for 2 flights next month. My son is still using his for the various vouchers they have as you can pick the amount.
Yeah we are just fighting this at the moment – my daughter was flying from Australia to Paris through LA and NYC. At the NYC leg they had a previously cancelled flight and started offering people to give up their seats – my daughter eventually did and got $2300 USD as a credit. She elected to get the credit as Mastercard Debit cards.
This happened in March this year and we have been chasing them on weekly basis since then to fulfill this and it is a never ending list of excuses.
Currently we are hassling their fulfillment house in Europe to send them out and they keep claiming they have done so yet they never turn up – i am sure if it was a smaller sum of money then they would hope people would just disappear