It’s no secret that airlines oversell tickets for flights. By selling more tickets than the actual number of seats on a flight, they can maximize their revenue and reduce the number of empty seats on the plane. This practice can be especially beneficial for airlines during peak travel times, such as holidays and weekends, when the demand for flights is high.
The reason for this is that the airlines know a number of people will usually not show up for a flight. This could be due to a variety of reasons, such as last-minute cancellations, missed connections, or simply changing their travel plans. Airlines can account for these no-shows by overselling flights and still filling up the plane.
Of course, overselling flights sometimes leads to overbooking. This occurs when more people show up than there are available seats. In such cases, the airline must find a way to persuade a certain number of passengers to take a later flight. You’ll know if your flight is overbooked if you hear an announcement at the gate requesting volunteers. Airlines generally offer incentives to passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily and take a later flight. This approach enables the airline to accommodate all passengers and prevent any significant disruptions to their travel plans.
Asking passengers to take a later flight when they’ve already checked in and are waiting at the gate may not be the wisest decision. Nobody wants to spend additional hours at the airport after they’ve checked in and arrived at their gate. If no volunteers are available, even if the airline makes an outrageously high offer, the airline may have to involuntarily deny boarding to some passengers.
Airlines have become more proactive in requesting passengers to take a different flight. For instance, American Airlines contacted us on the day of our flight to inquire if we would consider changing our routing in exchange for a $400 e-voucher each. We accepted the offer, and in doing so, American Airlines was able to avoid having to look for a volunteer at the airport.
However, that approach is labor intensive and relies on a passenger picking up the phone. I saw on a recent American Airlines flight that they’re now using technology to help find volunteers for oversold flights.
When I checked in for our flight, I received an offer to volunteer for a later flight.
American Airlines was providing compensation of $150 to $350 for passengers who were willing to take a different flight. However, it’s important to note that this offer was not for changing your existing flight, but rather, it was to indicate to the airline that you are interested in their offer. Additionally, if you were asked by the gate agent, you had the option to decline the offer.
The same offer was presented when we checked our bags at the airport. I didn’t accept so I don’t know if the airline found the volunteers that they needed or if the flight ended up not being overbooked.
I believe this is a smart way to find volunteers who are willing to accept a bump voucher. Previously, this method was employed by resourceful travelers as a means of obtaining free flights, but now airlines will probably have a larger pool of volunteers and pay out smaller amounts than before.
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2 comments
Good use of technology. I think letting people enter a custom amount as well would be even better.
American offers this on nearly every flight. They almost never actually need volunteers. I fly 50 flights a year with them; I get this on 85% of my flights.