It looks like United have decided to make some policy changes as a result of the overbooking incident they had recently. That particular incident arose due to crew members needing to fly on an overbooked flight, United was unable to find volunteers (or unwilling to offer enough compensation to find volunteers), called security and as a result a passenger was knocked unconscious.
Point Me To The Plane has a leaked e-mail from United regarding the policy change, you can read their site for the full e-mail but the change is as follows:
- Effective immediately, Crew Scheduling is now only able to make must-ride deadhead bookings on oversold flights if it is 60 minutes or more before the estimate time of departure.
This is a common sense change and something other airlines should adopt if they don’t have similar rules in place already. Involuntarily bumping a passenger that has already boarded for crew is nonsensical (as was United’s initial response to this saga). Â Delta recently increased their voluntary bumping policy to a maximum of $9,950, it’ll be interesting to see if United makes additional changes to their policies or not.
United’s new policy of 60 minutes seems just as stupid as what they did. If they KNOW they have to bump somebody and can justify it at 60 minutes, why not at 30 minutes?
Did the idiots not realize what happened here? The passenger was ON THE DAMN PLANE. And since nobody gets on the plane until 30 minutes before departure, they can avoid this situation. This is how stupid rules get put into place that nobody understands why.
Actually, flights “open” 1 hour before scheduled departure. That is when the gate agents print the manifest, can start assigning seats for booked passengers without assigned seats, etc.
This change makes perfect sense. Remember, it is a small scenario. This memo is not about overbooking un general, but is specifically for deadhead bookings, and it is very unlikely that the United crew scheduling group does not know well ahead of time that they have to move crew from point a to point.
Just some corrections:
1. The flight was sold out, not overbooked.
2. It was nonsensical, not “non-nonsensical”
3. The passenger wasn’t knocked unconscious, but he did suffer a concussion, lost two front teeth, suffer a broken nose, and require reconstructive surgery for sinus damage.
That was are very smart move by Delta to get free publicity out of United’s bad publicity.
They also get many many more customers to fly with them due to this incentive.
As a result they will be in a very good position to pay that $9,950 (if and when needed) from that profit.
I really don’t know why United is paying that stupid CEO who failed at a basic test.
Ha! If people really decide to fly Delta due to this silly PR gimmick, I wish them all pleasant dreams at the ATL gates.
ROFL! $$$$ from Delta or a swift kick from United- but at the gate instead of in the aircraft now. Glad my next flight is on Delta…
If you really think Delta will give anyone close to $10k in reality – and that they didn’t have similar policies like United’s already in place prior to this, you’re dillusional. There really just isn’t much difference between any of the legacies. The $10k from Delta is really just a PR gimmick.
Highly doubtful that any airline will even offer close to that much.
Airlines barely scrape by on some flights and that would just mean that the airplane is flying making a negative profit.
I would love to see them give that much but I would gamble they wouldnt.
We’ll an over booked flight I don’t think they are barely scraping by….
You would be shocked to find out how very little an airline makes off of a flight.
But my point is nobody will ever see that $10k.
I dont care what Delta puts out there.
It will never happen.
It’s a $10k voucher, not actual money
I wish I could post pics in here.
Its vouchers, gift cards or cash.
Go read Deltas new policy.
Can send to [email protected]
Since you’re “in the know” what are airlines’ profit margins per flight? Hint: Flights are high margin. The reason they need to overbook flights is because of the high capital investment to buy the plane. They need to pay off the cost of the plane.
Actually since you asked the post tax profit per passenger is $2.05 up from $1.85 several year ago.
Im not counting the food they sell, baggage costs, entertainment.
Look it up.
So yes as a whole they may make a decent amount of profit but paying what you people think they are gonna pay its a sure loss.
So yes they profit billions but its a slow race per flight.
People just love to get snarky dont they?
So lets assume they are making at least $50 a person per flight.
Now lets assume they are paying someone $2000 for bumping them.
They just lost profit for what 50 passengers on a single flight.
So back to my theory that I dont see this sticking or anyone receiving that amount.
Average variable cost to operate a Boeing 737 is $8,400 per hour. Let’s conservatively assume a flight grosses $150 per passenger per hour of flight (factoring in First and Business fares). At 160 seats per flight that’s $24,000 per hour of flight.
Also your argument of crediting someone $2000 is taking away profit from 50 passengers is completely a miss. It’s airline credit, you’re offering seats on future flights not directly impacting your bottom line.
Either way, airlines are vastly profitable when operating at capacity and vastly unprofitable when they are not at capacity. This is exactly the reason why they have to overbook flights. Bumping someone for flight credit has very little impact to their profitability as long as they can guarantee all their flights are full at takeoff.
Carlos, keep in mind the United scenario was to accomidate crew that would have forced them to lokely cancel a flight or more. That is a lot of lost revenue. It was not the cost of the 4 seats on the Chocago to Louisville flight that mattered, it was the hundred(s) of seats on the Louisville flight.
I agree Delta is not going to offer more for your seat than it is worth to them. They will continue to let you “bid” to voluntarily get bumped. Unlimely they will pay much kore than the revenue for the highest ticket they sold for the flight. However, what is the value of the deadhead? Probably a lot more than any revenue seat on that llane.
John im not arguing that fact at all.
But when some come on here and debate the fact about what airlines are making then post what they believe to be facts without foundation irks me.
For example the one poster made it sound like they are making millions off a flight to pay off a plane what??
Anyone can google the facts and not spout off just to argue.
But he asked so I answered.
My father in heaven and various sisters work for United and this is what im told.
Not saying its accurate but there are sources out there that collaborate the story.
That kind of payout will almost never ne offered, it will bankrupt them again.