Gadling

It's about time something was done to these airlines for overbooking. People schedule those flights because they need to be a certain place at a certain time. These airlined need stiff penalties for overbooking and bumping people off of their assigned filghts. Besides fining them, they need to give that person an open flight ticket to use at thier leisure. If I missed my cruise boat because of overbooking I'd be more than irritated. I'd demand compensation!!!

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I had to fight to get my vouchers for being bumped off my flight along with 14 others in our group. Rep tried to tell me that we were late, I said no your plane was late getting us here and our connecting plane was still here but they bumped us. And if we missed our connection then how did one of our group with us get on that plane??? While being stranded for 3 days in Atlanta met alot of people who had been bumped due to overbooking sometimes by as much as 80 people!!!!!!Ours had been overbooked by 18. Delta did do right by us after many hours waiting for a rep on the phone.

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On US Air, being bumped was the last of many, many, many insults. Our party of 7 booked our flights together and with connections flew 5 different planes. Despite this, we sat all across the plane, including separating me from my two children (imagine if you were the passenger sitting next to my child while I was across the plane!!! Would you want to deal with him when he got bored, tired or just wanted to chat?). We had a dream vacation spoiled ONLY by our flights. On the trip home one of our party was moved to "standby." We were assured that she would have access to the flight and would not be left in a country by herself where she didn't speak the language. Keeping their promise, she boarded and was instead bumped in Pittsburgh. She was promised a voucher for a hotel, a meal and taxi fare. She was given a $14 voucher for a meal for herself and her husband who voluntarily stayed and cab fare to a hotel where the room wasn't very clean. Arriving at the airport on time for their flight they were told that she was bumped again and they would have to wait 5 hours for the next flight. If I was a paranoid person, I would think she was picked out for horrible treatment. Ask me about my once in a lifetime vacation and you will be regaled with stories of how we were mistreated by US Air as soon as I have mentioned the highlights. Anyway, thanks, US Air for making our dream vacation truly memorable.

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I work for the airline and also am glad to hear they'll finally crack
down on us for overselling. These decisions are made to oversell by
the big wigs in their ivory tower, yet the ground employees have to
face the brunt of all the understandably angry passengers. I would
love to see it cost the airline more money, therefore they would do
it alot less. Greed is very obviously the bottom line.

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how about before you buy your tickets they have to let you know (visual and or audio)what airlines are currantly"overbooking" (unless theres a storm or emergancy currently happening then you have to understand and get over it ) so you can make a choice thats informed ( i wonder how fast theyll get their acts together then ?)

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I agree...nobody should be bumped...BUT ALSO....People who blow off the flight SHOULD BE FINED alot of money...thats why airlines overbook...because many people dont show up everyday..YOU CANT HAVE IT BOTH WAYS!!!!!

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It's time airlines were held accountable. We have terrible memories from a trip with United. We were coming back from Europe, my husband, myself, two young children and two elderly parents, and missed our connection to a United flight in London due to our connecting flight being late. Well, we were delayed three days because United couldn't get us home. They were offering other passengers a way to our hometown, but refused to offer us the same deal. They claimed the flights were booked. At one point, we asked to speak to a manager at the customer service desk, and were told by the employee we were speaking to that she "had no boss!" It was just one fiasco after another. We told them we were willing to split up in order to get home. Well, my husband and his dad were told they could board on one flight, only to be kicked off because United had miscounted. I could go on and on. It just seemed like a nightmare. We try to avoid flying United whenever possible!!!!

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I have read most of these comments and I must say, they generally scare the bejeezes out of me. Last summer, I booked a flight aboard North Western Airlines into China from Tampa, and I connected with each flight--on time!! My luggage arrived in China unscathed and all flights were a wonderful experience, but I must make the same trip again this summer and after reading all the nighmares, I do have concerns. Perhaps the first flight was beginners luck?

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It is about time!!! A group of 11 were bumped off Air France at de Gaulle flying to Detroit. We checked in at out starting location (Spain) and transferred over in Paris. By the time the late partner airlines got to Paris, we had 30 minutes to spare. They made us go through customs and security again and we arrived at the gate with 12 minutes to spare. They wouldn't let us on the plane because they said the pilot wanted to go early and had left. We saw the shuttle at the door waiting and then it took off to the plane. We found out they had given our seats away to previously bumped travellers. It took us an additional 24 hours to get home and we had to rebook with minimal assistance from Air France. When I contacted Air France, there response was "Oh well". Nice!!!!
I have told all my friends not to fly Air France!!!

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My sister and I were supposed to meet in Vegas on Dec 23, my dads birthday and spend 4 days together there. United called her a couple hours before her flight and cancelled her non-stop flight due to the crew all calling in sick. They assured her she would be on a morning flight on Christmas eve. The next morning they again called her at home and told her the flight was again cancelled due to crew simply not showing up. I guess they wanted to spend their holiday with their families, but didn't care that they were committed to work on those days and were ruining the holday plans of the passengers. They then told her they could get her on a flight with 2 connections, one in Denver that you may remember had people sleeping at the airport due to bad weather. Her original flight was a non-stop one. By then I had spent two days alone at a Vegas casino and she had been waiting two days to take her flight. Our trip was only going to be 4 days anyway. We had non-refundable tickets that were lost, etc. I eventually paid a small fortune to Continental and got her in around 11pm Christmas eve. Thanks to Continentals employees for actually going to work on their committed shifts. They saved the back end of our little trip. At least United refunded the tickets, and gave her a voucher. Never again though, United.

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Boy it's not so bad having to drive the intercontinental United States. I have a short temper and I'm sure I 'd of been arrested for assault by now. I'm surprised more of these little pipsqueaks asses aren't beaten everyday, it's truly amazing.

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When my husband and I went to Ireland on our honeymoon we were bumped off our flight for four straight days. We were retired and it did not matter and every day we got $400 each and were put up in a beautiful hotel and given free meal tickets for every day. We got to spend three days in Dublin, loved it and came home with money to put in the bank......so getting bumped is not always bad if you are not in a hurry.

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Flying is a PRIVELAGE not a RIGHT.....When you buy a ticket...you are purchasing travel, from point A to point B, arriving sometime alive. PERIOD...If you get from point A to point B SOMETIME ALIVE you got what you paid for. PERIOD

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Contenental is the worst. First bumped and then lost luggage. And this was my honeymoon! I sued them and won. I hate Continenetal. they stink

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Continental bumped us and then lost our luggage, and this was our honeymoon!

The travel agency said we were all confirmed but it didn't mater.

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