Hopefully this incident will be a catalyst of change for the airlines who have gotten too used to treating paying customers as widgets.
I fly Southwest 6-8 times a year. I don’t really like them, but they are better than all the rest.
About 20 years ago, I remember hearing a radio financial guy say that he would handle an overbooking by stepping on the plane with a wad of cash.
Folks, I need to get to the destination and I’m willing to personally pay the first person to give me their seat $500 in cash. OK, $600 and keep going.
If the airline did that, a ticket on the next available flight at any airline, hotel if needed and a few hundred dollars, many people would take that offer.
However, the meager offers they give of a heavily limited ticket is a pathetic option and not worth considering.
Personally I only fly for business. I’ve only flown once for a pleasure trip and once to go see my dad before he died. A free ticket is meaningless to me. Money on the other hand...
I think the catch to this whole game is the 30 minute window prior to boarding. If there’s overbooking, or a need to put crew members in seats...then BEFORE a single person is allowed to walk down the ramp, there needs to be some offer put out there.
I agree....some later flight...some compensation (say $100 to start off). If no interest in two minutes, then offer up a $300 voucher. Then move onto a Marriot hotel deal for the night and a max of $400 cash. After that...just punch the button and pick folks at random (well before they board).
If you screw up and everyone has boarded, and then you try to ‘herd the cows’....it just won’t work. Just on the baggage issue alone (you’d have to remove bags from the cargo area). I personally hate seeing Senators regulate this but the airlines need to get their act together and just agree...30 minutes prior to boarding, you start the over-booking game.
However, the meager offers they give of a heavily limited ticket is a pathetic option and not worth considering.
“However, the meager offers they give of a heavily limited ticket is a pathetic option and not worth considering.”
Part of what makes their compensation offers inadequate is the idiotic drill just to get to the gate.