Someone PLEASE explain this to me, because it makes no sense!! (Airline rant)

[mommaU4]

The question I have is about the show Airline on the A&E channel. It's a reality t.v. show about Southwest Airlines and their daily operations with customers. My son and DH are fans of the show and so I watch it occasionally with them.

It never fails to amaze me how the airlines constantly over books their flights and then ends up leaving some passengers stranded. It happens in almost every episode I've watched. What is up with that?!!

These customers are ticked off to put it mildly and I don't blame them one tiny bit. I don't understand how an airline can over book with the thought that some people will not show up. They said the no-show rate is about 20%.

So what happens on the days when everyone DOES show up? There is not enough room on the plane!! And you have some passengers who paid for their tickets way in advance, got to the airport plenty early and are now being told they don't have a seat for them. And then those passengers have to wait for the next plane that does have room for them, which may be in a half an hour or it may be in 6 hours or even tomorrow!!

I don't get it. If I paid for my ticket and I wasn't late getting to the gate, then I want my seat. I don't want to have to wait. I don't want compensation. I want what I paid for. Simple as that. How can airlines get away with this??? As one customer said, she paid for a seat on the plane NOT for the possibility of a seat on the plane.

And if you have somewhere to be, like one family who had to catch a cruise ship when they got to their destination and would not be refunded if they missed it, well that's just too bad. Sorry there is no room.

This has never happened to me personally but I watch this show and see this happen all the time and I don't get it. Can anyone explain how they have the right to do this?

 

[goodeats]

Well, why they have the right to do this, I don't know.

But, I do know that they try to offer free tickets or other reward to 'bump' people off of overbooked flights so they don't have to force somebody to another flight. I know my DH took a bump in Belize, got a night in a 4 star hotel plus he got $1,000 in AA vouchers. In a lot of circumstances I would take the bump, but sometimes (like if I'm really trying to get somewhere on a specific flight) I would not.

I make sure I check-in really early so I will never be the person forced to another flight. When we came back from Hawaii we asked to be bumped, but there was no bumping.

 

[Megster]

I'm pretty sure they can get away with it because it is in the fine print when you purchase the ticket.

 

[AnaheimGirl]

This always bugs me, too. I'd be furious if this happened to me. I've always been told there are enough volunteers willing to wait for the next flight in exchange for a free future flight, that they don't actually have to bump people who don't want to be bumped. I've heard them ask for volunteers before, seen plenty of people volunteer, and even volunteered myself. I've never seen anyone be told they're SOL, but that's probably because I'm inside the plane and they are still at the gate.

I don't know. My only guess is that it must happen rarely enough that the loss of those P.O.'d customers must cost the airlines less money than they make by over-booking.

This reminds me that sometimes it can be really great to give up your seats... On the way back from WDW in October, our flight was overbooked. We didn't volunteer, but the gate agent called us over. She had already found us a non-stop flight that would get us home earlier than the 2 connecting flights we were supposed to take, so we were thrilled to switch, and we still got four free tickets to use in the future!

 

[mommaU4]

It's crazy though because they will ask if there is anyone who wants to be bumped but if there is not, then you are outta luck. The last episode I saw, this lady had checked in an hour and a half before and she still ended up not making it on the flight. It filled up before she could board.

They say this is common practice but it would make me so mad if I paid for a ticket on a certain flight and then they just said oh well, it's full.

Oh well, I doubt I'll be flying anywhere soon so it doesn't matter I guess. Just doesn't make sense is all.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

They do this to insure their load factor and their yield for each segment. The airlines would rather risk buying people off than fly a plane with empty seats. And yes it is covered in the fine print. The easiest way to avoid this is to make sure to check-in and get to the gate at a reasonable time.

 

[salmoneous]

What the airlines do is bribe people to voluntarily get bumped. There are usually many people willing to get bribed, and I've even seen people fighting to get the right to get bumped. The airlines can keep upping the offer to bump people and eventually people take the bribe.

However, if they can't find anybody willing to take the bribe, they have the right to deny service. There is required compensation they must pay you (in general, the bribe is often higher than the required amount.)

In the real world, involuntary bumps are extremely rare, but they make for good TV. As for how they get away with it, it's part of the agreement you make when you buy a ticket.

 

[OhMari]

I know a Family that books a flight for mid-morning on a Monday, knowing full well that they will be bumped. They take the next plane out which you said is usually noon or early afternoon. The mom told me, the tickets they receive for getting bumped pays for there next vacation for where they want to go. She told me this almost 10 years ago and they go on vacations at least twice a year. They usually fly out of Milwaukee with Midwest or Northwest Airlines.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

And if airlines did not do this, you would see an significant increase in the cost of tickets, and there would be no LCCs (low cost carriers).

 

[CathrynRose]

I completly and TOTALLY agree. I sometimes get as angry as the passengers as I sit there and watch. I'd be flipping livid...

And - if I ever had to buy an extra seat??? Oh please - you'd see me on the local news: "Woman chokes each and every airline employee as she refused to buy another seat for her large butt"

That INFURIATES ME! And I'm an average size person.... it's not the chubby-people fault those seats are made for a 10 year olds body!

 

[sgtdisney]

As others have mentioned all of this is spelled out in the very, very fine print on your tickets. In very broad terms, you really aren't buying a specific seat on a specific flight, but passage from one city to another. Airlines HAVE to over sell their flights as a matter of staying in business.

It is true, on most flights there is a no-show rate of close to 20%. If the airlines only sold as many seats as they have on an aircraft they would be leaving with unsold seats most of the time. The airlines have calculated this risk and found it to be more cost effective to offer incentives to people to give up (or be forced to give up) their seats in an overbooked condition than to have partially full aircraft. Most of the time, people will volunteer to give up their seats because they get compensated in some way. In the rare occassions people have to be bumped. It is just an unfortunate result. Most airlines bump people based on their ticket class, cheapest tickets get bumped first. I am not sure how SWA does it. I would assume in a similar fashion.

One thing to remember, Airline is a television show. Through creative editing the program shows the more 'interesting' aspects of airline travel. If they had a program showing what really went on most of the time, it wouldn't be entertaining. They have to feature the times when there is a drunk pax or when someone who needs to get home but gets bumped. It makes for good TV.

 

[mommaU4]

Okay, got it. I guess it works out better for most people more often than not. And of course it does make better t.v. to see the people who are yelling and screaming that they want their seat.

Almost as good as when a passenger is really drunk and they try to deny them boarding. Now that's some good t.v.!

 

[CathrynRose]

I know a Family that books a flight for mid-morning on a Monday, knowing full well that they will be bumped. They take the next plane out which you said is usually noon or early afternoon. The mom told me, the tickets they receive for getting bumped pays for there next vacation for where they want to go. She told me this almost 10 years ago and they go on vacations at least twice a year. They usually fly out of Milwaukee with Midwest or Northwest Airlines.

Hmmmmm -

This would make my plan to buy annual passes for our September trip, in case we decide to make another trip before a year is up - make sense! ! !

***doing the "booking mid-morning-monday, and get bumped dance***

 

[Miss Jasmine]

One thing to remember, Airline is a television show. Through creative editing the program shows the more 'interesting' aspects of airline travel. If they had a program showing what really went on most of the time, it wouldn't be entertaining. They have to feature the times when there is a drunk pax or when someone who needs to get home but gets bumped. It makes for good TV.

Isn't that the truth??!!??!! Most of the time it would be ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

[sgtdisney]

it's not the chubby-people fault those seats are made for a 10 year olds body!

You are right, it isn't the chubby-people's fault, but the general flying public's fault that those seats are so narrow. Airlines used to use 5 abreast seating on the same width planes that now have 6 across. However at the prices people are willing to pay for airline travel it was unprofitable so they had to find a way to put more people on an airplane. Take for example American, who had more room in coach seating with more leg room. It was not successful because people didn't care as much about the 3 extra inches of legroom as they did that they could fly on other carriers, with less leg room for less money. With today's airline consumer the ticket cost is the bottom line. The majority of people are completely unwilling to pay more for a more comfortable product. They want the cheapest ticket, period.

 

[Shugardrawers]

Ok, I understand what the airlines are saying here. I don't like it one bit but I understand their "logic". Here's what I don't understand: Say a plane has 200 seats. 200 people book a ticket. Flight is full. 10 more call and really want on that flight. Ok, you can go standby but you may not get that flight. Passenger knows upfront they may have to wait. 4 people don't show and they fill those seats with standbys. The remaining 6 people are told sorry, no more room. Airline still has a full flight and standby passengers knew it might happen and took a shot. What's wrong with doing that rather than overbooking the flight and at the last minute telling those 6 people, who THOUGHT they had a seat that they're SOL?

Considering the majority of seats are coach and the majority of those are the deeply "discounted" tickets that are non-refundable, the airline gets their money one way or another. Standby makes the airline a little extra money and everyone goes away happy, or at least informed at the time of booking.

 

[sgtdisney]

Ok, I understand what the airlines are saying here. I don't like it one bit but I understand their "logic". Here's what I don't understand: Say a plane has 200 seats. 200 people book a ticket. Flight is full. 10 more call and really want on that flight. Ok, you can go standby but you may not get that flight. Passenger knows upfront they may have to wait. 4 people don't show and they fill those seats with standbys. The remaining 6 people are told sorry, no more room. Airline still has a full flight and standby passengers knew it might happen and took a shot. What's wrong with doing that rather than overbooking the flight and at the last minute telling those 6 people, who THOUGHT they had a seat that they're SOL?

Considering the majority of seats are coach and the majority of those are the deeply "discounted" tickets that are non-refundable, the airline gets their money one way or another. Standby makes the airline a little extra money and everyone goes away happy, or at least informed at the time of booking.

They don't want to lose the customer. If Carrier A is only booking standby tickets on their flight at 9AM for 200.00, but Carrier B is booking guaranteed regular seats on their less desirable flight at 11:45 for 200.00 most people will opt for the confirmed seats. In order to make it work, the airlines would have to drop the price on the tickets that were stand-by to make them more appealing. Good idea, but it would not really work for the airlines. Especially when they can oversell a flight legally.

 

[RachelEllen]

This just happened to my boyfriend. He was bumped from a flight from Manchester to Toronto and couldn't go until the next morning. I think he was livid on the inside, but from he said, it's really better not to get too upset at the people who work there. They're not going to change their mind, they've heard it all before, and they can be much nicer to you with benefits (like hotel rooms and compensation) if you don't make their job harder than it has to be.

 

[barkley]

it can get even worse with "on-line check in". we had a flight with southwest coming home (accross the country) and it was the only available flight that day. we did'nt have internet access to do the on-line check in (which you can do i think begining 24 hours in advance of the flight). we arrived at the airport 4 hours early and were told "you cut it kind of close did'nt you?". we got our seats, but there were others who arrived just as early and did'nt (cuz the on-line check-ins had taken up the seats despite their tickets being bought months later).

there has to be a better system they could institute.

seems like there could be some sort of priority given to ticket holders with an earlier purchase date (when the flight was'nt yet overbooked).

 

[simba928]

Most of the time, I side completely with the airline/Southwest employees. Even though I am only 15, I have been on 40+ flights, so I am a fairly experienced traveler. In addition to that, my mom flys alot for work and personally knows some of the gate agents on the show. I believe that most of the people on that show are overreacting either because thats just the way they are or to get on TV. Airlines overbook their flights so that they don't lose money. If they didn't overbook, they would have people that just don't show up or, like my family has done several times, try to go standby on another flight. If the people going standby make it onto the plane and that airline didn't over book, that leaves some seats empty. For example, We have 4 people in my family. If we go standby on another flight and get on, we are taking up 4 seats on that flight. If they didn't overbook our original flight, that would leave 4 seats empty, which would mean that my family of 4 is taking up 8 seats and only paid for 4 of them, if that makes any sense.

Now, there are some things that I don't agree with the airline on. For example, people can't bring Oxygen tanks on the plane. Even though I completely understand why that is not allowed, I personally would have a hard time telling Grandpa that needs oxygen that he can't go to WDW with the Grandkids because of the oxygen. You know?

Other times, I just have to roll my eyes at the passengers. I don't get why they would be upset at the airline. Like people that check their necessary medications that if they don't take every night before they go to bed, they become seriously ill. Why would you do that? It is just common sense to carry those medications with you because you never know when your flight will be delayed or cancelled or if your bags will get lost or whatever. Those people just make me go