Airline overbooking under fire

[CathJ]

Here's an interesting (and for once, hopefully non-political) issue:

The airlines attempt to predict how many people won't turn up for the flight, and then overbook, in the hope that the extra bookings will compensate for the "no shows".

But, as many South Africans have discovered, airlines often get their sums horribly wrong, and people who have booked and paid are "bumped off" the flight.

"If I made out a cheque in payment for a flight, and when the airline tried to cash it, they were told there were no funds, they'd consider that to be fraud," Knight said.

Yet the airlines call their practice of routinely denying ticket-holding passengers a seat on a plane "international procedure", he said.

Knight played a key role in drawing up the latest draft of the Consumer Protection Bill, which is due to go to Parliament later this month.

It has thrown the cat among the pigeons by requiring airlines not only to refund the airfare to those bumped off flights - with interest - but also to fund any "consequential damages for any economic harm" suffered by the stranded person as a result.

Via IOL

My question is: how are airlines actually hurt by no-shows? I'm pretty sure they don't refund their ticket price, so if the ticket is paid for, what does it matter if someone's actually sitting in the seat or not?

And if they do refund the ticket, wouldn't it be better to stop doing that, rather than allow deliberate overbooking?

 

[Moederloos]

This is common practice world wide - but in some places the "bumped" person is compensated and so forth. I forget the figures quoted, but something like 200Euro for a flight of 1-2 hours, up to 600Euros for a international long distance flight.

Also, airlines need to "work together". So, if you are bumped from the SAA JHB->CT flight, and BA is empty, BA has to take you and SAA needs to pay BA.

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Knight played a key role in drawing up the latest draft of the Consumer Protection Bill, which is due to go to Parliament later this month.

It has thrown the cat among the pigeons by requiring airlines not only to refund the airfare to those bumped off flights - with interest - but also to fund any "consequential damages for any economic harm" suffered by the stranded person as a result.

Good - so something is being done.

If you followed the news then you'll see that it occurs more frequently that a flight be fully booked and ppl be bumped off.

 

[xrapidx]

Hasn't happened to me, and I fly quite a bit, but if it does... I'll be pissed, imagine booking a 6am flight, which means you have to get up at 3:30-4:00am, only to get to the airport and be told you've been bumped to the next flight or two....so not only are you exhausted, but now you have to hang around the airport for hours.

 

[LazyLion]

Happened to me at least two times in the USA... both times an attendant came onto the plane and made an announcement, anyone willing to give up their seat would be put up in a hotel overnight and given a voucher for one free return flight (one-leg only) anywhere in the USA. On both occasions I Jumped up... took the voucher... got to stay in a hotel free, made my flight the next day and flew again later in the year for free.

I didn't mind!

 

[xrapidx]

Happened to me at least two times in the USA... both times an attendant came onto the plane and made an announcement, anyone willing to give up their seat would be put up in a hotel overnight and given a voucher for one free return flight (one-leg only) anywhere in the USA. On both occasions I Jumped up... took the voucher... got to stay in a hotel free, made my flight the next day and flew again later in the year for free.

I didn't mind!

It won't be that much fun if you have an important meeting or other arrangement to attend to, or a connecting flight on another airline...

 

[diesel]

Happened to me en route to thailand from london, stopped over in veinna and got offered 450 euros + nights hotel acc + next day flight to bankok, pity my g.f didnt have a visa to leave the airport so we didnt take it.

 

[savage]

My question is: how are airlines actually hurt by no-shows? I'm pretty sure they don't refund their ticket price, so if the ticket is paid for, what does it matter if someone's actually sitting in the seat or not?

They actually score. The plane weighs less (no baggage, no person(s)) and therefore, feul consumption is less...

 

[sabagamma]

My question is: how are airlines actually hurt by no-shows? I'm pretty sure they don't refund their ticket price, so if the ticket is paid for, what does it matter if someone's actually sitting in the seat or not?

And if they do refund the ticket, wouldn't it be better to stop doing that, rather than allow deliberate overbooking?

They do refund certain types of tickets, sometimes on a percentage basis. Airlines never like to send planes off with empty seats, even if the seat is payed for, because they could have put another person in that seat. Thus they could sell one seat to two people.

Another problem I have is their so called "taxes", war tax etc. Are the airlines at war? Are they a government who has the authority to levy tax? A ticket is advertised for 4K, when you go and buy the thing you find you have to pay 3K more for "taxes". WTF?

 

[diesel]

I think thats the tax for the airport.

 

[Fudzy]

This is why I'm nudging my way towards a gold Voyager class. When stuff like this happens I'll be bumped up to business class not out of the plane

 

[Albereth]

What do they care - they have your money up front - and the sooner they get it the sooner they make it work for them. And they've just moved your use of their seat to a different time - i.e. a non-booked one.

The whole thing could be sorted out by saying if you don't show you lose your ticket. That way they get to keep the money. If you plans change, then change your ticket and pay an admin fee depending on how much notice you give.