View Full Version : Wow, the Airline gave me 200$, why?
Jumbo744
6th May 2006, 05:04
Hello,
As I have mentioned in older posts, I was supposed to travel with Air France from YUL to CDG and then to Africa, the 4th of May. So I show up at the airport, arrive at check-in and feel very bad, with fever.
I tell the agent that I don't want to fly and would like to take the Monday flight so i can rest during the weekend. I ask how much it would cost me and the agent tells me "Nothing, as you are volunteer to give your seat to another pax, we are giving you a 200$ check".
It's the first time it happens to me. Is it like this in every airline? how many times can I "give" my seat to someone else?
flyingfemme
6th May 2006, 07:45
If the flight was overbooked then the airline would have been looking for "volunteers" to change to a later flight. You struck lucky and volunteered before they started putting the pressure on. I think $200 is the standard compensation in North America.
Globaliser
6th May 2006, 09:36
It's the first time it happens to me. Is it like this in every airline? how many times can I "give" my seat to someone else?You struck lucky, in your circumstances. But there are people I know in North America who finance a substantial proportion of their leisure travel by volunteering on overbooked flights.
tom de luxe
7th May 2006, 10:14
If the flight was overbooked then the airline would have been looking for "volunteers" to change to a later flight. You struck lucky and volunteered before they started putting the pressure on. I think $200 is the standard compensation in North America.
Kudos to the person at check-in. I suppose that if your voyage had been with a european financially more aware airline, you would have probably been hit with the fee, not given extra money...
Globaliser
7th May 2006, 10:19
Very good, Tom! :D
Jumbo744
7th May 2006, 20:18
good, thanks for the replies!
Gordon17
9th May 2006, 13:12
I once had the happy experience of SAS giving me $200 to take an earlier flight!
I checked in at about 15.00 for a 17.00 Brussels to Stockholm and was paid the money to take the 15.00 Sabena flight, which was delayed to about 16.15 for which Sabena gave me a voucher to get some food.
apaddyinuk
9th May 2006, 13:29
Well sounds like you had a really decent check in agent on this occassion. As I know some would have taken advantage of the situation and taken you off the flight because "you requested to be", not because you were a volunteer and then they may still have charged you!!! I reckon a nice letter of thanks should be sent in about the check in agent!!
I reckon a nice letter of thanks should be sent in about the check in agent!!
Then the check in agent will be on the carpet.
Globaliser
9th May 2006, 19:36
Then the check in agent will be on the carpet.Not if the letter is circumspect about exactly why the check-in agent was a model of a friendly, responsive and customer-focused employee. ;)
tom de luxe
10th May 2006, 12:45
Not if the letter is circumspect about exactly why the check-in agent was a model of a friendly, responsive and customer-focused employee. ;)
[LOCO MODE = ON] He shouldn't be friendly - he should earn the airline money. He can be friendly to those who pay for the privilege, i.e. C or F passengers, or maybe frequent flyers. As it is, (s)he lost the airline money + :mad: up (internal) statistics re voluntary bumping.[LOCO MODE = OFF] :E
Welcome to Customer Service, 21st century style. But it's good to know there still is the odd dinosaur around
:ok:
airborne_artist
15th May 2006, 13:32
A friend arrived at JFK to find his BA flight to LHR was overbooked/cancelled. He was about to go red and get cross when the nice lady said "but we have spare seats on a Concorde flight just closing, would that be convenient?". He managed to stutter that it'd be OK, and then did a little jig!
Jumbo744
15th May 2006, 22:02
well yes, the guy at check-in was very profesional and friendly. There was a lot of people, and even though it was stressing for him to handle everything at the same time, he was very nice. I should have wrote him a letter :ugh:
derekvader
16th May 2006, 03:27
Kudos to the person at check-in. I suppose that if your voyage had been with a european financially more aware airline, you would have probably been hit with the fee, not given extra money...
heh heh subtle, but oh so true!