Airlines bumping to standby (part 2)

[Mixos]

I don't want to rekindle the spat contained in a previous thread over the definition of what is the "norm" among airlines bumping passengers to standby (and Carol has locked that thread anyway!) but it's worth pointing out that Easyjet seems to be following Aegean's example -- with remarkably generous terms. At Gatwick today, Easyjet broadcast an announcement at the departure gate that the 07.10 to Heraklion was overbooked by five seats and any passenger who gave up their place would receive 500 euros, high class hotel accommodation and a seat on the next available flight. I saw several people leap out of their chairs and head over to the desk; and who wouldn't, on those terms, if their trip could wait a day or so? A few minutes earlier, a similar tannoy said the Malta flight was overbooked and the same generous terms were offered to anyone willing to stand down. I've never heard this message broadcast at the departure gates before, despite flying with Easyjet several times a year, so I wonder if this is, indeed, a new "norm" among airlines. It does, in any case, seem at odds with Easyjet's reduced profit warning yesterday, citing reduced bookings due to the dreaded B-word.

[Hudson]

I had a similar experience last September. While waiting at the gate for an early morning flight from Gatwick to Heraklion they offered 300 Euros, when that did not produce a response the offer was raised and then raised again. The final offer was 800 Euros. As a retired person travelling on my own I would normally have jumped at this but having just spent a week in hospital in the UK I just wanted to go home.
Maybe I'll get another chance.

[mouche]

How does anybody know that none of these overbookings were due to the fact that they (kind of lastminute) had to give seats to a crew in order to have a crew for another flight from the destination of the flight in question? I'm not saying this is the case in any of the examples mentioned in this thread but know for a fact that this happens. Or that change of plane flying the route had to be changed due to som operational reason. Again, I do not know if this was the case in any of the examples mentioned her but I do know for a fact that this was the case with the flight bringing us to Crete a few days ago and also on our returntrip next week.