Getting Bumped Off FlightsMike Rappaport

Glenn Reynolds writes:

I left Knoxville headed for Grand Cayman on Sunday morning a week ago.I was connecting in Atlanta to a flight scheduled to depart at 10:20a.m. Just before boarding, the counter folks announced that the flightwas overbooked (by 22 seats!) and started bumping people. I was one ofthem. There were no other available flights, and I wound up spendingthe night in Atlanta and taking the next day’s flight at 10:20 a.m.That cost me a full day of time in Grand Cayman. Delta gave me $400 andthree meal vouchers for $7 each. I did not feel adequately compensatedfor losing, effectively, one fourth of my stay.

Wow!  The only way that I have seen people bumped on flights is voluntarily — that is, the airlines offer vouchers for future flights and someone agrees to be bumped.  I didn’t even realize that they were allowed to bump you involuntarily.

Given that there is a system for voluntary bumping, this seems pretty outrageous. 

Glenn also writes:

And worst of all was the attitude of the Delta employees at the counterthat morning. They gave the impression of actually enjoying the processof delivering the bad news — including the supervisor whom I asked tospeak with.

I can believe and imagine this.  Most of my bad experiences have been with United or US Air, but it is unbelieveable how these people can sometimes behave.  Of course, sometimes you run into somone who is extra nice and it almost makes up for the bad stuff.