Getting Bumped

I've got an N fare for a VS002 flight in November (my first VS flight…normally go with LH just for convenience reasons). Is there a chance I am going to get involuntarily bumped? This is a very short trip and even loosing one day would almost make this trip pointless. How much overbooking and bumping does VS do? What can I do to help my chances?

Thanks

Being 'Involuntarily' offloaded is very very unlikely.

From my experience of three other airlines, VS have particularly low overbooking profile (especially in Upper!).

But if the flight is overbooked VS would usually seek volunteers first, offering a package of benefits to entice people to delay their travel.

You can do some simple things to make sure you're not bumped, and the best one is to check in on time (best of all on-line). Its the passengers that turn up at the last minute when the aircraft is fully checked in that are most likely to get bumped.

Originally posted by V-Ben

But if the flight is overbooked VS would usually seek volunteers first, offering a package of benefits to entice people to delay their travel.

And unless it's changed recently it's a package that someone who isn't too bothered about a delay would find irresistable. I know I did.

Paul

[RichardMannion]

The Select compensation has been refreshed in the past year to two tiers now, both of which are reasonable.

Odds of IDB are remote though, as there is typically no shortage of volunteers for VDB given the compensation.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion
The Select compensation has been refreshed in the past year to two tiers now, both of which are reasonable.

Odds of IDB are remote though, as there is typically no shortage of volunteers for VDB given the compensation.

Thanks,
Richard

Out of interest what have the changes been ?

Thx

Paul

[RichardMannion]

I've written a whole new chapter on Denied Boarding for the new V-Book, which is due out soon. Quick overview of changes though:

Depends on delay to your destination, if it's under 4 hours, you get a new Green Select voucher:

Green Select Voucher
The new recently introduced Green Select vouchers are issued for VDB if the delay to the destination is going to be less than 4 hours. The options that are available are:

- £250 Voucher than can be used against a published Virgin Atlantic fare or £250 towards the cost of a Virgin Holidays holiday Ð must be booked direct with Virgin Hoidays and not via an agent
Or
- 30,000 flying club miles

Over 4 hours, you get the older Red Select voucher:

Red Select Vouchers
So you were given a Red Select voucher by Virgin Atlantic due to an oversell on a flight, what can you get with it?

- Free return economy flight to anywhere on the Virgin Atlantic network (must be a VS operated flight), including taxes you will have nothing to pay. The exception is the Sydney route, you cannot use a Red Select voucher for a free return flight on the Sydney route unless the Red Select voucher was issued for VDB on the Sydney route.
or
- 50,000 flying club miles

Any questions, let me know!

Thanks,
Richard

Originally posted by RichardMannion
I've written a whole new chapter on Denied Boarding for the new V-Book, which is due out soon. Quick overview of changes though:

Depends on delay to your destination, if it's under 4 hours, you get a new Green Select voucher:

Green Select Voucher
The new recently introduced Green Select vouchers are issued for VDB if the delay to the destination is going to be less than 4 hours. The options that are available are:

- £250 Voucher than can be used against a published Virgin Atlantic fare or £250 towards the cost of a Virgin Holidays holiday Ð must be booked direct with Virgin Hoidays and not via an agent
Or
- 30,000 flying club miles

Over 4 hours, you get the older Red Select voucher:

Red Select Vouchers
So you were given a Red Select voucher by Virgin Atlantic due to an oversell on a flight, what can you get with it?

- Free return economy flight to anywhere on the Virgin Atlantic network (must be a VS operated flight), including taxes you will have nothing to pay. The exception is the Sydney route, you cannot use a Red Select voucher for a free return flight on the Sydney route unless the Red Select voucher was issued for VDB on the Sydney route.
or
- 50,000 flying club miles

Any questions, let me know!

Thanks,
Richard

Interesting...what flights would allow them to offer the Green Voucher to a passenger denied boarding ? I did think it was the NYC routes - ISTRC that our (red equivalent) Select Voucher experience was at the cost of a 2 hour delay and flying in to EWR rather than JFK - but it doesn't seem to fit the (current) timetable.

Paul