Airline requesting passengers to voluntarily move to later flight?

[Zac S]

Due to the fog on Saturday, our Virgin flight was delayed by 30 mins, however due to the international diversions, 12 crew were required to travel down to Sydney, however originally they had problems getting enough people to move to a later flight, even with the offer of a refund for the cost of the flight. Eventually it reached the stage where they said the flight wouldn't take off until someone else gave up their seat, luckily someone gave up their seat.

So what exactly can the airline do in this situation if no one gives up their seat?

[Andrew P]

if you they are serious, should start giving out cash, not vouchers, then you will get volunteers quickly

[Mark Grima]

if you they are serious, should start giving out cash, not vouchers, then you will get volunteers quickly

Probably not a volunteer then!

Cheers

M

[Paul S.]

Most airlines would have a policy in place for events such as that or even an overweight aircraft would be another example when pax need to be offloaded. Worst case scenario you wouldnt offload load your gold silver or platinum freq flyer but may be the last ones to have checked in. They will have a process to follow. I would have put my hand up as the airline would have been very appreciative and would have looked after you and as you said a free flight! sold, oh an Andrew i would have taken the cash too...

[Anthony T]

A few weeks ago I was on booked on a flight SYD-MEL that had been downgraded from a -800 to a -700 and they asked for volunteers, I obliged as I was only on a saver fare and not in a hurry and was invited to wait in "The Lounge" and they would issue my next boarding pass, They were expecting me and issued my new boarding pass for the next flight in Business class. :D

[Brian Wilkes]

Stick em in the cargo hold!

[Steve S... 2]

This happened to me on Virgin in April last year.

The aircraft was scheduled to be a 737-800 from SYD to OOL. It went down to an E190 (ZPC) after check-in, then down a third time to an E170 (ZHE), because an E170 went tech somewhere in the network.

So at the gate with a two hour delay, they called for seven passengers to volunteer to get on a later flight (to OOL), with a refund of the flight.

So I volunteered, because the later flight was only an hour to wait and was another 737-800 (VUE). BUT!!! The refund is not really a refund, once you volunteer they then tell you it is a credit to be used on Virgin within the next 12 months.

They also gave bundles of $5 food vouchers ($110).

They also sat us in premium econmony (red seats) to which there was no difference to sitting in ecomomy.

Then on the return flight from OOL to SYD, we commenced decent into SYD (on VUY) and went into orbits or something, then headed north for 15 minutes before diverting to Brisbane. That was the evening the T2 had a security blunder and SYD airport ended up closing due to it clogging with arriving aircraft on the tarmac unable to park at gates. That night we got put into a hotel, and flight credited back for future use, and flown from BNE to SYD (VUS) the next day.

One thing for certain is that Virgin does go out of their way to look after you.

[BradR]

Very common in the US.

Last time I was in the US (Dec 2009) I was flying CO and sitting in the boarding lounges at EWR and IAH I regularly heard the call for volunteers to offload. Typically they were offered accomodation for the night and an upgrade on their flight the next day. Had I not been on business, I may have taken them up.