It appears some airlines are taking advantage of United’s publicity woes from the last couple of weeks and the winners will be travelers.
Following the United Airlines incident, Delta Air Lines is rolling out new incentive caps for passengers who forfeit their seats on overbooked flights.
Last week, footage of security guards aggressively dragging passenger David Dao off an overbooked United Airlines flight to make room for traveling United employees went viral and its fallout became a national news story. But, while United handled the controversy poorly, other airlines were quick to respond. Delta is now sending travelers a clear message that it plans to handle overbooked flights in a very different way: by offering customers very handsome incentives for giving up their seats.
In an internal memo from Delta, obtained by Associated Press, the airline set out new monetary incentives. “Delta Air Lines said gate agents can offer up to $2,000, up from a previous maximum of $800, and supervisors can offer up to $9,950, up from $1,350,” the AP wrote.
The move also comes after one Forbes contributor made $11,000 last weekend after giving up her and her family’s seats on three flights.
By comparison, $800 is reportedly the amount United offered David Dao (and the three other passengers forced off the plane). When Condé Nast Traveler reached out to United, a spokesperson declined to explain why airline employees did not simply increase the $800 amount to incentivize passengers to forfeit their seats. As the AP notes, many people following Dao’s story wondered why the airline did not offer more money.
Ross Aimer, a retired United pilot, told the AP—-“If you offer enough money, even the guy going to a funeral will sell his seat.”