Airline Overbooked
By Inlemay
@Inlemay (17712)
South Africa
December 16, 2016 10:21pm CST
Imagine arriving at the airport with your three children ages 7, 4, 2 and being told that you have no flight OUT as the airline had overbooked the passengers?
Family friends from London, had prepared this one month's Christmas Holiday in South Africa with their parents more than 6 months ago, but yesterday it looked like they were going to be part of the "squatting airport people" after a certain airline overbooked the day's flights!
I don't know which airline it is exactly, but as we speak they are heading to OR Tambo airport in Johannesburg via British Airways - so it was not BA!
Luckily with the overbooking, the airline upgraded the family to travel DIRECT to South Africa which is, after waiting at the Heathrow airport for almost eight hours on the standby list of all airlines heading toward SA, a blessing.
Have you ever been scheduled to fly by plane and some horrid circumstance messed it up?
My photo is of the Qantas airline - which is not the overbooked flight, but the only photo I have of a BEAUTIFUL BIRD that transports people, taken at OR Tambo airport!
Its a beautiful Saturday here in my little hub of the world, I hope you are having a good day too!
PEACE 
18 people like this
20 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
17 Dec 16
I took a holiday in Salou one year and was scheduled to fly home Thursday evening. On arrival at Reus airport I checked in, went through security and waited in the Departure Lounge.
It was announced that the flight was delayed, which did not bother me at all. Shortly afterwards a further delay was announced, followed by the flight being cancelled.
An airline rep arrived to escort us back to the luggage area and we were told to take our tickets to the airline office for a new reservation.
I was given a flight for Saturday evening, which is two days later.
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
17 Dec 16
@Inlemay Some passengers had real problems due to that. I was fortunate because I was not due back to work until Monday and I always take too much money on holiday as a precaution.
In my case I simply caught a bus to the local town of Reus and booked a hotel for two nights, but many people with children were stuck at the airport for two days.
With no money and hungry children it makes the whole holiday a nightmare.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
18 Dec 16
We have not flown in years. One of the last times was in winter and a flight was cancelled. Talk about outraged customer picking on the poor gate attendant. After everyone got mad, and left, hubby went up and talked nicely, and guess what? We were on the next flight out with no trouble at all. I am glad your friends got some relief from their situation.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
18 Dec 16
@Inlemay I have flown very little but I learned on one of my flights that there are people who volunteer to be bumped from a flight. They fly frequently and get "reimbursed" with free flights or better accommodations or some cash rebate. They can afford the inconvenience and reap a profit as well.
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
18 Dec 16
I was once on my way home from a business trip back east and the last leg of my flight home from San Francisco to San Luis Obispo was overbooked. I was eager to get home, but I was alone and when they offered incentives to those who would give up their seats I volunteered. I don't remember what the incentives were. That was twenty years ago. I was able to call my ride from the home airport and reschedule. I hope having that extra seat helped someone like your friends.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
17 Dec 16
oh dear, i'd been worse'n fit to be tied! that poor gal'n all those young'uns...the airline should'a not jest upgraded 'em, but offered 'em a room whilst they waited.
i don't fly :)
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39503)
• United States
18 Dec 16
@Inlemay i'm still waitin' fer snorkels/floaties fer my truck so's i can go visitin' folks from other countries :)
1 person likes this
@pgntwo (22405)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
17 Dec 16
I was almost bumped once, and the airline made a very tempting offer but for the fact it would have added a third leg to the journey, changing flights in Rome and London. After a 12hr flight, all you want is to be at your destination.
That said, I remember regularly travelling on a Standby fare when I was younger, and occasionally being upgraded to the Club or Business class section of the aircraft :) Time was when airline personnel could travel for 10% of the normal fare, but subject to load - so if the flight was full, you got put on the next one a few hours later. These days, reduced budgets, increased costs and low-fare airlines probably make such travel perks scarce.
I hope your friends enjoyed the upgraded, direct, flight.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
17 Dec 16
I fly pretty frequently, and have never experienced being bumped from a flight because it was overbooked. I have two preferred airlines I use, and both of them have policies where they won't oversell a flight. It might be a different story if I was flying on an international flight, because I hear that they overbook those all the time, but since I only fly domestically, I have never had that problem.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17712)
• South Africa
20 Dec 16
@moffittjc thats the best - they are FREE - and nice of them to so that too - We traveled on an Irish flight 5 years ago Aer Lingus and they did the same - moved myself and the girls into first class - fed us, (we didnt drink that much) but we got lots of goodies as well (snacks and chocolates) Best of times
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128835)
• Gainesville, Florida
22 Dec 16
@Inlemay It's funny, because there have been times on crowded flights where I've asked to be moved to first class if there were any seats available, and the flight attendants would tell me they aren't allowed to offer any upgrades, but then on empty flights they'll tell you that you can move up to first class if you want to. haha
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
17 Dec 16
We had some craziness last year at the Seattle, WA airport with late flights and missed connections causing a six hour wait. It was the week of Christmas.
1 person likes this
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
18 Dec 16
Sounds like something that would happen to me.. I seem to just have the worst luck! Glad the airline fixed it by upgrading them!
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (54715)
• United States
17 Dec 16
I am home for a change and doing some housework.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
17 Dec 16
I would be ok with it, IF they fixed it and I ended up with something better because of it.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
18 Dec 16
wow how awful is that. I was in Phoenix once and twice they put us on the plane and twice it overheated,. Needless to say I missed my connection flight and got home about 24 hours late. I was not happy.
1 person likes this
