Why Do Airlines Overbook???
United has been ALL over the news recently and for all the wrong reasons.  If you’ve been living under a rock and have no clue what I’m talking about, check out the video below.
Looks pretty traumatic, and not just for the passenger which was forcibly removed, but for everyone on the plane that had to witness it. I know it would make my nerves go through the roof if I had seen that.
Airlines will offer incentives to get volunteers to take alternative flights and for some it may seem like an appealing offer. But for many of us, who are traveling for business or have places to be, time is money. And although an extra 500 bucks may seem like a nice little reward for your patience, your boss might be extremely pissed if you don’t make it to your 9AM meeting the next day.
So many of you are probably wondering how the heck something like that could happen? Especially as a paying customer, how does an airline have the right to bump someone off an overbooked flight? I wanted answers! Luckily I ran across this animated TED Talk by Nina Klietsch. The video details the reason why so many airlines, not just United, are in the business of overbooking. It all comes down to MATH. I know, the worst subject on the planet. But it’s through numbers that airlines are able to come up with a formula for the practice. And surprise surprise, it all comes down to dollars.
If they can’t fix the overbooking issue, I would hope they could come up with a more humane way to disembark a passenger in the future. Just sayin’….
Interesting information!!!
Excelente information!!!