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Why do flights overbook?

Posted by wildweaselmi , 12 March 2010 · 14 views

I never understood why flights overbook or over sell.  Every weekend I hear the same announcement. "This flight is oversold and we need some volunteers to give up there seat for a later flight and we will gladly give you a free round trip ticket..."

I thought this would be a computer system that tracks every seat sold.  Maybe what the problem could be is they are running Microsoft. :D

Seems like you would have a central server (comprised of multiple servers for redundancy but essentially one location to go to).  This system would have a simple database of flights, seats and when a ticket is purchased a seat in that classification (coach, business class, exit row) is taken away from total number.  Once none of the seats for that classification is available the purchaser is displayed a message that the flight is booked and the next flight is blah..

You would probably want to include an option to take away broken or non usable seats.   So if an aircraft is known to have a seat that is not usable and is assigned to a flight then the number of malfunctioning seats is removed from the total available for that classification.

Very simple process that could be done preferably in Java so it is universal, meaning any operating system would work to include making it function via any web browser with Java loaded.

So what's the problem Airlines?





Marine59
Mar 12 2010 01:49 PM
One reason flights are overbooked (says the airlines) is:  If a passenger does not show up for a flight the airlines refunds the ticket price minus a few dollars.  Airlines claim that 5% of passengers are no shows. On a flight that that holds 150 passengers that amounts to 7 tickets per flight.  There should only be a passenger refund for a medical reason.  Business travelers that arrive a few minutes before a flight and miss the flight should not get a refund.  The airlines SHOULD reimburse the bumped passenger more that the price of a ticket.  Only then will the airlines stop the practice - BUT that would mean MORE government intervention and we have enough of that already.  Passenger complaints of poor service is the answer.

wildweaselmi
Mar 12 2010 02:46 PM
My logic states that if a person purchases a ticket/seat then they have a seat.  It should be illegal to sell something that isn't available.  I can understand allowing people to be put on standby in the event someone doesn't show but for an airline to plan on someone not showing is ridiculous.

I also believe if you don't show, then that means you paid for a seat that you aren't using.  I know if I purchased a ticket and was unable to make my flight I would at least call to cancel my ticket in the hopes of a partial refund.  

So if the customer doesn't call to cancel then they bought a seat that no one will be sitting in.  Of course prior to shutting the plane doors they could fill those seats with people on standby.  People on standby didn't purchase a ticket for that flight but a different flight but are hoping someone doesn't show so they can go on an earlier flight.

But I know as well as you know, the airline companies would rather deal with upset people then an honest system.

Marine59
Mar 14 2010 10:27 PM

wildweaselmi, on 12 March 2010 - 11:46 AM, said:

My logic states that if a person purchases a ticket/seat then they have a seat.  It should be illegal to sell something that isn't available.  I can understand allowing people to be put on standby in the event someone doesn't show but for an airline to plan on someone not showing is ridiculous.

I also believe if you don't show, then that means you paid for a seat that you aren't using.  I know if I purchased a ticket and was unable to make my flight I would at least call to cancel my ticket in the hopes of a partial refund.  

So if the customer doesn't call to cancel then they bought a seat that no one will be sitting in.  Of course prior to shutting the plane doors they could fill those seats with people on standby.  People on standby didn't purchase a ticket for that flight but a different flight but are hoping someone doesn't show so they can go on an earlier flight.

But I know as well as you know, the airline companies would rather deal with upset people then an honest system.

Marine59
Mar 14 2010 10:30 PM
Your Logic is sound.  I had not thought of putting people on standby.  But the airlines would not sell that seat if one was put on standby - the customer would just go to another airline - so the airline wins.
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