- 2 days ago
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00:00At Chicago Midway, a flight to Orlando has been oversold,
00:04spelling potential disaster for Greg and Marie's family vacation.
00:08We have a party of six that needs to get on, so
00:12we're just working on that. Orlando is so hard to oversell.
00:16A lot of people don't volunteer. We all had reservations for
00:20five or six months, and they overbooked it, oversold it, and now we're not
00:24getting on and no one's getting off. None.
00:28Their trip to Florida is a big family get-together.
00:32This is our first family vacation with seven, like, I have four and he has
00:36three, and so there are going to be seven kids all together. This is the first whole family vacation
00:40that we were going to take, so we wanted it to be smooth. He booked it so far ahead of time.
00:44Everything was copacetic, and then this happened. Their only hope
00:48of getting to Orlando is if Angelica can persuade four passengers to give up
00:52their seats. Last, last attempt. I have a family
00:56of six that needs to be accommodated. I just need
01:00four volunteers for
01:02really, really nice
01:04volunteers.
01:06I'm sure you heard all my spiel.
01:08It's the cost of your fare, plus an additional
01:10$200 in the form of a travel voucher.
01:12No one's going to do it.
01:14All right.
01:16Do you have two of these?
01:18Two of these? Okay.
01:20Folks, we did not get anybody else. Anybody else.
01:26I still have two empty seats on this one, though.
01:28I've had these reservations for like five, six months.
01:30I understand that, sir, but unfortunately there's no seats.
01:34Well, that's your fault. It's not my fault.
01:36I understand that you're upset, sir, but like I said...
01:38When you start, I suggest you bump things up until you get them out.
01:40I can't bump it, sir.
01:42No, we don't do that, man.
01:44There's just a certain price that we go to, and that's pretty much as far as we go.
01:46You'll pay for mine.
01:48I mean, I went on this flight.
01:50We've got people waiting for us.
01:52I've got a condo that's rented.
01:54I mean... Right, sir, but like I said,
01:56I'm not going to be able to accommodate you on this flight.
01:58I do have a flight that you can go to.
02:00You're going to have to go through Baltimore.
02:02I'm holding the plane. If you're not going to go,
02:04then I'm going to have to release the aircraft.
02:06Why don't you guys go on? I've been on flights before.
02:08If you offer people enough, you'll put people off.
02:10Sir, that's what I just came from.
02:11Well, how much did you offer them?
02:12We could only offer them $200.
02:14I suggest you offer more.
02:16We cannot do that, sir. We cannot do that.
02:18We can only go as far as $200.
02:19I'm not volunteering for anything.
02:21But now they're telling us we have to go through Baltimore.
02:23We get in 11 o'clock tonight.
02:25I mean, shouldn't they, you know...
02:27We shouldn't be overbooking them that much, then.
02:29I mean, then what are we supposed to do?
02:31We paid a lot of money for these flights.
02:32We fly Southwest all the time.
02:34Well, I just need to know at this point
02:35if you're going to go to the Baltimore flight or not.
02:37It's unfair. I know it is.
02:39Unfair.
02:40Unfair?
02:41It's, like, illegal.
02:42Start giving us some free round-trip tickets or something.
02:44But are you going to go on this Baltimore flight or not, sir?
02:47I just need to know because I'm holding the plane.
02:49I'm not volunteering for anything.
02:50I'm going to talk to your manager.
02:51Get me on this flight.
02:52I don't care what you got to do.
02:54I don't care what you got to do.
02:55V has stepped in to handle the Orlando situation.
02:58We've got two little kids meeting us on the other side
03:01with my parents.
03:03One is sick.
03:04I suggest you do something that really makes me happy.
03:07I've had these tickets reserved for six months.
03:09I know.
03:10I know.
03:11I know.
03:12This isn't even funny anymore.
03:13I mean, I've been on other airlines where they walk on
03:15and they offer enough until people get off.
03:17What, is Southwest cheap?
03:18Well, unfortunately, sir, unfortunately,
03:19these customers would not move.
03:21Well, you didn't offer enough.
03:22Okay, sir.
03:23Everybody's got a price.
03:24Unfortunately, they would not move.
03:25That is bull.
03:26That's not the compensation that we offer.
03:28We need to offer more because I tell you,
03:30legally, you oversold the flight.
03:32What do you mean we can't legally do it?
03:34We do.
03:35Oversell flights, sir.
03:36All airlines over book flights.
03:38He's retired, and he loves to litigate.
03:40Okay.
03:41Marie decides it's time to call the family lawyer.
03:44Daddy?
03:45Okay, my little lawyer.
03:47I have a question for you.
03:49We're all sitting here.
03:51They overbooked the flight, and they wouldn't get us on,
03:54and aren't they technically they're supposed to offer people
03:56money to get off the flight to get us on?
03:58We booked these flights five to six months ahead of time.
04:02Sir, what we're going to do is we're going to put you on a flight.
04:05It's going to leave here at 6.15.
04:07It's going to make a 20-minute stop in Nashville.
04:09You do not get off the aircraft.
04:10You're going to be arriving in Orlando at 10.40.
04:12It leaves at 6.15?
04:136.15.
04:14I'm already pulling your boarding cards.
04:17We don't have any other option, do we?
04:19No.
04:20What we did is we ended up overbooking flights to accommodate you.
04:23We're going to do the same thing to somebody else that you did to me.
04:27Well, we're hoping we don't, but...
04:29That's horrible.
04:31Oh, man.
04:32I've traveled hundreds and hundreds of times,
04:35and I'm saying I've never been on a flight where they haven't got somebody
04:37to go off a flight volunteer ever when they were overbooked.
04:40Well, this is the first, I guess, then.
04:42It is.
04:43If you live long enough, you see everything.
04:46Four hours later, the Florida-bound family are finally on their way.
04:51See ya.
04:52Bye-bye.
04:53Bye.
04:54I think sometimes they think that the louder they scream,
04:56the harder it is we're going to work.
04:58But we're working, I mean, the minute that we're overselling,
05:02we're looking for something.
05:03We're constantly, constantly looking.
05:05We're even lucky to have that option, so we did the best that we could.
05:11At BWI, Carol is dealing with an overbooked flight to Norfolk.
05:16We have to get you a seat right now.
05:18Okay, so just stand by.
05:19We have one for you.
05:20We actually have to have somebody come off the plane.
05:22All right.
05:23Three passengers are returning from job interviews with Southwest.
05:26They are traveling on free tickets courtesy of the airline,
05:29but have just been pulled off the flight to make way for paying passengers.
05:33We got our tickets and everything.
05:35We've been waiting in here since, like, 6-something.
05:37They just told us to get off the plane.
05:39Why?
05:40We're non-revenue passengers.
05:41So what's going to happen to us?
05:43We don't have any other flights in Norfolk tonight.
05:45We're going to have to rebook you for tomorrow.
05:46So where are we going to stay?
05:48Yeah.
05:49That is totally up to you because you're non-revenue passengers.
05:51You didn't pay for the ticket on the flight.
05:52We can, we have hotels in the area.
05:54We can give you suggestions.
05:55No, no, no, no, no.
05:57Not good enough at all.
05:59But the terms of traveling for free are lost on them.
06:02Well, Southwest, y'all got some issues.
06:05Y'all need to, um, figure out.
06:08Ma'am, can I just ask you to refrain?
06:10Were you here for an interview with Southwest?
06:11Yes.
06:12Well, right now you're actually representing Southwest,
06:14and I would ask you to just please refrain
06:16because I don't want you to jeopardize any kind of situation
06:18you have going on, but right now you're about to.
06:20And I understand that, but one more comment,
06:22and you're probably going to jeopardize any kind of future
06:24you have here with Southwest, so please.
06:26Hi, you guys are going to Norfolk?
06:28Yes.
06:29You guys got pulled off the flight.
06:31Did she explain to you, Carol,
06:33or did she explain to you guys what happened?
06:35I'm not, I need to know why they did that.
06:38We did not make plans to be staying overnight anywhere.
06:41We made plans to be home tonight.
06:44We don't have ends for accommodations they want to make for us.
06:49I want to get home tonight.
06:50No ands, ifs, or buts about it.
06:52I want to get home tonight.
06:54I understand you're upset, but I do need to ask you
06:57so you can calm down just a little bit.
06:59How am I going to get home?
07:00I understand that you're upset,
07:02but you were traveling on a space available ticket.
07:05You were traveling as a non-revenue.
07:07Okay, well when I got these tickets,
07:09when I made this reservation,
07:11Southwest never told me I was going to be on standby.
07:13Well I'm sorry about that, but unfortunately...
07:16I need to know how I'm going to get home tonight.
07:19That's what I need to know.
07:20There's no other flights to Norfolk tonight.
07:22So what are y'all going to do for me then,
07:25since I can't get home?
07:26Well we can send you out trying for another flight
07:28for tomorrow morning and you'll be standby,
07:30just like you were on this flight today.
07:31And so where am I going to go?
07:33We can give you a hotel room that you'll have to pay for.
07:36Okay, I just want to say something to y'all separately.
07:46She's real close to actually not having a ticket to fly at all.
07:49And I would suggest if you all want to fly,
07:51that you kind of stand a little bit further away.
07:54Because to be honest with you,
07:55I'm about to take her ticket and she'll find her own way home.
07:57Because she's actually representing Southwest
07:59and I'm having a real problem with that.
08:01They let all of us get our tickets,
08:03they let us on a plane,
08:04and then once we get on the plane buckled up
08:06and everything ready to go,
08:07they call us off the plane.
08:09Now we don't have no way to get back home.
08:11We have to wait till tomorrow.
08:13I think we're all right.
08:14Okay.
08:15Because this other girl just...
08:16Nicholas has a final word.
08:18If you guys are going to be featuring employees,
08:19that's how it is.
08:20Especially sometimes when you're,
08:22when you're traveling,
08:23you're going to be flight attendants,
08:24you're going to have delays,
08:25you can get stuck in cities.
08:26That's how the,
08:27that's what the airline business is like.
08:29This is what it's all about.
08:30You know?
08:31I can get home in the morning.
08:32We will get home in the morning.
08:33The seats look open at this time,
08:35so you should be fine.
08:36Okay?
08:37Did you have any more questions?
08:40That's not...
08:44All right.
08:45I'll be right back.
08:46Okay.
08:47For folks that are thinking about coming to Southwest,
08:49if you want to know the don'ts,
08:51that would be the don'ts.
08:52That you would never...
08:53We wouldn't want to see that ever.
08:54Like, not even...
08:55Your very worst day,
08:56wouldn't even want to see that.
08:57My flight leaves tomorrow at 8, 10 in the morning.
09:00I don't have no choice but to stay here.
09:03And I think that's...
09:06That's...
09:07That looks really bad.
09:09We don't train people to be friendly.
09:10We hire friendly people.
09:11And they're not it.
09:13So...
09:14Not folks we probably want in the family.
09:17Over in Baltimore,
09:18Victor Liberatore and his family
09:19are trying to get home to Buffalo
09:21after a long day's travel.
09:24What am I going to do
09:25with four kids a job till Tuesday, ma'am?
09:27That's what I'm saying
09:28about guaranteeing USC.
09:29I don't do that job.
09:30How do I guarantee?
09:31But I can't...
09:32I can't be responsible
09:33because that plane is late getting here
09:35to guarantee you.
09:36It's not...
09:37It's not about...
09:38Yeah, but I paid for this
09:39just to go home.
09:40I don't want to go home Tuesday.
09:42Yeah, we're 5C.
09:43You told us...
09:44Victor's flight from Jacksonville
09:45arrived too late for him
09:46to secure boarding passes
09:47for him and his family.
09:48And now, the Buffalo flight is oversold.
09:51That ain't right, ma'am.
09:54What's happening is,
09:56we booked a flight,
09:57the flight from...
09:59Fort Lauderdale to Buffalo.
10:02We flew from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville.
10:05Jacksonville to Baltimore.
10:06We got here and they said
10:07we don't got tickets to get home.
10:09It's overbooked.
10:10Is your way or no way?
10:12That's the way it is.
10:13You still need to give your compensation.
10:15Again, your name is still on the list.
10:17If anybody does volunteer,
10:18we're saying they're going to call folks up.
10:19It doesn't look like anybody's going to...
10:20Well, when I got here,
10:21when we got here,
10:22she said it was five seats.
10:23The plane to Buffalo had room
10:25for all but one of them
10:26when they got to the gate.
10:27And I'm saying,
10:28well, what are we doing here?
10:29And I got a little pissed off,
10:30and I'm going to be honest with you,
10:31right or wrong?
10:32All of a sudden,
10:33now she says I got three.
10:34Now we're down to three.
10:35Come on.
10:36In a matter of...
10:37That's not right.
10:38...of us standing here facing the shock
10:39of not being able to get on a flight.
10:41She's handing somebody a boarding pass.
10:43I don't want to speak for her,
10:44but you said that when they came up
10:47that they only had five seats.
10:49There were five seats.
10:50And six in your party.
10:52But you know what?
10:53You're right, okay?
10:54But all of a sudden,
10:55you're looking at me saying,
10:56we don't have seats for you.
10:58And as you're saying that,
10:59and we're going, what?
11:00You're handing somebody a boarding pass.
11:02Come on. That ain't right.
11:03All Adrian can do is refund their tickets,
11:06but it's not going to be enough
11:07to get them home this evening.
11:09But I got four kids that got to get to school.
11:12I got a job that I got to get too much.
11:14So you're going to compensate me this,
11:16and it's going to cost me probably that for a car
11:19to get from here back home,
11:21so I gain nothing,
11:22and I got to drive ten hours.
11:24Ten hours!
11:25Four kids!
11:26When you intentionally overbook flights
11:29by six, uh, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen,
11:33right now, you have intentionally overbooked
11:35one flight to Buffalo, of all places,
11:38by fourteen people.
11:40It's a ten-hour drive home, honey,
11:42with four kids.
11:47They're going to compensate me.
11:48It's a big deal.
11:49It won't even cost the gas to get home.
11:51But I know what you want.
11:52You want me to give up the three
11:53so you can give them to somebody else
11:55and get me out of here.
11:56That's what you want.
11:57You're not asking me to do anything
11:58you don't want to do.
11:59Ma'am.
12:00Who the hell do you overbook by thirty people?
12:02Because they got your money.
12:04They got your money for that length amount of time,
12:06okay?
12:07And they use it.
12:08After a final call brings no volunteers
12:11for three more seats,
12:13flight 2128 to Buffalo leaves the gate
12:15without the Liberatore's.
12:18Two blue roller bags, one duffel bag.
12:24I don't want no money.
12:25I'll get it all.
12:26One way or the other,
12:27I'm getting it all.
12:28Then when we get back,
12:29I want a letter.
12:30I'm going to call the news everything,
12:31okay?
12:32Because they s***ed us on this deal.
12:33Don't put that on there.
12:34Decided.
12:35You decided for us.
12:37Victor decides to refuse the standby option
12:40and accept a full refund with compensation.
12:42Now there's only one way home.
12:43What's the outcome?
12:44I'm going to have to drive ten hours to get home.
12:46That's the outcome.
12:47We've been here since 11 o'clock.
12:48Just be patient.
12:49We'll probably get you on this flight, okay?
12:50At LAX, Jen is calling a group of Vegas passengers
12:52who are delayed due to an earlier cancellation.
12:53We have probably about 25 people that were supposed to leave
12:55at 12, 1, 15 that are still here.
12:57At LAX, Jen is calling a group of Vegas passengers
12:59who are delayed due to an earlier cancellation.
13:02Everyone's rebooked on the 3, 15.
13:06But some passengers try to make it on the oversold 2 o'clock flight.
13:11Everyone's rebooked on the 3, 15,
13:13but some passengers try to make it on the oversold 2 o'clock flight.
13:27a two-o'clock flight.
13:27They were after me.
13:29I want somebody else higher than you, now.
13:33Okay.
13:34They were after me, way after me.
13:36Where did they sign up at?
13:37I got to move.
13:39I want it now.
13:39You checked my flight.
13:41When I checked in and they checked in,
13:42give it to me on the screen.
13:43Okay, I will as soon as I'm done here.
13:45You want it done right now?
13:47Now I'm going to fill the flight
13:48and then I'll give you the information.
13:49Yeah, because you have to fill it with me.
13:53Back in Los Angeles, frustration levels are rising.
13:56Why aren't we on the flight
13:57and why do we have to be at the airport
13:58over three or four hours waiting
14:01when we did absolutely nothing?
14:02We did everything right.
14:03Why?
14:04That's what I want to know.
14:06You're not scheduled on this flight?
14:07I was scheduled on the flight that you guys canceled.
14:10That's what flight I was on.
14:12I don't know why your flight was canceled.
14:13We can look at that.
14:14I just walked up here.
14:15Does it really matter?
14:16It doesn't matter.
14:17I want to know why I'm not on this flight.
14:18That's what matters.
14:19And we're truly sorry about that,
14:21but we can't accommodate it.
14:22You are sorry because you're not doing anything for me,
14:24so therefore you're not sorry.
14:26You work for a full year.
14:27You work your...
14:28You're taking some...
14:30...off, and you're missing one extra day of vacation.
14:33That's a big deal.
14:35Thank God I'm not middle class,
14:36but, you know, I can't imagine if I was.
14:41Back in L.A., two standby passengers, Erica and Belinda,
14:45are also having trouble boarding the Vegas flight.
14:48Oh, my God, she didn't say one bad word.
14:51Why don't you wait for the supervisor up here.
14:53No, no, no, no, no, no.
14:54She didn't say one bad word.
14:54I'm going to call the customer service line for Southwest
14:57to see how you're treating me.
14:58Come out.
14:59You know what?
14:59She didn't say one bad word.
15:00Get this.
15:01You weren't here what you said.
15:01I cussed at myself going in there,
15:03and he told me not to cuss,
15:05that I'm not supposed to.
15:06He tried to act like he's gone,
15:07but you know what?
15:08Now he's calling his supervisor
15:09and telling me other things.
15:11I need the customer service line
15:12because this sucks.
15:13Come on, Belinda.
15:14You wouldn't even hear what we're talking about.
15:16Be unmanaged.
15:17No.
15:18Be here for the situation.
15:20Be here for the situation.
15:22Craig, be unmanaged.
15:24What you're wrong, Craig.
15:25You know what?
15:25Come here, guys.
15:26Ladies, come here.
15:27Ladies, come here.
15:28Call us for service.
15:29I'm sure they'd love to...
15:30No, you know what?
15:31Those two better come off.
15:32Bring those two up.
15:33What's going on?
15:34No, come here.
15:35No, no, no, no.
15:36Come here.
15:36Okay.
15:37Up at the gate,
15:38Craig explains the situation to Yolanda.
15:41She came back from the...
15:42She came out of the jetway,
15:43and she turns around.
15:44She said,
15:45ah, F.
15:46I won't say the word,
15:47but she said, ah, F.
15:48Right?
15:50Okay.
15:50I'm at work.
15:51Anyway, so then after that,
15:53I said, whoa, whoa,
15:54you can't just...
15:55You can't just one moment
15:55walk down the jetway
15:56and second,
15:57just because you're upset,
15:58curse in front of other people.
16:00And then she goes,
16:01well, I can do whatever I want.
16:03I can do whatever F I want.
16:04America, we're in America.
16:06Can you just give us a second?
16:07He's trying to...
16:08No, because I'm upset.
16:10I'm upset because I'm not
16:11on this particular flight.
16:12And I want to know
16:12why my flight was canceled
16:13when I actually booked it
16:15in advance.
16:15I can talk to you next week.
16:15No, you can talk to me,
16:16but I'm not on that flight.
16:18That's because, you know,
16:19you have no...
16:20Yeah, exactly.
16:21Craig, you can continue.
16:22And if you continue like that,
16:23you won't get on any flight.
16:23This is all getting ridiculous.
16:25We had a cancellation.
16:26I don't know if you were on that.
16:27There's one empty seat on this flight.
16:29I don't know if you're traveling
16:30by yourself or not, okay?
16:32Unfortunately,
16:32you all were priority standby
16:33on this flight,
16:34which means that we're able
16:35to clear you.
16:35We will.
16:36Unfortunately,
16:36we only have one seat.
16:38You are protected
16:38on the very next flight.
16:42I'm actually going to waste
16:43my entire day
16:44here at the airport.
16:46I've managed to actually
16:47go to the Mexican cantina.
16:49I actually caught a buzz there
16:50with some margaritas.
16:51If I keep my mouth shut,
16:53I'll get a flight.
16:54I really don't care
16:55at this particular point.
16:56Thank God I own my own business
16:57so therefore I can take holiday
16:58whenever I want,
16:59but I just can't imagine
16:59for a middle-class worker
17:01what they would do.
17:03Bianca made it
17:04onto the next flight.
17:07At LAX,
17:09Yolanda's got her hands full
17:10with an oversold flight
17:11to Oakland and Seattle.
17:13Paige and Carolyn
17:14and Charles Reese.
17:15Hi.
17:16Louis D'Souza
17:17and his family
17:17had seats on the 1.30 flight
17:19but missed it.
17:20Now he thinks he's got
17:21three confirmed seats
17:22on the 3.30.
17:23They may have misread,
17:24but you have a standby segment.
17:25You've got to be kidding me.
17:26No, I'm not.
17:27You have a SB listing,
17:30which is standby listing
17:31on the 3.30
17:32and we're unable
17:33to accommodate any
17:34standby passengers.
17:34I just got off the phone
17:36with your reservation department.
17:38She told me
17:39that we were confirmed
17:40and if I had come in late,
17:42which we didn't,
17:43we came in at 3 o'clock.
17:45I do this 38 times a year.
17:47You know what happened?
17:48You probably told them
17:49you wanted to go on this flight.
17:50They checked your bags
17:51on this flight,
17:52but sir, as you can see,
17:53this is what you brought to me.
17:54No, don't see this.
17:55Don't see this.
17:56Look, I've been in this business
17:57for a long time.
17:58I manage the Far East
17:59for a major international airline.
18:01So I know what I'm talking about here.
18:03Okay.
18:03We came here on time.
18:04Your reservations office
18:05tells me that I have
18:06three confirmed seats at 3.30.
18:08I'm extremely tired.
18:10I just got back from Australia.
18:11So if you can't do this for me,
18:13then call somebody from you,
18:14call your supervisor to the gate
18:16and perhaps you can put me
18:17on this flight or the next one.
18:18I am the supervisor.
18:19You have no reservations
18:21on this flight.
18:22You are not going
18:22to get on this flight.
18:23Your reservation
18:24was at 1.30 p.m.
18:26Do you want to talk
18:26to this lady?
18:27Absolutely.
18:28I'd love to speak to her.
18:30Back at LAX,
18:31Oakland passenger
18:32Louis D'Souza
18:32calls reservations
18:33to try and clear up
18:34whether he has confirmed seats
18:36on the 3.30 or not.
18:37Sharon, hi.
18:38My name is Louis D'Souza.
18:40Can you tell me
18:40if I'm confirmed
18:41on the 3.30 flight,
18:42if I have a firm booking
18:43on the 3.30 flight?
18:48I just want to make sure
18:49that is that a confirmed flight?
18:53Okay, I need to speak to her.
18:54Hold on for a second.
18:55Hold on one second.
18:55Hello?
18:57Because they don't...
18:57I'm just wiping off the sweater.
18:58They don't make these sorts
19:00of reservations
19:00on the 800.
19:01Hello?
19:02Hi, this is Yolanda.
19:04I'm a supervisor at LAX.
19:06And I'm looking
19:07at the record locator
19:08and it says LAX Oakland SB3,
19:12which means standby 3.
19:14And he's being told
19:15that he's confirmed
19:16on this flight.
19:18He's not confirmed
19:19on this flight.
19:20You might explain to him
19:21that you miscommunicated.
19:22I'll put him back on for you.
19:24No problem.
19:24Well, I'll bring this
19:25over right now.
19:26Hello?
19:30Well, I called three people.
19:32I made three calls to you.
19:34When I said to you,
19:35I mean to the Southwest
19:36Reservations number.
19:38I fly approximately
19:3930 times a year
19:40on you guys.
19:41But this flight
19:41has been oversold for days,
19:43so there's no way
19:43that you would have been able
19:44to get a confirmed reservation
19:46on this flight today.
19:46This has been oversold for days?
19:47Yes.
19:48What am I going to do now?
19:49Perhaps I will go
19:50and write a letter
19:50to Southwest Airlines
19:51and tell them that they should
19:52perhaps train their reservations.
19:54If the reservations people
19:56don't know the reservations code,
19:58we have a problem.
19:59Yolanda confirms the family
20:00on the 8 o'clock flight.
20:02You're very welcome.
20:03They're on standby
20:04for the next five hours,
20:06but will they wait
20:07or will the D'Souza family
20:08find another way home?
20:11In LAX,
20:12the oversold Oakland flight
20:14is ready to go,
20:15but one last passenger
20:16has fallen behind
20:17the rest of his party.
20:19Where were you?
20:19Were you on another day there?
20:20They didn't speak English.
20:21They overplayed.
20:22Oh, they're on the...
20:24on the plane already?
20:24Yeah, they're on the plane.
20:25They didn't speak English.
20:26I'm staying.
20:28I can interpret for them.
20:31You can interpret for them?
20:32Yeah.
20:33Well, they're on the plane.
20:34They'll probably be fine.
20:35I'm concerned about you
20:36because all the planes
20:37tonight to Seattle
20:38are sold out.
20:40There's no more space tonight.
20:41You can go stand by,
20:43but it doesn't look good
20:45tonight to Seattle.
20:47Okay, Patty.
20:48I want out of gate 2 now.
20:50All right.
20:51Yolanda realizes
20:52Michael Tran
20:53is confirmed on the flight
20:54and his seat has been given
20:55to a standby customer.
20:57This is like one of those flights
20:59where like one thing happens
21:00and then it just goes
21:01all downhill.
21:03It's like, no.
21:05So hopefully we can beg somebody
21:07to get off.
21:10Back at LAX,
21:12Yolanda's making one last request
21:14for volunteers
21:14to allow Michael on board.
21:16Okay, folks.
21:19As you know,
21:20this flight was overselling
21:21to begin with
21:22and I know I've solicited
21:23volunteers before,
21:24but I have to give
21:25one last shot.
21:26If there's anyone
21:27that has flexibility
21:28in their travel plans,
21:29we can confirm you
21:30on the 8 o'clock,
21:32give you dinner.
21:33You'd be priority standby
21:34on every flight to Oakland,
21:36but you would definitely
21:37be confirmed
21:38on the 8 o'clock flight.
21:39Oh, four of you?
21:4112?
21:43Okay, I'm coming back there
21:44to talk to you.
21:45How many are you?
21:47Four of you?
21:47Okay, and you're just
21:48going to Oakland, right?
21:50Okay, and you want
21:51to volunteer?
21:51Yeah.
21:52Okay.
21:52Okay.
21:56So we get, wait,
21:57one second,
21:58we get $200.
21:59Plus the one-way face value
22:00of each ticket
22:01and a travel voucher.
22:02It's like a flight gift certificate.
22:04Okay.
22:05Okay?
22:06I'm not dumb.
22:08That's a Christmas trip.
22:09I'm surprised more people
22:10don't volunteer.
22:12Okay.
22:15You're welcome.
22:16You're welcome.
22:17With three extra seats,
22:18there's now room
22:19for the D'Souza family,
22:21but they're no longer
22:22in the gate area.
22:23He said he was going
22:24to America West
22:25and stormed out.
22:26I booked him
22:26for the 8 o'clock,
22:27though,
22:27but he was not happy at all.
22:30It seems the D'Souzas
22:31decided to take
22:32another airline after all.
22:34At Houston,
22:36passengers are receiving
22:36an offer they can refuse.
22:38Would you like
22:39to volunteer your seat?
22:39Volunteer for compensation.
22:40Would you be interested in that?
22:42No.
22:42That's not a good deal.
22:44The 5 o'clock flight
22:45to New Orleans
22:45has been oversold,
22:47and Cindy's
22:47desperately seeking help.
22:49We are completely full right now.
22:51We are still looking
22:51for some volunteers
22:52who might have
22:53flexible travel plans.
22:55If there's anybody
22:55that would like
22:57to give up their seat
22:57on this one,
22:58we've got a guaranteed seat
22:59for you on the 605 departure.
23:01Just about everything
23:02is completely sold out.
23:03We have a,
23:04like, every hour
23:05or every half hour flight,
23:07so, you know,
23:08that's a pretty high frequency
23:09for all of those
23:10to be completely sold out
23:11and completely full,
23:12so it'll be pretty busy.
23:15$200 plus whatever
23:16you paid for your
23:17one-way ticket
23:18that's in the form
23:19of a travel voucher,
23:20which is like
23:20a gift certificate.
23:21Do you want to give
23:21our seats up for $200?
23:23Grab a friend.
23:24Come on down.
23:25We are still looking
23:26for four seats.
23:28Four seats.
23:28That's all I need.
23:30Come on.
23:31Sweetheart,
23:31for $200,
23:32I can show you a good time.
23:33Come on.
23:35What's going on, folks?
23:39Going once,
23:40because if she doesn't,
23:40I can't.
23:42Going once?
23:42Come on.
23:43Going twice?
23:45What, are we talking cash here
23:47or are we talking a coupon?
23:48If it was cash,
23:49I would do it.
23:50No, it's not cash.
23:51Okay.
23:51Show me the money.
23:52What was that movie?
23:53Julie prepares some passengers
23:54for the possibility
23:55of being bumped.
23:57I went on this flight.
23:58Unfortunately,
23:59right now,
23:59I don't have any volunteers
24:00willing to give up their seats.
24:01If and when I get some volunteers,
24:03I'll call you up
24:03and accommodate you on this flight.
24:05Possessing a valid ticket
24:06may not guarantee travel today.
24:09It leaves in like 15, 20 minutes.
24:12So I still need six seats.
24:15At Houston,
24:16Cindy hopes persistence
24:17will pay off.
24:19Okay, folks,
24:20it's me again.
24:24Now you're going to make me beg.
24:26So maybe you just weren't listening
24:28the first 17 times
24:29I made this announcement,
24:30so I'm going to just repeat it again.
24:32All I need is one person
24:34to grab five
24:34of their closest friends
24:36and come on over here
24:37to see me.
24:38I might sound
24:38a little annoying right now.
24:40Hello.
24:41I think you're off.
24:41Boarding begins,
24:43but with no takers,
24:44Mr. Chen finds himself
24:45at the bottom of the list.
24:46Unfortunately,
24:47I don't have a seat for you.
24:48The flight is full.
24:49So how to do?
24:50When I lose job,
24:51how to do?
24:53I apologize, sir.
24:54Unfortunately,
24:55I don't have any more seats
24:56on the aircraft.
24:56Who I can complain?
24:58When I lose the job,
24:59that boss anger me,
25:00then fire me,
25:02then your company
25:03need to take care
25:04or I need to call the lawyer.
25:05At Houston,
25:06Julie explains overbooking.
25:07Just like with every other carrier,
25:09sir,
25:09we overbook the majority
25:10of our flights
25:11and expect no shows.
25:12Unfortunately,
25:13with this flight,
25:13almost everyone showed up.
25:15You fulfilled your end
25:16of the deal.
25:17You showed up
25:17and we didn't have
25:18a seat for you.
25:19So in that respect,
25:21we have to compensate you
25:22for that.
25:22We have another job.
25:24We need to go back.
25:25I understand, sir,
25:26and I apologize.
25:27Unfortunately,
25:27there are no more seats on the floor.
25:28You apologize
25:28when I lose the job.
25:30How to do?
25:30I could give you a note,
25:31an explanation of delay
25:32you getting there,
25:33but unfortunately,
25:34I don't have a seat for you.
25:34But are you guaranteeing
25:35my boss not fire me?
25:36I can't make
25:37this type of guarantee, sir.
25:39This gentleman,
25:39unfortunately,
25:40was involuntarily denied boarding,
25:41which means that
25:42he didn't volunteer.
25:43He didn't want
25:43to give up his seat.
25:45So what I'm doing now
25:45is writing him refund drafts
25:47for his compensation
25:48and confirming him
25:50on the 605 departures.
25:51I'm also going to give him
25:51an explanation of delay
25:53to his company
25:55because apparently
25:55he was going to work
25:57and he was kind of
25:58short on time.
25:59Mr. Chen breaks
26:01the bad news
26:01to his boss.
26:02Maybe I tried
26:03another company.
26:04Better the Southwest,
26:06I chose another one.
26:117 a.m., rush hour,
26:13and there's trouble brewing
26:14on the Manchester flight.
26:16Looks like she's
26:16overselling that B-10.
26:19Almost all airlines
26:20oversell their flights.
26:22If they didn't,
26:22we'd be paying twice
26:23as much for our tickets.
26:25Usually, there's no problem
26:26because not everyone
26:27turns up.
26:28But today,
26:29they're all here.
26:31And it's V's job
26:32to get them on board
26:33or rebooked.
26:34What's going on?
26:35I'm trying to oversell
26:36and you have negative...
26:37I'm not the one
26:38that oversell the flight.
26:39I'll do my
26:40until they fly, sir.
26:42That's not my problem, though.
26:43I paid $400
26:44to get on this plane.
26:45I do apologize.
26:46My part of the deal
26:46was done at that point.
26:47Now you have to get me there.
26:49Do you have enough volunteers?
26:50Well, they're going to go back on
26:51and she's going to try
26:52to solicit for more volunteers.
26:55Well, I've got to get to that
26:56British Brinkstein concert.
26:57You know what I'm saying?
26:58You know what I'm saying?
26:59If I don't get on that plane,
27:00my luggage better not be
27:01on that plane in New Hampshire.
27:02Can your bags
27:03vote be on the plane, sir?
27:05You need to get out of that plane.
27:06Otherwise, I'll be in a huge trouble.
27:08Am I...
27:09I'll just...
27:10Okay.
27:10Let me explain one thing.
27:12There are 140 tickets
27:13and only 137 seats.
27:16You do the math.
27:16This could get interesting,
27:18so stay tuned.
27:20Back in Chicago,
27:21and time's running out
27:22for four passengers
27:23about to be stranded.
27:24What's the cutoff time
27:25where you're going to take off?
27:27Well, if nobody is going
27:29to volunteer their seat,
27:30then we have to let the plane go.
27:31So how long are you going to get me
27:32to Manchester by 1 o'clock?
27:34I can't guarantee you
27:35to get there by 1 o'clock.
27:36They need a miracle.
27:38Or just a family
27:40who don't mind waiting two hours
27:41for the next flight.
27:42Yes, that's what we needed.
27:44Okay?
27:45I'm very grateful.
27:46Very grateful.
27:46I have someone on board right now,
27:48so she's probably kind of
27:49waiting for me, so...
27:51Thanks much.
27:53I've been going
27:53since 5 o'clock this morning,
27:55so right now,
27:57this is like the peak time for us.
27:59For the most part,
28:00it makes you day go by pretty quickly,
28:02and it's really exciting.
28:04It really is.
28:09Three hours of non-stop walking,
28:11and V needs a rest,
28:12but not just yet.
28:13There's another plane overbooked,
28:18with 10 minutes to departure,
28:20no volunteers,
28:22and three passengers left stranded.
28:26They have to get us in another airline.
28:28That's ridiculous.
28:29Okay.
28:30Okay.
28:32And who were the last passengers
28:33you'd ever want to upset?
28:35Customer service is part of my line of work.
28:37I have a conference that I'm going to be facilitating
28:41at at 1 o'clock.
28:42There are several hundred people waiting for me.
28:46My specialty is consumer fraud litigation,
28:49and to me,
28:49this is exactly the kind of thing
28:51that my clients go through all the time.
28:54How's V going to get out of this one?
28:59Back in Chicago,
29:00customer service manager V
29:01is still facing angry passengers
29:03who've been bumped off their flight to Seattle.
29:06Lena Neal,
29:07who's going to miss her conference on customer service,
29:09and litigation lawyers, the McPhys.
29:11It was a bike trip for his 50th birthday.
29:14We had a whole package.
29:15If we don't get there in time,
29:17we lose the whole, like, $3,000 package.
29:19We're still asking customers
29:22to relinquish their seats,
29:24and obviously,
29:25I have a supervisor on board right now doing that,
29:27so we're trying everything possible.
29:29How much are you paying for the tickets?
29:30Okay.
29:31How much are you paying?
29:31I'll give up my seat.
29:33$200 plus what you pay for the one-way ticket.
29:35It's not in cash.
29:36It's in travel voucher.
29:38$200 or something.
29:39Plus whatever you pay
29:40for the one-way portion of your ticket.
29:42It's not enough.
29:42Okay.
29:43I'm a real estate agent.
29:44I negotiate.
29:44If it's $1,000, I'll give it up.
29:46Oh, no.
29:46As far as I'm concerned, it's not enough.
29:48I'll be happy to give it up.
29:50But it has to be something better.
29:53The plane leaves without them.
29:55V can offer compensation
29:56and a booking on a later flight,
29:58but it's no consolation for Lena.
30:00You've really put me in a terrible body.
30:02I understand.
30:03I understand that.
30:04The next one leaves at $5.50
30:06and then $9.20 tonight.
30:10What did they call you?
30:13V-10, please.
30:14You know, I feel for them.
30:20I'm sympathizing with them.
30:22But the more a customer is upset,
30:25the better I am because I remain in control at all times
30:29because I do want the perfect outcome
30:32for both the company and the customer.
30:34So I have a swollen left foot that's getting larger.
30:37The pain is getting worse.
30:39I've lost a day's pay.
30:42And this is the present I get.
30:45Lena realizes there's nothing more V can do to help.
30:48She takes the compensation and a seat on a later flight.
30:51But the mikvahs aren't giving up that easily.
30:55All right, no one volunteered their seat.
30:57So the best I can do right now
30:59is I would have to involuntarily deny you boarding
31:01and pay you twice the amount in cash.
31:05I don't want the cash.
31:06I want you to book us on another airline.
31:07I can book you on another airline.
31:08And if that airline is $1,500, we can't pay for it.
31:11That's your problem.
31:12No, ma'am.
31:13No, ma'am.
31:13You know what?
31:14You have to get somebody to authorize higher expense
31:17because otherwise there's a lawsuit
31:20for over $5,000 for the block.
31:22Because that's what we're going to lose this weekend.
31:24All right, I understand.
31:25And we will sue you.
31:27Okay.
31:27In Chicago, V's still struggling
31:30to keep the mikvahs happy.
31:31With their flight gone,
31:32they can't start their vacation until tomorrow.
31:34And they're looking for something
31:36beyond what's been offered.
31:38V's got a new suggestion.
31:40So right now what I'm doing for you
31:42is calling for a hotel for tonight in Seattle.
31:45We'll pay for that.
31:46And then I need to compensate you.
31:48Then I need to get you checked in for the next flight.
31:50Right.
31:51Let's do that for sure.
31:54I've been doing this for 16 years
31:56and you've learned not to take anything personal
31:59because you know that customer is upset
32:02for that moment with the situation.
32:04They're not upset at you.
32:05They're trying to do what you need to do
32:08and she's working very hard at trying to do that.
32:11Thank you for being here.
32:12Okay, you are so welcome.
32:13I'm so sorry.
32:14I hope the rest of your day is a little easier.
32:21You
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