Can you trust what your airline tells you?

It is common in the US for passengers to be offered a cash bonus or vouchers to give up their seats when flights are over-booked.

The passengers are usually offered a seat on the next available flight.

But what if the airline deliberately misleads you?

A Delta Air Lines passenger thought he’d hit the jackpot recently when a flight attendant made an announcement asking for one volunteer to give up a seat in exchange for $15,000.

The passenger said the amount was confirmed more than once, loud enough for others to hear, and he agreed on the spot.

Daniel Christiansen said he deplaned the flight from Salt Lake City to Palm Springs, leaving his wife and infant daughter onboard and trusting the airline’s word.

He claims that once the aircraft pushed back, everything changed, the Aviationa2z and Simple Flying websites reported.

Christiansen alleges gate agents reportedly told him the offer was only $1,500 and accused him of lying about the original promise, even after the airline later acknowledged the $15,000 amount had in fact been announced.

“They treated me like I’d invented the number out of thin air,” Christiansen said. “But the flight attendant, the captain, and even Delta’s own emails later admitted the $15,000 offer was real.” 

Several witnesses backed his account.

Emails from Delta customer service admitted the $15,000 figure was real but labelled it a “miscommunication,” refusing to honour it.

The final offer was for $1,500 and some air miles, a fraction of what was promised over the intercom.

In the US, airlines routinely oversell flights, expecting some passengers not to show up. When too many travellers check-in, carriers request volunteers to surrender seats in exchange for compensation.

It seems that in the case of Delta you need to get the offer in writing - preferably in duplicate, before giving up your seat.

Delta reportedly refused to apologise to the passenger - who happened to be a frequent flyer - for the bait and switch. Not a good look at all.  

It seems likely the cabin staffer mis-spoke and Delta was unwilling to fess up. The airline saved $13,500 but cost itself substantially more in adverse publicity.