Bob,
I think the request for volunteers on the over-sold flights was on the Providence to Newark leg.
The point the OP seems to be making is the cynical manipulation of the passenger. The flight was oversold and running late.. it was tight for the connection, but especially at Newark, it is possible the onward flight is also delayed. Rather than waiting to see, the passengers were encouraged to re-book for the following day and re-booked. They must have had other people they knew on the flight, and it turns out the flight was oversold and they had to pay compensation to encourage passengers to give up their seats.
The OP complaint is this: It appears that Continental had a cynical, ulterior motive to encourage the passengers to re-book. This was to save themselves money and to relieve the pressure on the flight. Had they not done so, they may have received substantial compensation.
I assume the initial delay was weather related... if not, then they have indeed been royally screwed.
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