[MADELYNE]

Frontier personnel in Ft. Lauderdale broke lots of rules regarding oversold flights and I was bumped. Feeling hopeless about getting on the next Frontier flight (18 hours later, also oversold), I bought a new ticket. Following is the response from them when I tried to get a refund for the unused ticket.

"Thank you for contacting Midwest Airlines Online Customer Service. On behalf of Midwest Airlines, please accept my apology for the disappointing way our gate agents handled the removal of passengers during an oversold situation.

When a flight is oversold, our agents will solicit volunteers. If no one comes forward, we will select the passengers who were the last checked in. Our agents did arrange for a volunteer so that you would be able to travel, but denied you boarding when you did not comply with their request that you remain seated until your name was called.

Ms. Stevens, although we will not be able to provide compensation, your continued support is very important to us. We look forward to serving you again soon with “the best care in the air”.

So i get bumped, spend $300 on a new ticket and then can't even get a refund for the unused ticket. What do you do?

Madelyne

[jimworcs]

The overselling of flights was justifiable during times when most tickets were refundable. The scale of overselling in the US now is simply unjustifiable in a climate in which the majority of tickets sold are non-refundable and the passenger loses the value of the ticket. There are many examples, and this sounds like one, where the airline finds an "excuse" to deny boarding, which avoids paying compensation on the grounds of misconduct of the passenger. You might try complaining to the DOT, but unless you have witnesses that your conduct was not disorderly you may well lose in that forum too.

[azstar]

It sounds like there was a seat for you but you weren't around when they called your name. Under those circumstances they are not required to compensate you. Your ticket should retain its value for a year. I would try to get them to waive the 50 or 100 change fee when you rebook for a future trip. And, I agree with jimworcs. There is no excuse for overbooking flights in this era of non refundable and electronic tickets.