AN airline has come up with a novel way of solving an overbooked plane dilemma - asking passengers to bid to be removed from their flight.
US airline Delta wants passengers to name their price at airport kiosks now, in case a flight is oversold.
While there is no minimum bid, the airline will choose the lowest offers.
The move is an attempt to avoid the “crowded and chaotic” scenes that often ensues at the gate when a flight is overbooked, Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec said.
Previously the airline would offer vouchers of between $250 and $500 for travellers who are willing to wait at the airport.
Now Delta is turning the tables on fliers with the auctioning process, hoping that the system will help drive down the amount of compensation it pays out on oversold flights.
It started offering bids on its website in November, and has been offering the kiosk bids for around a month.
The airline is aware if a flight will be overbooked 24 hours beforehand as passengers start to check in online.
Passengers can change their minds at the gate if they decide they don’t want to wait for the next flight.
If there are no volunteers found Delta will still be obligated to compensate passengers involuntarily bumped from their flight.
The airline bumped nearly twice as many passengers as its competitors last year, according to the US Department of Transportation.
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