Airline passengers flying Delta Airlines could make nearly five figures the next time they volunteer to get bumped from an overbooked flight.
Delta announced on Friday it will offer customers up to $9,950 in compensation if a passenger is willing to give up his or her seat.
The move comes days after United Airlines violently removed 69-year-old David Dao, a physician, from a flight leaving Chicago for Louisville. Delta is hoping to avoid a fiasco similar to Dao’s incident.
United officials had asked for four people to give up their seats and in turn, they would be compensated. When no one volunteered, the airline selected four random passengers. The first three people agreed, but the final person refused, saying he had to get to Louisville because he was a doctor and had patients waiting for him. Officials were then called to the plane, where the faceoff took place.
Video of the incident shows two law enforcement officials forcing the man from his seat, with blood on his face, and pulling him by his arms off the flight.
United also announced employees seeking a seat will have to book at least an hour before the departure time, which would also force any overbooking to be addressed at the gate, not on the airplane. The four employees demanded seats, forcing the airline to bump four paying passengers.
Delta will offer up to $2,000, a $1,200 bump from the $800 customarily given. In addition, supervisors may use their discretion to compensate passengers with $9,950 instead of the $1,350 that was previously the most a manager could give frustrated flyers.
