In an effort to avoid the kind of public-relations nightmare United Airlines finds itself navigating through after video of security agents forcefully expelling a passenger from one of its planes went viral, Delta has announced that it is raising the cap on the offers it's customers can possibly receive to surrender a seat.
Whereas up until this point Delta supervisors were able to authorize up to $1,350 for passengers willing to come off of an overbooked flight, they were notified on Friday, April 14, that they now have the green light to compensate as much as $9,950 to dis-board. Gate agents may make offers of up to $2,000, which is more than double the $800 they were able to put on the table in the past.
United Airlines does not disclose the amount it will give for passengers to voluntarily dis-board an overbooked flight, but it's agents were reportedly offering $800 compensation when the violent incident involving Dr. David Dao occurred last week. Agents proceeded to announce that they would be forced to randomly select someone to get off of the plane when it became apparent that nobody was willing to volunteer themselves. Dao's refusal to leave after having been selected prompted a security agent to manhandle the Kentucky physician, causing an uproar from the flight's other passengers.
Source: money.cnn.com
