As more Americans head off to their summer travels, they’re likely to encounter a common issue at the airport: Overbooking.
To some, it may be curious how—and why—an airline would decide to sell more seats than actually exist on a given flight. But, as Nik Popli notes for TIME Magazine, the reason behind this move is simple: Maximizing profits.
“Airlines want to make sure that every flight is as full as possible in case travelers cancel their tickets at the last minute or don’t show up—a common occurrence for airlines, since weather delays often force travelers to miss connecting flights,” Popli writes. “Airlines resort to overselling flights as a way to recover the costs of those empty seats.”
However, sometimes, all or most of the people who bought tickets for a flight actually show up, putting airlines in the awkward position of paying people to take a later flight. As TikTok user @arisotoodeh recently learned, those payments can sometimes amount to incredible sums.
$4000 for a later flight
In a clip with over 631,000 views as of Sunday, the TikToker records herself at the airport. An announcement from the gate next to her is audible.
“$4,000 per guest. $4,000 per guest. If you are interested, come see us here at the podium,” the announcement states.
“This is your sign to always make your travel plans flexible so that your vacations can PAY FOR THEMSELVES,” the TikToker writes in the text overlaying the video.
In a follow-up, the TikToker notes that she was not eligible for the offer as she was on a different flight. That said, she says that if she were in such a position in the future, she would without a doubt take the flight.
As mentioned earlier, these payments are incredibly common in the airline industry—and when the payments reach a high enough sum, they often spawn an incredible amount of online discussion.
For example, in July of last year, an internet user recorded people leaving a flight in droves after being told they’d be paid $1,600 for doing so.
@arisotoodeh $4000 to take a flight 8 hours later?? That is what dreams are made of #travelhacks #nyctravel #deltaairlines ♬ original sound – arisotoodeh
Commenters share their payment stories
In the comments section, users shared their own stories of accepting these payments.
“I once got $3700 + $100 in meal vouchers + hotel for the night + free roundtrip ticket (any Emirates flight) valid for one year all just to fly the next day,” recalled a user. “The way I SPRINTED to the podium.”
“$4K say NO MORE,” one said. “I Volunteer as tribute that’s 2 all inclusive vacations for moi.”
“This happened to me and my fiancé going to Paris – we got 4K each happily flew out the next day,” offered a third.
The Daily Dot reached out to the TikToker via TikTok direct message and Delta via media contact form.
The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s web_crawlr newsletter here to get the best (and worst) of the internet straight into your inbox.
