Quite, couldn't they have just said that if anyone was prepared to take the next flight, they'd bump them to 1st and put them up if required? No skin off their noses, unlike the poor Doctor
I think they'd offered $1000, but no-one was taking it.
It was quite weird on my first domestic flights over there. You see those standby screens at the gates. Looks like bingo.
Even the staff were laid back. 'This flight is going to Vegas, we may go to LA afterwards we may not.'
Back in the day, Delta was having an appalling few years, planes going to the wrong airports, taxiing off the runways etc etc. David Letterman did a Top 10 Delta Airlines Advertising Slogans:
1) Delta Airlines - we may fly you directly to your hotel!