[The_Judge]

So many issues here I don't even know where to begin. I think I'll just address one for now and maybe come back later as there is so much info here.

The overbooking issue. The OP has seen it for 2 days and suffered from it on the first day but yet still has contempt for the agents in the tone of the post. (IMO)

I didn't work for CO but have been in their place (Supvr for NWA). Your post comes across, at least to me, that you are blaming the CO agents for overbooking and people not getting on the flight. Having been in their position countless times for over 20 years, it is not easy to day after day after day try to "buy" people off a flight. It gets old. We do not do the overbooking. Believe me, if we had some say, flights would be only booked to exactly capacity of the aircraft. An agent, believe it or not, does have feelings when they see a family miss a flight unwillingly, it is not something that amuses them or makes them happy cuz they know after the flight leaves, they are gonna get an earful. You think they want that? They want eveyone on the flight, out of their hair. They have had to deal with alot of crap internally and then are expected to smile at people who want to verbally tear them a new one.

The agent is there to help you get on your flight. A wise and older co-worker once summed up our job in a few simple words. "We put people on airplaines." No more, no less. We aren't there to screw people as we know how it feels. You missed your flight due to management's overbooking and time constraint policies and the agents did their best to help albeit without a smile. Chalk it up to a lesson learned, give your opinion to others and fly another carrier. Fact is though, you will receive the same treatment as the employees are still just people.