Overbooked Flight? What to Know If an Airline Bumps You

By checking in early and getting to the gate with plenty of time, you’ve done everything right. But then the airline throws a curveball, announcing an overbooked flight. Instead of boarding passengers, gate agents ask for volunteers to give up their seats. Then they stop asking and start bumping passengers off the flight. And they may call your name.

This situation, which can be deeply inconvenient, is entirely legal. Airlines are allowed to oversell flights, a practice relied on to account for no-shows and to maximize revenue. Another reason they bump passengers? To swap aircraft for a smaller one with fewer seats because of factors such as weight restrictions or maintenance issues.

The good news from this bad situation? Passengers can generally expect to get compensated when they’re bumped, either voluntarily or involuntarily — and in amounts that could be quite attractive.

First, know what you are entitled to.

In an airline’s contract of carriage, the document usually found online outlining what an airline expects from and owes passengers, carriers say they will rebook bumped passengers — whether voluntarily or involuntarily — on later flights. The rebooked flight may be on another carrier, and there are no requirements as to when the second flight must depart. In its contract of carriage, Delta Air Lines, for instance, says the passenger will be placed “on its next flight on which space is available.”

The Transportation Department does mandate compensation for this inconvenience, but it is up to airlines to decide how much to offer and in what form. Cash, flight credits or vouchers are most frequently offered.

Generally, passengers will not be bumped after they have boarded the plane. (There are some exceptions, the D.O.T. said, such as onboard unruly behavior.)

Volunteers should negotiate the compensation — the payouts may not be the same for all travelers.

There is no limit to the amount of compensation that can be offered to volunteers, and gate agents will often raise amounts to entice passengers, who can then negotiate for more. Sometimes compensation can rise to the thousands of dollars, according to passenger reports, and exceed the original ticket fare.

Agents will ask for volunteers over the airport intercom, or passengers will see an offer on the airline’s app, or through the app’s text messages.

Airlines typically like a private approach where some passengers may accept lower offers than they might in a public negotiation, said Robert Mann, an aviation analyst and a former American Airlines executive. Less frequent customers tend to be contacted first, he added.

Airlines are not required to grant all volunteers the same compensation, said Katy Nastro, an expert at the Going travel app.

Compensation needs to be given at the airport or sent within 24 hours, according to the Transportation Department: Checks may be sent via the mail, or a flight voucher may be deposited in a passenger’s airline account.

Compensation may be more than money or flight vouchers.

In particularly desperate scenarios, Ms. Nastro added, airlines may be willing to negotiate further perks beyond a flight, which may include business class seats, a direct route, food, accommodation and lounge access.

“There is no limit, per D.O.T. regulation, for voluntary amounts,” she said. “The sky is the limit there.”

Not enough volunteers? The carrier will then involuntarily bump passengers.

The first passengers to get bumped tend to be those who were the last to check in, said Sally French, a travel expert for the personal finance company NerdWallet.

In their contracts of carriages, airlines provide more details about their approach to denied boarding. Carriers usually give the following passengers priority on flights with overbooked seats: unaccompanied minors, those with elite frequent flier status or flying in premium cabins, and passengers who require special assistance.

There are minimum compensation amounts for involuntarily bumping.

In most cases, involuntarily bumped passengers will receive compensation. This can be a check if that’s your preference, per D.O.T. rules.

For flights within the United States or departing from the United States out of the country, the amount passengers receive, according to the D.O.T., depends on factors including the ticket price, the length of their delay, and whether their flights were domestic or international.

The D.O.T. lays out the minimum owed amounts on its website, although airlines may pay more. In one example, if a rebooked traveler on a domestic flight arrives between one and two hours after they should have on their original itinerary, the airline must pay 200 percent of the passenger’s one-way fare, or $775, whichever is lower.

If a bumped traveler on a rebooked domestic flight arrives at their destination more than two hours later than they would have on their original itinerary, airlines could pay as much as 400 percent of the passenger’s one-way fare, or $1,550, whichever is lowest.

Situations may arise when no compensation will be offered.

Passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding should not expect compensation if they missed the flight’s check-in deadline or if, on their replacement flight after being bumped, they arrive within an hour of their original scheduled time.

Additionally, passengers who are bumped because the carrier changed the flight to a smaller aircraft should not expect compensation.

If passengers were denied boarding because of weight and safety constraints that arose on a plane with between 30 and 60 seats, according to the D.O.T., they will not receive compensation.

Charter flights and flights on planes with fewer than 30 seats are also exempt from the D.O.T.’s compensation rules.

You should receive compensation if you are involuntarily bumped while flying to, within or out of the European Union on certain carriers.

According to European Union regulations, passengers rights and compensation for voluntary bumping work similarly to those in the United States.

The compensation for involuntary bumping depend on distance: Passengers should receive 250 euros (around $258) for flights up to 1,500 kilometers (932 miles); 400 euros for flights between 1,500 kilometers and 3,500 kilometers, and for flights of more than 1,500 kilometers within Europe; and 600 euros for flights more than 3,500 kilometers.

These travelers are also eligible for a rebooked flight or a refund, and assistance from the airline in the form of meals, refreshments and accommodation, said Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims.

Travelers denied boarding on a connecting flight because of a delayed first flight are also entitled to compensation, in amounts ranging from 125 to 300 euros, depending on distance and delay.

These rights apply to flights within the European Union and operated by any airline; international flights arriving into the European Union and operated by an E.U.-based airline, and flights departing from the European Union to a country out of the bloc and operated by any airline.

Know how to protect yourself from being involuntarily bumped.

Experts emphasize that checking in early online, or through the carrier’s app, could help you avoid a denied boarding. They also suggest attaching frequent flier information, if you have it, to your booking.

Finally, it never hurts to get to the airport early.

For more travel advice, visit our collection of Travel 101 tips and hacks.