Chances of being involuntarily bumped from a flight are slim, but it does happen. Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” occurs when there are more ticketed passengers booked on a flight than there are seats available. It is recommended for travelers to be familiar with the policies associated and know their rights before arriving at the airport.
Why are You Being Asked to Take a Flight Bump?
Airlines can legally overbook a scheduled flight up to a certain percent in order to compensate for “no-shows,” which are passengers who don’t show or change flights prior to take off. Unfortunately, it makes sense. It’s like inviting 30 friends to a dinner party. Then the Morris family get sick at the last minute and the Johnsons can’t find a babysitter. You made enough to feed 30, but now you’re stuck with too much food. The airlines are just trying to avoid getting stuck with empty seats.
Most of the time, airlines correctly predict the number of no-shows. But sometimes passengers are bumped, voluntarily or involuntarily, from their flight as a result.
Voluntarily vs. Involuntarily Giving Up Your Seat
In the event of an overbooked flight, airlines must first ask passengers to give up their seats voluntarily, in exchange for compensation, before bumping anyone involuntarily. Airlines may offer passengers incentives – including money, hotel accommodations, or vouchers – to volunteer. Passengers are free to negotiate with the airline over the compensation as there is no limit to the amount they may offer.
However, there are many situations where bumped passengers are not entitled to any compensation. These situations include:
- Aircraft change
- Weight and balance restrictions
- Class downgrade (travelers are refunded for the difference in price)
- Charter flights
- Small aircraft (30 or fewer passengers)
- Flights departing from a foreign location
If passengers are not bumped from a flight for one of the reasons listed above, they may qualify for involuntary-denied boarding compensation. This applies if an airline requires a passenger to give up their seat on an oversold flight and they have a confirmed reservation, checked-in to the flight on time, arrived at the departure gate on time, and the airline cannot get the traveler to the destination within one hour of the flight’s original scheduled arrival time.
Denied boarding compensation (DBC) is calculated based on the price paid for the ticket, the length of time the traveler is delayed in getting to their destination, and whether the flight is domestic or international. If the flight change makes the passenger 1-2 hours late, they are entitled to 2X the ticket price paid for a maximum of $675. If the flight change makes them 2+ hours late, they can get 4X the ticket price for a maximum of $1,350. Again, if the change makes the traveler less than an hour late, they are not entitled to any compensation.
How Do You Avoid a Flight Bump?
- When booking, avoid purchasing the cheapest ticket, because those will be the cheapest for the airlines to bargain with.
- Consider joining the airline’s loyalty program, automatically increasing your value as a customer to that airline.
- Fly at off-peak times, which may reduce the number of people onboard and the chance of being on an overbooked flight.
- At the airport, check in as early as possible and don’t be late to the gate.
- Consider adding airfare protection or flight insurance from a 3rd party to minimize hiccups in your air travel.
What if Your Flight is Canceled?
As of October 2024, updated Department of Transportation (DOT) rules guarantee refunds for significant flight delays, cancellations, or schedule changes for flights originating/departing the United States. These rules apply across both domestic and international flights originating in the U.S. (Important Note: international flights abroad still have their own policies.)
This means if your flight is canceled, delayed significantly, or your itinerary is changed, you are entitled to a full refund or alternative accommodations, improving transparency and accountability from airlines.
It’s important to note that these rules only apply to air travel and do not cover other elements of your trip, such as hotels, tours, or cruises.
While the updated DOT rules are an important step forward for air travelers, they only cover flight-related issues and do not address the broader risks that travel insurance does.
Comprehensive travel insurance protects flight-related issues for both domestic and international trips along with non-flight-related and covers risks like medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and more.
