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.)We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

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