Can an airline deny boarding due to overbooking?

In some cases, passengers may be denied boarding as a result of overbooking, even if they have a confirmed reservation and have checked in on time.



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While it is legal for airlines to involuntarily bump passengers from an oversold flight when there are not enough volunteers, it is the airline's responsibility to determine its own fair boarding priorities.

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Passengers denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation set by DOT. It is based on the price of the ticket and the length of time that the passengers are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding.

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When an overbooking occurs, airlines will attempt to negotiate with passengers to voluntarily give up their seats. Please note that if you have decided to voluntarily give up your seat, you will not be entitled to claim the compensation set out in Regulation EC 261/2004.

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For domestic flights in the U.S., airlines have to pay you 200% of the value of your one-way ticket up to $775 if you arrive at your destination one to two hours past your originally scheduled itinerary or 400% of the one-way ticket price, up to $1,550 if your arrival delay is longer than two hours.

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2. What is denied boarding?
  • for health, safety, or security reasons;
  • for failing to follow airline rules or instructions;
  • because a passenger does not have appropriate travel documents; or.
  • the passenger has failed to respect check-in and departure gate cut-off time limits.


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This is called “denied boarding compensation” or “DBC” for short. Most bumped passengers who experience short delays on flights will receive compensation equal to double the one-way price of the flight they were bumped from, but airlines may limit this amount to up to $775.

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Here's a look at American carriers, starting with the worst for overbooking and descending to the best:
  • Spirit Airlines — 78 IDBs per million passengers.
  • Frontier Airlines — 55.
  • Southwest Airlines — 41.
  • Alaska Airlines — 28.
  • American Airlines — 24.
  • United Airlines — 13.
  • Delta Air Lines — 3.
  • JetBlue Airways — 2.


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People who booked earlier or paid more for their ticket will usually get to stay on board. Another deciding factor is the type of ticket that was purchased. Airlines may opt to bump passengers with non-refundable tickets, while those with refundable tickets are more likely to be given preference.

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If there are not enough passengers who are willing to give up their seats voluntarily, an airline may deny you a seat on an aircraft based on criteria that it establishes, such as the passenger's check-in time, the fare paid by the passenger, or the passenger's frequent flyer status.

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Most airlines intentionally overbook flights, selling more tickets than available seats for a journey. They do this in anticipation of people no-showing on the day of the journey, and the practice is not illegal. Travel experts have warned that as many as 150 tickets are sold for every 100 seats available.

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-Delta and Allegiant still are the least likely mainline and budget airlines to bump a passenger. During Q2 2020, both Delta and Allegiant bumped zero passengers. -American Airlines Group's trio of airlines improved their bumps per 100,000 passengers drastically in Q2 2020 versus Q3 2019 – Q2 2020.

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But if no volunteers come forward airlines can involuntarily bump passengers - though Delta says it rarely comes to this. Airlines use an algorithm to determine which journeys to oversell and by how much.

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Most airlines oversell flights, and sometimes this leads to airlines having to bump passengers. This can come in two forms — voluntary and involuntary denied boarding.

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Passengers who are denied boarding involuntarily due to oversales are entitled to compensation that is based on the price of their ticket, the length of time that they are delayed in getting to their destination because of being denied boarding, and whether their flight is a domestic flight or an international flight ...

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You can claim compensation directly at the airport, but it's rare that airlines pay the compensation immediately. It's usually best to wait until you've reached your destination and the trip is over to claim both the overbooking compensation and the refund of your additional expenses.

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An airline can refuse to transport a passenger for the reasons listed in its contract of carriage, a legal agreement between the passenger and airline, so long as the refusal is not discriminatory, such as: Being intoxicated or under the influence of illegal drugs.

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Preboarding is available for Customers with disabilities who need a specific seat to accommodate a disability, need assistance boarding the aircraft, or need to stow an assistive device.

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Passengers can inquire about overbooking by contacting their respective airlines or using apps that show available seats per cabin. If your flight is overbooked, airlines will usually ask for volunteers to give up their seats and offer compensation in return.

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So they sell more tickets in advance than there are seats on the plane. The point of all this is to ensure that the plane is full when it takes off, because empty seats are a financial burden for airlines. According to some travel experts, for every 100 seats available, about 150 tickets are sold.

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