How do airlines decide who to kick off an overbooked flight?

When a flight has more passengers who are ready to fly than there are seats available, airlines must first ask passengers to give up their seats voluntarily, in exchange for compensation, before bumping anyone involuntarily. Airlines may offer passengers incentives, such as money or vouchers, to volunteer.



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Some of the factors that airlines consider when deciding who gets bumped include check-in time, fare paid by the passenger, and frequent flyer status. It is important to note that these criteria must not be used in a way that prejudices or disadvantages any passenger unjustly or unreasonably.

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Each carrier determines their own bumping criteria, but airline staff may choose to bump passengers who were last-minute check-ins, those who didn't make a seat selection when booking, those not at the gate 30 minutes before check-in, or passengers with low-priced seats.

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Airlines can sell more seats than they have available – as they assume that not all passengers will show up for the flight. If all passengers do show up, some may be denied boarding or “bumped” off the flight.

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One is to check in early. Once you check in, you'll probably get a seat assignment, and the chances of getting bumped decrease. Don't wait to board! If you're not in your seat, the airline may assume you won't show up and give your seat to another passenger.

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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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While the thought of being bumped from a flight can be worrisome, it's important to note that very few people actually are. Only about 5,690 passengers of the more than 195.2 million enplaned in early 2023 were bumped, DOT data shows.

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According to some travel experts on overbooking flights statistics for every 100 seats available, about 150 tickets are sold. So most flights are undoubtedly overbooked.

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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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The vast majority of the time, passengers don't have any problems boarding their flights. But occasionally, airlines may “bump” passengers and have them give up their seats. Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats.

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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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Sometimes, when an airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats and fly on a different flight, there are not enough volunteers. When this occurs, the airline will select passengers to give up their seats. This is called “involuntary denied boarding” or “bumping.”

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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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Travel experts warn that around 150 tickets are sold for every 100 seats available, so you've undoubtedly been on an overbooked flight. British Airways admits to overselling 500,000 seats in a single year, leading to 24,000 passengers having to be bumped from flights.

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But occasionally, airlines may “bump” passengers and have them give up their seats. Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats.

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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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If everyone shows up for an overbooked flight, the gate agents have to scramble. They'll offer travel vouchers, even cash in an attempt to get travelers to take another flight. If they can't get enough passengers to vacate voluntarily, they'll start bumping people.

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First people that get bumped are the ones with seat assigned at gate. bulk/wholesale fares. non-revenue pax. people who are really late to check-in.

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Overbooked flight compensation under US regulations
If the airline does not make any substitute travel arrangements for you, you are entitled to 400% of the one-way fare price, not to exceed $1,350 as well as any optional fees paid as part of your reservation (e.g. bag fees, seat upgrades, etc.).

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It is a common practice amongst airlines to overbook their flights. They often sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane and if they do not find enough volunteers to surrender their reservations they may deny boarding to passengers against their will.

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Does Southwest overbook flights? No. However, there can be operational instances where we will be over available seating capacity, resulting in an oversale. Overselling a flight can occur because of weight restrictions and aircraft type changes.

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