When a flight is overbooked and not enough passengers volunteer to take a later flight in exchange for compensation, the airline must perform an "Involuntary Denied Boarding" (IDB). The criteria for who gets "bumped" are outlined in the airline's Contract of Carriage, which is updated regularly. Generally, the last passengers to check in are the first at risk of being bumped. However, airlines also consider several other factors: Frequent Flyer Status (higher-tier members are rarely bumped), Fare Class (passengers who paid for full-price tickets are prioritized over those with "Basic Economy" or discounted fares), and Connecting Flights (those with tight international connections are less likely to be removed). Airlines also make significant exceptions for "vulnerable" passengers, such as unaccompanied minors, individuals with disabilities, or families traveling with small children. In the United States and the EU, if you are involuntarily bumped, the airline is legally required to pay you compensation (often up to 400% of your one-way fare, with a cap around $1,550 in the U.S.) if they cannot get you to your destination within a certain timeframe. Because of the high cost of these payouts, airlines in 2026 have become much more aggressive with their "volunteer" offers, sometimes offering thousands of dollars in travel vouchers to avoid the PR nightmare of an involuntary bump.