How much will an airline pay to bump you?

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.



If you are involuntarily bumped (denied boarding) from an overbooked flight in the United States, the Department of Transportation (DOT) mandates specific compensation based on your delay. If the airline rebooks you and you arrive at your destination 1 to 2 hours late (domestic) or 1 to 4 hours late (international), they must pay you 200% of your one-way fare, up to a maximum of $1,075. If your delay exceeds 2 hours (domestic) or 4 hours (international), the compensation jumps to 400% of your one-way fare, capped at $2,150. In 2026, these regulations remain a strong protection for consumers. Note that these rules only apply to "involuntary" bumping; if you voluntarily give up your seat, there is no legal limit, and you can often negotiate for significantly more in travel vouchers or gift cards. Airlines are required to provide this payment at the airport on the day of the incident, usually via a check or an immediate electronic transfer, rather than just a travel credit, unless you explicitly agree otherwise.

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There's no official requirement for passengers to receive a refund or reimbursement as a result of a flight delay, though the DOT's delay and cancellation dashboard can help travelers better understand what they're entitled to.

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For overbooked U.S. flights that result in you getting to your destination more than two hours later, U.S. Department of Transportation rules stipulate that the minimum compensation rate is $1,550, or 400% of your one-way fare, whichever amount is lower.

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Frontier Airlines bumped the biggest proportion of passengers of the 15 largest US carriers in early 2023. Of every 10,000 Frontier passengers, 3.73 were involuntarily denied boarding due to oversales, the DOT said. Allegiant, Delta, Endeavor, and Hawaiian didn't bump any passengers in the quarter, per the DOT.

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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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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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So if your flight is delayed by 2 hours, there is no compensation. However, you can make a different claim. For example, if your flight is delayed by two hours or more, your airline must take care of you by offering you support services. These can be very different.

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The amount of flight delay compensation United States travelers can claim varies. There's a maximum of $700 (excluding accommodation and food costs, which airlines may have to cover). But even short delays can incur penalties of $200 or more.

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You're entitled to get compensation if the flight arrives more than 3 hours late and it's the airline's fault - for example, if they didn't get enough bookings or there was a technical fault.

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One rule you can expect with just about every airline is that if they need to choose passengers to bump, they'll start with those in the lowest fare class. Those in business class, first class, and even premium economy are usually safe (although they can be bumped down to a lower fare class if necessary).

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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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Passengers may be able to sue if the airline fails to compensate them for rescheduling and delays caused by its overbooking practices. In other cases, a passenger might be able to sue for discrimination if the airline rescheduled them due to their race, religion, or another protected trait.

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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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Moreover, every airline in the United States overbooks its flights at least some of the time. All but one, that is. JetBlue Airways (JBLU -1.22%) is the one holdout that chooses not to overbook its flights -- to be more customer-friendly.

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Bumping, also known as “denied boarding,” happens when there are more passengers scheduled to fly on an airplane than available seats. The business practice of bumping is not illegal. Airlines oversell their scheduled flights to a certain extent in order to compensate for “no-shows.”

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You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.

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You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes through the checkpoint. These are limited to 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item. This is also known as the 3-1-1 liquids rule.

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You can fly with any amount of cash. No law prohibits you from bringing any amount of money on a flight. Likewise, TSA has no rules that limit how much money you can bring through security. In other words, TSA has no cash limit per person.

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