Airlines sometimes sell more seats for a flight than there are seats available, a practice known as overbooking. This can lead to passengers being denied boarding, or 'bumped', when the airline's calculation of expected no-shows proves wrong.
Overbooking is a deliberate and legal strategy, according to Anton Radchenko, an aviation expert and CEO of flight compensation company AirAdvisor. 'Airlines do it deliberately and legally, calculating that a percentage of passengers won't show up,' he explained. When that calculation is wrong and passengers are denied boarding, the law treats it like a long delay or cancellation.
Discovering your flight has been overbooked can be incredibly stressful, said Alicia Hempsted, Travel Insurance Expert at MoneySuperMarket, particularly if you're travelling with family or working to a tight schedule. Some airlines, such as Jet2 and Ryanair, never overbook. However, airlines can also bump passengers for operational reasons, such as a last-minute switch to a smaller aircraft, crew scheduling issues, or weight restrictions.
How airlines decide who gets bumped
In the UK, it is generally the passengers who are last to check in who are denied boarding. Passengers travelling with cabin baggage only are also more likely to get bumped, because it avoids the complication of pulling bags from the hold. A warning sign is when your boarding pass has no seat number.
Under aviation rights rules, airlines are entitled to overbook. If too many people turn up, they are supposed to seek out volunteers who agree to give up their seats. The law states: 'When an operating air carrier reasonably expects to deny boarding on a flight, it shall first call on volunteers to surrender their reservations in exchange for benefits.' If nobody volunteers, airlines can deny boarding to passengers against their will.
Compensation and rebooking rights
In the UK and Europe, or anywhere in the world if you're flying on a British or EU airline, you should be rebooked on any carrier that can get you to your destination as soon as possible. You are also entitled to compensation on a sliding scale, depending on how long the flight is or how delayed you will be. This ranges from £110 for a short-haul trip when you arrive more than two hours late, up to £520 for a long-haul journey touching down four or more hours behind schedule.
The airline may also be required to reimburse reasonable expenses such as meals, refreshments and, where necessary, accommodation. Alicia advised asking about this as soon as possible, because 'if they aren't able to provide you with food vouchers, it's important that you keep receipts or document additional costs, which you can use to reclaim some costs later'.
Volunteering vs. being forcibly bumped
If you volunteer to be bumped, you are swapping your statutory compensation for whatever the airline offers you at the gate. According to Anton Radchenko, it is usually worth less. 'Know what you're entitled to before you get there, and don't sign away your rights for a voucher,' he advised.
Don't panic and book yourself another flight without speaking to the airline first. 'If the airline is responsible for arranging alternative transport, making your own arrangements may complicate proceedings and make it more difficult to recover those costs,' Alicia explained.
Travel insurance and overbooking
Travel insurance doesn't typically cover overbooking as standard, although some policies or add-ons may provide cover for certain associated losses. 'Whether your claim will be accepted depends on your individual policy, so double-check your policy wording on travel delays, missed departures, and alternative transport,' Alicia said. 'In the situation where the airline asks for volunteers to give up their seats, don't agree without first establishing what the airline and your insurance will cover.'
Passengers who voluntarily give up their seat in exchange for benefits offered by the airline may not be entitled to the same statutory compensation rights as those who are involuntarily denied boarding. 'A voluntary arrangement may also be treated differently by your insurer, depending on your individual policy, and this can affect your cover,' she added.
