How Much Compensation Can You Get if You’re on an Overbooked Flight?

Over the weekend, I was coming back from Seattle and waiting to board my plane.

While I sat in the busy lobby, I wondered if everyone was actually waiting for the same plane because it was crowded.

Sure enough, the airline representative started making announcements that the flight was full and that they’ll be checking bags for free. I didn’t get up.

10 minutes later there was another announcement asking for volunteers to take a later flight due to the overbooked flight. You bet I stayed firmly in my seat.

Overbooking is legal for airlines to make but is definitely an annoying experience if you’re on that plane.

For the volunteers that take a later flight (bless their heart), they’ll get a travel voucher. If no volunteers rise up, the airline can start booting passengers off against their will.

You’ll probably find yourself in this situation eventually. Here’s what to do if you’re on an overbooked flight and how much compensation you can get. 

Know Your Contract Rights

Each time you purchase an airline ticket, you enter into a contract of carriage.

These rights include things like compensation the airline might owe you due to flight disruption, lost or damaged baggage, overbookings and more. Each airline has their own, and the contract can be searchable on their respective websites.

So if you’re denied a seat due to overbooking, and your new flight gets you there more than 1 hour after your original landing time, you have the rights to compensation like:

Arriving 1- 2 hours later on a domestic flight (or 1-4 hours later internationally) than you were supposed to means that the airline is required to pay double the original one-way fare, with a $675 limit.

Arriving more than 2 hours late (or 4 hours internationally) means that the airline has to pay 400% of the one-way fare, with a $1,350 limit.

Don’t Volunteer as Tribute First

When they start asking for volunteers due to an overbooked flight, don’t do it!

The price of the travel voucher will eventually go up in value to incentivize more people to volunteer. It’s basically a gamble of negotiations between the volunteers and the airline.

I’ve seen vouchers go up to $750-800 before a volunteer sacrificed himself.

Each Airline Has their Own Way of Bumping

Every airline has their own policies of who to bump off an overbooked flight first. This is their last resort if no volunteers stand up.

For instance, on United flights, unaccompanied minors and people with disabilities are the last to get chosen.

American Airlines is based on the order of check-in (that’s why it’s good to check-in 24 hours ahead!), but also look at the ticket cost and if you’re a member of their loyalty program.

So the next time you find yourself in an overbooked situation, check the contract of carriage and don’t volunteer first to get the best compensation available!

See Also: Major Airlines are Eliminating Flight Change Fees. Why?