What happens if everyone shows up for an overbooked flight?

Overbooked Flights: Passengers’ Rights and Compensation

When an airline sells more tickets than seats available on a flight, it’s considered overbooked. While this practice is common to maximize revenue and accommodate last-minute bookings, it can result in passengers being denied boarding or involuntarily bumped.

Denied Boarding

If an overbooked flight is not fully booked, the airline may ask for volunteers to surrender their seats in exchange for compensation. If no volunteers come forward, the airline will deny boarding to passengers based on the “bumping list.”

The bumping list typically prioritizes passengers with higher fare classes, elite status, and those with connections or important commitments. Denied boarding can cause significant inconvenience and frustration for passengers.

Involuntary Bumping

When an overbooked flight is fully booked, the airline may involuntarily bump passengers who have already boarded. This is a more severe situation that can lead to missed appointments, job interviews, and other important events.

Compensation Policies

To protect passengers from the inconvenience of overbooking, airlines have established compensation policies. These policies vary by airline and destination, but generally include:

• Voluntary Bumping: Passengers who voluntarily surrender their seats receive compensation, such as cash, flight vouchers, or travel upgrades.
• Involuntary Bumping: Passengers who are involuntarily bumped receive higher compensation, including up to four times the one-way value of their fare.

Passengers’ Rights

In addition to compensation, passengers have certain rights when they are involuntarily bumped, including:

• Notice: Passengers must be notified of the overbooking and possible bumping at check-in.
• Choice of Compensation: Passengers have the option to choose between compensation or an alternative flight.
• Meal and Accommodation: Airlines must provide meals and accommodation for passengers who are delayed overnight due to bumping.

Conclusion

Overbooked flights are a common practice, but they can result in denied boarding or involuntary bumping of passengers. Airlines have compensation policies in place to protect passengers in these situations. Passengers have certain rights when they are involuntarily bumped, including notice, choice of compensation, and meal and accommodation assistance.